...College...

[blaknoize]

----This is also posted in WL for traffic----

MoD please delete the 1 that doesnt belong

EDIT: I see I need to add this.

I'm working and studying in the Information Technology field

Since I seem to ALWAYS be confused and scared of debt I must ask this community a question(s). This thread may be updated for a short time as well so keep up with me if ud like to assist a random person out.

My main question is simply this; does it necessarily which University/College you graduate from? Has anyone on here graduated from a "no namer" meaning a school that is young or is a local influence (like Perimeter, or my hometown Shawnee) I'm asking cuz I'm trying to graduate with as little debt as possible. UNLESS it just doesnt matter cuz its unavoidable.

I'm asking those who are a lil older 26+ that are in their careers. Because I am very shaky on this and am actually really scared of debt. So please post and lmk a lil somethin bout this. My school doesnt offer what I need and I'm lookin for answers.

Thats all and thanks for reading this.

[JennB]

It depends on your field. If there are universities that hava a well know and particularly prestigious program in your field, that will always look better on your resume and probably steer more recruiters your way. For some degrees that are offered at every college, it doesn't matter as much. For less common degrees, you want to do more research and find a school that will actually give you a good education and offer a lot of classes in that field.

You also have to think of the quality of your education. You want to go to a school with good resources and good professors. Being taught by people you don't like or respect is not fun. Your education is the best investment you can make.

I amassed a little debt in college but not a ton and it has not been a problem to pay it back. One option is to do your first two years at a smaller school and get all of your core classes and as many prerequisites as possible. Local colleges and tech schools can be a fraction of some universities cost. Just be sure to talk to advisors at both schools and get a list of exactly which classes will transfer to the school you want to graduate from. Pay for as much as you can out of your own pocket and then apply for grants if you are eligible. Loans are almost necessary with today's high costs. Just don't use them to live off of and pay as much of your tuition as you can with cash. Loans aren't hard to manage if you keep them low.

[blaknoize]

Thanks to Ms. Jenn.

That was the concept I was thinking of. Cuz I am currently enrolled at a small local State University in Ohio called Shawnee State. My tuiton is paid for through grants, no loans, but the school doesnt offer my major of choice. That being Computer Information Systems. I may just stay enrolled and finish my general classes I suppose? Only problem is that I will be forced to take out a loan to stay afloat. Joblessness in Ohio... FTL.

[JennB]

You're very welcome.

That's what I did and it has never effected me in a negative way. I've been out of college for nearly 8 years and I'd say I have a pretty successful career. I've been asked about it and I just tell them the truth... I went two years to a local college to take all of my core classes because I put myself through college and worked full time. I took all of my major courses at a large University and they are usually far more impressed with the fact I put myself through college than anything. It shows discipline and dedication.

Just be very, very careful about transfer rules with classes. It soooo sucks to spend a whole semester on a class and be told "oh, that one doesn't transfer". Get the required class list and transfer list for the school you plan on going to later and pay a lot of attention to it. But yeah, your English classes, history, lab classes... no one cares where you took those unless they are your major.

[blaknoize]

LOL yea them random classes completely unassciated with the majors, yea. Like Psychology for a Computer based major, yea...

[JennB]

Yeah. I hated Pshychology and barely passed the class. No one has ever asked about that class or cared in any way what-so-ever that I barely showed up or did work. I did very careful math so I could strategize and pass that class by about 1 pont.

Now my math and comp sci classes... I busted ass for and did the best possible. Not just because I needed them for my major but because I wanted to truly understand the work so I could apply it after college.

[One_Bad_SHO]

Yep, right on Jenn.

Breeze through the basics at a community college to save some money, then transfer to a University to finish your degree. Generally, a degree is a degree.

However, there are SOME cases (very few) where the University you graduate from may break a decision a hiring company may have to make that could (or could not) be in your advantage. Like, for example, if you majored in LAW at a local university/law school you'd most likely get passed up for a job over some dude who graduated from Harvard law school.

Other than that, a degree is a degree.

PS - Nowadays, in my opinion, degrees arnt worth much unless you are looking for a major corporation type job. A lot of folks are getting in good with companies that promote from within and just working their way up the ranks... where a degree is not required. For example, valet companies are big nowadays (for hotels). As long as a person has a good driving record and is over the age of 18 they can apply as a valet driver. Valet companies only generally promote from within. And, if you're young and willing to move anywhere around the country, they will promote you and take care of you. I started as a valet at the age of 18, became a supervisor in 4 months, manager in 8... moved around the company as a salaried manager opening new hotels for a while.. by the time I was 23 I left the company making a salary of $62,000/yr to pursue my own business. Even though I wasted a lot of money pursuing my degree because I kept moving (not all credits transferred) I still got my degree and havent even needed it.

Good luck!

[guinness]

to answer the question of wether or not it matters if you go to a big name school or just a local one all boils down to what you are wanting to do.myself personally graduated from a 2-year college in oakwood and got a job on the ground level making about 75k a year.with that "foot in the door" approach,i displayed my skills and knowledge and they sent me onto "further education" that they paid for.since completion,i have moved onto another job that was looking for a more knowledgable and qualified person and am now making a very nice six-figure salary.

what i would do is look at it like this.one,will a degree from this school get me in the door with a company i would like to get into?two,once i am in the door,will i have the knowledge to do above and beyond what they are at the very least expecting me to do?three,and this is one you need to ask yourself when you are looking at possible companies;will they or do they offer any help or reimbusment for further education?is there a possibility i can take waht i already have and learn more from it to benefit the company in the meantime and then myself ultimately in the end?

all a degree in the simplest terms is a paper saying that you took the courses and passed the classes wether it was legit or you just did it to get the degree.the real testing ground is when you take what you have learned and apply it to the real world.proving your worth and knowledge in the workplace will be the defining moment and not your degree.the only time i would say that a degree from a certain school or university would really matter is when you are wanting to enter the law,medical,and in some cases,the extreme parts of buisness.besides,i was reading an article in forbes that said 40-45% of two-year degree and some technical degree grads are making right at or close to 100k a year.just like i said,they were saying it was based on what a person knows and how much their knowledge can benefit the company.