college and experience
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Joined: Jul 2002
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From: fort worth
Good choice! 
Here are some words of advice from a 26 yr old (I am 3.5 years out of undergrad)
College was the best time of my life and I still look back fondly on every part of it. My degree (business) helped me get an awesome job (pharma sales) -my w2 last year was 93k. But I also had a job waitressing and bartending thru school. Anyone can work and go to school and still afford a nice car/nice things. I bought my s when i was 20 with my own cash. I went to Hong Kong on vacation the next summer and then Europe for 7 weeks right before I graduated.
Bottom line- just because you go back to school doesn't mean you have to be a broke poor student. And this also means you can go to school fulltime as well. I had 2 jobs when i was an upperclassman and went to school fulltime.
Best time of my life.
Now- all i do is work and take some good trips every year. If I had skipped out on college and went into the workforce I wouldn't be making as much money and I would be miserable.
Cheers
Here are some words of advice from a 26 yr old (I am 3.5 years out of undergrad)
College was the best time of my life and I still look back fondly on every part of it. My degree (business) helped me get an awesome job (pharma sales) -my w2 last year was 93k. But I also had a job waitressing and bartending thru school. Anyone can work and go to school and still afford a nice car/nice things. I bought my s when i was 20 with my own cash. I went to Hong Kong on vacation the next summer and then Europe for 7 weeks right before I graduated.
Bottom line- just because you go back to school doesn't mean you have to be a broke poor student. And this also means you can go to school fulltime as well. I had 2 jobs when i was an upperclassman and went to school fulltime.
Best time of my life.
Now- all i do is work and take some good trips every year. If I had skipped out on college and went into the workforce I wouldn't be making as much money and I would be miserable.
Cheers
Joined: May 2002
Posts: 19,734
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I went through university with a full load (15-18 credits every semester) and worked part-time as well. That minimized my debt while giving me a lot of experience that others weren't willing to get. This was for an engineering degree, so it was more difficult than a non-science or -computer degree (certainly more time consuming than most). I was also married by my third year so it was kind of pointless to go out with a bunch of punch-drunk people to meet ugly girls. 
Personally, I prefer to get in and get out. Getting out allowed me to start work more quickly, which allowed me to buy a house, cars, start a family, and basically get on with life. Partying didn't offer me anything I wanted, so I'm glad I skipped it.
If you're a party animal (or remotely so), go slow. It'll guarantee (as much as can be guaranteed) that you'll pass your courses and not get in too much debt. If you're not a party animal, hit the books hard and get in and get out. You can always take a year off after you graduate to have fun, travel, etc, etc, before hitting the work force with a vengeance.
Personally, I prefer to get in and get out. Getting out allowed me to start work more quickly, which allowed me to buy a house, cars, start a family, and basically get on with life. Partying didn't offer me anything I wanted, so I'm glad I skipped it.
If you're a party animal (or remotely so), go slow. It'll guarantee (as much as can be guaranteed) that you'll pass your courses and not get in too much debt. If you're not a party animal, hit the books hard and get in and get out. You can always take a year off after you graduate to have fun, travel, etc, etc, before hitting the work force with a vengeance.
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Joined: Apr 2005
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From: From Diego to the Bay
Good luck with School. I think you made a great choice. You're still young even if you do graduate in you late 20's not bad at all.
I will going back to school as well, but more for my personal goals. Many here have posted excellent reasons. If you can, education is always the best choice.
I will going back to school as well, but more for my personal goals. Many here have posted excellent reasons. If you can, education is always the best choice.
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Joined: Apr 2007
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From: Bowie, MD
Originally Posted by Mik3,Jun 26 2007, 03:16 PM
Good luck with School. I think you made a great choice. You're still young even if you do graduate in you late 20's not bad at all.
I will going back to school as well, but more for my personal goals. Many here have posted excellent reasons. If you can, education is always the best choice.
I will going back to school as well, but more for my personal goals. Many here have posted excellent reasons. If you can, education is always the best choice.
now im having trouble letting go of my car, even though i know i need toget rid of it.
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From: Durham
Originally Posted by jclamor87,Jun 14 2007, 04:56 PM
Me and my fellow workers were having a conversation and from cars it came up to
four years of college VS four years of experience
Im currently working as an IT at a growing mortgage company (the potential of the company is unbelievable reaching to the multi billion $ stage) and taking a few classes in UMBC. at the rate im going ill be 27 by the time i finish college or i can decide to go to college full time and graduate 3 years early, but because at a young age i realize that my experience also plays a role in the jobs i got(ive been making more money than the average american since i was 18) but at the same time; i feel like im missing out on a good amount of the college life. im at a stage in my life; deciding which is best. i dont want to look back and say i missed out but i also dont want to waste the opportunity that i have now.
its interesting because i look at my sister who graduated college with a geodetical engineering masters and make around 72k a year then i look at my other sister that only went to college for a year and she makes 68k a year.
im 20 and im making 32k+ a year. granted i really dont have social life because of school and work.
thoughts and opinions
this is a serious question so if you really dont have anything productive to add or say just dont.
four years of college VS four years of experience
Im currently working as an IT at a growing mortgage company (the potential of the company is unbelievable reaching to the multi billion $ stage) and taking a few classes in UMBC. at the rate im going ill be 27 by the time i finish college or i can decide to go to college full time and graduate 3 years early, but because at a young age i realize that my experience also plays a role in the jobs i got(ive been making more money than the average american since i was 18) but at the same time; i feel like im missing out on a good amount of the college life. im at a stage in my life; deciding which is best. i dont want to look back and say i missed out but i also dont want to waste the opportunity that i have now.
its interesting because i look at my sister who graduated college with a geodetical engineering masters and make around 72k a year then i look at my other sister that only went to college for a year and she makes 68k a year.
im 20 and im making 32k+ a year. granted i really dont have social life because of school and work.
thoughts and opinions
this is a serious question so if you really dont have anything productive to add or say just dont.
I am sure if I had more real IT experince, I could have nailed a couple of jobs that I really wanted... but I am glad I worked at Help Desk to learn a company. It took me 6 months and I already got promoted off the help desk and working with the server team.
The guy that is training me is awesome. Years of experince and everything. There was a manager job open for the server team, he was the perfect fit... but he didn't have a degree. Sometimes it can hurt you if you want a position like that. Now he is planning on going back to school and I am trying to up my experince... life is interesting.
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Joined: Nov 2005
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From: ORANGE COUNTY, SOUTH CALI
Without school your knowledge of the world is very limited. While you might think you know everything in your field, there are so many other opportunities that might fit you even better. Being in college help you find yourself and what you love to do, because you can explore. If I were you, I would finish school up as quick as i can, you can also come back to your old job later if you want. Chances are they will pay you even more when you come back with a degree. I think having experience is great too, but when you rely on only experience than you are gambling with luck. Going to college for 3 years of your life is nothing compare to what you have to look forward to the rest of your life. 
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