HOW TO MAKE SMART CHOICES
ABOUT GOING BACK TO SCHOOL
PERSONAL INTEREST CLARIFICATION INSTRUMENT
by Rona Pietrzak, JD, Director, Katharine E. McBride Scholars Program, Bryn Mawr College
prepared for use at Transforming our Lives: Women on the Threshold of Change
Saturday, September 28, 2002
Bryn Mawr College
This questionnaire is to help you identify significant aspects of your interest in going back to school; if you answer these questions honestly, you will find yourself better prepared to decide which of our region’s many wonderful educational opportunities will best meet your interests.
PART A —Where do I come from?
1.The highest level of education I completed:__ grade ___ , without obtaining a high school diploma or GED
__ high school or GED
__ some vocational or technical school training
__ a certificate from a vocational or technical school
__ some courses at a two-year or community college
__ a certificate program from a two-year or community college program
__ an associate’s degree from a two-year or community college
__ some courses at a four year college
__ a bachelor’s degree from a four-year college
__ courses beyond the bachelor’s degree level
2. I stopped going to school because: [check all that apply]
__ School was boring to me
__ I didn’t think I was smart enough to go any further
__ My parents told me I needed to go to work
__ I had a family of my own to take care of
__ I needed a full-time job to support myself and/or others
__ I didn’t have the grades or the kinds of courses that I needed to get into the next level of education
__ I wanted to have fun
__ I [or my family] couldn’t afford it
__ I wanted to make money
__ Someone told me I wasn’t "college material"
__ No one in my family had gone any further in school
__ My friends weren’t going any further in school
__ I didn’t know what I wanted to study
__ I didn’t know how to find out where to go next to school
__ My life was too unpredictable or sad for me to think about going on in school
__ I wanted to do other things with my life rather than studying
__ Other [write any other reason here]
3. I am interested now in returning to school for the following reason/s:
[check all that apply]
__ I need more education to advance in my current job
__ I am not able to find work without more education
__ I think I can make more if I get more education
__ I’ve been laid off and I need to be retrained to get work
__ I’ve lost my spouse or partner [through divorce or death] and need to get a skill or a degree to support myself
__ My kids have grown up and now it’s "my turn"
__ I’m bored with my life
__ I want to discover who I am
__ I want to make a better life for my family/kids
__ I’ve learned over the years that I AM smart enough to go back to school!
__ I want to show my kids how to be serious about life
__ I’m retired and now I have the time for school
__ I’ve always wondered what I missed by not going on in school when I was younger
__ I envy people I meet who went further in school, because they always seem to have something interesting to talk about
__ Someone younger, who had more education than me, was hired as my boss
__ I want to get the cobwebs out of my head
__ I’m interested in ________________________ [fill in the blank with your particular interest], and now I can pursue learning about this interest
__ I want to open my mind to new ideas
__ Other [Add any other reason you have for wanting to return to school]
4. Go back to the reasons you checked in question 3. Write in the space below up to 3 which are the most important reasons to you now.
5. How often in the past five years have I thought about going back to school?
__ all the time
__ fairly often
__ several times a year
__ once in a while
__ every September
__ not at all until 1 2 3 years ago [circle one], but often since then
__ not at all until I learned about this workshop
6. Has something specific happen in the last year or so to make me think NOW about going back to school?
yes no
If yes, write down the specific thing.
PART B -- WHERE DO I WANT TO GO NEXT?
[Choose up to 3 answers for each question; if you can rank you choices, mark your top choice "1," etc.]
1. When I think about going back to school, I think mostly about enrolling in ...
__ one or two courses which can help me develop a skill so that I can switch jobs
__ a certificate program
__ a degree program [e.g., AA, BA, BS, MBA, etc] which would qualify me for advancement
__ course/s in a subject I have always wanted to learn about, even if it wouldn’t directly help me advance at work
__ course/s to add to my knowledge and skill about a hobby
__ course/s to help me improve my primary relationship and/or my child-rearing skills
__ course/s in personal money management or retirement planning
__ course/s that will expand my understanding of the world
__ other
2. When I think about going back to school, I imagine myself: [check all that apply]
__ taking classes with students of traditional college-age
__ taking courses on-line from home
__ sitting in a classroom or seminar room and exchanging ideas with the teacher and the other students
__ trying to get as much out of the courses as I can
__ trying to do the least I need to do to "pass" or obtain the credential offered
__ being in a class with people mostly like me
__ other [write below]
Bryn Mawr College Programs
McBride Scholars
Program
The Katharine E. McBride Scholars Degree Program is for women beyond the traditional college-age. If you postponed or interrupted your schooling but are now considering earning your college degree, we invite you to explore this challenging and rewarding program.
http://www.brynmawr.edu/admissions/mcbride_scholars.shtml
The Graduate School of Arts & Sciences: A University in a College
Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research
Master of Law and Social Policy
Doctor of Philosophy in Social Work
The Postbaccalaureate Premedical Program
http://www.brynmawr.edu/postbac/
Continuing Education
email: mshardak@brynmawr.edu
Some Key Factors to Consider when Evaluating an Educational Program
Is the program nationally Accredited?
Why this might be an issue
-- If you want to obtain federal or state financial aid
-- If you hope to use these courses to satisfy requirements of future employers or other schools
This may be a problem with some vocational programs and some on-line programs
Probably not a concern if you are taking courses purely for your own enjoyment
Is your Baseline knowledge sufficient for you to take these courses?
-- How my writing, math, computer skills prepare me for this program?
-- How can I find out?
-- If I am not ready now, how can I prepare?
Community Colleges are a terrific resource — see attached sheet
Neighborhood Adult Ed classes
Mayor’s Commission on Literacy
Does this program offer the Credentials and Courses you seek?
-- To what extent does this program meet my
-- short-term and long-term goals?
-- needs and preferences?
-- Are there courses of interest to me?
-- Am I allowed to enroll in them?
-- If I want to earn a record of completion [a diploma, a certificate, etc], can I?