# Self-Education



## fihe (Aug 30, 2012)

my college degree has so far been useless for me, so lately I've been studying a lot of science in the hopes that it will help me get a job. not only are jobs involving science in high demand, but they are also pretty neat. however, part of the reason why they are in high demand is because there are not many qualified potential workers, largely because, well...the study of science is difficult for a lot of people to become proficient in. myself included :\ I talked about this a little in another thread, but I'm trying to get certified to teach chemistry. since I already have a teacher certification in another subject, I believe all I'd need to do is pass a certain test.

lately I've been studying chemistry every day, and will soon need to branch out into other sciences to have a more complete understanding of chemistry. I've been using Schaum's Outlines: Beginning Chemistry, and will go on to the College Chemistry book once I finish this one. I've also taken a free online course using videos on education-portal.com, and have also watched educational videos on YouTube to help me understand certain concepts. in addition, I have purchased a chemistry textbook and plan to get more for other areas of science. I'll admit that some concepts are difficult for me to understand, and I understand very few of the questions on the Praxis Chemistry or General Science practice tests (I'd need to take both to get certified), but then again it's only been about a week since I started my study.

unfortunately, the fact that I haven't worked in a lab since my science classes in high school put me at a great disadvantage. one of my friends is a microbiology professor at my alma mater and would probably let me help out in the lab if I asked him, but my former university is too far from where I live for me to feasibly do that. I wonder if the local community college would let me assist in the lab, even as a volunteer, or if I'd first need to at least take a class there to get to know the faculty. (I've already graduated college but I think I can still take a class there for self-enrichment.)

what I'm wondering about for this or any other field, is whether self-education is sufficient for gaining employment in a certain field. after all, most employers seem to want employees who had a certain major in college. I've never seen any job description request any kind of liberal arts major; only science, engineering, math, and business seem to be in demand.

if anyone here has been able to teach themselves something new and was able to get a job with it, I'd love to hear from you.


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## Apdenoatis (May 23, 2012)

I think getting a TEFL certification is enough to let you teach English abroad or something.

I don't know about other subjects, though; sorry.

I would also recommend Khan Academy for aiding in your chemistry education.

Edit: Ah, a fellow New Jerseyan! Maybe you'll teach at my district? XD

Anyway, seeing as you're American, you should also use some SAT Chemistry Subject Test prep materials to help study; I found the Barron's version of Biology to be very clear and concise.


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## jbking (Jun 4, 2010)

fihe said:


> what I'm wondering about for this or any other field, is whether self-education is sufficient for gaining employment in a certain field. after all, most employers seem to want employees who had a certain major in college. I've never seen any job description request any kind of liberal arts major; only science, engineering, math, and business seem to be in demand.
> 
> if anyone here has been able to teach themselves something new and was able to get a job with it, I'd love to hear from you.


While I doubt self-education alone to be sufficient there are a few things I could see adding to it that would allow one to bypass formal education. Having connections that can allow one to find opportunities without going through a formal HR would be an example here. Secondly, depending on the subject matter there may not be formal programs for how to master a very specialized field, where I'd probably throw out search engine optimization as an example here.

Just as a side note, while my work is in IT, the degree I got in university has this title:
Combined Double Honor's Bachelor of Mathematics with majors in Computer Science and Combinatorics & Optimization

My work has often been in web development of which I had zero courses in that in university. Given that I graduated in 1997 just as the dot-com boom was in full swing, I suspect there wasn't going to be a course about writing markup or learning how web servers worked. I did learn a little about protocols in an operating systems course but I remember learning Visual Studio, MS-SQL Server, and IIS all on the job and have progressed as new versions have come out.


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## n.yumikim (Jan 20, 2012)

Degree helps you find your first job. Thereafter, relatedly, your experience at your first job will guide your subsequent progress. I.E. Concerning those without a degree, obtain an underling job as a lab assistant, observer, or even just hang around a lab for whatever reason. Help when you can (please appear harmless and sincere or you can easily come off as creepy and overeager). From then you can volunteer as a lab assistant, as a job, then progress from there. Admittedly that first job will require search and possibly many reaching-out methods, but once you land it, you've nailed that springboard for your career (assuming you work hard and develop good references). I've had several friends who dropped out of college but had already developed the skills to work effectively in lab settings so were able to do the above.


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## The Frozen One (Oct 10, 2012)

I've taught myself a bit, but what has opened doors for me through the years has been a combination of certifications (not degrees) and experience. I have found that it is especially useful in the current economy. You can gain a certification by working as an intern in a union or an institution that offers a work study program. 

This way you can actually say that you have applied your craft in a real world environment and ate the same time earn work references and experience. The certification in that field gives you the documentation that you need to prove you have been properly trained in that field. Needless to say, having the references can open doors for you as they may know someone with a full time job opportunity and their credibility can get you in the door.

Fields that this would apply to are mostly skilled trade jobs. Welders, plumbers, electricians, IT and other jobs of this type would fall into this category. In my experience degrees are often over priced and over rated. If you have certifications and experience in a field, you can get in the door a lot sooner than someone coming straight out of school. 

In any event, I wish you the best in your endeavors.


-------------------------------------------------Side Note---------------------------------------------

If you're interested, here's a nice source of learning. You can get a certificate for completing these classes. They are from accredited institutions and best of all, they are free. The schools involved in this initiative are MIT, University of California Berkeley, Harvard and University of Texas. MIT alone makes it worth it. You may want to check it out.

https://www.edx.org/


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## fihe (Aug 30, 2012)

The Frozen One said:


> If you're interested, here's a nice source of learning. You can get a certificate for completing these classes. They are from accredited institutions and best of all, they are free. The schools involved in this initiative are MIT, University of California Berkeley, Harvard and University of Texas. MIT alone makes it worth it. You may want to check it out.
> 
> https://www.edx.org/


yay, thank you for that website. I'm already taking a class on a similar site, but it's nice to have more options!


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## ewerk (Sep 22, 2012)

How much education you need completely depends on the subject you want to learn. If it's something like science than you definitely need to get a formal education to switch into this area. If you're looking to pursue programming or web development, for example, than you can self-study and learn on the job while getting advanced certifications. If you're looking to work in the food industry, for example, you don't need a college degree and would be best served getting experience in the industry. A lot of non-technical jobs don't require formal education. Just make sure you're asking around and doing research on getting into your new subject area so you're not left with taking unnecessary steps and wasting money.


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## fihe (Aug 30, 2012)

ewerk said:


> How much education you need completely depends on the subject you want to learn. If it's something like science than you definitely need to get a formal education to switch into this area. If you're looking to pursue programming or web development, for example, than you can self-study and learn on the job while getting advanced certifications. If you're looking to work in the food industry, for example, you don't need a college degree and would be best served getting experience in the industry. A lot of non-technical jobs don't require formal education. Just make sure you're asking around and doing research on getting into your new subject area so you're not left with taking unnecessary steps and wasting money.


hmm, I guess it's grad school for me then. at least then I'll be able to get an internship. I didn't do any internships when I was in college because they weren't applicable to my field. I did do student teaching, but that means nothing outside of the educational field. now I just need to decide what subject to study in grad school. imagine if I spend all that time and money in school and _still_ can't get a job after I graduate?


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## Snakecharmer (Oct 26, 2010)

fihe said:


> imagine if I spend all that time and money in school and _still_ can't get a job after I graduate?


I have a BS in Health Sciences. I also have completed most of a BS in Business/Marketing, and half of a Masters in Nutrition.

I currently work as a nutritionist/weight control counselor. But...I'm burned out, and jobs in my field are hard to find (and don't pay as well as a lot of other fields). So, after a lot of soul-searching and job market research, I've decided to get a few IT and Project Management certifications. I'm starting with CompTIA A+, and then doing CompTIA Security, Network, and Healthcare IT. I'm going back to college next semester to take a Project Management course that will provide me with enough classroom credits to take the CAPM test (Certified Associate in Project Management). After I complete the required hours of experience, I'll take the PMP (Project Management Professional) exam. 

So, there are a lot of things you can do that will provide you with job opportunities without having to shell out $$$$ for grad school.


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## fihe (Aug 30, 2012)

@Snakecharmer that sounds really neat! I'm not interested in IT, but if I were, I'd do something like that. what kinds of agencies offer these certifications? maybe another field I may be interested in would have something similar.

as for my pessimistic views regarding traditional higher education, a lot of it has to do with the changing economy. whatever fields are in demand at one time may be saturated just a few short years after. I think the problem with college is that from the time one starts to the time one finishes (usually 4-6 years), the industry that person studied for may no longer be nearly as strong as it once was. that's one reason why I feel that college was a waste of time for me. I could have instead used that time to keep working at my retail job. I'm sure I'd be an assistant manager by now if that were the case. I don't want to work in retail for my life career, but it would have been valuable experience at no cost to me. but I can't turn back now.


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## Snakecharmer (Oct 26, 2010)

fihe said:


> @Snakecharmer that sounds really neat! I'm not interested in IT, but if I were, I'd do something like that. what kinds of agencies offer these certifications? maybe another field I may be interested in would have something similar.
> 
> as for my pessimistic views regarding traditional higher education, a lot of it has to do with the changing economy. whatever fields are in demand at one time may be saturated just a few short years after. I think the problem with college is that from the time one starts to the time one finishes (usually 4-6 years), the industry that person studied for may no longer be nearly as strong as it once was. that's one reason why I feel that college was a waste of time for me. I could have instead used that time to keep working at my retail job. I'm sure I'd be an assistant manager by now if that were the case. I don't want to work in retail for my life career, but it would have been valuable experience at no cost to me. but I can't turn back now.


I considered Computer Science as a major in the late 90s, but sort of fell into a health-related job and loved it, so I changed my major. I regret it now. I should have stuck with IT.

I completely agree with you. My daughter is a sophomore in college and is a Biology major. She's already worried about what she's going to do after graduation, because demand changes so much.


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