I'm trying to get out ...

[MightyMouse]

And I think I'm on my way.

I've gotten tired of not having a good answer every time someone asks me how work is going. And I cringe at the thought of leaving my current crappy paper to go to a different crappy paper.

So yesterday I rounded up some college transcripts, and today I filled out an application to go back to school to get my psychology degree. I'd like to get into adolescent/youth counseling. I've looked, and a lot of places will hire you with a 4-year degree as long as you're working on a masters. The admissions counselor said I can have a bachelors degree with just 13 classes, and I'm hoping with my 5-1 schedule that I can do this without having to quit (basically using my dead-end job to subsidize my way out).

Bottom line is that whereas 2 weeks ago, all I had to look forward to was working until I die, now I am excited at the prospect of being able to say, "See ya" after just 3 semesters of work.

So, I guess what I want to know is:
-Has anyone else done this (or something similar)?
-Am I crazy to try to keep working while I go back to school?
-Is it dishonest of me to not tell my boss that I'm going back to school so that I can get out of there? It really wouldn't surprise me if they fired me if they knew I was doing this.

 

[Moderator1]

A. There is a particular board member I hope will weigh in on this. He did all the work but I take all the credit.

B. If they fire you, finish faster. Any newspaper that doesn't understand an employee's desire to be prepared for the future, given the state of the business, is a real piece of crap. That said, it would not surprise me if some newspapers indeed felt that way.

 

[JackReacher]

I took my last newspaper job solely because it allowed me to finish school. Ditched the reporter's cap and worked the desk. I went to school during the day and worked at night. It sucked. Bad. But it was worth it. Big time.

Probably the hardest I've ever worked at anything. Probably the hardest I'll ever work at something. They knew full well that I would be trying to leave around the time I graduated, and they still helped pay for school. They were also very flexible with my schedule around exam time. I graduated Dec. 8 and started my next job Jan. 26.

If you really want to do it, go for it. But be prepared to work hard.

 

[Joshua Armstrong]

Echoing the sentiments of Moddy and Sonner:
- Yes. I know three people who have.
- No. But it will be very hard.
- It is not dishonest. You want to further your education, which naturally means a better job. If your employer does not understand this, screw 'em.

 

[JimmyHoward33]

So you have a ft newspaper gig and you haven't finished your 4-year degree?

 

[Baron Scicluna]

I had signed up for classes before I knew I was laid off. My bosses were actually pretty supportive, because they knew about the state of the industry and had told me that if I needed to arrange my schedule differently, they would try to help me.

Then I was told about my layoff, and it actually made leaving the place easier. Basically, I could say that I was exploring other options.

I ended up getting laid off just as school was starting, so I can't say what it's like to juggle both school and work. But a good amount of my fellow students are working FT and taking a couple of classes. They get stressed out, but they're doing well, and most of the professors are more understanding about the adult students, and sometimes give them an extra week to turn in assignments.

And if your paper is going to fire you for trying to improve yourself, screw them. Unless they're willing to guarantee you a job for a certain amount of time in writing, do what's best for you. They'll do what's best for them.

 

[jfs1000]

Hmm. Good inspiration. 33, 2 kids, a wife, and I am checking into an MBA program. I have to take calculus -- missed it a decade ago as an undergrad (who needs calculus right?) -- but I got to figure out doing this while doing a beat where I travel. Whatever, going to get it done.

F the biz.

How old? And am I crazy?

 

[bigbadeagle]

Calculus is nothing. Differential equations ... now that's hard.

 

[MightyMouse]

So you have a ft newspaper gig and you haven't finished your 4-year degree?

No, I have a degree (2, actually -- an AA and a BS), but I'm totally switching fields, so I'm looking at a second bachelors.
Again, looking down the list, I need 13 classes and I'll be done (or at least ready to move on), so that is very encouraging to me.

 

[YGBFKM]

I took my last newspaper job solely because it allowed me to finish school. Ditched the reporter's cap and worked the desk. I went to school during the day and worked at night. It sucked. Bad. But it was worth it. Big time.

Probably the hardest I've ever worked at anything. Probably the hardest I'll ever work at something. They knew full well that I would be trying to leave around the time I graduated, and they still helped pay for school. They were also very flexible with my schedule around exam time. I graduated Dec. 8 and started my next job Jan. 26.

If you really want to do it, go for it. But be prepared to work hard.

Given your current work schedule, I'd say that's a safe bet.

 

[YGBFKM]

Mighty, I went back to school last year with the intention of finally finishing my course work after a decade off and transitioning into another media-related career. I graduate in May, and I may still make that transition, but I was thinking about my job prospects today and realized just how much I love the newsroom. It's one of the few places on Earth I feel completely comfortable, like I was born to work there. Anyway, that personal tangent really doesn't help you any, so sorry about that. Just do what you think is right and I'm sure it'll work out. And good luck.

 

[2underpar]

sonner's boss told me it never appeared that he was working very hard in the office.

 

[JackReacher]

sonner's boss told me it never appeared that he was working very hard in the office.

Appearances can be deceiving. Wait, no they can't.

 

[Drip]

And I think I'm on my way.

I've gotten tired of not having a good answer every time someone asks me how work is going. And I cringe at the thought of leaving my current crappy paper to go to a different crappy paper.

So yesterday I rounded up some college transcripts, and today I filled out an application to go back to school to get my psychology degree. I'd like to get into adolescent/youth counseling. I've looked, and a lot of places will hire you with a 4-year degree as long as you're working on a masters. The admissions counselor said I can have a bachelors degree with just 13 classes, and I'm hoping with my 5-1 schedule that I can do this without having to quit (basically using my dead-end job to subsidize my way out).

Bottom line is that whereas 2 weeks ago, all I had to look forward to was working until I die, now I am excited at the prospect of being able to say, "See ya" after just 3 semesters of work.

So, I guess what I want to know is:
-Has anyone else done this (or something similar)?
-Am I crazy to try to keep working while I go back to school?
-Is it dishonest of me to not tell my boss that I'm going back to school so that I can get out of there? It really wouldn't surprise me if they fired me if they knew I was doing this.

Good luck. You owe your employer no explanation for what you are doing. In fact, it's none of their business.

 

[mustangj17]

If they lay you off you would qualify for the no-worker left behind act. Then you could get something like $10,000 for school.

 

[OrthogonalWaterfowl]

No, I have a degree (2, actually -- an AA and a BS), but I'm totally switching fields, so I'm looking at a second bachelors.
Again, looking down the list, I need 13 classes and I'll be done (or at least ready to move on), so that is very encouraging to me.

What's your BS in? If you're thinking about a Masters and you've already got a BS (the fact that it's not a BA will probably work in your favor with something psych-oriented), you might be able to get right into an masters program without any additional coursework. In many fields, undergrad->grad is the same as high school->college: nobody really cares what you did before, so long as you finished and did a good job. Not saying this is the case for psych., since I'm not specifically familiar with it, but my fiancee got her MS in forensic science last year and while she'd done a lot of forensic work prior to grad school, a surprising number of her classmates hadn't.

Also, if there are specific courses they want you to get, maybe you could just take those a la carte or at a community college without pursuing an entirely seperate degree and save yourself some cash. Or do the jobs you're looking at require a specific bachelors degree?

 

[MightyMouse]

No, I have a degree (2, actually -- an AA and a BS), but I'm totally switching fields, so I'm looking at a second bachelors.
Again, looking down the list, I need 13 classes and I'll be done (or at least ready to move on), so that is very encouraging to me.

What's your BS in? If you're thinking about a Masters and you've already got a BS (the fact that it's not a BA will probably work in your favor with something psych-oriented), you might be able to get right into an masters program without any additional coursework. In many fields, undergrad->grad is the same as high school->college: nobody really cares what you did before, so long as you finished and did a good job. Not saying this is the case for psych., since I'm not specifically familiar with it, but my fiancee got her MS in forensic science last year and while she'd done a lot of forensic work prior to grad school, a surprising number of her classmates hadn't.

Also, if there are specific courses they want you to get, maybe you could just take those a la carte or at a community college without pursuing an entirely seperate degree and save yourself some cash. Or do the jobs you're looking at require a specific bachelors degree?

My BS is in journalism -- truly a BS degree, and my minor was in American History. From what I can tell, those pretty much cover GenEd and elective requirements. Of the 13 classes I need to take, 10 of those are for my psych degree, one is a required science course, one is a required writing-intensive course and one is a generic social sciences course (non-psych related). The admissions counselor said I might be able to petition to get one of my writing courses from my previous school to transfer, which would knock me down to 12 classes.

 

[OrthogonalWaterfowl]

Ahh, if you haven't had any psych. coursework then you probably would need all that for grad school anyway. Your plan sounds good to me, one of my coworkers (who's fresh out of undergrad, like me) is working on his masters while working FT here, sort of similar to what you're planning (although he works 9-5, with one or two half-days and one or two days of coming in a couple hours early to balance it out, for scheduling). I'm sure he works his ass off to meet the requirements of work and school, but it seems like a good plan from where I'm sitting. Good luck!

 

[TheHacker]

Speaking as someone who's had thoughts of doing something similar, I'm happy for you. It sounds like you're doing what's right for you, which has got to feel pretty good.

Speaking as a sports editor, I'd want to know about this if you were on my staff. I've got a guy who makes extra cash umpiring/reffing youth and adult rec league games, different sports, so he's doing it at all times of the year. Obviously he can't do high school games because that's what we cover. But I've gone back and forth with him over what his schedule is and when he's reffing because sometimes he doesn't keep me updated. There's a certain expectation that we have as managers (however unfair it may be) that our people are available whenever something comes up and needs to be done. And if I'm not aware that you're in class all day and I'm trying to reach you, I'm going to start asking questions.

If you're on the desk and you don't have to be in until 4 or 5, then it should work great. But if you're reporting and I notice you're having trouble getting stuff done, it could become a problem. If you plan your schedule right and work ahead on things, you should be fine. Seriously, I hope it works out for you. Good luck with it.

 

[novelist_wannabe]

On the dishonesty thing: It's. None. Of. The. Paper's. Business. That's your personal life, it's something you're pursuing that has nothing to do with your work at the paper. You owe your boss nothing in the way of information about this. Nothing. If you have a good relationship with your boss and feel like sharing, that's one thing. Otherwise, offer no comment.