Yes,
Yes,( EDIT--should be NO) LOL I just remembered I transferred after 2yrs but my plan was never to graduate from the first school, it was the best option I had because of grades in HS, but like 99% of graduates ended in the automotive field and I DID NOT want to work in the auto industry so always planed on transferring after 2yrs. And I am now about to hit 30yrs working with GM... (In my defense at the other school I got the opportunity to work for Boeing and learned for my field the industry your in is not as big a deal as the size of the company-- working for Boeing in Seattle every one was impressed I had worked for GM, working for GM in Detroit everyone was impressed I had worked at Boeing. The equations are the same , the parts are different sizes and the importance of space, mass, cost is different but the works mostly the same)

Mostly, I have worked in my chosen field 30 yrs at the same company. Probably would have done better had I gone into Actuarial work instead of engineering, but not sure in the mid 80's the big data boom of the future could be seen. But overall have had a pretty good life, and was able to provide for my family so no regrets with past decisions.

2 of my kids are in College now, without a doubt its the right place for them, they know what they want and are pursing it. 3rd daughter is about to start Senior yr of HS really doesn't know what she wants, and we are trying to persuade her to go to community college for a few years maybe get an idea of what she wants to do.

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Just Triing
Triathlete since 9:56:39 AM EST Aug 20, 2006.
Be kind English is my 2nd language. My primary language is Dave it's a unique evolution of English.

Alright, so the general consensus, with a few exceptions, is that people who went to college found it worth it.

Now I want to add a question or two.

Do you see anything inherently “bad” about a two year AA degree? I know that earning potential is typically higher with a four year Bachelors degree, but it often comes at a much higher cost.

If you couldn’t afford a 4-year, is there anything wrong with a two year in your opinion?

Sounds like you should have gone to business school. Most small business folks could benefit from that. Seems they focus on their craft and wing the business side, when in reality, they know the creative, but need more education on the business side.

An artist with an art degree can make interesting art and teach.
An artist with a business degree, can make interesting art and money.

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Just Triing
Triathlete since 9:56:39 AM EST Aug 20, 2006.
Be kind English is my 2nd language. My primary language is Dave it's a unique evolution of English.

No, there's not.

The problem is that employers are often demanding education and experience levels very opposed to having a "trade school" and "tradesman" centered approach.

I kind of like the idea of someone having a craft or trade and going to 2 year school if it fits the bill. But I really feel that employers want it ALL. They want 4 years college, extra ed, all sorts of stuff and they don't want to invest in their employees whatsoever.

Employers increasingly want to manage employees as fixed assets, and if they need someone for another responsibility or roll needing more it's 100% on the employee outside of work and they don't want to invest in training people.

Just IMO.

I really want people to spend less on college and maybe approach trade/2 year stuff. Certainly. But that's not what the American economy is demanding.

They don't see it as a part of business to develop skills in employees starting with something like a base 2 year education and some skills, they just see it as a line item on a compensation program.

And, frankly, there's not even anything political about that. It's just how employers are acting, and employees are consequently reacting in the ways you see.

Depends on field, market, cost, right? That really determines if you can/can't "afford" it. You can be dirt poor looking at 200K in debt but if you're going to be landing with a law firm, a pharmacy, or a specialty MD practice, you can afford it. You could have 20K in debt with a - ahem - music degree, and have no chance to pay it off. Successful musicians, don't kill me. Art degree. Whatever, you get the idea.

If you don't have the capacity or aptitudes to make a 4 year degree viable or affordable, then nothing wrong with 2 year degrees. Although I'd even consider trade or labor route at that point.

Shit I am 52 and don't know what I want to do for the rest of my life..

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Just Triing
Triathlete since 9:56:39 AM EST Aug 20, 2006.
Be kind English is my 2nd language. My primary language is Dave it's a unique evolution of English.

 
1. Did you go to college?
Yes.

2. If you did, did you graduate from the first college you attended?
Yes, I didn't transfer but wondered if I should have. Went to a different place for grad school.


3. Regardless of if you did or didn't go to college, are you happy with the path you chose?
Now yes.... But I agree with this ...

I consider myself lucky in that I chose to study something that I got interested in (Cog.Sci) and pursued it into grad school. At the time it was somewhat esoteric with limited employment opportunities. But now, much of that is now relevant in my field (Data.Sci / Analytics / AI ) and my background is a differentiator for me. The field I'm in didn't really even exist in my undergrad days. So I would say it's all turned out well. My wife "lucked" out as well - with her interest in Art History - and the ability to apply that in gainful employment in several ways.


However, what I worry about is giving the advice to my kids to just pursue their interests and it'll work out in the end. My wife and I were lucky. I worry that my kids may not have the same luck, and they could be stuck in un/under employment and unhappy.

The open University (look it up) provides certs at the end of 1 year full time, 2 and awards bachelors after the equivalent of 3

Most euro bachelors are 3 years full time

You have to be a little clearer about what you are considering doing and to what end.

Two years of what, why?

The answer to the questions you've posed is "it depends"

Here is what we know. In the aggregate any sort of degree puts you ahead, on average, of those without one.

I have friends who left school at 16, trained as apprentices and were admitted directly on to good masters.

More info. Based on postings to date, whatever you can afford to do will put you ahead

In terms of the educational material to learn depends on the quality of the AA vs. 4 year school. You could take a bunch of easy 101 classes while getting an AA degree and then struggle with the higher level or advanced seminars at a 4 year school because your foundational knowledge is not so good.

Also non-academically, there's a ton of outside the class development by staying all 4 years in one place and bonding with a group of friends you make, vs. transferring in later.

well clearly I think a 2-year degree is just fine. Pick the trade/field wisely, some 2 year degrees are crap, others are not. I know a lot of people making more with a 2-year versus a 4 year, the exception being the STEM 4+ year degrees. I know 3 people who made over 200k last year with a 2 year degree.

Also I know several of my old friends went the electrician apprenticeship route. Provided its not over crowed in your area, they all make good livings.

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. I like it well enough, but I probably played it too safe. In part because I was having a good time in college, and I didn't want difficult classes to get in my way.

nothing wrong with at all.

Depending on where you live and what area(s) you are looking to get into I would consider a career going directly into the "trades".

I run a unionized commercial mechanical contracting company in the upper Midwest. Many young men and women with some mechanical "hands on" appititude try college for a year (or 2) before joining our trade.

When they do (or in the case of some who get involved right out of high school) they immediately go to work getting paid, while their schooling (which is typically done at trade/ 2 year schools) is paid for via their union (via money we employers pay to the union).

My company has about 85 techs in various fields (HVAC, sprinkler, electrical/controls, plumbing, service techs etc). About 8-10 of these are young men and women in their late 20's who have been through a 4-6 year apprenticeship with us getting educated and earning a percent of a journeymans wages. They are now late 20's, full time journeymen, earning 70-80K per year with full health and pension benefits, in the current economic situation with all the overtime they can eat, and $0 in debt as their "schooling" was paid for as part of the process.

I have another 8-10 salespeople in the late 40's to early 60's who spent 20 years in the trades in the field building relationships with customers and have transitioned to 6 figure desk jobs maintaining those relationships while younger people do the work.

Not sure this is the direction you are intending but if so I heavily endorse.

I'm the same age and I've been told that my wife doesn't give two shits what I WANT to do. That I should go to work, get paid, shut up, and get my jollies in the time I am not at work.

She might be right.

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I'm beginning to think that we are much more fucked than I thought.

There is nothing wrong with starting in a community college or signing up for a 2 year program, the cost is usually less and it will give you 2 years to think about where you want to be, what you want to do and how you are going to get there. The military gave me 11 years to figure that out but 2 years will be better than nothing. Always remember that you are not nailed down to one career/job/direction. I went from the military to law enforcement and finally a business career field, each choice building on what I learned from the previous job.

Depends.
I could not do what I do with an AA. No one who I spend time with could, except my wife.
Two years at community college then entering a BS program? Sure. I know people who have and do just fine.

I couldn't afford a 4 year degree and I went anyway. I make 3x what my dad did when I was in high school. In state public schools usually aren't too expensive. Good private schools can be cheaper if you can't afford them - Harvard, Stanford, Wellesley, etc are all free to families that make less than $75k

1) Yes
2) I would say Yes. I did graduate from the 1st college I went to full time, but did take classes at another one while I was in the military.
3) Yes. I opened doors because I had a paper that said I have basic skills. Wish I wasn't forced to take classes to be "well rounded". How much was I forced to spend on "Music as a listening experience"?

1. Yes.
2. Yes, both BS and MS, then went to a different school for a PhD.
3. Absolutely. Studied engineering; there's really not a non-college way to pursue this field. Also, understand that I'm part of the lunatic fringe; never really left and have spent my career as a Professor. So, since I'm in the business, I am interested to see where you ultimately would like to take the discussion.

The UK has changed some of its engineering offerings where if you work for rolls Royce ro BAE you can pursue a mech eng or aero eng apprenticeship and then transition straight in to your bachelors for chartered status

It's good for those that want to earn and study or for who school at 16 is not the right choice

Yeah, I’ll lay it out more openly now that I’ve been able to read a lot more responses.

I’m currently enrolled in an in-state, public four year university. I wanted to love it, I wanted to feel motivated and passionate, but that has all flown out of me as I’ve gone through the schooling that I have.

There was one quarter where we had some life happen and I ended up missing two exams, and my credit completion percentage dropped, which affected my financial aid. My wife and I have to pull out of savings for my tuition, and it hurts.

I have a family, and want to be able to work and support them, and provide a good life, but I won’t chase money for the heck of chasing money. If I make 50-70k, and my wife is making the same, I’d be thrilled.

So i’m at this intersection. Do I decide to keep pouring my time into something I don’t feel passionate about, and has the potential to financially set us back quite a bit, or do I look into a 2-year AAS degree that is $1000 a quarter max, that would get me out of school quicker, and with less money invested?

The 2 year that i’m looking at is an AAS of CAD Design and Drafting. I’ve been using Solidworks for 7 years now and AutoCAD for 3, so I have experience and love this. Yes the earning potential isn’t quite what a 4-year degree might net you, but from the research I’ve done it’s not a worthless degree so to speak.

So that’s where i’m at and what i’m struggling through.

I'm just going to copy scorpio's answers for this exam.

Mine would be almost word-for-word identical. Parallel lives, much?

with this as more background......see what I said above. Those in my employ in this area have 2 year degrees. Work for my degreed engineers and PE's, and make in the range of your number (lower to middle of that range).

I would not consider it fantastically exciting or rewarding work. Again, that would fall more to the degreed engineers. You would be following their direction for their work.

You're 20-ish?

You dont have to love it, you're going to be doing something or other for at least 30, and probably much closer to 50 years

That's a long time. Life happens, careers change.

If you spend 2 years now getting 75% of what four years get you, if you can't manage or don't want to pursue the four year option then do it.

The point to understand is you start behind and the gap between a 2 year and four year widens over time.

Yes, people can give you examples of how in spite of not doing it, they rose above and if that's you, that's great, but we, and more you than me, are going to live through a period where knowledge will be the currency of value even more than it is today.

Remaining current, and being well educated offers better life chances

As to you and your wife earning x.

My wife and I earned exactly the same. We had kids. How do you want your kids raised? However it is, unless you have family to look after them full time you take a pay cut

Yes. 4 year business/ finance degree and later an MBA

Yes, although I transferred to a college closer to home for one year and then went back

Yes and No- I am happy with my education, but a little unhappy about not having guidance or direction when I was a teen and in my twenties. Financially, I’m happy with where I am, but I don’t think I have lived up to my ability and I question if I followed a career path within my field I could have achieved more, monetary as well as personal satisfaction.

I should add- I think an education should be for personal wealth and not to get a job. People who go to school only to “get a job” I think are going for the wrong reason.

I am self employed and have been since I was a student in college.

What do you do?

How old are you?

45

I started a landscaping company when a college student 26 years ago. I was 19. It was the best opportunity at that time. I began just mowing lawns. Now, I have 11 trucks, 4 skid steers, tons of equipment, and 13-22 employees depending on the season. We do essentially everything in landscaping: sprinkler systems, retaining walls, grading, tree and shrub install, etc. as well as complete maintenance.

I also now own 8 rental properties. So, I’m a landlord too.

Over the last 10 years, I have taught as an adjunct or “visiting” professor at the University I graduated from as well as a local private college.

I was afraid I would forget what I learned if I’m not using it, so teaching helped retain the info.

I’m fortunate to feel like I’m looking for enlightenment. I am wondering what th me next path for me will be.