Questions Regarding Returning to College After Layoff

[Ascendant0]

Ok, so I have a few questions. In short, I obtained my AA, then due to family crises that happened, I had to stop at the end of my 3rd year. Up to my AA, I was a 4.0 student, a dozen academic awards, president of both our local and national honor's societies, and was even commencement speaker at our graduation ceremony. However, when I transferred to go on to my bachelors, due to the family crises, my grades dropped, and I eventually had to withdraw and prioritize my family. So, up until my AA at the one college is immaculate, but then there's a semester and a half (didn't complete the 2nd semester there) that are trash. I don't know the exact grades for the one semester I did complete, but I'm sure they're not good.

So now, years later, I can finally prioritize my education again. I want to start over again from my AA, one because it's been eight years since I studied this stuff, two because I want to fix my grades for my 3rd year.

With that said, here are the questions:

1) If I take my 3rd year over again, when I apply for grad schools, how much of an impact will the bad semester have vs the new ones I will take (and most assuredly maintain a 4.0 again)? Will that one bad semester make it harder to get into top grad schools, or will they mostly focus on when I retook it?

2) If I retake those courses for that semester, will I be able to get student loans to do so (either federal or personal, whatever I can get)? I ask because I can't financially afford this, so I need that help until grad school, so I need to figure out a way to financially handle school until then.

3) I know I am going to hit the financial aid cap before I finish my bachelors. How easy/hard is it to get private student loans? What is the best way to go about getting student loans in these circumstances?

I appreciate anyone that can answer any or all of those questions for me. Words can't express how bad I want to finish this degree and pursue a career in astroparticle physics, but I have multiple obstacles to overcome to make it happen and determined to work through them.

 

[symbolipoint]

You did not say the exact or clearer what was your education or subject. Could starting-over include your own self-paced review, so you might have fewer courses to enroll into for your full A.A. degree restudy?

Beware! Institutions may block your enrollment into courses for which you already have credit (that is, if you had earned acceptable credit of C or higher). Admission to the institution you want to attend will require transcripts of all you college and university education history.

 

[Ascendant0]

You did not say the exact or clearer what was your education or subject. Could starting-over include your own self-paced review, so you might have fewer courses to enroll into for your full A.A. degree restudy?

Beware! Institutions may block your enrollment into courses for which you already have credit (that is, if you had earned acceptable credit of C or higher). Admission to the institution you want to attend will require transcripts of all you college and university education history.

A physics major. My goal is working towards a doctoral in astroparticle physics. My current step is getting the bachelors.

As far as starting over, yes, I am reviewing myself. I just don't know about reviewing the 3rd year courses myself. Mainly Modern Physics, Mechanics I, Advanced Lab I, and C++ programming that I'd want to take over, at least that's what I believe they were off the top of my head. I just don't know how well I'd be able to study them on my own, particularly when the first time around, I was so distracted by the family issues that I was not focused at all. And again, it was about eight years ago that I took them, with a LOT that has gone on since then.

I've been brushing up on my calculus and physics I and II currently, but I feel there's just a lot that I'd want to re-touch on. I mean with advanced lab I, there's some of that I just can't do on my own (because of the lack of equipment).

I do know they will require all transcripts. As far as them not letting me retake courses, you said they *might* not let me retake them, so I assume that means it depends on the institution? I have an appointment set up with them for next week to discuss a few different things. I'll make sure to touch on that with them. And thank you for your feedback.

 

[berkeman]

I obtained my AA, then due to family crises that happened, I had to stop at the end of my 3rd year. Up to my AA, I was a 4.0 student, a dozen academic awards, president of both our local and national honor's societies, and was even commencement speaker at our graduation ceremony. However, when I transferred to go on to my bachelors,

Are you in the US? If so, your AA was most likely from a local community college, and you transferred to a 4-year college to continue work on your BS Physics degree, correct?

If so, how did you manage to become the president of a national Physics honor society with just your community college AA work? Can you say which honor society it was? I'm just having trouble understanding your foundation work as you head into your work on the full BS in Physics.

the new ones I will take (and most assuredly maintain a 4.0 again)

One of the reasons I ask the questions above is that if you did great at a local community college, that doesn't necessarily mean you will carry that performance level ahead into the full BS Physics work at a 4-year university. The levels of the courses and competition are very different.

 

[Ascendant0]

Are you in the US? If so, your AA was most likely from a local community college, and you transferred to a 4-year college to continue work on your BS Physics degree, correct?

If so, how did you manage to become the president of a national Physics honor society with just your community college AA work? Can you say which honor society it was? I'm just having trouble understanding your foundation work as you head into your work on the full BS in Physics. One of the reasons I ask the questions above is that if you did great at a local community college, that doesn't necessarily mean you will carry that performance level ahead into the full BS Physics work at a 4-year university. The levels of the courses and competition are very different.

Thanks for the feedback, I appreciate it.

So to clarify, yes, I went to a State College to obtain my AA. It was the only option at the time, because I was still married and had a daughter. The game plan was to get my AA at a local college, then move onto a bigger university after (ended up choosing UF in FL). Of course, if I knew then what I know now, I would’ve started in a bigger university and figured a way to make it work out.

So, as far as president of the two honors societies, that was while I was in the state college. PTK (national), and the college’s local honor Society. They were not focused on physics, just general honor societies. I already had extensive business management and business analyst experience. Plus, I wanted to pad my résumé some, lol. I did a number of things to pad the resume there. I wanted to get the best education I possibly could, and the goal was (ideally) MIT for grad school.

And yes, I am aware of that a university is a lot more challenging than a state college. I actually liked that. I liked that it was more involved, more in depth. That was not a problem for me in the least bit. The problem was that after my divorce, I ended up in a toxic relationship, and that woman ended up flipping my life upside down, quite literally. VERY long story, but that was the one and only thing that made me have to stop pursuing the degree. What’s important now is I need to finish what I started.

I forgot how bad I wanted this until recently. I am finally in a place where I can finish it and pursue that career path. Ideally, I’d like to get into the best college possible for grad school, hence why I am trying to figure out the best way to pick this back up again.