Seeking your opinion - Drop out of school to focus on studying for certs.?

I'm contemplating on dropping out of community college to focus on certifications.

I'm two classes away from graduating this Spring. I've lost interest in earning that AA/AS degree from the community college, and I'm totally behind on those two classes as well. There's a good chance I can catch up and pull decent grades to pass, but I have no motivation.

Would you guys encourage me to drop out this semester, and focus on certifications, and return later?

I'm currently employed, and wouldn't benefit from either the AA/AS or certs. I just have a strong desire to drop out and work on certs...but there is a big part of me that is forcing me to earn that meaningless associate's degree.

I have a few days to think about...if you guys can offer some insight that would help, please do.

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erpadmin

Paladin wrote: »

Great! When you identify a professional IT certification track based on video games, that pays good $, please start a forum section on that so we can all share and trade notes about them.

Unfortunately, human life is short, less than 2.5 GS usually. Every minute you spend doing video games is a minute you aren't spending reading, doing, learning and gaining valuable skills.

On second thought, I hope there will be more and more video game players, because it will cull these people from the available IT talent pool, and increase the value and compensation of those who are actually doing the work.

Thanks!

World of Warcraft, anyone?

Wow...(no pun intended)...sounds like I need to get Teddy Roosevelt on you...except I'm not exactly known (here, there or anywhere) for speaking softly, however everything else is true...

I believe the point of this thread has been made for the OP and I hope he follows it, but sounds like it is you that needs some perspective....

I don't care what it is, be it video games, watching TV, being with your significant other, going to church, whatever, people need to relieve themselves of stress somehow. Ben Franklin said it best..."All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy." It made sense then, it makes sense now.

BTW, I do hate World of Warcraft. I used to love RPGs like Phantasy Star (I, II, III, IV) but I wouldn't have time for that now, let alone games like WOW. However, I do like Call of Duty and have no problem picking up an MP40 and bringing the pain to my enemies...:D

Now let's attack your "winning formula":

Paladin wrote: »

I wrote this earlier, but it's worth repeating...

I think my winning formula is:

3 degrees + [Don't even have an associates (currently non-degreed)...and I make a little less than six figures].

certs + [I do have them, but they're entry level and have NOTHING to do with my job...except maybe Project+ and Security+ but I could have done NOTHING to achieve them and still make what I make]. (Oh and by the way, I don't work for "mommy and daddy...")

experience + [Tons of that....in a few years, (professionally) it will be 2 decades worth]

smarts + [My mom thinks I have them...does that count? ]

hard work + [No one can get to where they need to be without that.]

perseverence + [No one can get to where they need to be without that.]

listening to mentors + [I agree with you here as well, but I would add that it's very important to wisely choose a mentor.]

some luck = $ucce$$ [You do need a lot of that...it's like poker...you need luck and skill to make it in life.]

(almost forgot... zero video games...) [As with anything else, too much of a good thing is a bad thing. I could say the same thing about church, spending time with your family/loved ones, hanging out with your friends, heck, even working! Here's the word of the day, my friend... balance. Balance is needed for one to be truly successful.]

One final note, to bring it back to the spirit of this thread, having said ALL of that, my personal experience is the reason the OP should NOT DROP OUT. If I were in his situation with two classes to go, I wouldn't have even given it a second thought. However, in my case, back in the 90s, I was seduced by the dollar. It was the worst decision in my life, because I do value a degree....now I'm trying to get two of them, and it's more difficult to do that as you get older (though certainly not impossible). I would like to think I've grown from the experience though, and had some fun in the process.

Turgon

mikej412 wrote: »

Experience + Education + Certifications (and some luck and people/networking skills) maximize your opportunities that lead to career success in IT.

Experience is King -- but only if you have the other "keywords" that get get your resume pulled from the pile so that someone with a clue reads your resume, is impressed with your qualification (including your Experience) and call you for an interview.

Of course, if Mommy & Daddy own a company and give you a job then the required minimum Experience, Education, and Certification may be zero -- but that scenario may be covered under by the luck and/or people/networking skills of the "IT success Formula."

Yeah. Experience is a variable though. Some people quote years of it and still think flashing lights are cool. What you have been actually *doing* matters.

Ryuksapple84

FINISH SCHOOL!!!!!!!!!!

You will be so far ahead and have an edge over a lot of people out there.

networker050184

Paladin wrote: »

Great! When you identify a professional IT certification track based on video games, that pays good $, please start a forum section on that so we can all share and trade notes about them.

Unfortunately, human life is short, less than 2.5 GS usually. Every minute you spend doing video games is a minute you aren't spending reading, doing, learning and gaining valuable skills.

On second thought, I hope there will be more and more video game players, because it will cull these people from the available IT talent pool, and increase the value and compensation of those who are actually doing the work.

Thanks!

World of Warcraft, anyone?

So no one should take time to relax? I guess we should all just concentrate on our career 24hrs a day. Screw the family, hobbies etc. they won't help you advance your career.

I'm not a gamer, but I do like to play golf, hike, have a drink and other non career related activities to relax. So what if someone likes to relax by playing a game.

Ryuksapple84

networker050184 wrote: »

So no one should take time to relax? I guess we should all just concentrate on our career 24hrs a day. Screw the family, hobbies etc. they won't help you advance your career.

I'm not a gamer, but I do like to play golf, hike, have a drink and other non career related activities to relax. So what if someone likes to relax by playing a game.

I play video games... what's wrong with that?

mikej412

Turgon wrote: »

Yeah. Experience is a variable though. Some people quote years of it and still think flashing lights are cool. What you have been actually *doing* matters.

Yeah -- a noob with some skills, drive, and determination who spends 6 months at a Cisco or Microsoft or Oracle or Juniper Business Partner and steps up to earn the opportunity to work on various customer networks/hardware/software (large and small) can gain more experience in those 6 months than some people have gained (or will gain) in their entire career.

Experience isn't a number indicating how long you've taken up space on a job -- it's what you actually learned and accomplished and can do for your current and future employers.

MentholMoose

Turgon wrote: »

I agree that playing computer games is an enormous waste of time. I certainly dont have time for them and neither does my wife who is of the opinion that grown men have far more important things to spend their time on. However, it's 2011 and a lot of people do like to play computer games and to be fair some are rather successful in work and life.

Paladin wrote: »

Great! When you identify a professional IT certification track based on video games, that pays good $, please start a forum section on that so we can all share and trade notes about them.

Unfortunately, human life is short, less than 2.5 GS usually. Every minute you spend doing video games is a minute you aren't spending reading, doing, learning and gaining valuable skills.

On second thought, I hope there will be more and more video game players, because it will cull these people from the available IT talent pool, and increase the value and compensation of those who are actually doing the work.

Thanks!

World of Warcraft, anyone?

So you two, what are some acceptable hobbies, stress relievers, or ways to unwind? Please enlighten us.

Ryuksapple84

NetworkingStudent wrote: »

DONT DROPOUT!!!

Certs come and go, but a degree lasts forever.

Just like a Diamond, loL!

MentholMoose

Paladin wrote: »

People have short memories:

Korean Dies Playing Video Game
BBC NEWS | Technology | S Korean dies after games session

What is the point of this post? If you want to compare risk, working is far, far more hazardous than playing videogames:
http://www.bls.gov/iif/oshwc/cfoi/cfch0008.pdf

4,340 people died on the job in 2009 in the US alone, and that was a 17% decrease from 2008! 18% of that was due to ASSAULTS/VIOLENCE. Maybe more people need to find outlets for relieving stress.

BTW, I'm not an avid gamer, I just think it's utterly ridiculous to criticize the hobbies of others.

NetworkingStudent

This post turned from a young soon to be IT professional asking for advice about school, to a rant about the effects of video games.

Turgon

i didnt bring gaming up. If people want to play computer games, go for it.

MentholMoose

NetworkingStudent wrote: »

This post turned from a young soon to be IT professional asking for advice about school, to a rant about the effects of video games.

Sorry about that.

LuckyGreenFrog, you only have two classes left, just finish them and you don't have to ever look back (if you so choose). Although I don't know what classes they are, and I don't know what certifications you are interested in, chances are you can do both anyway. I've done several certs while working full time and going to school full time (3+ classes), and while not fun it may be possible for you, too.

Being able to tell a prospective employer that you have completed an AA or AS is better than saying you are two classes away. Seriously, you might as well put NOTHING under "Education" on your resume if you don't finish it. Someday that could be the difference between getting hired and being the runner up, or getting an interview or not.

Daniel333

Looking at your cert list,no. I don't think you are really familiar with that it's going to take to really rack up the certs that will actually pay the bills.

But I feel your pain, just take one class at a time until your done.

RPMar52

LuckyGreenFrog wrote: »

I'm contemplating on dropping out of community college to focus on certifications.

I'm two classes away from graduating this Spring. I've lost interest in earning that AA/AS degree from the community college, and I'm totally behind on those two classes as well. There's a good chance I can catch up and pull decent grades to pass, but I have no motivation.

Would you guys encourage me to drop out this semester, and focus on certifications, and return later?

I'm currently employed, and wouldn't benefit from either the AA/AS or certs. I just have a strong desire to drop out and work on certs...but there is a big part of me that is forcing me to earn that meaningless associate's degree.

I have a few days to think about...if you guys can offer some insight that would help, please do.

Lucky,

Stick it out and get it done man. With unemployment hovering around 10%, a telling statistic is that for college graduates over 25 the unemployment rate is less than 5%.

That alone proves that a degree is not meaningless. Imagine yourself in front of a hiring manager. Would you rather:

a) explain why you left school within a hair's breadth of getting your degree because to you experience and certs trump institutional learning

OR

b) talk about how you earned a degree and feel that it, combined with your work history and experience, makes you the ideal candidate.

Anyone who's had more than one interview would prefer to have the degree. Sure, every organization weighs each component differently, but you're not going to do yourself a disservice by getting a degree.

One man's opinion...hope it helps. Good luck with your decision.

reloaded

First off, you're not thinking about the long term or your potential earning power in the long term. You do know many companies have separate pay scales for people with degrees right?! If you only have a couple classes left, finish them, then focus on what you want to focus on. I wanted to study abroad, but only had a few classes left myself. But I sucked it up, finished my degree, and now I have a network engineer position that pays 20% more than my peers because I have a degree.

Work experience + degree + certs = all around qualified candidate. That helps, especially in this economy.

nimrod.sixty9

RPMar52 wrote: »

Lucky,

Stick it out and get it done man. With unemployment hovering around 10%, a telling statistic is that for college graduates over 25 the unemployment rate is less than 5%.

That alone proves that a degree is not meaningless. Imagine yourself in front of a hiring manager. Would you rather:

a) explain why you left school within a hair's breadth of getting your degree because to you experience and certs trump institutional learning

OR

b) talk about how you earned a degree and feel that it, combined with your work history and experience, makes you the ideal candidate.

Anyone who's had more than one interview would prefer to have the degree. Sure, every organization weighs each component differently, but you're not going to do yourself a disservice by getting a degree.

One man's opinion...hope it helps. Good luck with your decision.

^This!

I did quite a few classes a few years back, and Im thinking about going back to get my AS. And I have a lot more left than 2 classes!

Ryuksapple84 wrote: »

What happened????

Thank you! I needed that laugh LOL

eMeS

Paladin wrote: »

7) Owns his own business that is related to health care services (could he be HIPAA certified?)

This needs to be addressed because there are many people who look to these boards for guidance in terms of which certification programs they choose.

I'm guessing that neither he nor his company are HIPAA certified because there is no such thing.

DHHS clearly states that there is no such thing as HIPAA certification for products, companies or individuals.

Health Information Privacy

Simply because someone is selling a "HIPAA Certification" does not mean that it's valid or useful. In fact, I'm of the opinion that it borders on predatory. This is why everyone needs to be careful about participating in random certification programs that are made up by companies that are generally looking to separate individuals and organizations from their money without providing a valuable or needed product. Not only that, but someone that does hiring and makes purchasing decisions in the health care industry will most likely know that there's no such animal.

Your career plan shouldn't be a series of exercises in chasing the latest buzzword, or a buzzword specific to some sector.

To the OP: I wouldn't hire you if you couldn't demonstrate to me that you can complete what you started.

MS

poriggity

Take it from someone that dropped out of college because he thought he'd found the career he was going to stay in for the rest of his life... Stay in school, and get that degree! I dropped out because I thought I'd found a great career that was really good money, and didn't need school. It lasted about 2 years, before I was let go, with nothing to help me get a job. Now I am in a job I don't really like, but need it in order to pay the bills, and I am working on getting certifications to get a job I'll enjoy, at which time I will also go back and get my degree. GET that degree, or you WILL be kicking yourself later.. especially because you are SO close now.
Scott