Job offer vs university in the fall

[DWW]

I recently received a job offer doing admin stuff for $45,000/year CAN which is pretty decent seeing as I've never had a full time job before. It has a benefit plan (haven't reviewed exact details of it yet), monday-friday 9-5. Government employer and its contract for a year but I'm told after a year they will be expanding the dept anyhow and will need people.

I finished diploma at college but still wanted to get a degree at a university. Only problem is the job opportunity won't exist in 4 years. People say you can get the degree via correspondence or "go back later in life" but I don't want to do that...it'd be too much bother really once I get busy with stuff (want to start a business eventually and that'd require like 80 hour work weeks alone).

The ultimate reason to get a degree is for a job so I guess I should take it.... bleh I just don't want to regret not getting a degree because I did take interest in it (not just to get a job).

I'm thinking I'd work my ass off for the first year and save it all up (live off the savings I have now) then just put it down on a house and get started right away...rent out the basement to someone else and get earning/ahead of my peers at university.

degree + $60,000 debt VS 4 years experience + around $200,000 earning potential (factored in that rent $)

What do you guys think, any of you face(d) a similar decision?

 

[labrat25]

degrees only matter if you're going to use them...

ex. i'm going to get my PhD 'cause i want to be a prof, but if i wanted to go into industry i'd stop at a BS

it's quite possible to be sucessful without one (ex. Billy Gates)... they're most important if the job market it tight and you need a job or a better paying one

 

[DWW]

I guess for me it was more of a personal thing than to use. "higher learning" and all that stuff that is burnt into you at a young age

 

[Wuffsunie]

You got your diploma, and you got a pretty good job offer. You'd be making what my friend from UofWaterloo got after his degree. Sounds like a bit better position, too.

Really, you got what you went into school to get. Take the money, man! If you're really worried about getting an actual degree, save up as much as you can while you have the job until either it ends or you have enough to cover getting the degree. When you're through with the job, ask youself if you really need to go back. At worst you'll be a few years older than most of the students with you, but certainly not all of them.

 

[wviperw]

http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.cfm?catid=38&threadid=1263778

BTW, what's the diff between a diploma and a degree up in canada? I know of no difference between the two down here in the states...

 

[DWW]

Originally posted by: wviperw
http://forums.anandtech.com/messageview.cfm?catid=38&threadid=1263778

BTW, what's the diff between a diploma and a degree up in canada? I know of no difference between the two down here in the states...

In Canada a diploma is like...well truthfully its kind of regarded as crap Colleges give out diplomas and its usually 95% practical. You are only as good as the current technology. Sure good students will always be able to adapt. Our colleges would be like your community colleges I guess.

Our universities are like your good colleges. That and they give out degrees but our colleges can't. They are now starting to have -some- ability to give out 3-year applied degrees though. Only a few amount of schools though and usually for like 1 or 2 programs.

 

[DWW]

Originally posted by: Wuffsunie
You got your diploma, and you got a pretty good job offer. You'd be making what my friend from UofWaterloo got after his degree. Sounds like a bit better position, too.

Really, you got what you went into school to get. Take the money, man! If you're really worried about getting an actual degree, save up as much as you can while you have the job until either it ends or you have enough to cover getting the degree. When you're through with the job, ask youself if you really need to go back. At worst you'll be a few years older than most of the students with you, but certainly not all of them.

The thing is since I went to college I'm already older than most kids at university. I KNOW that there are young and old people at school cause I witnessed that especially in Toronto but in other cities where its mostly canadian-born citizens, the majority of population goes to university at 18-20 and I'm going on 22 now. Another couple years and I'd be like Van Wilder

 

[tallest1]

IIRC, Canada gives a great education in the right places, its just arguing that to knucklehead American upper-management thats tough

 

[bleeb]

H/R is your enemy. They KNOW nothing about hiring sophisticated programmers and technologists... just people who know how to bullshiet their way into the company.

 

[slydecix]

I'd take the job. A lot of times, all a degree is good for is landing your first job anyway. imo, past job experience > degree