College or work?

I thought I knew what I wanted when I dropped out of college last semester, but I'm not so sure anymore. I took a two year computer networking course at the local college here, and dropped out because I thought I could support myself with my own web design business. I've learned now that it just isn't feasible now, and I've been looking for a good career.

On every resume I put "Three of four semesters completed" when I describe my networking major. It REALLY pulls at me to read it like that, but that's how it is. It felt like I totally made up my mind, until now, that I didn't want to go back.

My marks were pretty bad when I did go to school. I couldn't stay focused because I had other things like games on my mind. This almost seems weird to me now because games and other online things don't really dominate my mind anymore. But the one thing that bugs me now is the fact my friend that I hung out while we went to college was on the honor roll for four semesters. His parents framed and hung his acheivements and I feel terrible. I'm a dropout, afterall. I would like to go back and prove my instructors, my friends and myself that I'm not an idiot.

As of now, one of the two must happen: find a good paying job that has full medical benefits because I'm diabetic, or go back full time to college so that my parents medical coverage will still cover me. It all boils down to the cost of my diabetic supplies. (God, I hate being dependant on medication.) I think that being a college graduate gives a person an edge when applying for a job, but I've seen people have good jobs without having post-secondary education.

I don't know if I'd be wasting time and money by going back to college or if I should try and get a good paying job like I mentioned. :/

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I'm not sure about the availability of decent jobs to non-college-grads in Canada, but I know in most major cities in the U.S. it is sort of a condemnation to trade work or lower paying service industry jobs. You can't even get retail management positions nowadays without a degree, it seems.

I went to college for several years, but joined the Navy so I could finish paying for it, so now I'm kind of stuck in a position where I won't be able to finish college (at least until I'm discharged), but will have plenty of money when I choose to do so.

If you have a way of paying for college and still be able to go full-time, I'd say fuck working and go back to school, it'll pay off in the end. I enjoyed my time in college, certainly more than I do being in the military.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

Rendr:

It's possible that you just chose the wrong major. Many people do that. A close friend of mine and myself both started electrical engineering in the fall of 2001. I graduated last year, and I have a full time job now. My friend, however, did extremely poor in electrical engineering, so he changed his major to business. He graduates next year, and he is do extremely well in his courses.

I would encourage you to go back to college. It's never too late to go back.

This thing is sticky, and I don't like it. I don't appreciate it.

I really think it would be a good idea to go back to college. The job market is incredibly competitive as it is, and without a college degree (especially when you're so close to one) sets you at an incredible disadvantage. College graduates in general will earn several times what a non-college grad will in their lifetime. And you have to look to the future too. You're still young and a lack of a college degree seems to be almost forgiveable. But who will hire a 40 year old non-college grad? Especially 20 years from now when virtually everyone in the job market will have some kind of degree?

How ya doing, buddy?

I had a hard time in high school, really. I have a serious authority problem, and I don't like people teaching me things I find that are needless. Thus, I had a serious problem with high school.

I had started working when I was 13, and I found a lot more gratification with it. Much more than any education gave me.

So I graduated high school and I pretty much worked full time. Eventually, I decided going back to school would be a good idea. So I went for a degree in mathematics. And decided that it was a bunch of bullshit, and I HATED it. The kids, the way they treated their classes, the pace and style of the classes never appealed to me. So I quit. And went back to working fulltime exclusively. (Though I was working fulltime when I WENT.)

I finally went back only a year ago. And it STILL doesn't appeal to me. But I am biting the bullet this time, mostly because the atmosphere is more something I can get into now. More adults are there than I imagined there would be, and that makes college more of an atmosphere of work for me than education. Which I can get into.

This is just my opinion, but I really don't think college straight out of high school is always the best route. I'm not saying this because *I* did it, but I notice a lot of people fail in maturing when they go to college straight out of school. College is not living in reality, if you ask me. It's a bunch of fabricated bullshit - reality is the same, but more vital to survival.

Taking a year off is what I always thought was reasonable. Do things on your own in reality for a year, and then decide what you want to do if it suits you.

I was speaking idiomatically.

Well I went to college full time roght out of high school and got my BA, but in my town its more about WHO you know, not WHAT you know, so I am still having a hard time finding a good paying job, and by good I mean anything 25K a year and up

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How much would a half semester cost anyway?

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Originally Posted by jsphweid

How much would a half semester cost anyway?

Probably the same amount as a full semester, I imagine. They don't discriminate when it comes to charging their students.

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?

I say go back, and the sooner you go back the better in order to have a better chance at receiving a higher-paying job. I don't know how the Canadian health care system works, but in America some health insurance providers have this rule: "Either go to college right after high school or you'll have to get your own insurance." You can't even take a semester off inbetween high school and college to relax.

Anyway, technological jobs seem to be in high demand (along with pharmeceutical and nursing) so you shouldn't have too much trouble finding a decent job after you graduate. I know some people who were like you and decided that college wasn't as interesting as other issues, so they decided to quit, but some of them are returning to college to major in a different field. If it's not the field that bores you, then you may want to consider a different University since they could have more of a theological/practical curriculum--depending on your preference of learning.

If you think you can tough college out and not quit, then you should try to get the degree. If you are uncertain, then you could attend college part time while looking for a job. Instead of saying "3 to 4 semesters" you may want to give them a more accurate answer (such as how many credits you have) and list the classes that could give you an edge if you want to avoid going to college. College offers more security from the real world and it allows you to have experiences that you would be difficult to have outside of college, but either way you decide make sure to take your welfare into consideration.

Originally Posted by Cobra Commander

Well I went to college full time roght out of high school and got my BA, but in my town its more about WHO you know, not WHAT you know, so I am still having a hard time finding a good paying job, and by good I mean anything 25K a year and up

You're not alone. There are a lot of Doctorates who are having trouble finding high-paying jobs due to McJobdom, and I am afraid that it will not get better after the baby boomers retire (if they can due to the credit card companies jacking up their interest rates all at once). Connections are very imporant in getting hired, which is why getting a part-time job or internship could be vital in getting a job after college.

Jam it back in, in the dark.

I've decided to take a look at the Programming course at the college. I've heard a ton of rumors they were gonna scrap it so I emailed the course coordinator.

I guess what's really been stopping me from going back to college is my independance. I've associated going back to college with being a leech when what I really want to do is move out on my own. My friends tell me that they wish they could go back home and whatnot, but to me it's a load of bull. I don't live with my parents, I live around them.

Also, I didn't want to impose myself on them for the cash for tuition. I don't ask for much from my parents and I feel guilty when I do. That, right there, is probably the only other reason I didn't want to go back. Now, I figure that I'll just tell them what I want to do. I could pay for it myself if I had to, but I know that they'll pay for it (which I think is sad) if they know I won't fail this time.

There's nowhere I can't reach.

If you really don't want to depend on your parents, perhaps you could consider a student loan? It will be a pain to pay off, but it will give you that independance you desire.

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I dropped my master education because I was offered a job in the goverment as a projectcoordinator for their new prisonsystem (I have a bachelordegree).

I believe sometimes experience is more important than education...
But I think you should continue your education rendr A degree is a ticket to life.

I am a dolphin, do you want me on your body?

But I think certificate education still necessary for long-term. Some companies expect you to have finished your education first. But if you already have lot of expreciences and referred by your former companies, I think it wont be a real problem.

I suggest you to continue your study though, if you have chance. I suggest to pick up foreign languages literature because they will be very useful in the future.

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There's this saying where if you've lost everything you have, your house burned down, your car got stolen, and you're stranded on some island, the only thing you keep is your knowledge (education). It might be good to have experience or a technical degree, but unless you're going into some family owned business and not starting from square one, what use is it for employers to see that you have a high school degree? Pretty insignificant if you ask me.

Since you already have completed the majority of your classes, you should suck it up and finish the rest. You've come so far! By going to college, you're literally buying your degree. And although it feels bad to leech off your parents, think about how you can repay them back when you've used your degree to get a better job.

What kind of toxic man-thing is happening now?

I think the only problem with going to work right after high school with no degree is that you can only go so far. I'll use myself as an example. After I got out of high school, I landed a job at a nice place at the bottom of the food chain. It wasn't bad money at all, much better than retail and fast food, though. After about seven months of being there, I got a promotion to another department. I ended up staying in that position for four years. I wasn't happy at all. All the other stuff I tried to apply for, they either wanted experience or education. I figured if they were like this then most other jobs would be like this.

I ended up leaving that job to go to school. Even though I'm in school now, I notice that people are willing to give me more money at whatever jobs I take because of education.

The choice is ultimately yours. If you want to work, that's perfectly fine. I just hope you don't hit the ceiling when trying to go up the ladder like I did. As my family says to me all the time, getting education removes the ceiling and the ladder becomes endless (to a degree).

FELIPE NO

Yeah I never took advantage of the intership program at my college, which was a mistake and IF I go back for a teaching degree I will be sure to do so!

What, you don't want my bikini-clad body?