The plan behind the story · “Education has no expiration”: Virginia Ordaz and her mother finished their degrees in the same class
Find out what your unfinished course is worth, in six weeks
Six weeks to turn 'I never finished' into a clear answer. If you are new to this, you end with your old records in hand, a counsellor's count of what you still need and one class to try. If you are already studying or ready to go, you end with credit applied for, a finishing term on paper and your next step chosen.
Why this works
Veronica Smith left college more than 40 years ago with 67 units done. When she went back, a counsellor at San Joaquin Delta College in California worked out that she needed three more classes. Her daughter, Virginia Ordaz, had started at the same college in 1989. After retiring from 25 years in public safety she found she was only a few units short, earned straight A’s, and graduated in May in the same class as her mother.
Neither of them started from nothing, and you may not either. In the UK, the Open University (OU) can count passed university-level study from the last 16 years towards its qualifications, free of charge. This plan starts with asking for your records.
Before you start
- List every place you studied, with rough dates and the name you used then.
- Find the right office. In the US, transcripts come from the college’s registrar; in the UK, from the university’s student records or registry office. Their own website says how to ask and whether there is a fee.
- Check the OU’s time limits if you are in the UK. Credit transfer covers study from the last 16 years for some qualifications and only the last five for others; the OU’s factsheet for each qualification says which. It is free to apply.
- Money is a question for someone qualified. Funding rules differ by country and by age. Our guide to going back to study lists the main routes; check the official pages before you sign anything.
The plan
| Week | Do this | How often | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 (new to this) | Request an official transcript from each place you studied. | Once per place | Keep copies of the request and the reply. |
| 1 (ready to finish) | Request transcripts, and download the qualification factsheet or degree requirements for the course you want to finish. | One sitting | Note any time limit on old credit. |
| 2 (both) | Book a free appointment with an admissions or academic counsellor. | Once | Ask: what would I still need, and how long would it take part-time? |
| 3 (new to this) | Choose one short course or class you would enjoy for its own sake. | One sitting | Smith’s last three were Norse mythology, ethnic studies and counselling. |
| 3 (ready to finish) | In the UK, send your OU credit transfer application with your transcript, before you register on a module. In the US, ask the college to evaluate your transfer credit. | Once | The OU usually takes about six weeks; credit comes in blocks of 30. |
| 4 (new to this) | Try studying: one hour of reading or a free online lesson on your chosen subject. | Three times this week | You are testing the habit, not the subject. |
| 4 (ready to finish) | Work out your finishing term: credits still needed, divided by what you can take each term. | One sitting | Then test the plan with one extra class a term. |
| 5 (both) | Set two fixed study sessions in your diary, 90 minutes each. | Twice a week | Same days and times each week. |
| 6 (new to this) | Decide: enrol in one class, keep learning informally, or stop here. | Once | Any of the three is a good outcome. |
| 6 (ready to finish) | Choose your next step after this qualification and note its transfer rules and application date. | One sitting | Ordaz applied to San Diego State University’s online programme. |
If it goes wrong
- The records cannot be found. Ask the office what else it holds (a certificate, a module list) and whether a letter from you will start a search.
- Your study is too old to transfer. It still tells you what you are good at. Start fresh with one module and use what you remember.
- The count is more than you hoped. Ask about part-time routes, and whether earlier work or professional qualifications can count. Then decide on one term at a time.
- Life gets in the way mid-term. Talk to the college before you drop out, and ask whether a pause, a lighter load or a later deadline is possible.
Track it
One page per place you studied: date requested, date received, credits counted. Then a simple table of terms ahead, the classes in each, and a tick when each is passed. Ordaz worked towards one date: graduating with her mother.
What next
If you have finished, consider what Ordaz did and look one step further. If you are just starting, our guide to going back to study covers the Open University, community colleges and how to fund it. For a bigger change of direction, read how Carl Allamby went from his auto shop to the emergency room.
General information, not medical advice. Check with your GP before starting a new exercise programme.