What is your level of education?

[BrutalB83]

Exactly the mentality I am talking about. You say well rounded. I say we jumped through more hoops. Do you what the new trend in secondary education is? Taking your gen Ed course work at a two year tech school then transferring to the college of your choice for the special -read courses not available- at said tech school due to some constaint whether it is population, location, or financial. Now I have to keep in mind what I call tech school you might call community college. Where i am from they are the same thing.

What "mentality" are you talking about? I didn't say that you couldn't get into a decent, respected career with a two-year, "no frills" degree from a tech school, and I didn't say anything about tech schools being for people who couldn't get in to a 4 year university, did I?

In fact, I think I said pretty much what you're trying to say, that if you don't desire the "fluffier" portions of a 4 year degree that make it a "liberal arts" experience and you just want a more streamlined "tell me what I need to know for my job" type of education (and your chosen career field doesn't require a 4 year degree of course), then yes, an associate's is a good option, and not to be disrespected.

Like I said, I do think that there is value to the "fluff", because any type of study results in the improvement of critical thinking skills and can improve job performance regardless of one's chosen discipline. Plus, I'm just a geek. I actually enjoyed elective classes like literature, history, appreciation, etc. Not everyone does though, and not everyone wants to study those things, and that's fine.

One thing you said does puzzle me though...since when is doing your gen eds at a two year school and then transferring to a four year a "new trend"? People have been doing that (for various reasons) for a long time now. That's what I did in fact, did my gen ed core at a community college and then transferred to a four year to finish my BBA.

Also, I don't know where you're from, but I would disagree that a tech school and community college are necessarily the same thing. I view a tech school as a two year institution who's (majority of) degrees are designed to be employable upon graduation, i.e. they provide vocational training. Most community colleges certainly do provide those types of degrees, but they also have large populations of students who's intent is to finish an associate's (or simply finish two years of classes) and then transfer out for a bachelor's elsewhere.

Some "tech" schools offer gen ed transfer degrees and programs, but not all do. Community colleges always offer those types of programs...

 

[reckedracing]

Well, technically i have an AS and BS.
I would be able to do simple bookkeeping and bank reconciliations with the AS, but I use my BS degree day in and day out dealing with tax concepts, returns, and client questions.

 

[95b16coupe]

to add on to brutals point...

my quick $.02 on him and chester's post.

my thoughts on technical and vocation training. lets take mechanic for example. you can get certified to wrench on cars, work for 20 years, make pretty decent money. maybe cap at $80k with a good amount of overtime. you could even get to managing the shop/dealership. the guy with the 4 year degree will end up being the whole office manager and possibly managing more dealerships and regional offices.

now this isn't going to be 100% accurate. but most likely, this is how it will play out. you can always do "good", but you will find an eventual ceiling....

 

[B16]

To add; I also did the 2 year JC thing then transferred to a 4 year college. Never got the AS though; just transferred the credits.

 

[CAFROG]

I thought there'd be more post grad's here. I guess I'm #3 on the list. Sometimes.....I really miss College. I had fun....too much at times but it was a good experience. Got to know a variety of girls (biblically) that I may have never met if I didn't go to college lol. And I met some really cool friends that opened my eyes to a lot of ideals I never would have understood or considered valid if I never attended college.

 

[cicisb20teq]

I am a high school graduate, in college going for pharmacy, 2nd year of 7 thus far.

Hey, I want to do pharmacy too but I haven't started yet. How have you liked it so far?

 

[phunky.buddha]

I'd say I use my engineering degree 20% of the time I'm at work. There's no way they would have let me set foot in the door without a bachelor's degree. What's funny though, is that there are old farts in high up positions who only came in 25 years ago with an associate's degree at best.

That's changing... the same is true at my company- but the managers in those positions aren't getting promoted without finishing their degrees, and you can't get TO those positions now without the right degrees either.

 

[hondarin]

The simple fact is: ON AVERAGE, those with Bachelor's degrees or higher will make more money, and have better benefits than those with a High School Diploma/GED.

Now, when you add in Associate's degrees, things get fuzzy... in the present economy, there are many with AS degrees that make as much, or more than those with BS degrees.

 

[95b16coupe]

omho, if you apply for a job and only have a true AA degree, an employer will look at you and go "where's the bachelor's degree" and wonder why you stopped or didn't go further. most a.a. jobs a ok, but probably cap at $15-$20/hr.

 

[UNDR8D]

Done my MBA...at this point in my life, it feels like an enormous waste of time and money. Only time will tell though. I am relatively ambitious and I'm sure I will use it eventually.

4 year degree, i use it everyday
could be doing bigger and better things had i applied myself through college and went for the big money jobs straight out of school
but that whole suit and tie deal isnt the lifestyle for me
i'm comfortable where i am, pay my bills, have a house, get things i want
and i'm lined up to be running the business in 5 or 10 years
things are allright

No homo but I like you. That was well said.

i would have to disagree about the "life experience" aspect.

Let me weigh on on this...I commuted from home for my BS and I know I missed out on a lot of stuff. I never really got the chance to be on my own and really grow up.

Then, I went away for my MBA and became completely immersed in the experience...kind of by accident. It was fun, eye opening, educating, and has played a large role in making me who I am today, for better or worse.

I think I would like my own children to go away for school also...

I thought there'd be more post grad's here. I guess I'm #3 on the list. Sometimes.....I really miss College. I had fun....too much at times but it was a good experience. Got to know a variety of girls (biblically) that I may have never met if I didn't go to college lol. And I met some really cool friends that opened my eyes to a lot of ideals I never would have understood or considered valid if I never attended college.

I think that is a great summary. I know a lot of people who did not go to school or just went to a tech school, and, for the most part, the breadth of their knowledge is limited. They are good, fun, and funny people but our conversations can only go so far because their overall awareness only goes so far.

I know I am going to catch a bunch of shit for this.

Someone already mentioned that a tech school trained mechanic could live a satisfying life but will operate with a lack of understanding of the way the process works and how decisions that are made at a national and corporate level effect their day to day operations. This can not describe everyone but is an accurate statement nonetheless.

Politics, business, law, history, literature. These are the things that high school and a tech schools rarely confer.

Please don't hurt me verbally...I know my prior statements are not at all representative of the people on this board, however, I don't think the people on this board are representative of the general population. We have a good bunch here

 

[INJEN78]

ive got a high school education.
winter i do plowing for 15 an hour
others i do mohegan sun arena setup for 17 and hour.through a contractor
i could sign with mohegan and make atleast 20 to start but i would need some experience..
id really like to go to a tech school for automotive.mainly nascar stuff.but i have no clue if i should because i hated normal highs school

 

[Matts96HB]

i cant believe so many people disliked high school.. never in my life have i been forced to hang out with so many willing females.

 

[BigJ]

I guess I didn't like high school much either, but college was awesome.

 

[SlushboxTeggy]

i cant believe so many people disliked high school.. never in my life have i been forced to hang out with so many willing females.

I loved high school. But I didn't find these willing females you speak of until college. Oh casual sex, how I miss thee. Well, at least miss it on a regular basis.

So I finalized my career path last night watching Top Gun. I will finish my Master's and if within a year I haven't landed a bad ass job, I'm going to be an Air Force fighter pilot, haha. I had no idea I was still qualified to try. I was actually going to go to the Air Force Academy, but my parents vetoed that one.

 

[Jared759]

I have my associates degree in automotive technology. I work on the state school buses.