by RubaDub 19 Replies latest jw friends
I encouraged my wife to continue and she did. She received her associattes. We're looking forward to her next step.
My SIL also got her associattes and is now continuing for her bachelors. I'm really glad in her case as she had to really endure pressure in her cong to stop
Avoid "For Profit" Colleges, these companies (Colleges) seem to be always turning up in SEC investigations, USA Today articles about "abuse and fraud". The cost of their degrees are comparable with a good University, and more and more F.I.P. graduates are finding their degrees are a joke. Remember, Federal Student Loans are not absolved in bankruptcy, if you become disabled, your Social Security will be garnished, usually at 10-15 percent for life. It's close to impossible, to have a federal court judge, absolve your student loans. Read more online, stick with your Community College and Universities, they provide a superior education. There is huge money in this industry, ($24 Billion in 2010) lots of promises are made to desperate students, who have been laid-off and need to recalibrate their skills.
I went to a for profit college the second time around and it worked out well for me, but I was in special circumstances (older) and I already had a BA on my resume. I wouldn't recommend it for everyone, but I wouldn't dismiss it out of hand either.
Why is the SEC investigating for profit colleges? If they aren't publiclly traded companies the SEC has no jurisdiction.
MY law school roommate started at Ohio State. It is not a bad school but definitely not in the top ranks. She paid for a modelling course (if you have it, they pay). Her modeling endeavors landed her a job as a local weatherperson. She had no meteoroloical knowledge. It was all modelling and midwest yokel. Radcliffe/Harvard accepted her as a transfer student with NO SATS or other scores. They wanted some diversity. Aside from FBI forms when she became a U.S. Attorney in the middle of no place, her degree is from Harvard.
IN fairness, I take computer proficiency courses at a local community college. It is an academic joke compared to the schools I know. It is one of the best in the country. A prof said the day students, attending through parental contribution, and the night students, working there way through, present night and day academic standards. These students can transfer to any local PA college, except Univ. of Penn. If there is a community college deficit, it must wash out quickly once these students are in a real university setting. I wonder why more people pay less than sterling 4 year colleges outrageous tuition when community college is available. Employers will never know. I assumed my friend started Radcliffe as a freshman until she was giddy and wanted to tell me about Ohio STae rush for sororities and the culture clashes.
I also know many students who transferred to my university. After a few weeks, people forgot. People even had memories of the transfer studens from first year.
My all time favorite advice for doing well in college and beyond is to be chatty. Talk with people. Track down upper class students who took the course wih the same prof. They adore talking about their academic exploits and the info is available no place else. It saved my life many times. A smile and I heard you studied X with X last year. Do you have any advice?" is sufficient. Join enough groups without jeopardizing your grades. This is great advice for the working world.
Whatever you decide to persue do it because its your passion. If you have passion for something you will succeed no matter what. If you study just because of money, you may get there but will you like what you'll see once you're there? Don't make decisions based on temporary market conditions, they will always change. Truth is alway the same regardless of the conditions, if you are passionate about something you will make it big, which naturally translate into money sooner or later. Life is bigger than the bottomline.
I am a firm believer in education. Education has provided me options that I never would have. I agree with your assessment. Community colleges are a great place to start. This keeps your cost low for at least the first two years.
The other suggestion I have is to use your education to develop a functional skill that leads to a certification. Nursing is an example of this strategy. If you get a nursing degree and pass your certification you come out of school with a skill set that means something in the world.
Another career path is accounting. I passed my CPA 10 years ago and have found this to be one of the most valuable asset I have.
In our area highschool students can go to the local communty college during 11th and 12th grade for free. The community college has a partnership with almost every 4 yr college in our state, so they are able to tell the students what will transfer and what won't. So my son is almost to this point, he will be transferring to a 4 yr program but he has had a job in his field for about a year and they may help with some school, plus he gets a few credits a semester just for working there! If we are careful, I think we can get him through with little to no loans. We hope he can then take advantage of this great housing market for buyers when he is done. You offer great advice! NMKA
I have one thing to add, my son is a senior and we're going through the college applications and financial aid process and we recently went to a financial aid workshop. We found out that if our son goes to a California community college for his first two years he would qualify for guaranteed admission into the UC system (except UC Berkeley and UCLA) as long as he takes the right classes.
Oh and another thing because my hubby is on SSDI my son could also qualify for free tuition at any California community college.
These are excellent ideas. In regards to transferring credits from a community college to a 4-year program. Ask the questions before you start. It is very possible that you can transfer the credits to a 4-year state school, especially if they are in the same state system.
Education is like any other investment. Make sure you understand what you are getting in to. If you ask a lot of questions and have a plan, your education will be the best investment you will ever make.
I have another suggestion: Call businesses and ask to do a job shadow. You can see what different jobs entail and see if you would do well in that field. You don't want to spend a lot of money and then find out that you hate the field that you're educated in.
