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getting two bachelor's degrees, point?

captainballs

captainballs

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Joined
Sep 21, 2004
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Hey, I've recently decided that I am sick of my major and want to change to something like math or biology. Problem is, I already gots me a bachelor's degree in another field and i'm working on my oh-so-boring masters. I can't just apply for a Master's in Math because the highest math I've ever taken is Calculus. Biology might be reasonable, since I have 6 hours in it, but either way it looks like I'd be starting somewhere early in the undergrad process.

I just have to switch - it is impossible for me to give a shit about what I'm studying - I just can't do it, so naturally I'm an average student. I knoes I'm smart, and could do something fantastic, but things are all wrong right now.

I'm guessing that depending on which school I go to my credits will transfer differently, any experience or advice would be cool.

=D
 
i have a friend who is beginning his second bachelor's degree. like you, he decided that he hated his original degree and wanted to go into a totally different field. most of his credits transferred, he is looking at about 3-5 quarters of classes to get his second degree.
 
dang, so only about one year full time?

That's pretty cool.... hmmmmmmmm......... maybe I could work during the day also.
 
yeah it really depends on how much credit from your original bachelors you can claim. A mate of mine finished science, then didn't want to leave uni, so did economics as well... he got about 2 semesters credit all up.

Once he finished economics, he still didn't want to leave, so now he's doing medicine...

His parents have too much money as they can afford to pay his fees for the roughly 10 years hes spending at uni...
 
captainballs said:
dang, so only about one year full time?

That's pretty cool.... hmmmmmmmm......... maybe I could work during the day also.
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he went from one state school to another state school, so it was pretty easy to transfer the credits. depending on where you went and where you are going, it may not work out so well...

order a copy of your transcript and take that with you if you go to speak with an admissions person. they should have a good idea what classes will transfer and such.

undergrad classes are also way cheaper than grad class, something i am learning the hard way.
 
yeah, sounds like good advice.

man, going to school in the states sucks. we are basically screwed unless our parents are loaded or we jump through all the right hoops in HS.
 
Thanks for the input.

If anyone else wants to chime in, holler at a scholar. *sunglasses face*
 
getreal said:
Hey CB-
Its better to have 2 degree's than one you are not happy with.
Credits transfer- job skills don't:)
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I agree... the thing was, he LIKED biochem/microbiology, which was what he was doing in Science... he just didn't want to leave uni yet ;) - oh and he didn't actually get a job... applied for some, but didn't get one, and thought that economics would give him more employment options...

CB :)
 
captainballs said:
man, going to school in the states sucks. we are basically screwed unless our parents are loaded or we jump through all the right hoops in HS.
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We get an ok deal for our first degree (well, we did when I went, it's more expensive now) but we get no support whatsoever for a second degree, even if your parents are literally destitute (which mine virtually are)

I really want to go and do a second degree, but it simply isn't an option for financial reasons.
I need to find a rich girlfriend who doesn't mind me sponging off her for 4 years.
 
I'm sure we at least get loans. If not I'm applying for a school over here in Euroopa where all I have to do is come up with rent money. Cha Ching!
 
you can still get federal grants and loans, along with private loans to help pay for school. you will just graduate in debt :\

or you can try to work at a job that will help pay for your education to make it more manageable.
 
Don't see a lot of point in getting a second Bachelors. I'm not even working in the proper field from my BA, just the fact that I have it + the training i got from my employers = good enough for them. I find this is a similar case in most businesses. They just want to see you've gotten the 4 year degree and that's your ticket in the door. Further advancement is based on your success in the company and any higher education you manage to get while working there (ie, get a Masters in the field you are working in don't go back and get another BA, that isn't going to get you anywhere).
 
The thing is, I'm tired of trying to get somewhere. I'm set up right now for working at a CPA firm, and frankly all of this career-heavy choice-making is driving me crazy. There are people out there that are more inclined toward finance and accounting than me - I work with them every day on cases. The thing is, it's just not that interesting to me. It doesn't give me a raging erection.

I feel so dumb for not just going with my gut 4 years ago after I aced my only two biology courses in college. I also wrecked Calculus with a score of 104 for my final average, but didn't take any more math courses after that because my family brainwashed me with all that career stuff. I'm happy that I have a feel for the stock market and all, and maybe I'm whining, but I'd really like to explore something more intellectual like biology or math.

Really it would be super cool to figure out a way to work from home trading options or something, and then go study on my own dime. But I need health insurance.. ah all I do is whine!
 
you can get health insurance on your own... i think most universities offer plans for students who need it. otherwise you can get an individual plan thru most major insurance providers. or get a part time job with a company that offers health benefits. insurance shouldn't be the reason you don't go back to school.
 
aanallein said:
Don't see a lot of point in getting a second Bachelors. I'm not even working in the proper field from my BA, just the fact that I have it + the training i got from my employers = good enough for them. I find this is a similar case in most businesses. They just want to see you've gotten the 4 year degree and that's your ticket in the door. Further advancement is based on your success in the company and any higher education you manage to get while working there (ie, get a Masters in the field you are working in don't go back and get another BA, that isn't going to get you anywhere).
Click to expand...

that only works if you are staying within similar fields... you can't (for example) have an undergrad degree in finance and then decide to get your master's in software engineering without taking some undergrad software classes. nor can you have an undergrad degree biology and expect to get a job as a counselor without some sort of extra education in the psychology field.
 
captainballs said:
I can't just apply for a Master's in Math because the highest math I've ever taken is Calculus.

=D
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wouldn't they just tell you to take the preliminary math to get up to scratch, but still let you in provisionally?

animal_cookie said:
you can still get federal grants and loans, along with private loans to help pay for school. you will just graduate in debt :\
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and student loan debt ain't real debt. ;)
 
^a lot of times, by time you take all the preliminary stuff you will end up with enough classes for another bachelor's. atleast that is the case with my friend, he would need to take so many computer related classes it was easier to just get the second bachelor's and go back for a master's later on.
 
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