Higher Education?

[Croc]

I just wanna know the demographics of C&G in this regard...

[bowtie_dude]

Spent two years at the University of Kentucky studying Computer Science. Got burned out on that, no thanks to the undergrad program treating students like crap, and transfered to Lexington Community College, now called Bluegrass Technical and Community College, where I graduate with an Associates in Applied Science in Computer and Information Technology.

[Flybrian]

Though formerly and in most respects still a community college, St. Petersburg College is now a fully accredited 4-year institution with several BA and BS degree options. In any case, my diploma will read Embry-Riddle Aeronautical Univ, so in either case...

[Robert Hall]

I got my BS and MS in Computer Science from Ohio State, and then worked 3 years on my Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering at the U. of Michigan before I got burnt out on academia.. I'm thinking about going back to school eventually for an MBA with an Information Systems concentration. Edited November 16, 2005 by moltar

[91z4me]

BA in Biology from U of L. Leaving for Chiropractic College in May.

[z28luvr01]

BS in CS from Polytechnic University (Summa-cum-laude) MS in CIS from University of Phoenix Now studying for my Microsoft certifications

[Variance]

Currently working on a (now) Economics degree at UConn in Stamford.

[CSpec]

Just started my college career at University of Rochester. Prolly gonna double major in economics and history.

[ToniCipriani]

University of Waterloo, Candidate for Bachelor of Applied Sciences, Computer Engineering. Currently enrolled in Term 2B.

[Cory Wolfe]

Currently struggling in High school... :unsure:

[Justin Bimmer]

BA in Political Science and Communications from University of California, Davis.... going to law school here soon.

[razoredge]

I spent my 11th year summer at Berkley College of Music, which was where I wanted to go after high school. I was a highly creative but underskilled musician. Was told - "No! Rock and Roll was going to die and there was no future"........this was 1976 :blink: .....not that I now think I would have made it but I didnt need the kick in the teeth, I was very serious and hard working at things I enjoyed. So then I thought well, I always loved the woods and wood products so up to Paul Smiths we went, one of the easts good forestry schools. I was told there by their rep. that Forestry boomed in the 60's and was a dead business so there was no reason to pursue forestry. They tried to steer me toward hotel management..... me the loaner....with no people skills........yaright. So fed up with being told no, I got a job, moved out and got on with life. Within 5 years I was in the middle of a booming forestry business........only I was on the bottom of the totum pole as a producer, at the bottom where all the mud runs too and very little of the gold. It wasnt all bad. I was fortunate to wind up doing and living a life I loved.......takes all kinds to make a world.....when others stay the hell out of your world. Oh well, just a number

[Chief]

Southern Illinois University Bachelors of Science Geography Earth & Space Science Education Historical Studies Minor Environmental Science M.S Ed. Environmental Studies Education Administration Chief

[haypops]

B.S. in agricultural chemistry Ph.D. in Biochemistry National Research Foundation Postdoc.

[sciguy_0504]

I'm currently attending Drexel University in Philly, majoring in business administration with a minor in either marketing, finance or entrepreneurship (I have to pick one). I'm also thinking of taking classes so I can get my master's degree in education within 5 years. A word of advice: never be a commuter student! Edit: after I graduate (2010) I'll be in the workforce for 3 years at the most before I go back and earn my MBA. Edited November 16, 2005 by sciguy_0504

[Variance]

A word of advice:  never be a commuter student!

[post="44003"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

I don't find it that bad. When the traffic is good it's a 30-40 minute drive for me. Trying to get home during rush hour is a different matter, though. It takes near 1 1/2 hours in that case. I like the downtown Stamford area, so it's worth it I suppose.

[haypops]

A word of advice:  never be a commuter student!

[post="44003"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

I commuted 31 miles each way, 6 days a week, for 9 years. That included snow in the winter, too. Thank goodness for the reliabilty and handling, economy and handling of Peugeot (60 and 70's)

[Paolino]

Got my BA and MA in Italian at University at Stony Brook.

[aaaantoine]

Spent 3 years at DeVry NY for Computer Information Systems. Graduated with a Bachelors over a year ago. Now employed as a Data Entry Specialist barely making over $10/hr. Apparently, all the programming jobs require "# years experience". I ask, how does one get said experience when all the jobs require that you already HAVE experience? <_< Edited November 16, 2005 by aaaantoine

[Variance]

Apparently, all the programming jobs require "# years experience".  I ask, how does one get said experience when all the jobs require that you already HAVE experience? <_<

[post="44073"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Internship?

[AAS]

BS in Mechanical Engineering, Cal Poly Pomona (2003) MS in Mechanical Engineering (Control, Fluids), UCSD (2005) Ph.D. in Mechanical Engineering (Control), UCSD (20??)

[pow]

I'm still a junior in high school, but prospective colleges... hmm. I'd love to go to Claremont McKenna or Pomona, but Pitzer might be more realistic. Except for Berkeley, which I probably won't get into, the rest of the UC schools seem too mathy. Maybe Art Center in transportation design later on, too.

[haypops]

BS in Mechanical Engineering, Cal Poly Pomona (2003)

[post="44078"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

I've had several work mates from Cal Poly Pomona and impressed by them all.

[AAS]

I've had several work mates from Cal Poly Pomona and impressed by them all.

[post="44082"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Glad to hear that :)

I am really glad I went to CPP for undergrad, instead of a UC... I really see a difference between my education and the UC engineering programs, now that I'm doing my graduate work and TA their classes and interact with them

[ToniCipriani]

Spent 3 years at DeVry NY for Computer Information Systems.  Graduated with a Bachelors over a year ago. 

Now employed as a Data Entry Specialist barely making over $10/hr.

Apparently, all the programming jobs require "# years experience".  I ask, how does one get said experience when all the jobs require that you already HAVE experience? <_<

[post="44073"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Co-op?

[Chief]

How do you get a job that requires experience if no one gives you a chance? You dont. Thats just an excuse for HT to hire someone they know. Chief Edited November 16, 2005 by Chief

[sciguy_0504]

How do you get a job that requires experience if no one gives you a chance?

You dont.  Thats just an excuse for HT to hire someone they know.

Chief

[post="44107"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Like Toni said, a co-op is possible and so is an internship. Spending some time looking around is good, too, even if you've already done that for a while. Don't just look at major companies, check out the small businesses in your area. They'd be a lot more willing to hire you than a large established company.

Edit: Or start your own business. Edited November 17, 2005 by sciguy_0504

[griff7774]

Hey! Where does the School of...Drop down and give me twenty... KP duty.....Wax the floors.... This my rifle this my gun ....Wake up at 5 A.M.....left right left ... defending the country against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and saving the world fit in??????? Other than that and attending the police and fire academies, I selected other

[Croc]

Hey! Where does the School of...Drop down and give me twenty... KP duty.....Wax the floors.... This my rifle this my gun ....Wake up at 5 A.M.....left right left ... defending the country against all enemies, foreign and domestic, and saving the world fit in???????  Other than that and attending the police and fire academies, I selected other

[post="44177"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Which is why there's an "other" category.

[razoredge]

Nearly everyone gets a higher education after high school. Sounds like Toni's getting one now. Im sure one day it will all come around Toni, at least I hope so.

[ToniCipriani]

Heh, thanks. Program's difficult, but IMO well worth it. At least in my co-op I earn enough to support my living and a big chunk of my tuitions. Since end of my first year I started a whole new life and minimized my dependencies. Really enjoying it. (BTW, all of the sudden the talk's on me? :P :) )

[bobo]

BS and MS in Civil Engineering from UC Berkeley (aka Cal).

[trinacriabob]

B.S. - small Catholic university in California
M. Arch - Univ of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
M.S. - Univ of Washington Seattle

preceded by 12 years of Catholic school and would do it (the Catholic school) all over again. I like school, in general. Always have. It is more of a meritocracy than the "real world."

Almost 30 % of the respondents went to grad school This is a smart bunch. And no, this is NOT about snobbery as neither my father nor my mother went to college because immigrants leaving post WWII Southern Europe did not have those options.

[Enzora]

I've completed three semesters at UNC-Chapel Hill, working on a Sociology major.

[razoredge]

Ive done 29.5 years in the University of Bend over and get your teeth kicked in and still aint learnt a tang. I think Im a gonna quit and transfer the 3 credits I have over to WhatsamatterU :lol: Welcome back Bob ! :)

[GMTruckGuy74]

B.S. in Secondary Education with a double major in Comprehensive Business Education (yada yada yada --> all it means is I'm a high school business <Marketing> teacher). Received my degree from Rider University in December of 1997; was a commuter student too :lol:

[mustang84]

3.5 years into the 5 year arch program at Iowa State. I'll be in Rome for a whole semester in Spring, 2007. I'm still deciding whether to get my Master's right after I graduate or go back later and get it. Welcome back Bob! Long time no see!

[sciguy_0504]

I found out my first term GPA at Drexel is a 2.0. I ended up getting a D in computer science (made to take it), a C in both business (my major, got screwed by the professor on a major project) and history and a B (of all grades) in honors English. If I get below a 2.0 I'm placed on academic probation. I plan to do a lot better in second term.

[haypops]

Watch out for the sophmore jinks! Ouch!

[razoredge]

I found out my first term GPA at Drexel is a 2.0.  I ended up getting a D in computer science (made to take it), a C in both business (my major, got screwed by the professor on a major project) and history and a B (of all grades) in honors English.

If I get below a 2.0 I'm placed on academic probation.  I plan to do a lot better in second term.

[post="64381"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Let me help you out sciguy...next time your goofing off or not studying or taking a test......think of me :lol: That ought to get you motivated :lol: wattsamatterU sucks, you dont wanna go there.

I worry for my daughter but girls seem to be more academically motivated on a whole than guys are. She does well...really well but Math has always been a struggle.

[Mike The Canadian]

still in high school (i'm 16). Planning on going to university..but who knows for what...

[cmattson]

I've probably posted this before (so I apologize, ok?), but if it can help anybody:

I graduated high school 6th in my class. I was a year ahead in Physics and Calculus. Everything was effortless. I got accepted into the Univ. Of Minn's Inst. of Technology -- which had a sub-2% acceptance rate. It had (I'm not sure if it still does now) an excellent reputation in Computer Science and Electrical Engineering. Being a CSCI major, I was stoked. I quickly found out that they don't take attendence in college and expecting everything to be nearly as effortless as high school, I started partying more and missing classes. Long story short: I was placed on academic probation and was expelled after my first year. Depressed, I went to a community college. After the 1st quarter at the community college, I earned the same crappy grades - and then I figured out that it wasn't the school that needed to change - it was me. Afterwards, I dedicated myself towards my studies - I showed up everyday for every class and I faithfully did my homework (even if it wasn't required to turn in) and my grades picked right back up. After of a couple years at the c.c., I transferred into the Univ. Of St. Thomas (private school), and graduated a couple of years after that. Things I learned along the way:

1) A community college is an excellent transition from h.s. It's near-h.s. like setting, combined with a reduced cost is superb for getting a bunch of your first-years non-major-specific-required-coarses out of the way. Nearly everything transfered over (except for my Golf class -> it was springtime & was a nice break)
2) When you transfer, no matter what, your grades follow you. When I left the U of M, my grades went with me -- and when I left the c.c., my grades went to St. Thomas. My final quarter at St. Thomas, my grades reached 3.0 -- I had to bust my *** to get it back up there (when I left the UM it was 1.11)
3) Screwing around costs you big time: It took me 5 1/2 years to get my 4 year degree.
4) Most importantly: LIFE IS A DO-IT-YOURSELF JOB.

Best of luck to all of those in school!

[trinacriabob]

Things I learned along the way:

1) A community college is an excellent transition from h.s. 
2) When you transfer, no matter what, your grades follow you. 
3) Screwing around costs you big time
4) Most importantly: LIFE IS A DO-IT-YOURSELF JOB.

[post="64456"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Some interesting observations.

My take on them:

1) Disagree - sometimes one does better in a more competitive setting. Being at a tougher school (or university) and around focused people brought out the best in me and my grades showed it

2) So true - in general, once a GPA acquires a "critical mass," it is hard to change it, to a great extent

3) Yes - my screwing around was different. I finished the sheepskins on time but used them to go do something different. I definitely made no use of my UW degree since I continued to work in the field I was in before that.

4) Right again - I was in the 3.3 to 3.4 range when I started college because I was clueless as to what I was doing there and what I would do with it. As soon as I got proactive and "took the bull by the horns," it seemed to get better.

Good luck to all of you considering or starting out in college. One thing I cannot even comprehend is how screwing around and having fun can take the "front burner" over getting the job done. Like your time to goof off is SOOOH valuable. No excuse. You can't undo what you did in college (item 2 above). It is only 4 years. You can have lots of fun afterwards and have the money to do it (look at me, I still haven't grown up) and there are summers and the month between fall/spring semester to have even more fun .

Cheers! Edited December 29, 2005 by trinacriabob

[Sixty8panther]

Bachelor's Degree In Graphic Design with a minor in Management. I spent my first three years at Bradford College in Haverhill Mass. Then the trustees and president of the school had a mini-Enron style scandal and bankrupt our beutiful historic school. Three more years and it would have been 200 years old. The news of the school's demise came within a few months of the Oldsmobile brand phase-out announcement. So I transferred to Suffolk University and finished up my studies there. Suffolk had jus bought New England School of Art & Design so it was perfect. The hectic pace of Boston and crazy schedule was a good wake up call for me. A dose of the real world. Still, I mourn for Bradford College even now. Sad loss indeed. :(

[trinacriabob]

Bachelor's Degree In Graphic Design with a minor in Management.
I spent my first three years at Bradford College in Haverhill Mass. Then the trustees and president of the school had a mini-Enron style scandal and bankrupt our beutiful historic school. Three more years and it would have been 200 years old. The news of the school's demise came within a few months of the Oldsmobile brand phase-out announcement.

So I transferred to Suffolk University and finished up my studies there. Suffolk had jus bought New England School of Art & Design so it was perfect. The hectic pace of Boston and crazy schedule was a good wake up call for me. A dose of the real world. Still, I mourn for Bradford College even now. Sad loss indeed. :(

[post="74093"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

What, Pantho, no Zoo-Mass for you? :AH-HA_wink:

[sciguy_0504]

I switched my major last week from business to history/politics. Drexel doesn't have two separate history and political science majors, it combined them. The math was killing me in business and, at first, I thought I'd be able to handle it but I came to this conclusion: I'd rather switch my major to something else that I enjoy and graduate with good grades instead of struggling through a major I enjoy and graduating with poor grades. I have to take a language, though. I'm thinking about Arabic or Chinese. Job prospects are high.

[frogger]

University of Waterloo CompSci, co-op program graduate. It was a bit of a struggle academically, but I got the hang of it by my last year and a half.

[TurboRush]

Went to Canadore college in North Bay Ontario and studied for 2 years in Aircraft Avionics Maintenance. We all know how shot the aviation industry has been since 9-11 and employers will hire the licensed, experienced guys that have been layed off before a College graduate looking for an aprenticeship..... basicaly didnt get a job in my field of study.

Wiche led me to.....

I found my way to a call center for Canada's leading satelite tv provider.

I will be bailing soon as I am studying for my Insurance license and will be writing my exam on monday. I then will be moving to Ottawa to work in my dad's office selling insurance and possibly eventualy take on my dad's buisness.


Who knows what the future REALY holds! Edited January 15, 2006 by TurboRush

[ShadowDog]

Summary: Living in B.C. Canada, after highschool (1997) retaining Principal's List honors (dominant in business courses), I started on a University transfer program (Advanced Accounting - Business Administration) through the Open Learning Agency to further my accounting/management skills. I worked full-time at the local grocer as their department supervisor (manager salary position). This allowed me to further my management training for better experience. The accounting program was to take three years off the seven year C.G.A. (Certified General Accounting) program through U.B.C. (University of British Columbia). Did book keeping for my brother's business part-time, as well as to assist my friend in his comic shop business. I had a good taste at the kind of job I was heading into and didn't feel like being an office jockey. I liked the public too much. Finished the O.L.A. Advanced Accounting program in 2000. Didn't go to U.B.C. Transferred to Saskatchewan in 2003 for an Assistant Manager position for their $8 million Grocery Department and complete my training. Last September, was asked to take the Manager's position for a division retail in this same city. I took it instead of heading west because it will undergo a complete $2.5 million renovation, and I wanted the experience in handling the project. Future goal: Move in about a year, a little after the reno is complete. Begin General Manager's training with additional upgrading through University transfer programs. That should take one-to-two years. Run a division for a year or so while putting focus on starting my own business. By then, I'll have every imaginable financial and management skill for hands-on ability. If that doesn't work out, FCL (Federated Co-operatives Limited) isn't all bad with 8% matched pension contributions and constant growth. I like what I do. ...some summary...sheesh.

[Nick]

Let's see...Right now I am going to Moorpark community college. It is a really good school and has one of the highest transfer rates of any community college in CA. I figure a community college is a great place to start. People sometimes associate negative connotations with going to a CC, but the fact of the matter is, if you find a good one like I have, the classes are significantly cheaper and the class sizes are much smaller compared to larger schools. Out of the classes I am taking right now, my largest one is probably 30 students. The teachers there are very good (and in my CC) comparable to many larger university professors. For me it is good because I wasn't sure what I wanted to do exactly, and while I am planning on majoring in business, I'm still not decided on what exactly I want to do. It seems the first 2 years in larger schools are used as a weeding process where they weed out the students who aren't ready or don't belong. While some may like the higher competition in larger schools and atmosphere university's give off (like trinacriabob stated), CC's are much more easy going and make a good transition from high school to the college life, imo. I'm really close to home so that is convenient for me. Saves me money and I've got everything I need at home, plus my friends are still around because some of them are doing the same thing I'm doing. Right now I'm just taking basic classes, pre-requisites and whatnot but I'm planning on transferring over to Pepperdine soon. They have a great business school and that's what I am looking at majoring in.