school question

Riesold71

I will be graduating at the end of the summer with my aas in computer networking. I am debating if i should transfer to another school and get my bachelors. I am a "non traditional" student and was lucky enough to have a wife that made enough to allow be to go back to school while only working part time in order to get this degree. She would be supportive of me continuing my education, but i am not sure it is worth it. I am somewhat worried about forgetting allot of what i have learned so far because i have no experience in the it field and also the job market in this area is pretty good, and it is a good time to be graduating and looking for a job. I am looking at a few schools around here such as regis university and csu global. I will say that if i stop school now i may not start again unless i was lucky enough to find an employer willing to help with school costs. I have also thought that maybe i could get a full time job and then try and continue school on a part time basis. Any ways i know i am rambling on but its a tough decision to make, and any advice would be appreciated.

RHDS2K

I work full-time during the day and I am in an accelerated program that is 1 night a week from 6pm-10pm for my bachelors. Degrees are great, but mean nothing without experience. I'd continue school part time and get an entry level job right away when you have your AAS. As long as you get a job with a decent sized company there's a decent shot of them paying for your schooling. Most good paying jobs want to see several years of relative experience, so i'd want to start racking that up ASAP. Otherwise you're stuck with huge loans from a bachelor's degree and a low paying entry level job when you're all set and done.

Riesold71

Thank you for the response RHDS2K, I appreciate the advice. What school are you attending if you don't mind me asking? Also how long will it take on the current path you are on?

BlackBeret

What's your motivation for school? If you're looking for education alone, then I'd say continue while you feel you can. If you're doing it to get a better job, get in to a specific field, or make more money, I'd say go work with what you've got. There are plenty of good schools that offer classes at night, on the weekends, online, hybrid, etc. It's easy enough to accomplish both. Jobs in something you want, in your area, with a good salary aren't always that easy to find. If I were in your shoes I would switch to an online University with asynchronous classes, look for a good job, and do both. Then again, that is what I'm doing. Maybe I'm partial.

In my experience HR looks at degrees, managers look at experience, and your colleagues look at your knowledge. All three are very important, no one can say do one before the other.

RHDS2K

Riesold71 wrote: »

Thank you for the response RHDS2K, I appreciate the advice. What school are you attending if you don't mind me asking? Also how long will it take on the current path you are on?

I live in PA and I'm going to Albright College in Reading. I am actually all done as of the last week of march/ first week of april (Very excited to get it over with). I may pursue my masters if i have a company that will pay for it. There are masters programs in my area that have the same setup of 1 night per week as well

Riesold71

Thank you for the response BlackBeret, I may have to look for a school that will offer a more flexible schedule. In answer to your question about motivation for school, I just don't want to hit a wall in terms of job opportunities because of lack of education. I am also chomping at the bit to get started in a job that will get me some much needed experience.

Congratulations RHDS2K on graduating, its a great accomplishment!

anhtran35

If I had to do over, I would have gotten a help desk job full time to get experience then go to school part time. Find a company that will provide tuition reimbursement.