Is an Associates Degree worth pursuing?

[Caiyuo]

I'm sure people here will make fun of the way I did things, but whatever. I found a local CC and looked at the colleges they had a partnership with and colleges that will accept all transfer credits. After I found a CC that offered credit transfer to a college I liked I got my AA and I took the maximum amount of general education credits that you are allowed to transfer. Now I'll have my BA in May 2011 and I just transferred here in the fall of last semester.

As something somewhat related here, I'm not sure how it is in other states, but in FL an A.A. from a CC guarantees you admission to many of the 4-years in-state. I never really pictured myself getting into UF, but that program makes the idea really enticing.

[Caiyuo]

Connections>Education

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WYS5NtRXlZQ

hmm? lol sorry, I've seen this commercial way too many times.

[Alvein]

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As a general rule for all post-secondary education, from Community Colleges all the way up to Harvard Law, the most important thing to remember is that they teach you the same shit anywhere you go; the only material difference in the quality of your education (which is a non-zero factor, to be fair) is the quality of the student body with whom you will compete/collaborate. That being so, you should ask yourself one question about your potential career:

Is the degree I am seeking the highest degree attainable in the field I am trying to enter?

If the answer is yes, then the quality and reputation of your school will matter. To continue with the law school example, Harvard and the worst law school in the country, by whatever standard that may be judged, teach you the exact same shit. Going to Harvard does not make you a better lawyer. However, Harvard has a reputation for attracting and matriculating the best and brightest of the legal profession (sow's ears and silk purses and whatnot), so graduating from Harvard will unquestionably open doors that were not previously available.

If the answer is no, the reputation of your school does not matter. To use the Nursing example many in this thread have mentioned, whether you drop $30k on an ITT education or get your associate's from a CC for like 2 grand makes exactly 0 difference, because even if ITT had a better reputation than the CC, you would still be competing for jobs with people with BSNs and MAs or whatever who are by definition more qualified than you. That being the case, there is literally no upshot to ITT over a CC, because even if ITT gave you a better education the money you spend on it could be used to finish up the last two years of your Bachelor's degree after finishing your Associate's, which makes you more qualified and thus worth more money. This being so (and this applies to undergrads who pay $25-$30k/year tuition at private schools as well, the idiots), the difference is always better spent as either a means of supporting yourself during your job search or as a nest egg for further education.

When I went to law school, I made a few friends who'd earned their BAs from Ivy League schools, whereas I'd gone to an in-state public. Sweatshirts aside, the only difference between us the second we'd been accepted to law school was that they were $100,000 in the hole already vs. my 5 grand.

To wit, ITT (and private trade schools in general, to a lesser degree) is a bit of a scam. A local Community College will most likely provide all the same resources at literally under 10% of the cost.

This is so true, I have so many friends that are either way in the hole in debt or currently going into debt even while they are getting their bachelors. I went to a community college and then commuted to a small public university for my junior and senior years. I may have missed out on the "college experience" in some ways, but my education also cost only a fraction of what what many of my friends paid. You're already paying out the ass for these public schools out of your tax dollars, why not go and reap the benefits?

In my opinion here's what's really gonna help you. If you can find a way to get into an internship or volunteer position in whatever field you are interested in while you're going to school, that's what's really going to help you in the long run. In my opinion, a job recruiter will take state education + experience over simply an expensive education any day.

[Jefe]

If you don't know what the heck to do:

Go to a CC -> Get AS/AA ->Transfer and get BS/BA. I wouldn't recommend getting the former only, might be rough.

[Melena]

I myself went to heald, which is regionally accredited, so I won't get fucked as hard if I do go to advance my degree. That said, when you go to these kinds of schools you are paying out the ass. The flip side is you are guaranteed to get the classes you need to graduate (so long as you don't flunk anything). You will probably also get out a few months quicker then you do with another jc.

tl;dr Find out if your credits are transferable to another school. If so decide if the time vs cost will work for you or against you.

[Absolutely Virtue]

People have already said this a million times now in this thread, but it's worth repeating. Not all community colleges are created the same, but NOVA is excellent. Definitely worth taking advantage of it if you live out there.

Go to NOVA, transfer to Tech or Mason, graduate, get a job in Reston, get an apartment in Leesburg, buy a Honda Civic and put a new exhaust on it, marry a girl, both of you get fat, have fat children, vote Republican. It's the Northern Virginia tradition.

[Kazen]

in FL an A.A. from a CC guarantees you admission to many of the 4-years in-state. I never really pictured myself getting into UF, but that program makes the idea really enticing.

Basically yeah, the acceptance rate is around 90% for people who already have an A.A for where I'm going now.

[Pringles]

Go to NOVA, transfer to Tech or Mason, graduate, get a job in Reston, get an apartment in Leesburg, buy a Honda Civic and put a new exhaust on it, marry a girl, both of you get fat, have fat children, vote Republican. It's the Northern Virginia tradition.

It's eerie how correct that statement really is.

[Jb1210a]

Pretty sure a Bachelor's isn't worth getting anymore.

^This. There's still lots of people looking for jobs that have a Bachelor's degree in almost any field, not saying it's not worth it in the long run, but at present, you're just another name with a degree and no job.

[Vuitton]

With the former you can save a lot of money by finishing the first 2 years of a Bachelor's at a Community college because the per-credit hour cost is going to be much cheaper and these aren't classes you're going to be concerned about getting amazing instructors with anyway because your career hopefully won't be at all dependent on some random general education courses.

This!

I completed my 2 year associate of arts (general education for intent to transfer to a University) shortly after high school. It really does save you a lot of money and they're all the same classes you'd have to take a four-year school. It was also great because it gave me time to figure out what I wanted to study and if I wanted to keep pursuing a four-year degree.

A few years after I completed my AA I transferred to a public university out of state and everything transferred over putting me at a junior level credit-wise with having completed all of the general degree requirements. All I had left to do was my program requirements (your major).

If you want a vocational associate degree for nursing or IT, then you probably don't need to worry about transferring as those degrees are an end in and of themselves, while a general associate to transfer is just a means to an end to save money.

I thought it was worth it. I'd do it again and recommend it to those who want a bachelor degree.

[Zoolander]

^This. There's still lots of people looking for jobs that have a Bachelor's degree in almost any field, not saying it's not worth it in the long run, but at present, you're just another name with a degree and no job.

This is terrible advice to give someone who is just now starting up what will likely be a 4+ year effort to get a bachelor's. Situation now does not dictate what is going on 4 years from now. And obviously you have to get a BA/BS to get higher level degrees. Only truth in what you say is that at this point right now, 2010, it sucks to be graduating and entering the job market. 4+ years changes a lot.

CC can be especially nice if you aren't really sure what you want to do (although having at least some kind of end game, even if/when it does change, is good to have) since that is where, as others have said, you get a lot of the Gen Ed classes out of the way (or like all of them here in FL). I got a high quality education with some really top notch professors from the CC I went to, but that of course is dependent on a large number of factors.

[Vuitton]

^This. There's still lots of people looking for jobs that have a Bachelor's degree in almost any field, not saying it's not worth it in the long run, but at present, you're just another name with a degree and no job.

The degree is for allowing you access to jobs that require the degree. A lot of jobs state up front that a bachelor degree is required by applicants. If you don't have one, well sorry. In addition, if you're applying for a job that doesn't require it your only competition will be from other applicants with degrees or those with great work experience.

The degree is personally beneficial just for the education you receive. It also opens doors for things that require a bachelor degree (teaching English in Japan, for instance, or any number of jobs that require it). Finally, it gives you an edge against people who don't have their degree letting you compete only against others with degrees.

After that the rest is up to you. The degree doesn't get you the job it only makes your resume stand out and get you the interview or pass the requirement checks. The rest is up to you personally to interview well, present yourself well, ect ect.

Degrees aren't magic bullets that give you jobs. They just make them more accessible.

Edit:

I should note that I think the only people who say degrees aren't necessary are those in vocational fields making decent salaries without a bachelor degree, students in the process of getting their degree and being jaded about it, those with degrees who are unemployed and have a bad attitude (bad attitudes just make you unemployable to begin with), and those who have no intention of ever getting a degree for whatever their reasons.

[Saphirea]

The part in bold is true a million times over. The number of professors at NOVA I've had that are willing to get together on weekends to explain material is amazing. You get a lot of great professors because they teach for the love of the subject. If you have to take history, take T. Wesley Flemming (Annandale or Woodbridge). After the final, you go out to a bar and drink (if you're 21+). :D

Edit - This thread has really brought the NoVA people out.

NOVA Really is a great school for an associates. The amount of time the teachers and professors put in to make sure you excel is beyond any other school I've been too. I've had professors give me their cell / home / work phones and emails addresses and don't hesitate on answering questions or putting in extra time so you actually know the subject matter. A lot of the IT professors teach there as a part-time basis and have actual jobs in the IT field. I got a job out of one of my professors since he knew so many people in the cleared world and allowed me to get a foot in the door after taking his class.

A friend of mine tried the Phoenix online thing and said it was a gigantic waste of time and money.

[Senary]

1. Be careful about WHICH CC you go to. The major universities will not honor many of your CC credits. They usually have a program that is specifically designed for transferring into the local universities. Talk to your counselor.

2. ITT Tech is a good school to learn the technical material, but as someone else mentioned, your credits may not be transferable. Some regionally accredited universities will accept some of them though.

3. There is a distinct difference between National Accreditation and Regional Accreditation. Make sure you understand the difference and what the schools you are looking into fall under.

4. Remember there is a limit to the number of credits a college may accept from another college, accredited or not. You will still have to meet the residency requirements (usually involves a minimum amount of credits taken at that school). Talk to a counselor.

5. An associates is better than nothing at all. It definitely won't hold you back or limit your options.

6. Talk to a counselor

[TheTaru]

do it. NOVA is the shiznit. i went there for a year before transferring into radford

This. I'm going to Germanna(I live in Stafford, so it's a shorter drive from my house and fits my schedule better) but my friends that went to NOVA really liked it, and both schools are really cheap. Intending on transferring to UVA soon, but we'll see how that goes.

Also: holy shit, there are a lot of people from northern VA on BG.

[Jb1210a]

I'd like to point out that I did say it wasn't worth it in the long run. The point I was making is that right now in this job market, the Bachelor's isn't going to be the magic bullet as Vuitton pointed out. Nowadays to set yourself apart from the crowd, you need to acquire your masters degree, there's opportunity everywhere (even in a bad job market such as the current one), but with limited jobs and thousands of applicants that look the same, having only a bachelor's degree isn't what's going to help you get your foot in the door, much less an AA.

I'm not saying don't get your Associates or even your Bachelor's, it was speaking more matter of fact than giving advice. Whatever the OP decides to do however, it's a good starting point for them as discover what direction they'll take to continue their education.

[Taera]

Whatever it is, you need to do something so you can move out of that log cabin in the middle of the woods and get a better internet connection.

[Khamsin]

Pretty sure a Bachelor's isn't worth getting anymore.

But like someone said above, *everyone* these days has a Bachelor's degree. So if you get your 4-year degree, you're "on par" with the norm.

Connections>Education

This is only true when your goal is to get a bachelor's just to say you have one, and work in a field completely unrelated (or that doesn't specifically require the degree) that merely asks that you have a college level education. That is, if you get your degree in philosophy then work at an accounting firm, or want to be an executive team lead at Target, the above quotes apply.

However, a bachelor (in the correct field) is absolutely necessary for other fields of study. Namely engineering, education, sciences, medicine, law, etc. My career requires a degree (in civil engineering) not to merely have a college level education, but to be educated in that field. It's also a requirement for my engineering license. Had I not had my degree, it doesn't matter how many connections I had, even if my dad owned an engineering firm. I would not be able to be in the career that I am in now.

There is no universal answer as to whether a degree is worth it. It all depends on what you want to do, and what the requirements of the field are. Nothing makes me sadder than seeing someone waste money by going to college that doesn't know what they want to major in, or worse, is majoring in something simply to have a degree. College is part of a career plan, not something you do just 'cause everyone else is doing it. Some career paths require connections and portfolios, not degrees. Others require extensive education and advanced degrees. Take a break for a year or two if you have to, just figure out what you really want to do with your life, *then* go to college.

[Diamicles]

Furthuring one's education has never been considered a waste of time.

[Havok]

Posted this quickly while at work yesterday and been busy since haha. I wasn't ignoring it, thanks for all the responses so far. I should have been even more clear in OP though.

I've already got a lot of college credits finished. I had some AP credits from HS, then went to penn state for 2 years (fucked up part of it but still a lot of credits finished there). Couldn't decide on a major after that and it was too fucking expensive to just dick around so I took time off instead. Since then I've also done 2 semesters at NVCC over in sterling for all you nova people. I felt like I had nothing else to take there though, since I have just about every basic/english/history/math/etc. course done that I would need for most majors. STILL no majors I really wanted to pursue really jumped out at me, so I've been off of school for another year or so since then.

I've taken the CAD classes and I enjoy that type of work, and I'm good at it. It's the first thing thats ever jumped out at me as something I might want to do, so I figured I should go for it.

I couldn't find any prices for ITT but if its nearly as expensive as going out of school I might as well just do that and get a bachelor's hah. VA is seriously lacking in CAD programs...I'm really surprised honestly. Even Tech doesn't have a program...they don't even have drafting at all. NVCC only offers a certificate.

The top 2 schools that came up with some searching for this are Eastern Michigan and East Carolina. Have to dig around and check them out though. If I can go live there for a year and get residency somehow, the 2nd+ year might not be so expensive. Gonna send them emails and try to figure things out. I hate having no money.

edit: scratch east carolina, they don't offer it either