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A twenty-year professor on starting college this fall: Don’t

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Re: A twenty-year professor on starting college this fall: Don’t

#51

Post by jimbob45 »

wikibob wrote: post #21
frankbreetz wrote: post #18

As a millennial college graduate, my number one piece of advice to college bound high schoolers is do the first two years at community college. The debt is not worth the experience. Most people spend the first two years figuring stuff out, community college is a great place to do that. I didn't even know this was an option until after college and I feel failed by my high school college advisors. Unless you are very c…

Disagree. Graduation rates are drastically lower from community colleges. There is vastly less academic support available. The people around you will be vastly less ambitious. This will rub off on you. Yes 4 year university is now overpriced in America. But if you can, go to a 4 year university. Yes maybe go to an in-state university instead of out of state if that is cheaper, or go where you get the best financial a…

Hard disagree. You’ll find just as many unambitious individuals in any given first-year course at a university as you might at a CC. It’s a better investment all around.

Re: A twenty-year professor on starting college this fall: Don’t

#52

Post by lilt »

frankbreetz wrote: post #18

As a millennial college graduate, my number one piece of advice to college bound high schoolers is do the first two years at community college. The debt is not worth the experience. Most people spend the first two years figuring stuff out, community college is a great place to do that. I didn't even know this was an option until after college and I feel failed by my high school college advisors. Unless you are very c…

I don't think you read the article. It's telling people to defer a year because of coronavirus, not the usual college is not worth it schpeel.

That being said, I disagree with your advice in two cases:

1) Most top schools offer free tuition if your family income is below a generous threshold (like $150k). If you can get into Stanford and meet this criteria, it's cheaper than your local community college.

2) If you are studying a technical field, even if you are average, a degree has greater ROI than just about anything else. You can pay off your debt in the first few years out of school and continue earning dividends for the rest of your life.

If you are an average student and studying a non-technical field, then the decision is not as clear.

Re: A twenty-year professor on starting college this fall: Don’t

#53

Post by ivarv »

wikibob wrote: post #21
frankbreetz wrote: post #18

As a millennial college graduate, my number one piece of advice to college bound high schoolers is do the first two years at community college. The debt is not worth the experience. Most people spend the first two years figuring stuff out, community college is a great place to do that. I didn't even know this was an option until after college and I feel failed by my high school college advisors. Unless you are very c…

Disagree. Graduation rates are drastically lower from community colleges. There is vastly less academic support available. The people around you will be vastly less ambitious. This will rub off on you. Yes 4 year university is now overpriced in America. But if you can, go to a 4 year university. Yes maybe go to an in-state university instead of out of state if that is cheaper, or go where you get the best financial a…

I think OP was suggesting to go to a community college for the first two years, then transfer to a university for the second half of your undergrad. Most colleges (at least in Canada & US) have transferable credits at this level. I agree with OP that this is a good approach. In addition to being cheaper, the community college experience tends to be better in the first year or two because the instructor to student ratio in the mandatory courses tends to be better.

Re: A twenty-year professor on starting college this fall: Don’t

#54

Post by AnimalMuppet »

frankbreetz wrote: post #18

As a millennial college graduate, my number one piece of advice to college bound high schoolers is do the first two years at community college. The debt is not worth the experience. Most people spend the first two years figuring stuff out, community college is a great place to do that. I didn't even know this was an option until after college and I feel failed by my high school college advisors. Unless you are very c…

If you have a scholarship, this advice may not be good. I think most scholarships expect you to start that fall; if you don't, you may lose the scholarship. (Some or all of them will accept a "gap year", but most won't accept you going to community college for two years and then trying to take the scholarship.

Or at least, that's how I think it is. Your mileage may vary, so if you have a scholarship offer, check the rules for that scholarship rather than listening to me.

Re: A twenty-year professor on starting college this fall: Don’t

#56

Post by chadlavi »

unethical_ban wrote: post #7

What are the practical, social negatives of this? Will in-demand schools hold a grudge on the thousands or more of students they would have liked to have in fall 2020 and skipped? "You weren't there for us in 2020 so we think you're better off elsewhere." Not that any university should behave this way; I'm asking if any quality ones would be.

No for-profit university will turn away someone they think can pay, and especially not someone who looks like they might turn into a rich donor in the future.

Re: A twenty-year professor on starting college this fall: Don’t

#57

Post by toomuchtodo »

non-entity wrote: post #47
toomuchtodo wrote: post #38

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I have no college education because decades ago, I was in the same situation as OP: had a job in hand, so I went to work instead of college. It was the best choice I ever made. I never worked somewhere that required a degree, three years into my career was making six figures, and have made at least that for the next ~20 years of my career. I had no student debt, or school expenses. I have had employers offer reimburs…

> You probably also don’t want to work someplace that prioritizes a degree over experience. No but I want to work on the things they're working on. As much as I despise the absolute scam that's peddled by universities, and dont think they're for everyone, they can still open up a lot of opportunities that would otherwise be inaccessible or highly difficult to access. OTOH If all you're worried about is money, then ye…

Money buys options. Options are freedom. Don’t let others gate you unnecessarily. We all operate in a physical world that doesn’t care about credentials as long as you adhere to the laws of physics (caveat aside for professionals that require credentials by law, such as the medical profession and such).

Going to school in another country that’s more reasonable about costs (Europe comes to mind) is also an option.

Consider more efficient paths to the end state you desire is all I’m suggesting.

Re: A twenty-year professor on starting college this fall: Don’t

#58

Post by chrisweekly »

frankbreetz wrote: post #18

As a millennial college graduate, my number one piece of advice to college bound high schoolers is do the first two years at community college. The debt is not worth the experience. Most people spend the first two years figuring stuff out, community college is a great place to do that. I didn't even know this was an option until after college and I feel failed by my high school college advisors. Unless you are very c…

A primary reason to attend the most exclusive college you can is the academic caliber of your fellow students.

Re: A twenty-year professor on starting college this fall: Don’t

#59

Post by AnimalMuppet »

collegeburner wrote: post #20

I'm looking at college this fall and seriously wondering about this. I'll have to spend a lot of money if I go to an "elite" school, and the point of doing that is to make connections with my peers and with professors. I don't see the point of paying that kind of money for that sort of experience. That aside, not starting college may not be a good idea, either. Does anyone with more experience have advice on this? I…

Nobody has more experience on this set of circumstances - absolutely nobody. Some may have a better idea than others of how this is going to play out, but that's all.

Re: A twenty-year professor on starting college this fall: Don’t

#60

Post by hanoz »

There must be a lot of people thinking they won't be getting the full experience if they start this year. I wonder if this will be the pin which pops the credit fueled runaway costs bubble?

Anyone who ends up not bothering with it at all will at least have great reason for not having a degree - well I was all set to go to such and such, but then coronavirus, so I started work for a while instead, and just really got into the whole working hard thing...

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