Hi everyone!
I am 49 so I'm starting this later in life. An SLP friend suggested I just go ahead and start leveling classes ASAP. With time NOT on my side, I found the easiest university to apply to and still get started this spring (USU) I'm currently in COMD3100 -Speech Science and COMD3200 - Child Language Development. I will say the video lectures are very interesting, the professors and TAs have been super kind, helpful and responsive and I love the material. BUT my kids have taken online classes for years as homeschoolers and also classes at our homeschool co-ops and I hate to say it but their classes seem WAY harder than these.
So it got me thinking - will these issues work against me significantly?
*My undergrad degree is out of field (BA in Interdisciplinary Studies with Teacher Certification).
*My undergrad degree GPA is 3.3 (I was a 19 year old stupid freshman and bombed my first year). My major/upper Div GPA 3.8.
*It will take me 10-11 classes and at least a $10,000+ investment just to level and it will HAVE to be in an online program (I've heard for SLP Grad schools, online is possibly looked down upon?)
*I have limited grad schools to apply to as there is only one in driving distance and the rest would have to online and not private (makes no sense to spend 50K plus on a degree I'll use for 10-ish years no matter how much I love it.)
Bottom line: I just don't have time and money to waste - mainly time given my age, but also money when you consider the short term of my career. Do I go forward with leveling classes at USU (mostly) anyway and hope for the best? Or maybe I should switch to something else? I want to further my education for personal satisfaction no matter what; SLP was just my highest area of interest. But maybe SLP is too unrealistic given my circumstances of age, family situation, location, etc. I do have other interests that align much more closely with my undergrad degree and my former career and life experience and are half the investment of time and money, offer in person classes locally, or at least aren't stigmatized as much as the SLP program when it comes to online vs in person classes.
Anyone older like me OR maybe been in a similar situations? I am 100% ok for y'all to give it to me STRAIGHT. I want to know what you would do if you were me.
Thanks for reading!
Ronda