How David Greenfield Earned Your Vote

By: Linda Franco

Earn a great income. Spend your time doing something you enjoy. Put your talents to good use.

No, this is not an advertisement for Apex Technical School. But for a shaatra considering going back to school, many of the same messages from that famous commercial are applicable. Though there are a number of common obstacles that often prevent women from going back to school: confidence, time and money, with a little bit of planning and lots of energy, you can overcome these hurdles and jump into an exciting world of stimulating learning.

A Confidence Game

What’s your biggest motivator? You! Confidence is a learned skill which anyone can acquire. If you don’t feel confident, act like you do. How? Walk taller, speak in a clear voice and with authoritative language. Make a decision and carry it out. Then take time to feel good about your achievements, no matter how small. If you ordered a course catalog from the local college, celebrate the action! Look at your journey as one step at a time and don’t wait until the end to pat yourself on the back. True inner confidence comes with the knowledge that you’re worth the investment of education in yourself. But like the man in the Apex commercial says, you have to take the first step.

Choose Wisely

Start your educational career with a good plan. Make a list of everything you love to do and then try to match them up with the courses that fit your skills and passions. Many online career sites have tools that can help you narrow down potential career choices based on your interests and strengths. Bounce your ideas and concerns off someone who understands and supports you, be it a sito, friend or social worker. Then, speak to professionals in your chosen field to get the inside track on programs that offer the best hiring opportunities.

Time Budgeting

Classroom hours aren’t the only consideration when choosing courses of study. Remember to also factor in the time needed for homework, research and field work. Realize from the outset that as a homemaker, your schedule next year may be unpredictable. Try to choose a flexible program that can accommodate life’s interruptions, when you may need to take breaks in your studies.

If you find yourself with an open month or two, explore some of the seminaries that partner with local colleges to offer the same courses in concentrated blocks of time. These programs also offer the benefits of: women only classes, observance of Jewish holidays, and discounted tuition.

Allow enough time for homework. You’re making a huge investment of funds and time into your chosen program, so don’t go cheap on the babysitting when completing critical assignments.

On the home front, fulfill your mandatory obligations as efficiently as possible and don’t be afraid to ask for a little extra help from the family during crunch time. By the same token, don’t be too shy to turn down extra obligations if you feel they will interfere with your educational commitments.

Paying Your Way

A four year bachelors’ degree from NYU is estimated to cost a cool $155k. Fortunately for those of us who don’t have that kind of cash lying around, a college education doesn’t have to cost nearly that much. Many non-degree programs start at less than $600 per course and there are many ways to manage these costs without breaking the bank. But first, be realistic in estimating all the extra expenses and costs associated with going back to school. Aside from tuition, include books, transportation, babysitting, and lunch. If applying for a student loan (which may be interest free if you qualify), find out which of these expenses can be paid for from those funds. The Federal Aid Form for Student Aid (fafsa.ed.gov) is one comprehensive application that includes many forms of aid.You’re not expected to start paying off student loans until after graduation. And did you know that 1 in 13 students earn a scholarship? Websites like fastweb.com and scholarships.com can compile a customized list of scholarship possibilities for you.

Finally, remember that it costs nothing to have a positive attitude. Make the most of this valuable resource to stay motivated and pursue your interests.

Tips

Take it one step at a time. My college schedule was erratic. Sometimes I went back full-time, sometimes I went part-time. But I just kept moving forward. Even if takes twice as long as you imaged, remember, the end result is the same.

A. C.

I registered for my masters through the New Seminary. They offer a discount on tuition, a schedule that worked with Jewish holidays and women only classes. It was the perfect combination!

E. F.

Consider a slightly more expensive accelerated program. Some are equivalent to what you’d get at a city university, but they take much less time to complete.

L. S.