Good luck! Investing in yourself is the best thing you could ever do (other than sniping the zero punctuation vids every week)

Good for you, Zifnab! I wish you all the luck and success! I think it's great you're looking to into doing something for yourself. And, I think I'm the only person on the Sift that thinks those Zero Punctuation vids are just plain awful.

*is jealous, as this is the same career he is in and never finished his four year*

Is it a two year or four year degree, by the way? The higher up positions at the college here require a four year.

Good for you, zifnab. I'm doing the same thing in a couple of weeks, even though your 11+ years of working is a bit more than my 6 months. Best of luck!

Six months of working then back to school? Lazy! Get a jerb!

Thanks everyone, I'm looking forward to doing something different for a while. I'll get to see things from the other side.

I'm very fortunate that we have a very good education leave program here. I'll still get my full salary and benefits while I'm on leave, and my classes and books will be paid for. I applied for the leave about a year and a half ago and was approved earlier this year.

@Croccydile - My plan is to work towards a 4 year bachelor's degree. I have some prior credits and I will challenge a number of the courses to help lesson the time it is going to take me. Once I finish this leave I will be more than half done the degree. I'll have completed enough classes for a diploma, but I'll keep working toward the degree as the higher up positions will require the 4 year degree.

My mother quit college early to found a social work project that she felt both passionate about and spiritually led to pursue. It has been a great success and has helped many young and damaged young ones, but it was very difficult... for all of us. While I was still rather young, and while the service was still in its development stages, she "went back to school," as you are doing, in order to get a degree. Several years later, she went further, taking many night courses to make it a master's in child psychology. That not only strengthened her credentials but also those of her organization and its goals.

Don't think that your position is abnormal. It's commendable in my eyes. It not only tells of a love of learning and self-improvement. It also tells of a willingness to serve and a willingness to endure annoyance and agrivation for the sake of not just a raise in salary, but a raise in personal value and responsibility.

My mother was extremely busy during those particular times, but even as a young son, I felt no resentment or any lack of love. On the contrary, I felt pride in her willingness to work so hard for her goal. It was a great example to me and I have considered it often while I've striven for my own goals. I have a feeling your family will feel the same way, or at least I hope and pray that they will so.

They.. took yer JEEERB!!

And from personal experience: you'll have plenty of time to sift while you're studying.. seriously.

Good for you, Zifnab! I'm finishing my two year degree this December, and am looking forward to transferring to a four-year university Fall of '10. Maybe we'll bump into each other out there. Keep at it; only good things come from bettering yourself.