I'm 41 and going back to school

Hello all! I have finally decided to get out of the manufacturing career I've been in for almost 20 years and get back to school (ITT Tech) and study computer networking. I make good money and was wondering what kind of money will a 2 year associate degree get me? I'm pretty computer literate, and find school easy...so far. So is there something that I should know now to study to get the most money out of school? Thanks to all, Mike

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jbaello

I've never heard of ITTTech, but I would take the basics I'm not sure what is the curriculum for the Associates Degree, perhaps you can start with asking yourself with what it is that you wanted to do in IT, and what it is that you enjoy the most, since this field is so big and there is so much job for different areas.

taktsoi

robinhoodmp wrote:

Hello all! I have finally decided to get out of the manufacturing career I've been in for almost 20 years and get back to school (ITT Tech) and study computer networking. I make good money and was wondering what kind of money will a 2 year associate degree get me? I'm pretty computer literate, and find school easy...so far. So is there something that I should know now to study to get the most money out of school? Thanks to all, Mike

Congratulation buddy.

it is never late than sorry. Study your favorite classes in your school and complete your degree. It is a more enjoyment.

I am here studying for my bachelor degree after 5 years. Lets rock.~

dynamik

Congratulations on your decision to go back to school!

This thread covered your salary question pretty well: http://techexams.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=27469

I think the toughest part of this endeavor of yours will be starting back at the bottom and working your way back up. Your pay will increase as you gain experience and acquire more certifications.

You can always use something like this to get an idea of what your salary will potentially be: http://www.cbsalary.com/

Experience is going to be your greatest shortcoming, so I would do everything you can to get as much as you can while you complete your degree. Volunteer/work for the school. See if you can take over some IT responsibilities at your current job. Find a small business where IT isn't your main focus, but you can manage it as well. Etc.

JDMurray

I also went back to school at 41 and got my Masters degree three years later. Make sure that you create a degree completion plan that lists the classes you will be taking each quarter/semester in order to graduate. Only concern yourself with the classes you are currently taking and don't worry about what's ahead. Remember that school is actually for learning and not just passing classes. Go above and beyond in your studies to make the time and money you invest in yourself well spent.

taktsoi

JDMurray wrote:

Only concern yourself with the classes you are currently taking and don't worry about what's ahead. Remember that school is actually for learning and not just passing classes. Go above and beyond in your studies to make the time and money you invest in yourself well spent.

Well said. JDMurray. 100+ Agree.

Mishra

Don't go to ITT if you want to transfer credits to another school someday. Other than that if you focus and not be lazy its a fine school.

robinhoodmp

Thanks everyone!!! I will make sure to do everything that I can to succeed and that appears to be all of your goals too. Again thanks. Mike

phreak

I agree with the credit transfering statement.

Otherwise just spend time learning. If you are savvy in any IT areas it might seem like you know more than the instructors or it is a waste of time. If you think you know the class, ask the program chair if you can test out.

Other than that, show up to class every day of class, do not be late, do not slack, and devote as much time to really absorbing the information. Courses are very compact and you will cover a lot of material in a short period of time, so spending time outside of class learning on your own is very important. Be sure to set your study goals and remember that 2 years is nothing. Stay focused, and find out who the top students are in the class and then work hard with them. They will be the ones who get the jobs after school is done.

This will make the difference between the average person in class and the top students.

I have two degrees from them, one in electronics and the other in information security. Those in the electronics course I was with work factory jobs, with marginal pay and a few I am sure are laid off now due to the economy where I am at. The 4 of us who stuck it through the infosec degree work challenging jobs in the IT sector and are paid fairly well, some better than others.

One guy is a technology specialist for a government agency, and holds a CISSP.

The other two are mainframe operators tier2/3 support for a large grocery chains datacenter.

I am an engineer for an ISP.

Good luck!

wxboss

It's never too late!

I'm glad to hear about your decision to go back to school. Gaining and obtaining more knowledge is ALWAYS a good thing

I'm 40 myself and while I've been sidelined from persuing a certification that I've wanted for a long time, I, too and getting back into the program.

Like you, I'm persuing a career in netwoking, and I think it's very important to do something the you really WANT to do - it makes a big difference in your whole outlook when you work with something you enjoy.

I've been hooked on networks since the mid 80s when I was still living at home fresh out of high school. I ticked my Mom off by making a hole in the wall so that I could splice the phone wire in order to hook up my 300 baud modem and surf the bulletin boards. I was hooked at that point.

While my current job isn't IT related, I'm working on getting some experience while persuing my certification.

If you haven't been in school for a while, there will be an adjustment as it does require sacrifice and time to get where you want to go, but it pays off in the end! The important thing is to have fun and learn - you're doing something you want to do so learning isn't that much of a 'chore' for you.

More power to ya!

mobri09

Take advantage of everything at school and definitly get a few certs under your belt.
Network + might be a good cert to complete since your in school and it's not difficult.

ilcram19

advice...do not go to ITT tech i know is up to the student how they learn and how much they lear but i meet alot of people than went there and they all regret it hey didnt leanr anything and the worst thing is that you cant tranfer those credits to a university or college...please be careful with that

bighornsheep

ilcram19 wrote:

advice...do not go to ITT tech

I agree. Even though it's never too late to go back to school and it's a good thing to do so, don't enroll in ITT Tech.

JDMurray

bighornsheep wrote:

ilcram19 wrote:

advice...do not go to ITT tech

I agree. Even though it's never too late to go back to school and it's a good thing to do so, don't enroll in ITT Tech.

I really don't like the commercials that ITT Tech broadcasts here in SoCal. They are targeted specifically at blue collar people, and strongly imply that a computer job is the guaranteed ticket to lots of money, the good life, and respect. Very misleading they are.

Mishra

ITT was great to get some kind of degree for me.

You have to remain focused, dont go home early, and really try and learn the material and you should be fine.

It was expensive and I hate the fact that I can't transfer credits but I already knew all the material so classes were cake and they barely ever gave homework so it was much easier than a normal college. Again the "they don't teach you anything" comes from the fact that most people don't try and learn anything. They don't force feed you information, the help is there if you need it but the learning is up to you. I enjoyed that part but I respect that some like colleges to make them learn because they can't focus on their own.

EJizzel

What you get from school/college is what you put into it. I went to a traditional 4 year school and didn't get much hands on (mostly theory) but I tried my best and finished. I personally don't know about ITT tech but make sure you do your research, one persons experience will be totally different from the next person. I worked with a couple of people that went to Devry and they seem to have taken alot of what they learned into the real world.