Online courses while working
 

Hello everyone,
First time poster, long time reader, love the board, couldn't live without it. My situation is a little strange. I'm 22 originally from Cape area in Mass and moved out to California for a CFI'ing job after I quit mine in Mass( bad MX, bad management, no multi in slight at all). I dropped (bad idea) out of college because I was getting fed up with school and had some personal issues, kinda wish I didn't drop out now. However, at my new job I’m making good money and flying a lot. My question to all is, what is the possibility of doing an online college to finish my last 18 credits that I need while flying for regional? My college (Bridgewater State College, 4 year program linked to DCA (don't get me started on them, which I didn't attend except for my CFI initial) with a BA in Professional Aviation (joke degree, but a degree none the less, which I want for the future.)) I would like to go to some quality regional (just say no to Go, TSA, Mesa) without having to regress back home and start another year of college and living with my folks. Also to all the XJT'ers, how likely is it to get IAD out of training? How is living in the Houston area? How do-able is it on a XJT'ers salary? What is the average XJT'ers take home for the month (I think SAABaroowski posted about $2300 once ((sorry if I got that wrong)), is this about right?). Thank you to everyone for their time in responding to this long winded post and look forward to hearing the responses good and bad!

Don't make the same mistake twice. I did and it cost me 8 years. Left school after two years and enlisted (wanted to do something productive - didn't want to listen to father) finished 4 year degree 6 years later and then spend the next 2 trying to get into OTS. Working full-time , shift-work and going to school is difficult.

CFI and finish your education then move on.


-LAFF

I agree, I have way too many friends that left college with just a bit more to go and never went back. Also, you may get caught if they change requirements and more classes are needed.
Tell your parents you are coming home and finish college.

Try to stay with the same school that the other credits are from. If you transfer, you'll end up taking a lot more that 18 hours to finish. Most places require that you have the last 30 (I think) hours from them.

Definitely don't stop going to school right now. You may say 'oh just one semester for a break' etc...then it turns into two, three, and eventually you never go back. Just knock it out while your still half way motivated.

But as for online degrees, I like it. A lot. However 152 brought up a valid point...most schools do require that you take such and such amount of credits from their institution...but check with the school that your considering taking online classes from. Also keep in mind that switching schools may force you to take additional courses to meet the BS/BA program their that particular school.

With 18 credits left, I'd finish them up on campus. You can take the 18 credits you need in one semester. A bit more than the typical 12-15...but you can do it.

It sounds like the optimal solution would be if Bridgewater State did some sort of online progam that you could do while flying.

Stick with your education and finish it as soon as you can. It's just like flight training, it will never be any cheaper or easier to complete than it is right now.

Thanks everyone for the respones. Bridgewater will allow me to finish the last few credits online, while taking some of theirs online, which is great. I wanted to know if it was even possible to work on class stuff while sitting around in the crew rooms or on layovers at night?

I'm taking on-line classes and have about 66 more credits to complete. It all depends on the length of layovers at said airline as to how easy it is accomplish. I squeeze in one to two classes a quarter into my schedule.

ive been taking online classes for the past two years and it can be pretty irritating when you just want to take a break from work but instead you have to study. it depends on the type of person you are? do you need to be sitting in front of an instructor to learn or do you prefer to work on your own?

Are you near a military base? Riddle has extended campus sites all over the world. They do have a min credit in residence requirement(don't remember specifics) but I completed my degree with them. Mostly going to actual classes with a few home study credits(not online courses back then).

Online classes have their plus and minuses just like anything else. I am about to finish my second year at Utah Valley State College and have only one more year left to go.

This past year I have been flight instructing full time while carry about 17 units on average which keeps me pretty busy. I go to work, come home to do school work, then wake back up the next day and do it all over again. I still have social time, just not as much as I would like to enjoy. That being said, it does take self motivation to sign on every night to do your homework and not get behind in class (sucks when that happens).

I could not tell you what it is like being on the road while doing school because I don't work for the airlines yet. Come April I will start throwing my resume out and see what I can get; if it looks good then I'm going to take it and just try to do school at the same time. I don't think much will change.

So maybe this summer you should try and take a few credits and see how it works out for you. See if you need to go back to campus for another semester or if you can just do it online.

I'm fixing to finish my degree in may from Texas Tech University in Lubbock, TX. I have been a cfi here for a little more than 2 years and it has worked out great. flying makes college even more fun. If i had it to do over again I would do the same thing. Join a frat, have some fun, fly a lot. Now that's living the dream. I am graduating with a degree in agricultural economics and I have 1800 hours, 1000 dual given and 500 multi. I just got hired at republic. Get the degree and try to have some fun doing it is my recommendation.

i have tried to do homework in the airplane but with short legs on the crj200 its almost impossible. i break out the laptop and try to read my online assignments if im the PF. if im the PNF it gets a little distracting in busy airspace with the radios. trying to study on an overnight just isnt going to happen unless youre a hermit.

i would say a lot of it also depends on how intense the classes you take are. if its light reading, and small assignments its doable. but the downside to that would be your final would probably be pretty heavily weighted, meaning youd need to do some serious cramming at the end.

Hey aviatormar, ive been at Bridgewater the last year an a half and got fed up with them and DCA, then left took a semester off came back and now im off for this semester and honetly i hate it. From all the advice i got id say just tough it out and get you degree while building time. If your this close to getting it then just do it even though the BSC program is a joke. As much as i want to just get to the airlines and the whole seniority is everything deal i feel like its smarter to get your degree first, especially if your so close IMO.

Goodluck.

www.tesc.edu has an aviation degree, no residency, if you have the right credits (from a regionally accredited school of course) you might be able to slide right in there on the end. They also are generous in giving credits for pilot certificates.