Mommy Wants to Learn New Things and Eventually Go to a 4 Yr College

I work at UIC and while I don't know all the ins and outs of Chicago City Colleges, I'd say that most schools are zoos. You just have to stick it out and have a plan and be persistent.

The decision to take one class right now sounds correct. Maybe you postpone until spring semester to get all your financial aid and testing in order? One more semester won't be a big deal AND this semester you're getting ready to be a student again.

My mom went back to school when I was in 5th-6th grade. I loved doing homework with her.

GOod luck and please let me know if I can help anymore!

You can also apply for FASFA online. It is quicker and when I did it I got my results back in two days. It is VERY busy and lots of information to fill out but follow all the instructions and you will be fine.
www.fasfa.ed.gov

All I wanted to say was, "HURRAH for you!" What a champ! Most people wouldn't have tried even this far along the path and at the first stumbling block would have said, "To heck with this!" So... I know I am a total stranger, but I wanted to say, I am proud of you! My husband and I own a small medical clinic and there are loads of great opportunities out there - so best wishes to you! Don't give up!

why don't you check out Robert Morris College?
www.robertmorris.edu
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they offer lots of financial assistance, day and evening classes that are flexible, and they have both computer science and a health studies department with several options.
and they don't start fall classes until the end of september so you have time to register and get your financial aid stuff done.
call & set up an appointment with Admissions. they will not jerk you around, and no one will hit on you : )

Hi,
I am sorry to hear that you had a bad experience at truman college. I am an old student of this college before I transferred to university of Illinois to study Nursing. The reason that you might have had this experience is because the counselors that used to help with those kinds of stuff have been discontinued by the CCC City Colleges of Chicago) board. So they do not have career counselors anymore. Having said that, you still should be able to talk to someone in the room on the left as you walk in through the Wilson doors. If you continue to have problems, ask to see a Ms Brenda Washinton or the Dean of the college. They are very approachable people. Ms Washington's office since my last visit is a little further up, past the security, past the b/rooms on the right, make a right turn & a little further up on the right go in to the glass doors.
The deans office I believe in up on the secound floor or so.
IN 1997 when I first went for evaluation, i did not have to pay to sit an assessment exam or placement test as they were called. As per f/aid, even though it is late, but applying is always an ongoing thing. Go online to www.fafsa.net or .edu or com, fill out an application and put your desired school. tell truman that you have applied. You might not get a lot of money due to lateness, but will get enough for at least two courses. Go to the financial aid office past the continuing ed. window and Ms Washington's glass office. You also might not get a lot of class choices due to late starting, but take whatever you can get if it is going to be useful towards your career. people drop classes at the last minute. Choose your classes wisely so that you do not waste a lot of time, and decide on a career path immediately, that way you can take classes towards it. Do not be discouraged. I received an Associate in Computer Information Systems from truman & took more classes towards a Bachelors in Nursing degree & graduated 2yrs ago. I had a wonderful experience at TRUMAN COllEGE. I was over 36yrs old with 4 kids when i returned to school. GOOG LUCK! So you go Girl!!!!

Why don't you look into a paralegal career? I know they have a 4 month full time or a year part time certification program at Roosevelt on State Street. You can also try Phoenix University (they are a well known online college). Start doing your research of what you need online, then call and get someone. I would give up on Truman college since they don't seem to know what's going on and in the end, you might up with insufficient credits to get a degree if you stick with them.
Good luck! You pay for what you get so it might be worth looking into a private university.

Welcome to the bureaucratic red tape of college! You also picked a less-than-ideal time to try to start this up, since this is the craziest and most busy time for registrar/bursar/financial aid, etc. But, don't let that discourage you from continuing. I've dealt with two colleges in Chicago to finish up my second Masters degree (Chicago State and Northeastern) and the lack of communications between offices was baffling! So, I'd say your experience is pretty normal.

Things that might be helpful in the future:
#1 - Most schools will have a definite 'fall' and 'spring' semester. You can usually learn about class schedules and begin the registration process a few months in advance - highly recommended. Don't wait until the week or two weeks before or you might run into closed classes and absolute chaos (as you experienced).
#2 - Financial aid should be applied for as soon as you receive your W-2 forms in the beginning of a calendar year. You will want to fill out a FAFSA form. To make a long story short, the government takes a look at your assets and liabilities then determines how much money you have available to pay for college. An example: Let's say you want to go to a school where the tuition is $5000. According to your FAFSA, it is determined that you will pay $4000 per year. The remaining $1000 will be funded by 'aid', either scholarship/grant (you never have to repay it) or loan (you eventually have to repay it). Keep in mind, this is just a simple explanation. Sending in the forms and having them examined takes a while, which is why the registrar/financial office told you that you should have done this previously. In the future, as long as you're going to school, fill out the FAFSA as soon as you get your taxes done. Packages begin rolling out no earlier than March or April (there is a definite 'beginning' date, but at the moment I forget when it is).

Good luck to you and don't let the confusion of the various offices discourage you from continuing. Just make sure you keep EVERY receipt, EVERY piece of paper, and document every phone call etc. so that when someone in the office screws something up you have proof!