View Full Version : college costs/alternatives to college
flowerseverywhere
3-26-12, 10:06am
We have been discussing college costs, how they have far outpaced inflation, and if you get your moneys worth.
In that thread I mentioned becoming an RN and other health related disciplines.
What suggestions do you have for young people today about attending college?
What degrees will give you the most bang for your buck?
If you want to attend college not for the money, but to enhance your knowledge etc. without a well paying job in mind what do you plan to do to support yourself?
What guidelines would you follow to finance an education today?
Well, the days of just taking a liberal arts degree are kind of gone, except for the wealthy, IMO Anymore I would advise a young person to aim directly at something. And some things do require a bachelors or a Masters, but if they aim at something with open eyes, then maybe they will kind of know what they are in for.
Having said that, so many careers out there can be gained by trade school, or certifications, or even apprenticeship. Heck, even McDonald's regional managers and some at headquarters started out as fry cooks. For a young person today i would suggest, while in high school or younger, find what floats your boat, see if you can volunteer doing this, or helping, then see what it takes to work your way up. I do believe the days of going to university, then 'finding' yourself are over. It's a shame really, cause kids learn so much more at university than just a course of study.
iris lily
3-26-12, 10:37am
I've seen classic college educations plus trade type knowledge or formal trade certification winning the day. Sure, that may seem like a lot of schooling, but if you aren't stupid about borrowing money, it works.
DH has Masters degree + 30 hours toward Phd in the plant sciences but is now earning a living as a carpenter/handyman. I don't think any of his formal education is a waste, he used it for some years in industry and then left to do his own small business.
He never borrowed money for any of this graduate school, he had a--what do you call those grad student jobs? maybe it was an assistantship--and he lived in a nice apartment that he shared with another guy and got through school with no debt. He also had rental properties at that time, but I don't think they provided much if any income to him.
My brother has a classic 4 year degree in business and communications, but then went into Respiratory therapy, a tech degree in the health field, and his B.S. moves him up the ladder in management in that technical field.
I'm becoming very disenchanted with a "college degree". I've seen many kids get in such debt over it, and then not even end up working in the field of their degree. Plus.......they are forced to take some ridiculous courses that have nothing to do with anything. College seems more like just another business trying to make money these days.
College actually held my son back. He was more talented than most of his teachers, but he supposedly had to get that piece of paper that said he was worth something.
I think for many kids, it has just become a very expensive 4-5 year playground for kids.
I think its unfair of us to think that a young person knows what he wants to do for the rest of his life.
I'm not sure what the answer is.
I'm very in favor of technical schools, community colleges, etc. But even then.......kids change their minds. At least those other places aren't as expensive as university.
I think the curriculum really needs to be changed to not include so much junk.
It seems reasonable for a young person to take a couple years off after high school.........but sometimes they get used to earning a little money or get married and have kids, and college becomes out of the question.
Sorry I don't have any good suggestions. It just bothers me that college is so pushed, when for many, its a waste of money.
Maybe there should be a 1-2 year program when you just take good courses you're interested in, and hopefully that will help channel your interests somehow. For example........you could take a cooking course, a computer course, a political science course, a bio course, etc. A mixture of your possible interests.
Sorry.......I'm babbling. I don't know what the answer is, but I don't like what's out there now.
ApatheticNoMore
3-26-12, 11:33am
Either 2 year community college vocationly oriented training. Or state schools and live at home. Only some parents are not just difficulty but probably outright damaging to live with - sorry no solution - no easy way out of that. AND PREPARE FOR A LONG HAUL. With all the cut backs in state funding, don't expect to get out of community colleges in 2 years or a 4 year college in 4, no matter how much you want to, it's not entirely in your hands. There are ways to accelerate it but they cost money (ie take college extension classes for some of the classes etc. - still far cheaper than private school though). Or start taking college courses in high school.
Really psychologically (knowing what they want for instance) lots of people would do better working a bit before going to school. Except .... it's hard to go back to school if you manage to get a REAL foothold in the working world, you see no monetary incentive to making the huge *sacrifices* you'd need to make to do so.
Oh and I'm NOT a fan of most private vocational/technical training. In theory I am. In reality, lots of rip offs in the private vocational training field (with some good exceptions). Go to community college instead if you want to be a dental assistant or something. CCs are a much more known quantity and much more affordable too (but problems getting classes ...). Some community colleges are specifically trade oriented, they might be a good bet.
I definitely agree with trade school, votech, volunteering, and maybe working a little bit to get an idea of what you want to do. One area that really needs people is auto repair/mechanics....it is a dying breed and top mechanics can make upto 100K starting salary!
What suggestions do you have for young people today about attending college?
I suggest that a young person doesn't attend college until they know it will get them where they want to go. A lot of young people think they want to become X or Y, but after an expensive education, learn that they do not (self: case in point), and then either have to get more education or find some way to move into that field with the education that they have.
Also, it may be that what the young person wants to do doesn't require college -- but rather vocational training of various sorts (anything from trades to health care, etc).
What degrees will give you the most bang for your buck?
I really cannot say. I would say any degree that is in work that the person finds edifying regardless of the income the they would earn, in a job market that has that work available, and for a degree that costs are not greater than what starting earnings would be (meaning, if a loan needs to be taken out, then the income from the job will cover living expenses AND the loans).
If you want to attend college not for the money, but to enhance your knowledge etc. without a well paying job in mind what do you plan to do to support yourself?
Not quite sure how this question plays in, but I'll give it a shot. I think that this is a waste of time/money, when a person can be an autodidact for free.
What guidelines would you follow to finance an education today?
First, I would look at what education was required, and where to get that education at the best bargain price. What I have learned is that "where you go" isn't as important as the degree you earn.
Another layer of this is whether where you go will impact your ability to get a job somewhere else. For example, here in NZ, we have several physicians from the Ukraine who are currently not licensed to practice here, so they end up doing all kinds of menial work -- even though we have a shortage of doctors in NZ. And, these doctors are willing to go to rural clinics and hospitals. THe government STILL will not let them qualify. They insist on more education (and debt for many of these immigrants), and since most immigrants are debt adverse, they are not biting. If they are lucky, they can get teaching gigs (at universities and stuff) or research gigs. But most of them end up doing administrative work.
So, part of the equation is -- if you get degree X at NZ school that is at Y standing, would you be able to get work in the UK? Or in the US? or Canada? Australia is pretty accepting of NZ degrees, but the US can be a bugger about degrees in general. That's why many people thread through canada first (fi they are doctors/nurses/etc) because Canada accepts them, and once canada accepts their degrees, then the US does. Stupid, but true.
So, this can be part of the equation if you know where you want to go with your degree.
This determines how much you will need to spend -- based on that school's costs. Online schools and community colleges are a good bargain these days -- with the local schools here in NZ running $4-8k per year depending upon the degree (business and humanities running in around $4k, while law and engineering run in around $8k).
Living at home to decrease expenses and working year-round should get the student through debt-free. I'd also be willing to pay the kid's transportation costs (bus pass or provide rides into town since I work there anyway).
Doing work in apprentice-ship based areas can be exceptionally helpful, too. Agriculture and building trades here do a lot by way of apprenticeships, which can be 'fall back' work should a degree and preferred work not stack up as one might hope. Or, part time work while working part time in one's degreed field.
I do not suggest that people get degrees to get degrees. Not everyone is cut out for things like nursing, where there may be a high demand. It is difficult work (in both education and in the work itself), and I wouldn't recommend it "in general." I wouldn't recommend any specific degree "in general."
Great thread!
I suggest that a young person doesn't attend college until they know it will get them where they want to go.
Yes! This!
I have been thinking about how I would advise my kids, the oldest of whom is a decade away from college. In thinking about it, she has never expressed interest in any career that would require a college degree. OK. She's 8. :) I do know that could change, but it's something to think about. She has talked about becoming a gardener/landscaper, becoming a nun, becoming a carpenter and opening a bakery.
At the moment I am encouraging her to talk to people in professions she is interested in, ask questions and find ways of getting experience to try it out and see if she really likes it. I figure it can't hurt. At the very least she'll learn some skills, meet some people and get some experiences and at best she may make contacts that could be useful in the future. She spent quite a bit of time shadowing her grandfather, who is a carpenter, when he was here visiting. She has struck up a friendship with a nun and is working on some volunteer projects in that arena as well. She is working on gardening project and has made friends with a master gardener at the garden center we visit and she is e-mail pals with Diana in Wisconsin, who is a gardener as well. She wants to take a cake decorating class and she has talked to my friend's mom, who grew up in her father's bakery and has been helping bake and decorate cakes since she was Cheyenne's age, about doing a little tutoring with her.
I am providing her and her siblings with opportunities to learn about the things they are interested in at home too, everything from Latin and Japanese to music to setting up a workshop in the garage for them to tinker with. I figure the more they have an idea of what really gets them excited and learning, the better idea they'll have with what they want to do with their lives. They'll also get the idea that formal education is not the only way to pursue knowledge, though it can be an extremely valuable way of doing so.
I would also be supportive of her getting a part-time job or starting a micro-business in high school to save towards her goals, whatever they may be.
I've encouraged a kid I mentor who is interested in fish and wildlife and marine biology to look into volunteer opportunities that could put him in contact with people who could someday help him. My old boss is best friends with a guy who runs the DNR fishing education program. My boss said to have the kid write to him and see if there's something he could help out with. The boss, who is a naturalist and SCUBA teacher, said that a lot of those jobs require a degree, but it's hard to get in the door without contacts. He'd still have to go to school, but having an "in" could make the difference between having a useless degree and getting a job.
When I was in my teens I informally apprenticed myself to a couple who had a small restaurant. By the time I was 18 I had started a small catering company that did pretty well. I gave that up to go back to school. I regret that. I only went back to college because I thought I had to. I really enjoyed my little catering business. My $30,000 or so would have been better invested in that than in my degree.
I also volunteered with a neighbor who was a state senator for a while. I liked politics, but working with her opened my eyes quite a bit. She was, and still is, a lovely person, but, as they say, those who love sausage and law should never watch either one being made. :)
I think whatever my kids want to do I'll be supportive as long as they go in eyes wide open and having actively researched what they want to do, not just signing on the dotted line because a counselor told them they were making the right decision or because of peer pressure. Lots and lots of jobs do require a college degree and I am sure some of the kids will want to go to school. Like everything in life, I want them to make an informed decision and consider the value they will get for their dollar.
I've seen classic college educations plus trade type knowledge or formal trade certification winning the day.
This describes several of the most successful people I've known. Highly educated people in blue-collar professions often end up on the leadership or business sides, and have strong options in case of job loss or having to leave more physical work as they age.
I wish there were more colleges like the one down the road from me, it's nickname is "Hard Work U" the kids all work - usually in something tied to their chosen field - and then they graduate with NO DEBT.
Do as many internships as possible. My brother spent every summer at the various National Research Labs, then following grad school was courted by all the big computer companies. He's been very happy with Intel for 18 years now.
I went the artistic route and the fun route (degree in Recreation) and now I'm looking at returning to school in the next few years (I expect I'll be a much better student).
I'm all for taking a few years between high school and college, travel and play a bit or just work, I think it makes for a better student with more direction and goals.
cattledog
3-26-12, 10:59pm
I've never really viewed college as a job training. The thing I worry about for kids is losing momentum. It's a lot easier, IMO to go from HS to college with the rest of your peers than to wander around from job to job. Oftentimes, people never get the chance to go back to school.
That said, if my DD is a good student and wants to go to college, but is undecided, I"m OK with that. I view college as the base of lifelong learning. There are just a lot of jobs out there that do not require specific majors. I was an liberal arts major that started out in a crappy clerical job the first year, but then moved into IT, project management and then finance. Along the way I earned certificates that helped my career. The certificates don't mean that much on their own, but combined with my BA mean a lot more.
I have heard that claim made many times, but I do not think that I believe it. Maybe it is true, but I think it's largely a reason why many people go who probably would be better off not going, deciding what they want, and getting the education that they want/need based on that.
I do not see university as the stepping-stone to life long learning either. I think those seeds are planted in early childhoood, where learning and play are simultaneous. My son *loves* to learn, and both my husband and I love to learn (and are largely autodidactic in a lot of ways), and so this is a reflecting system -- this is what life is. life is fun and about learning.
My college education didn't give me any more skills (or for that matter knowledge or capacity for learning) than high school did, and I found high school boring. So, most of those things were already established.
I did find law school more fun, because it was a decidedly different way of thinking, and I honed certain talents that had been started, but not fostered, prior to going. I learned, for example, how to most effectively utilize evidence and inferences to bolster some arguments over others, and with this, I learned how to confuse the heck out of inter-webz folk by taking on their arguments and getting them to about-face by using their own evidence and inferences to box them in. You might call it an expensive hobby. LOL
Anyway, I did learn how to read the law, how to contextualize them, and how to apply it in different circumstances, as well as how to better formulate arguments -- which served me well once I came here and went to court several times (and won). So, perhaps there it really served me well. But, I think I would have been effective there as well without it.
That being said, it is true tht liberal arts degrees are not useless -- so long as you have and are willing to develop other skills. Technically, my degree (BA English, emphasis in non-fiction writing) is a liberal arts degree, and it's got good prospects overall -- even if I don't go into magazine writing (which is what the degree was geared toward). I did well with several writing/communications-related jobs in the summers after I graduated, and while they aren't ridiculously high paying, a person could earn $60-80k in an average job, and more if they move into management positions in large-ish corporations. And that's not shabby.
As noted previously we went into parenting (specifically DW did) with college as an absolute. No other option. You kids are going. Period. That was it for our two oldest. One definitely benefited from it with a great experience, a marketing degree and a nice job right out of the gate. One has found a tougher time with a political science degree and a low paying job that at least he enjoys and that provides benefits. He did have a great time during his college 'career'. His degree is irrelevant to his work, it was his hobby that provided the skills he needed for the job.
Now DD2 is looking to graduate HS and thinking about cosmetology. She and her friends have done each other's hair for years now and she really enjoys it. The school is 18 months and no student loans would be needed. I talked with a friend of ours who owns several of the low cost haircut places that you find inside major retails stores. He said that if she wants to really work at it by the end of her first year she would be making $35K at one of his places. She has a very strong entrepreneurial sense so I also talked to him about what it takes to open your own shop, thinking she may want to go down that road. The start-up costs are low: basic equipment, leased space, minimal insurance, just-in-time supply delivery so a small inventory. She already has a pretty wide network of friends and a very individual sense of style so could easily be a niche market provider. If you daughter wanted the pink stripe and the matching extensions for her hair my daughter would be the one to go to. I've already talked to her about business and she knows that if she wants Dad's backing it means taking a couple basic business and accounting classes at the community college before anything else happens. She's ok with that. My friend has looked at doing things that are more geared toward DD's market because the average client bill (in his estimate) is 6x what his is, $90 vs. $15. He said his business model really doesn't work with what's required to do that, but for an individual shop owner that is part of the crowd they're catering to he thinks it has great potential.
That was a long ramble to illustrate a point. If DD2 ended up on that path she would have 18 months at trade school plus a few CC classes, no debt and would be earning as much or more than her siblings that had full degrees. Strangely enough, almost every successful entrepreneur I know dropped out of college. Most trade jobs that pay well do not require a degree. We need to rethink what our kids are really getting from this path because I don't think most people need anything like it to do well. For most people I see it does nothing but pile up expenses for four years.
I have heard that claim made many times, but I do not think that I believe it. Maybe it is true, but I think it's largely a reason why many people go who probably would be better off not going, deciding what they want, and getting the education that they want/need based on that.
I guess I can only speak from own experience. I was a good student in HS, but had no idea what to do for a career. When I graduated from college, I still had no idea what I wanted to do. After graduation, I worked a temp job coding documents, then got a permanent job reviewing loan documents. It was a boring job, but I did it well enough and was promoted to the credit analysis department. At the time, you did not need to have a college degree to review loan docs, but it was a requirement for credit analysis.
After the stint in credit analysis, I moved to a new company and started working at the IT help desk. It was more or less a customer service job. After that I moved to an administrative position in an IT department. Then I moved to software development/software training, then to project management, then to finance IT. Along the way, I picked up additional training as required.
I’m trying to think what would have happened if I didn’t go to college. I’m not really sure. I lived in a small town where there weren’t very many opportunities or jobs. I know I wouldn’t have been able to live at home. Maybe I would have just continued on at the fast food job I had?
The point of this rambling is that if I didn’t have a degree to begin with, none of opportunities I had would have materialized. Maybe things are different today than they were for me? I don’t know. Most of the job promotions I received were from internal postings or from business restructuring. I never imagined as a college senior that I would ever get into credit analysis or project management (I didn’t even know they were fields).
I never imagined as a college senior that I would ever get into credit analysis or project management (I didn't even know they were fields).
I know the feeling. I came out of college with my degree in Recreation and ended up a bank Branch Manager and Loan Officer within the year. I certainly didn't take any banking classes/business classes/accounting/or math beyond "math for liberal arts" and it was really hard to be inside working 8-5, wearing PANTYHOSE and HEELS, when I really wanted to be out rockclimbing, rapelling, camping, or other adventure things.
Float On...PANTYHOSE and HEELS...LOL! I used to wear those wretched torture devices when I was a receptionist at a bank! Talk about Gawdawful!
Reduce the amount that students can borrow and cost will come down. If the total the government would only guarantee is say $20,000, the colleges would adjust. As with housing, the government pushed easy credit and cost shot up. By many who should probably not be borrowing.
flowerseverywhere
3-27-12, 2:44pm
I went to our school board meeting last night and found out was have 83 students in our high school (about 7%) who attend alternative trade school such as auto mechanics, hairdressing, and building trades. The special ed kids I work with went to the hair salon last week and the students were so nice to them. They had their nails done and had a ball. When the beauty school kids graduate they will be able to sit for the state exam for hair and be able to do nails. A great route for some kids
Another approach is to go to a college with a great financial aid program. There are some nice schools these days that have no-loan, no-dipping-into-parents'-home-equity/retirement funds financial aid solutions:
http://www.princeton.edu/admission/financialaid/whats_great/
bae:
that is a great resource and opportunity.
I haven't read all the posts yet so hope I'm not repeating.
For me, I went into the Coast Guard and was able to get paid to go to a military school to learn a trade, then get paid to do a job I loved, also get paid while I went to college part time while in the service ,as well as get that schooling paid for by the CG, and then get money for college after I was out of the service thru a GI Bill (I posted the coast guard's current educational funding programs over on the public policy forum under the student loan thread if anyone is interested - pg 19 or 20).
I got a BS in Criminal Justice while I was in the service, and a BS & MS in a science field (Environmental Engineering) after I was out. Worked as an Environmental Compliance Officer/Inspector for a state government agency as a civilian. My experience in the CG was more valuable in attaining my civilain job than any college degree I had. I think a degree in a science or engineering field - or something technical in the IT, administrative, or medical fields - is the best way to go for a future job (even a 2 year community college technical degree or certificate program). I think with liberal arts or social study degrees it will be difficult to find jobs - same may be said for non-technical teaching degrees. I'd also look at the certificate programs at both the community colleges as well as universities. Many other professional classes (many technical or adminisative) are offered thru non-credit continuing education programs at a fraction of the cost. Many are at night so a student can work during the days and attend school at night.
As far as paying for an education - besides joining the armed forces - I'd suggest work during your high school years and save as much as you can, go to a in-state community college the first 2 years and continue working, go to a in state state university the last 2 years and continue working, live at home, buy your text books used and re-sell them, and get a degree in a field you feel will have the best career opportunities.
fidgiegirl
3-27-12, 6:35pm
I went to our school board meeting last night and found out was have 83 students in our high school (about 7%) who attend alternative trade school such as auto mechanics, hairdressing, and building trades. The special ed kids I work with went to the hair salon last week and the students were so nice to them. They had their nails done and had a ball. When the beauty school kids graduate they will be able to sit for the state exam for hair and be able to do nails. A great route for some kids
Is the trade program a post-secondary or secondary program?
My district has a long-established career and technical secondary program in the region, but their home high schools have to pay tuition for them to attend. They have seen a decline in enrollment. Sad, because lots of kids LIVE for those kinds of classes - that's what gets a lot of them in the door to suffer through the rest of the "important" stuff.
fidgiegirl
3-27-12, 6:39pm
I did the 2 years at community college and then transfer route, but it didn't save me any money in the end. I would caution against it as a money saving plan unless the student is VERY clear on where they will transfer and into what program. Now - as an "easing into the world" plan or a "I live an hour from any major university and will live at home to save money and a ton of gas" plan, maybe. Even as an "explore what's out there" plan - might as well, since it would cost more to "explore the world" at a 4 year institution. But the gap year could be a much better plan for exploring the world.
I think another HUGE moneysaver if a student DOES decide to go to college is to be their own advocate. DO NOT rely on your advisor to tell you what classes to take!!!! If you are doing a specialty or tailored program, get the requirements in WRITING. Look at your own programming requirements and make sure you are meeting them. Same with transferring credits - IN WRITING. Otherwise you will end up with a surprise at the end of your degree.
For super duper self starters, iTunes U has tons of materials packaged into entire courses by prestigious universities. Pretty dang amazing.
For super duper self starters, iTunes U has tons of materials packaged into entire courses by prestigious universities. Pretty dang amazing.
+1 to that resource, and others like it. I suspect Expensive Colleges are pricing themselves out of existence, and that a generation from now "distance learning" will be quite mainstream.
Thought I'd put this here in case anyone is interested. I'm sure it's the same for the other armed forces. Also, because many people in the service are unable to attend regular classes, many your college general education requirments can be met thru a testing process that the military has called "Cleap" (or something like that) where you can basicly take a test while in the service rather than attend a class. I met many of my college GE requirments via Cleap test - history, math, health ed, etc... Saved alot of time and money on college classes once I was a full time student - and they were all transferable to a state university. Also, depending on your job specialty while in the service, much of your job training and classes can be transferred to a civilian college to meet GE and professional education requirements. Say you were an engineering technician in the service, much of that training and education could be used to meet your college prerequisites for an engineering degree. They even list those as classes you have taken on your transcripts.
Coast Guard Tuition Assistance
Coast Guard Tuition Assistance allows you to have the Coast Guard pay for your off-duty college education and supports your personal and professional goals. Active Duty Coast Guard members can receive $250 per semester credit hour, up to $4,500 to pay for college tuition. Contact your Education Services Officer (ESO) or visit the Coast Guard website for details on how to apply.
MGIB Top-up Benefit
If you’re an Active Duty military member and use Tuition Assistance, you can use Top-up to cover any remaining tuition costs. As part of the Montgomery GI Bill-Active Duty program, the VA pays the Top up Benefit. Top up can pay the difference between the total cost of a college course and the amount of TA paid by the military for the course.
Coast Guard Veterans Benefits
Veterans can use the GI Bill to pay for their college education costs. Some veterans, depending on when they served, will have the option of picking the Post 911 GI Bill or the Montgomery GI Bill .
Post 911 GI Bill
The Post 9/11 GI Bill provides up to 36 months of financial support for education and housing, payable for up to 15 years following your release from Active Duty. To qualify for the Post 911 GI Bill you must have served for at least 90 days on or after Sept. 11, 2001, or for 30 days and received a disability discharge.
As of Aug. 1, 2011, with the Post 9/11 GI Bill, the GI Bill amount you receive will cover all in-state tuition and fees at degree-granting public schools. If you attend a public school out of state, you will receive the cost of in- state tuition at that school and can use the Yellow Ribbon Program to pay for the rest, as long as the school participates in the Yellow Ribbon Program. If you attend a private or for- profit, degree-granting school, online and/ or on campus, or a foreign school, you could receive a total of $17,500 per year and use the Yellow Ribbon Program to cover any excess tuition and fees.
As of Oct. 1, 2011, you can also use the Post 9/11 GI Bill to pay your tuition for non-degree programs, such as vocational or certificate programs. The Post 9/11 GI Bill pays the actual cost for in-state tuition at the school or $17,500, whichever is less.
I did the 2 years at community college and then transfer route, but it didn't save me any money in the end. I would caution against it as a money saving plan unless the student is VERY clear on where they will transfer and into what program.
.
The very nice thing here in Colorado is the 'guaranteed transfer list'. It is the courses that are guaranteed to transfer to a 4 year Colorado school from community college. My oldest is not doing school right now but she has 1 1/2 years of community college all from that list and all paid for without loans. It is very good, but like you said, know what will transfer!
flowerseverywhere
3-27-12, 7:56pm
Is the trade program a post-secondary or secondary program?
My district has a long-established career and technical secondary program in the region, but their home high schools have to pay tuition for them to attend. They have seen a decline in enrollment. Sad, because lots of kids LIVE for those kinds of classes - that's what gets a lot of them in the door to suffer through the rest of the "important" stuff.
you go to high school for a few periods to take the required english and math then go to the trade school the other time, ending with a HS diploma.
ApatheticNoMore
3-27-12, 8:16pm
The very nice thing here in Colorado is the 'guaranteed transfer list'. It is the courses that are guaranteed to transfer to a 4 year Colorado school from community college.
it's exactly the same in California - the courses will transfer. HOWEVER ... if you don't know your major and plan for that early on, you are going to find you are transferring to many colleges with years to go, but it is not because the courses don't transfer.
I agree about distance education, bae.
My sister's master's degree was online, and many of my friends who are professors run online classes for their university. The courses are exactly the same, as are the degrees. It cuts down on all manner of costs for the student as well.
A friend of mine's daughter is going full time online while also working full time -- because she can manage late nights. Her work is good -- basic administrative office work, and she's quite happy with it. She earns a tidy little income at around $28k, and so she's both putting into her retirement as well as paying for school outright. She lives at home and pays for her own car. I think she's getting a degree in hospitality -- she wants to own a bed and breakfast. In the summers, she helps several of the local B&Bs with making food and doing the cleaning.
She has her eye on an old victorian that has an apartment above the back garage -- she wants to live there, work her day-job, and run the B and B out of the house. SHe thinks she'll need to save up a fair bit more, But I"m sure she'll get to where she's going.
logisticsguy55
3-28-12, 2:32pm
flowerseverywhere,
In regards to your question about whether not college is worth it or if there are alternate options I would def say search around the internet for other options for college. One thing I recommend is online degree's and online education. Many people are skeptical about them but many have had very successful outcomes. For exampl, if you were pursing a degree in logistics or supply chain mgt you could view sites like http://www.logisticsdegree.net where they give you specific answers to multiple questions you might have. For exampl you talked about money and if it's worth going to college. I would research salary projections within different degree's you might want to get and in this website it talks all about salary and the money you could be making following your degree.
Or you can check out sites like http://www.collegeview.com/articles/article/the-benefits-of-having-a-college-education that give great insite on why you should get a college education in order to make a good income later on in your career. I think once you follow up an do research on the benefits that come from college, you will have a much better idea of why do attend college.
hope this help and best of luck!
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