How many of you agree with the WGU advertisement IT online degree?

earweed

The way the IT field is right now you would be a fool to just go to college and not already work in IT. Getting out of college and doing helpdesk with a BSIT is what has been driving me of late to really drive to get employed in IT before finishing. I've been working non-IT jobs (for the paycheck) while attending WGU. I'm still looking at being in a low level IT position when I finish my degree but at least I'll be somewhere.
I think all people pursuing an IT career should start out getting experience right from the start (as freshmen) in a helpdesk/desktop support role. Ideally they would be able to get these jobs as internships (paid or unpaid) or through a Co-op program but those programs are limited to the top performers in the class for the most part (that's how it was when I went to uni nack in my younger days)so the majority of students would have to opt for part-time work or full time work and probably take longer for the degree.

ssampier

erpadmin, I think your niece will do just fine. The first year teaching is the critical one. The teaching program simply doesn't teach you how to handle classroom management. I am sure a teacher or former teacher can tell all the blood, sweat, and tears they went through their first years.

Also, if my rural area is any indication, first year teachers contracts are often not renewed for second or subsequent years. In a major NJ/NY area this may not be a problem but if you move to the boonies it may be.

powerfool wrote: »

I dunno, I think that is backwards for a lot of people, especially IT folks. School isn't really that hard and it hardly mimics the real world. I would much rather my kids get a job and get a feel for what they want to do, and then work and go to school in the field at the same time. While have an education is important, I think life provide a pretty good education, and if you can juggle a real job (not something like asking about upsizing your fries) and school, you will be more prepared than 90% of people out there. Instead of waiting for four years, deferring earning potential, and not gaining experience, you start off earning money and gaining experience. Plus, many employers offer tuition reimbursement which could greatly assist with paying for school.

Consider candidate A and candidate B, both graduated high school in 2004:

Candidate A (went to school, then started working):
- BS in Information Systems from a decent to good school
- MCSA
- Two years of experience working entry-level jobs like help desk and jr admin.
- Looking for a salary around $40-45k

Candidate B (went to school in the evenings or online while working full-time):
- BS in Information Systems from a decent to good school
- MCSE
- Six years of progressive experience, working on projects and mid-level admin work.
- Looking for a salary around $60-65K

Jimmy Christmas when I graduated I would have loved to been either A or B.

As I stated before I worked for peanuts after college. I got 2 years helpdesk experience and then became the everyman for almost 4 years (at around the A person's salary).

My mantra up to that point was, "Finish at all costs!" And I did and boy did it cost ($$$).

Hindsight is always 20/20, though. If I had to do it all over again, I probably would have done the same thing. I am not the same person who finished college six years ago.

powerfool

Well, teaching is a bit different, but there is still plenty of that built-in. Programs require teachers to be "assistants" for a certain amount of time during the program. In addition, she could be a tutor; I would actually expect that, to be honest. If she hasn't at least been a tutor, I wouldn't think she would have decided to be a teacher.

But yeah, there are exceptions to the work full-time and go to school... some things you simply cannot do based on the program, but even then, you could do something similar. If you are going to be a doctor, you could work as a CNA or LPN during undergrad, as those are things you could probably knock out fairly quickly before starting school. All of these things are difficult and do certain require juggling the logistics.

I guess from my standpoint, I just don't like school, but I love learning. I find school to be too slow, even when the courses are "advanced" level. I end up becoming disinterested and then I actually fall behind because I just keep pushing things off until later... and then later passes; I can catch up quickly, but it is rather embarrassing. That is the biggest thing for me with grad school... being embarrassed in front of my classmates... so I don't let that happen.

powerfool

ssampier wrote: »

erpadmin, I think your niece will do just fine. The first year teaching is the critical one. The teaching program simply doesn't teach you how to handle classroom management. I am sure a teacher or former teacher can tell all the blood, sweat, and tears they went through their first years.

Also, if my rural area is any indication, first year teachers contracts are often not renewed for second or subsequent years. In a major NJ/NY area this may not be a problem but if you move to the boonies it may be.



Jimmy Christmas when I graduated I would have loved to been either A or B.

As I stated before I worked for peanuts after college. I got 2 years helpdesk experience and then became the everyman for almost 4 years (at around the A person's salary).

My mantra up to that point was, "Finish at all costs!" And I did and boy did it cost ($$$).

Hindsight is always 20/20, though. If I had to do it all over again, I probably would have done the same thing. I am not the same person who finished college six years ago.

See you pretty much were A. When you had a couple years of experience, you were in that range.

I was neither because I put off going back to school for four years after graduating high-school, but I worked; I was more like candidate B, though. When I graduated, I had eight years of experience and had a slightly higher salary that B was looking for.

I tell you what amazes me, though... there are plenty of opportunities out there for people that are qualified. At each step of my career I have been very satisfied with my place in life and couldn't really imagine it getting better... and then it does, drastically and quickly (not without normal challenges that get in the way of things). I am to the point where I am earning more than I thought I could doing what I do... and I now believe I could easily make 50-60% more than I do, doing exactly the same things... just for for impressive organizations.

Don't sell yourself short. If you feel something is beyond your reach, then that is exactly what you need to reach for. Amaze yourself. Question yourself. Challenge yourself.

erpadmin

powerfool wrote: »

I guess from my standpoint, I just don't like school, but I love learning. I find school to be too slow, even when the courses are "advanced" level. I end up becoming disinterested and then I actually fall behind because I just keep pushing things off until later... and then later passes; I can catch up quickly, but it is rather embarrassing. That is the biggest thing for me with grad school... being embarrassed in front of my classmates... so I don't let that happen.

Student teaching is built into the education programs of most colleges (at least here in NJ, and I'd imagine everywhere else). That's different though, because while you are student teaching, you are earning credits (it's a requirement to student teach). My whole thing is I just wouldn't want her to work while going to school. She doesn't need to bust her keister like we did because she has a good support system (financial and otherwise). My sister and I didn't have that (parents were not exactly rich, and that was ok). We're not rich either, but we have enough to make sure she can do what she needs to do so that there isn't an excuse for her not to succeed in college. Believe me, she'll be ok.

It was very easy for me to be disinterested in my research paper...it has absolutely nothing to do with what I do everyday OR what I want to be when I do finish my degree. However, I have to remind myself why I went back to school (to finish what I started) and to perhaps one day get my Masters so that at the least...I can teach college courses part time while I work and in retirement. (AT THE LEAST... ) We're always going to get things in life that we don't want to do, but sometimes we have to do it just so that we can get it out of the way and move on to the next thing...that's what keeps me going. (Hopefully, it will continue to do so).

Just gotta tell yourself...in the end, it's all worth it.