Have you ever felt embarrassed by your lack of a degree?

[Criticalthinker]

I am so tired of feeling this way, even though I strongly believe in the knowledge and experience learned through work and life experience! I am *&*$ proud of what I have accomplished, but the shame and embarrassment thing still rears its ugly head occaisionally.

Having this forum to talk about our goals is such a lifesaver!

I basically landed my teaching job through the back door, with my employers knowing full well that my competencies were from a non traditional educational background, but it got awkward after awhile... I am at a private school that can set its own requirements for teachers, but still it's tough in the teacher's lounge sometimes, ya know?

I don't think I'll know more about music after this, but I do have more empathy and sympathy for diversity in educational background as well as the life long learning process.

I am so proud of all of us, and simply will not listen to discouraging or shaming comments about what we're doing at this point.

CT

[siersema]

I think every situation is different. You're a teacher and the primary product is formal education, so for you not to have followed that path makes you stick out from the group. I don't think you should be embarassed by it, but at the same time you need to recognize you're the "odd woman out" until you do have a degree. I'm in IT in a decent size organization, and I do get asked by our users from time to time where I went to school. I take this as where did I get a degree and honestly respond that I don't have a degree. They don't then look at my with disdain, but respond back to me with "How did you learn all this?" These people are aware of my skills and how good or bad they are, they don't seem to be upset that I don't have a degree, but impressed that I was able to learn so much on my own. Come to think of it nearly anything I do from a technical stand point would never be taught in a school, not even most technical colleges. I do rather unique work much of the time on propritary databases, servers, and applications that you wouldn't learn at a school. Now when it's come to process stuff I've been fortunate to take courses like Project Management that have helped me, and it was easier to learn that process and talk to others in the field while learning, than it would have been to do it on my own.

I'm proud of the fact that I learned on my own, and happy to tell them so. I'll actually be kind of disapointed when I respond to their question with the name of a school and their follow-up about how I learned all this doesn't happen...

-Rob

[siersema]

Mary, I just noticed your sig. How do you like your studies at IU? Are you doing the IU specific credits online or via a local campus?

[Kiwi Lover]

Originally Posted by siersema

I'm in IT in a decent size organization, and I do get asked by our users from time to time where I went to school. I take this as where did I get a degree and honestly respond that I don't have a degree. They don't then look at my with disdain, but respond back to me with "How did you learn all this?" These people are aware of my skills and how good or bad they are, they don't seem to be upset that I don't have a degree, but impressed that I was able to learn so much on my own.
-Rob

Rob,

I can totally relate to what you're saying. I am the "accounting manager" for a small biotech company near Houston. I replaced a woman who had a Bachelor's degree AND was a C.P.A. Everyone here just assumed I have an accounting degree, so they look very surprised when they hear that I don't. I usually say to them "I don't have a degree...I'm just SMART"!! I always get a smile and a "good for you"! (I'm working on the accounting degree now however...)

[SimonTam]

Originally Posted by Kiwi Lover

Rob,

I can totally relate to what you're saying. I am the "accounting manager" for a small biotech company near Houston. I replaced a woman who had a Bachelor's degree AND was a C.P.A. Everyone here just assumed I have an accounting degree, so they look very surprised when they hear that I don't. I usually say to them "I don't have a degree...I'm just SMART"!! I always get a smile and a "good for you"! (I'm working on the accounting degree now however...)

I can relate to all of this too. Usually I just tell people I have a P.H.D. and just leave out the part that P.H.D. really stands for

Public Highschool Diploma.

[Criticalthinker]

I like IU's General Studies program in general., and I am bascially doing my credits online, via Independent Study courses. IU is where I started way back, and most of my family graduated from there, so there is an emotional connection there, and they're quite flexible in terms of using CLEPS, DANTES, ECE's. I had quite a few traditional credits already there, and was able to transfer all to my degree program. I have taken quite a few Independent Study courses, as well as transferred credit from "grad credit" earned at conferences to them. It was more of a coming full circle thing for me, plus I am supported by my school in terms of finishing my degree, and I think they like a school they recognize. I am looking at Boston Univeristy's online Masters in Music Education, starting in the spring. However, part of me wants to work with Adult education after all this. We have so much to offer in terms of life experiece and appreciation of the process...and so many people have helped me along the way; I truly feel an obligation to give back.

CT

[anar579]

Originally Posted by SimonTam

Public Highschool Diploma.

I like that one!

[ShotoJuku]

Embarrassed - not really but to the degree that here I am at 46 and STILL working at it. Choices made 25+ years ago led me elsewhere away from school but I have no regrets. I will of course FINALLY get my degree in the next few weeks and continue to look forward.

For me, "frustrated" is a more applicable word to the thread question as opportunities have passed me by without having the degree. But yet again, I have no regrets as desitny is what it is; my degree will be achieved at that point in my life where I am actually supposssed to get it.

Oh well......

[Urbannaja]

I'm in a more experience-based job however, almost all my coworkers have a degree and several have grad degrees... so I feel a little embarassed but mostly just overpaid (since I'm still young enough to not really be looked down upon for it).

I'm now on my last 2 tests before enrolling in a degree-completion program. It'll be awesome for me, as I get to attend school full-time, it's fully paid-for by my employer and I continue to get paid my salary...can't beat that

[Kiwi Lover]

Originally Posted by Urbannaja

I'm now on my last 2 tests before enrolling in a degree-completion program. It'll be awesome for me, as I get to attend school full-time, it's fully paid-for by my employer and I continue to get paid my salary...can't beat that

Man, are you LUCKY!!!! It doesn't get better than that! I'm jealous! Good luck!