School -- work -- school + work?

[ViviTheMage]

I can finish up my two year in one semester, or I can transfer and spend 2-3 more years on my BAS (get this from the U of M -- Twin Cities).

I have a job offer for 35k-40k a year as a help desk kiddo with some decent benefits (401k, dental, etc).

I have been hearing that if you get your 4 year you will be placed into entry level crap anyhow....so am I lucky to start now?

I have 2 years experience working for the U of M as the IT Manager/IT Assistant (great job, 12.50$ an hour, no benefits). I just turned 20 (I have 1.5 years of community college done).

SO

options in cliff

1. stay at current job (12.50 an hour) transfer to UofM Twin Cities and get BAS ITI degree. (3-3.5 more years...I work more then I have classes, but 12-14 credits a semester). Then get an entry level job (most likely help desk??)
2. get 2 year degree (only needs a semester) and start full time as help desk.
3. opinionated...(what are your thoughts?)


I have been thinking about this forever, because these sort of 'entry level' jobs pop up all of the time and I have been accepted to get some jobs, but I dont take them because they require full time and I go to school full time so it is too hard!

Other quick tidbits..I live at home, for the time being (plan on moving out in 2-5 months) so figuring this out would decipher where I would move out too. (get an apartment with the girlfriend of 2years 600-800$ a month range).

EDIT:

what would benefit me in the IT world...since I already have uber loads of experience (current job and past jobs, even personal experience)...starting to work now, or after I get my degree? Will I have more opportunities with a bachelors or NOW?

I want to get higher faster, not slower ! I hate school BTW, but I can get it done if it has to get done.

 

[dullard]

What are your ambitions? A 2-year degree can get you a nice starting job - but you might be stuck there forever. A 4-year degree may get you that same starting job - but it may also give you lots of room for advancement into better jobs.

Do you want to possibly move up the career ladder? Or is that starting job sufficient for you for your life? Either answer is perfectly acceptable. But only one will be the best for you. We can't choose for you.

 

[ViviTheMage]

Originally posted by: dullard
What are your ambitions? A 2-year degree can get you a nice starting job - but you might be stuck there forever. A 4-year degree may get you that same starting job - but it may also give you lots of room for advancement into better jobs.

Do you want to possibly move up the career ladder? Or is that starting job sufficient for you for your life? Either answer is perfectly acceptable. But only one will be the best for you. We can't choose for you.

yes! If getting my 2 year over my 4 year will hinder me in advancing then I will get my 4 year. I better do it now when I have the 'drive'.

 

[maximus maximus]

dont give up on education... you will thank yourself for it one day or the other. trust me.
dont look at short term benefits, think about the long term gains and advantages.

 

[ViviTheMage]

Originally posted by: maximus maximus
dont give up on education... you will thank yourself for it one day or the other. trust me.
dont look at short term benefits, think about the long term gains and advantages.

I do and will.

I currently have been working as an IT Assistant, but the day I started the IT Manager died, rest is soul, but I have taken over his IT Manager duties for nearly a year. I was thinking of taking the job for 65k a year, but I did not have enough SQL/AD knowledge to fully do it...so the new IT Manager will be starting in 3 weeks or so.

He will change what I have been doing and I dont want to see that . I have been switching everything from novell to AD (trying). and running routine backups, assisting 100+ PC users, maintaining 5 servers (SQL server, IIS, login, DHCP, firewalls, Raisers Edge, Access DBs, etc , etc).

I have converted all users from groupwise to thunderbird, in the process of switching all workstations to ghosting, yadda, etc...

I was getting paid too little for what I have been doing!

 

[chrisms]

That is a very good paying job. My old job offered up to $5200/year tuition assistance. See if this company has anything like that and maybe you'll be more convinced to do school + job at the same time.

If it is just a normal 40 hour work week I would seriously consider biting the bullet and doing both at once. Hard work, sure, but at the end of those 2 years you can have around $20,000 instead of being in debt around $50,000. Very general figures but you get the idea.

 

[ViviTheMage]

Originally posted by: chrisms
That is a very good paying job. My old job offered up to $5200/year tuition assistance. See if this company has anything like that and maybe you'll be more convinced to do school + job at the same time.

If it is just a normal 40 hour work week I would seriously consider biting the bullet and doing both at once. Hard work, sure, but at the end of those 2 years you can have around $20,000 instead of being in debt around $50,000. Very general figures but you get the idea.

Its the reason I go to a community college, same teaching, less students in the classroom, cheaper. (3k for a semester as opposed to 15k+ at a 4 year uni!).

If I become a U of M Student I will probably get something like this...but the issue is I will have to commute 30 miles from school (U of M Campus in the Twin Cities) to Chaska (U of M Landscape Arboretum, where I currently work as the IT Assistant).

EDIT : CC tuition for 13 credits is only 1800 .