Attending College while on the job

[TPoise]

I'm currently one year away from completing my bachelor's degree in Computer Science. However, there are many opportunities (that probably won't show up again) for my local city pd (big hiring, many say it probably won't happen again). So I'd like to do it, however I would also like to attend college at the same time. Due to my major, most of my classes are during the day time; no night classes are available.

So how many of you are/were able to attend college while on the job? I'm sure I would have to "drop out" for a semester while I attend academy (which is fine... for one semester). As a newbie junior officer, would it be unwise to request that my shift be NOT during the day? I wouldn't mind when I worked, as long as from about 9:30 -> 3pm was for class time.

So how should I approach this issue when I have my interview that I have coming up? I wouldn't mind taking the job, I just want to eventually finish my degree, and not have it as some unfulfilled promise.

[JB2245]

Go for the job. Especially if you only have a year to go. You can always go back to school while working. Most of the people I know on the job have attained their degrees while on the job.

[Contact]

Get your degree, preferrably while you are off the job, I've heard of a few officers attending college, but at certian times, the city will go to 12 on, 12 off shifts, and the officers wern't able to attend college and lost the money they put down, besides, if you can afford it, keep in mind that there will always be jobs for qualified people, and with a degree, you will be more marketable.

Don't pass up an education for quick money!! :)

EDIT: also, it will be even harder to go back to school once you have the job you want. You'll find reasons to keep putting it off, until one day, you just never went back to school.

[retdetsgt]

I got a undergrad and graduate degree while working full time. It's no picnic, but it can be done. Don't plan on a big social life though in the meantime. I'd take the job. You may have to wait until you finish probation before you start back to school because larger depts tend to transfer you around to different shifts and assignments for the first year or better. After you get settled in, you'll undoubtedly be working nights anyway so there won't be much of a conflict in time.

[TRichie]

I got my first 2 degrees before getting my LE job and now I am working toward my Masters in Forensics. I work nights and attend school full time during the day. It seems to only cut into my sleep time and my overtime. I am not married and don't have kids so that is not a factor for me. That is a plus for working nights. It does take dedication but if you really want the diploma, you will do it even if you take time off to go to the academy and get through FTO/probation.

Good Luck!!

[ofc129]

It depends on the department. My first department made big promises about school, yada yada yada, but I should have realized that a 17-member department that usually only had 14 on the payroll couldn't support working around my school schedule. After three years of getting nowhere, I switched to my current department where it is alot better, although I can only take three or four classes a semester and that's really really pushing it. Even within my department, I've seen some guys who were accommodated and others who had to beg, depending on their precinct and supervisors.

I would recommend finishing out that final year of school before applying, unless you anticipate a long hiring process (sometimes those can take a year or longer).

Kristen

[KCSO780]

I'm currently working on my master's. It's tuff, especially if you have a family. Trying to devote time to all three has become little difficult for me, but I'm managing...My wife hasn't filed for divorce yet, LOL. I'm fortunate because I'm high in seniority so I can pretty much bid any shift I want. I bid days and go to school at night three days a week. Plus the sergeant responsible for scheduling tries his best to work around my school schedule when overtime shifts come up. But, if you want some advise...go to school first, make life easier for yourself.

[TPoise]

To clarify a little bit further, I have no wife/gf, no kids, etc. My degree is something I want to have in case I don't get this job; but if I get the job then that kind of defeats the purpose. Many people in my field remind me that I will make 2x what I will as an LEO; but there seems to be something slightly missing in a desk job...


Luckily, I have checked my remaining 10 classes, and about 5 of them (two semesters worth) I can take via videotape/internet or at a junior college. So I will still be "working towards my degree" even while on the job (if I take it). I was thinking during the academy I could take one class on videotape and the other at night. During FTO... well that just may be a semester off :)

So would it be rude or unprofessional to ask them about me in college during my interview? I'm afraid they may see that my degree is in an unrelated field and think that I'm going to jump ship as soon as I finish (they're having big turnover problems due to low salary and morale).

[KCSO780]

I wouldn't do it while going to the academy or during FTO. Both will keep you to busy to study for college as well. Remember, while in FTO your on probation, if you struggle they will fire you. same with the academy. Fail a couple of test and you'll get the boot. I wouldn't risk it. Devote your studies to the academy and then field training. Go back to school once you get off probation....

[TRichie]

3 things....

1) Most agencies don't care what you degree is in. I know here in TX, some question why you want to go into LE if you have (or are working toward) a degree in Comps Sci. I got that question during my oral...with your education, why do want to do this job? Do you think you will get tired of this job in a few years and leave? Personally I've wanted to be in LE for most of my life and this may sound strange but engineering comes easily to me. I hardly bought books in college let alone used them. The agency I am with now is not one that I want to spend my entire career with but they were just about the only one that did not tell me I was over qualified.

2) If you are getting into LE for the money, look some where else. I went from a $200K+ job to $35K a year and it is a lifestyle shock to say the least. I still havent spent all the money I made before but it hurt to compare pay stubs. I do this job because it is what I have always wanted to do. I did engineering because I had a free ride to college and it was a degree. I personally wish I had done chemistry or biology because now that I am pursuing a degree in Forensics, thouse would have been a great foundation.

3) Internet courses are great. Alot of my non-lab classes are done via the web. That is the only way I can take a full load of classes ususally 2-3 on campus and then the rest on the web. The thing to remember about them is keep up with the deadlines and such. Don't slack because you will be stressing trying to get numerous things turned in at the last minute. My previous college experience got me into too many bad habits I now ahve to break.

No matter what type of classes you choose to take, remeber that the academy and FTO are going to be a tough time and will be stressful, don't overload yourself. Sounds like the classes you need to take are pretty common and they will come around again fairly soon.

[dawgguy]

Like a lot of people on this forum, I got my undergrad and graduate degrees while working. My suggestion to you is if you get hired by the agency don't take any college courses while you are in the academy or in FTO. You will be busy enough and like mentioned earlier if you mess up during these processes your gone.

More than likely once off FTO you will not be working the day shift. I completed my undergrad working midnights and afternoons. The midnight shift, you get off work, go to school all day, go home and go to bed. Afternoon shift, you get off work, go home, go to sleep, get up early, go to school and then go to work. Not much time for a social life. But you can and a lot of other people do/did it.

Personally I would not make a big deal of how you plan to finish school during the interviewing process. If you tell your interview panel that you cannot work the dayshift because you need to finish school, they may well find someone else that is not putting limitations on their hiring process. I would not mention it, plan on taking a year off school get the academy and FTO process out of the way, get used to your new lifestyle and job, then worry about how you are going to finish school. A good thing about it then, if the dept. has a tuition refund program, they will pay for your final year of school.