Anyone regret not going to a B&M University?

About me: you can skip this part

I'm a 22yo living with parents with a 1 year Net Admin college cert (Cisco & Microsoft classes with a bit of Linux), value on job market here presently is 40-48K, currently making 40K (2yrs experience at current job, work with Server '08 and Citrix, previous 3yrs experience at Level 1 in-house tech guy).

I'm cutting down to 2 days a week at work to focus on certificates, followed by university in Fall. I've figured out what kind of career path interests me most (Private Clouds, Microsoft server admin) and what kind of salary I'd like ideally (start 50K, 5yrs 60K, 10yrs 70K+inflation)

Universities here have a good reputation (McGill, Concrdia). They are actually significantly cheaper than WGU here (1200$ vs 3000$ per semester). Also here, Bachelors are 3 years. So my situation is quite different than the average one.

I've looked at WGU a lot recently, read a lot about experiences, course list etc, and I feel education-wise, it would be the best fit for me. What I'm scared of is missing out on the university experience I guess. So many people say it was the best time of their life. Fun, friends, motivation to continue studies etc. I don't think I'll necessarily "regret" not going B&M, but I could certainly miss out on an experience without really ever knowing.

Any tips on how to figure this out for me?

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Comments

Plantwiz

If you read through the forum, you'll find a variety of feedback on this question already. It has been answered.

You will always find folks who value you one method over an another. Likewise, to achieve ones goals in life, one needs to decide how best to do it.

That may mean you are working days, and hitting online schools on the evenings and weekends if you do not have a local school you can attend. Likewise, you will find more and more colleges are offering weekend classes and evening classes to meet these daytime working stiffs.

WGU has a decent reputation here, you'll find many kindred spirits. That said, in the marketplace, you may run into employers who do not see the value for no particular reason than they simply know nothing else.

aspiringsoul

Your mileage may vary depending where you go. For instance, I think many employers in my town prefer to hire UK grads, but it's very much irrelevant once you've established your career and built up a few years of experience.

My employer does not care where I earned my degree, but they DO REQUIRE all employees to earn a bachelor degree from a regionally accredited institution to be eligible for employment. That seems to be quickly becoming the norm for many employers. At the very least, those without bachelor degrees are looked over for their lack of degree, which is a shame.

I recommend WGU for IT professionals, and I have heard great things about the Teachers and Health colleges of WGU.

I'm probably going to go for another Masters at a B&M when I complete the program at WGU.

N2IT

I think this thread is on the right track.

Once you get the experience the rest of it starts to really lose value from a hiring perspective. Straight out of school, dang right Yale is better than WGU, the alumni association alone makes it worth it. Those IVY league schools get you hired right away.

With that said most of us mere mortals don't get the opportunity to go to those wonderful schools.

To the question at hand, yes I sometimes wish my MBA was from a brick and mortar, most people I work with have an MBA from a B&M and yes I feel inferior in that regards, but as soon as it's go time I out deliver their asses and have WAY more aptitude when it comes to behavioral science and leadership. Not to mention I am not to bad in the data realm and reporting realm.

At the end of the day how well do you perform is how I break it down.

BTW My bachelors is from a Brick and Mortar state school.

aspiringsoul

N2IT,

+1, I could not agree more.

Legacy User

Well in your specific situation since you are working already I would say to continue working and getting experience because in the long run the experience is what will get you the higher paying positions not so much the degree. With that said I feel doing it online wherever it may be will the be the best bet.

The people who talk about the college experience those are people who go to school full time hang out on campus and have a part time job or not depending on how well off they are. If you weren't working in the field I would say you are 22 living at home with your parents if you really want to do the college thing the traditional way I'd say do it. I have a BS from WGU while it was a huge milestone for me but if I had the opportunity to go back I would've finished college at a B&M when I was 22 versus 30. But the reality is I can't go back so for the working adult WGU is the best bet and best bang for your buck.

I wouldn't really advise minimizing your work hours for schooling. You already have your foot in the door which many people graduating do not and have a difficult time finding work due to a lack of experience.

brianeaglesfan

The way I see it, for most the big hurdle is completing a bachelors. Completing 120+ credit hours in a particular course of study can be extremely difficult if you have other time and financial commitments. What I've always suggested is to complete the undergrad however and wherever you need to, be it night, weekend, online, or correspondence courses, for as little as possible. Then be more selective with your grad studies. For example I did my undergrad at a cheap, pure online school and have since completed MS and MBA degrees at B&M schools offering online programs. Employers haven't batted an eye at this and I was very pleased with the level of education provided.

nster

Lots of valuable info, thanks guys!

So the reason I am cutting down to 2 days a week is that I want to give myself the best opportunity to actually do all the certs I want to do*. I don't know my study pace yet, but there would certainly be a big difference in time between part-time and full-time work + studying. I'd also like to give myself a more relaxed schedule (haven't been on vacation for ~4 years) and give myself the chance to pursue a bachelor's. I don't need the money, and I've learned everything I could from my current job, no opportunities to try new things. My job is enjoyable, and longer I have it better it looks on the CV, but I feel I'll achieve my education goals quicker if I can truly concentrate on them.

I think you guys are right, the bachelor's is more about putting you foot in the door, your value comes from experience and knowledge of the field, not where or how you got your degree. I see WGU is more geared towards the working professional, and I'm lucky enough that I don't need WGU's flexibility. I hear a lot of skepticism from friends and family, urging me to go have the Uni experience and have the time of my life... I know WGU is good, but I guess I wanted to know if it still makes sense even though I'm lucky enough to have other options that many don't have.

* I absolutely want to do an MCSA and CCNA, MCSE:PC and VCP would be great too, though I'd probably pursue those after more advanced work experience, Project+ & Security+ are good to have for general knowledge. I'd also like to go for a Citrix CCA if time permits since I have a bit of Citrix experience. ITIL could help land a job here, very much in demand

brianeaglesfan wrote: »

The way I see it, for most the big hurdle is completing a bachelors. Completing 120+ credit hours in a particular course of study can be extremely difficult if you have other time and financial commitments. What I've always suggested is to complete the undergrad however and wherever you need to, be it night, weekend, online, or correspondence courses, for as little as possible. Then be more selective with your grad studies. For example I did my undergrad at a cheap, pure online school and have since completed MS and MBA degrees at B&M schools offering online programs. Employers haven't batted an eye at this and I was very pleased with the level of education provided.

I don't have any financial or time commitments, so my biggest hurdle is simply motivation. I know I can go through a Bachelor's, idk if I'll have the motivation to continue to a Master's though, unless it helps me land a job I want more.

N2IT

If you do it right the first time, you won't need a masters. Just saying.......

nster

REMOVED UNNECESSARY QUOTED REPLY FROM PREVIOUS POST

If you had done your Bachelor's at WGU, how do you feel it could have impacted you? Both personally and professionally

N2IT

Only speaking for myself, I would of gotten a masters eventually.

If I had a Bachelors, from the University of Florida in Mathematics or from the University of Michigan in Acturial Sciences, I would of stopped there. (Just using these as an example)

The quality of the degree is as important as the quality of the school. I had the school quality IMO, but the degreee BS Management is ok. I felt I needed a little extra because it was a plain degree from a decent brick and mortar. Not great.

markulous

I have an Associate's from Kaplan and never got any knocks from it, but I wouldn't be comfortable having a BS from there, which is why I'm going to WGU. I don't see any real issues with WGU. As long as it's full accredited and non-profit, there should not be much issue.

kly630

N2IT wrote:

Only speaking for myself, I would of gotten a masters eventually. ....

I feel the opposite, like a business degree is a bit more general enough to get you better jobs. I have a degree from Michigan and it's in math. And I passed 2 actuarial exams. Career wise, I'm definitely not an actuary or moving towards it. Part of that was bad interview skills, part of that was numbers (i.e. not nearly as many actuarial openings as in tech). And it's not like the college experience at the school made up for it. In huge schools, you can sometimes struggle to find your place.

For the brick and mortar, if McGill is cheaper than WGU and you're definitely in, I think it's a definite nod over WGU. I don't think there's a reason to pay any more than you have to for a college degree. Combine that with people will still recognize the name and there's a bit of benefit. I think the only drawback would be if you have to stop working entirely to do it. But since it seems like that's not the case, you're probably better off spending less and going to the more notable school.

Edit:
Reading the thread more, I think if you're looking to stay in tech some of the name-brand brick and mortars might have limited benefit. Aside from trying to become a programmer at google or something like that. There's not necessarily a lot more you need to remain in tech other than the ability to get stuff done. If you get a bachelors in the future, it'll help if you want to be a manager, but it really doesn't need to be name-brand stuff as far as I've seen.

Most of the benefit of the name brand brick and mortars comes from that brand recognition when you start looking for jobs cause there are schools specifically targeted for recruiting in any number of professions (engineering, accounting, finance, insurance, etc). For example, when I was trying to become an actuary I got some interviews in some really big pricing departments in insurance companies I really shouldn't have gotten otherwise. But tech recruiting isn't really about branding the same way other areas like finance and insurance are. Your prior experience will strongly outweigh any name brand degrees you might add.

N2IT

Just for the record I am very comfortable with my Management and MBA. I just was saying if I had to do it over again I may change a few things up.

I do strongly believe if you get a good degree that aligns with your career path and its from a good brick and mortar school you are in great shape. In such good shape you most likely won't have to get a masters. In fact it seems (in IT) most people who get the masters in IT or CS are career changers, I don't see a lot of CS grads going after their masters in CS.

anhtran35

I went to George Mason University and got my BS degree there. Degree help me secure oppt. HOWEVER, if I had to do it over I would have gone to WGU instead. Not sure if it was around 10 years ago via online. Going to a B and M school is all about money and time. If there was a good online school back then I would have spent much less. Socially I met some good friends but none were resources I could use to network for jobs. Everything about the B and M school is a time killer: commuting to school; walking to classes; school books; parking pass; car maintenance; eating at the food court etc...; finding a job that revolves around the school schedule etc...I am NOW a firm believer that general education classes( History/English/Math/Science etc ) can and should be done ONLINE. Lectures can be pre-recorded like Professor Messer or Eli the Computer Guy. You would just pay a small fee at a testing center or at home laptop to take the test. The only challenging thing I suppose would be the lab. However, they could use computer generated technology for those settings I suppose. Anyways, I could have gotten a secure opportunity and experience working a company and utilize their tuition reimbursement program to attend school. Especially since I was living near poverty.

ratbuddy

I regret not going to one 20 years ago. As an adult, hell no, WGU was perfect for me.

N2IT

ratbuddy wrote: »

I regret not going to one 20 years ago. As an adult, hell no, WGU was perfect for me.

This right here

Priston

I don't regret going to a community college over a university. I feel if I went straight to a university straight out of high school I would have set myself up to fail. Once I graduated community college I did think about transferring to a university. At the time I couldn't fully commit to going for a BS degree so I decided to put it off a year. Which I think was a good choice since I was living with my parents and they moved out of state. If I was attending school it would have been impossible for me to afford to live on my own and attend school.

Now that I've got a few years of work experience, sometimes I think about going back to school, but when I look at how much it costs I wonder is it really worth it? Will there even be a ROI? Of course $1200 a semester sounds like a lot better deal than $4200 a semester.

Do I regret not going to a university? No, I don't regret it. If I went I would have boat loads of debt. Under the right circumstances I would have gone, but those circumstances were never met.

fredmoo

good day nster,

I would approach your question in 2 directions: a) college life experiences; b) educational experience / value, employer's perception

1. college experience: for me, attending college right out of HS, although i commuted to campus, was definitely worth it. walking around a big campus was painful, having classes at 8 am was tough, doing labs (computer & science), human interaction with instructors as well as peers, building friendships, seeing people do silly things in and around the dorm buildings, attending sports activities, seeing diverse ethnic groups, joining a cultural clubs, and don't forget parties, doing internships, student loans / aids/ scholarships, staying late at the library or elsewhere cramming for exams, doing silly things in the library (or vacant classes) with your partner, many more.

It's those things listed above I wouldn't trade anything in the world for (and you cannot experience those at an online institution). at the same time, it's also about being focus and responsible with an end goal to complete what you are there for. fortunately, i was able to in a reasonable time while seeing some others that did not have the same success. note, i was in college many moons ago when there was no google nor facebook and pascal / c++ was taught in CS 101. and majority who wanted or did attended was all B&M. there was no online college or education (not that i was aware of). and it's not the same thing when someone who at a later part of their adult life wanted to attend or return, it will most likely be an evening / weekend class. or at a day campus, you cannot do those things while in your 30s/40s; it's not the same.

2. online vs. onsite. nowadays some opportunities requires a 4 yr (or 2) degree. some require a specific field the degree is in while others do not. the college where you attended or graduated (and/or your GPA) plays an important factor when landing your first job or internship that may lead to that first real job. several years into your first job, most employers (depending on the career field) do not typically care where you graduate from (or even if you attended, again depends), but experience / talent is more valuable and how you interview, your personality, etc.

i've seen some of people doing IT have HS diplomas or some even graduate in biology/art/music. while others have CS/MIS/IT degree doing something totally different. and sometimes those who do have a 4yrs have trouble finding employment.

at the end of the day, at least for me, college helps prepare you to be a well rounded person with knowledge about different aspects of life (think electives) while focusing on what you want to do/achieve career-wise in life (major). everyone is different, different strokes for different folks. degree is not a guarantee but it does help in many ways....especially if you want to get into management or senior IT executive positions.

if your goal is to be employable, then it's what you can bring to the table...degree can be 1 of them, certs, your talent / experience, your interpersonal skills, communication, a team player, how well you fit into the company, interviewing skills, asking the right questions, follow-up, etc.

IIIMaster

Well to be honest I always try to attend courses in person but online is a good option if night school is not possible. I always like B&M due to the fact you can network yourself and meet new people. I know the
people I meet from my B&M still influence me today. I was able to gain references and assistance with job placement.

philz1982

Here is my take the best time of your life changes as you live more. I left college was on a full ride wrestling scholarship. Joined the military after sept 11th. At first I regretted the decision. Then being in the military was "the best". Then I got married and having a wife was the "best". Now I have three little rugrats and they are "the best".

Point is things change. I'd look at three things.

Which degree are you most likely to achieve. I do better with online school.

Which degree will land you a job. Entry level average IT jobs are pretty school neutral it matters if you are trying to work for Google though.

Finally, what are you trying to do with your degree. If you are trying to pivot to an MBA at Harvard WGU may not be the best choice.

Don't make decisions for the feelings of the moment....

philz1982

N2IT wrote: »

Just for the record I am very comfortable with my Management and MBA. I just was saying if I had to do it over again I may change a few things up.

I do strongly believe if you get a good degree that aligns with your career path and its from a good brick and mortar school you are in great shape. In such good shape you most likely won't have to get a masters. In fact it seems (in IT) most people who get the masters in IT or CS are career changers, I don't see a lot of CS grads going after their masters in CS.

I echo this I am changing my career trajectory by pursuing my MSIA and MSIS and have a BS in Bus Admin.

N2IT

@Philz

If we align with our thoughts chances are we are right on the money.

Random thoughts.... Back to my financial book. I'm all over the place with these supply chain formulas. *Work related