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2 or 4 yr. degree?

drewel

drewel

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 3, 2004
62
0
Recently I started my second year of college. I am wondering if I should complete my 2 year degree, then look for a job, and slowly work towards a bachelors. This is what I'm leaning towards because I need the money.

My real question is, if I complete a 2 year degree, what kind of jobs and pay are available in the Business fields?
 
I know 2 extra years may seem like a long time, but it's not. Just plow through and get a four-year degree -- if you're at an accredited college. Trust me, it's a lot easier to do college before you get a real job where money starts coming in. You'll be sorely tempted to just bail on school - and likely will be pressured by your company if you are doing well for them.

If you want to challenge yourself, get through college a little faster. Make it in 3 1/2 years instead of four for instance.

Assuming you're a typical college student (young), the extra two years will be a good investment in your future.
 
drewel said:
Recently I started my second year of college. I am wondering if I should complete my 2 year degree, then look for a job, and slowly work towards a bachelors. This is what I'm leaning towards because I need the money.

My real question is, if I complete a 2 year degree, what kind of jobs and pay are available in the Business fields?
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I had a 2 year degree from a tech school and my company would not take me seriously. Took me 4 years to get promoted to engineer without a BS degree, even though I am the best software guy here. I just got my BS last month and will have my MS in June. If you can afford it, stay in school. The second two years are MUCH better than the first two, as long as your major interests you.
 
mactastic said:
I know 2 extra years may seem like a long time, but it's not. Just plow through and get a four-year degree -- if you're at an accredited college. Trust me, it's a lot easier to do college before you get a real job where money starts coming in. You'll be sorely tempted to just bail on school - and likely will be pressured by your company if you are doing well for them.

If you want to challenge yourself, get through college a little faster. Make it in 3 1/2 years instead of four for instance.

Assuming you're a typical college student (young), the extra two years will be a good investment in your future.
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I transferred to my school with 90 out of 180 units in Fall of 2004, after doing part time college for 3 years. (I had lots of GEs to do!) I finished the last 90 in one year. 9 classes (4 online) in winter quarter, plus a full time job. I'm crazy. :)
 
It may be worth checking into jobs that have assistance programs. In know, for example, many biology-related companies around my area that hire 2-year degree students and pay for part or all of the cost of completing a bachelor's degree. Of course, you also have to gauge whether you can keep a full-time job and complete classes (if you have a full time job, it very well could take more than 2 more years to complete your bachelor's).
 
In this day and age, stick it our for the 4 year degree. Some of it is also going to depend on your specific field. For instance, an Associates in Accounting is nice, but getting a BA and passing the CPA exam is going to make you a whole lot more valuable. It is also going to depend on what kind of job you want. If you are happy working for someone, the 2 year might work. But if you want to advance or someday get into management, keep going. Besides, it is going to be a lot easier to get the degree now then try to ballance work, school, and possibly a family later.
 
I have an Associates Degree in Nursing. At the school that I attended at the time it was the only thing available. It allowed me to become a Registered Nurse. I joined the Air Force and then the VA. My career was very successful. I wish now that I had gotten my BSN.

If at all possible you should go ahead and get your Bachelors. Just easier now than when you get involved in the work world.
 
wdlove said:
I have an Associates Degree in Nursing. At the school that I attended at the time it was the only thing available. It allowed me to become a Registered Nurse. I joined the Air Force and then the VA. My career was very successful. I wish now that I had gotten my BSN.

If at all possible you should go ahead and get your Bachelors. Just easier now than when you get involved in the work world.
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Funny that you should mention that -- my mom did the same thing. She got a 3-year degree that allowed her to become an RN. But when she wanted to make a career change into public health (school nurse) she found she had to go back to school and get a 4-year degree. It took her a while to do it because she had to balance career, family, and school on top of it all.
 
mactastic said:
Funny that you should mention that -- my mom did the same thing. She got a 3-year degree that allowed her to become an RN. But when she wanted to make a career change into public health (school nurse) she found she had to go back to school and get a 4-year degree. It took her a while to do it because she had to balance career, family, and school on top of it all.
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So she was able to get her BSN? How does she like being a school nurse?
 
Abstract said:
You can get 2 year degrees?
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Indeed.

2yr = Associates
4yr = Bachelor's
6yr = Masters

Times actually vary depending on your load/credits

I recommend getting at least a 4 year degree.
 
If you can afford to go to school for 4 years without working, do it. I've been doing the work/college thing for years now, and it sucks the big one. Do yourself a favor and get it over with.

BTW, my last job paid 100% of my tuition (at over $200 per credit hour), but working 40-60 hours a week makes it extremely difficult to take advantage of the benefit.
 
Hee hee,

You can just do what I did: Hang around community college long enough to get AA and AS degrees. So, it's like I had a 4-year degree, right? :)

Actually, I would have to agree with most of the advice given here: Stick it out, it's a whole lot easier to finish school now (if you're young), then to try to balance it out with family or a necessary job. Right now, you probably don't have much debt and could get away with student loans or a part-time job while going to school. Get into the working world, and you may end up with house/car/child support payments necessitating a real job.

If you're eager to get out into the real world, start hunting around for internships and you may get picked up by a cool company that will let you work part-time for them, while they PAY for your school.

As for me, I expanded both Associates degrees into 2 Bachelors, worked for a couple years cuz I was sick of school, and am now in a Masters program where they PAY ME to go to school.

Good Luck!
 
Oh yeah, I almost forgot. My experience with my 2 year degrees is that they were pretty much useless. They'll get you a slightly higher wage at the same jobs you could've gotten right out of high school. Which...if you'd have started working then, you'd probably have that higher wage right now. :)
 
I only ask because I never heard of such a thing. If I was an employer and I saw a candidate with a 2 year degree, I would already have this pre-conceived notion that he didn't get a real degree.

And the shortest I have ever heard of was 3 years, but I'm not from America.
 
Abstract said:
I only ask because I never heard of such a thing. If I was an employer and I saw a candidate with a 2 year degree, I would already have this pre-conceived notion that he didn't get a real degree.

And the shortest I have ever heard of was 3 years, but I'm not from America.
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That really hurts. :(

I have a two year degree in Nursing. Was very successful in my career. In the Air Force and VA.
 
mcarnes said:
Why stop there? Go to school for 14 years like me and get more degrees than you know what to do with. :D

My BA in philosophy is especially useful. :rolleyes:

A 2-year degree is fine if you pick your career right. Look'em up at the Bureau of Labor Statistics:

http://www.bls.gov/search/ooh.asp?ct=OOH
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Word!
I'm gonna get a Ph.D. in both Macroecon AND finance. Woooooooo! More schoolin' than I'll ever EVER need.
YESSSSS!!!

Actually, my dad did that-- he was in law school for three years, decided he didn't like it, then went into neurobahoology. Homes was in school forevverrrrrrrr

but go for the four year. You'll get a lot more out of it than a 2 year.
 
wdlove said:
So she was able to get her BSN? How does she like being a school nurse?
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Well she's retired now, but as with most school-related jobs she loved dealing with the kids and didn't like dealing with the administration's BS. Budgets were always tight, she oversaw at least 3 schools at all times, and she ended up working most with the abused and neglected kids - whom she adored. Plus the district she was in has had numerous problems outside of the school nursing (it's the district my sisters and I all went through, so we've dealt with them for a while). All in all though, she was very happy with her decision. Working in the ICU and ER for so many years really burned her out. At least when she was working for the schools we saw her on weekends and holidays. :eek:

It's a tough job, but then again pretty much any nursing position is.
 
drewel said:
Recently I started my second year of college. I am wondering if I should complete my 2 year degree, then look for a job, and slowly work towards a bachelors. This is what I'm leaning towards because I need the money.

My real question is, if I complete a 2 year degree, what kind of jobs and pay are available in the Business fields?
Click to expand...
No doubt, go as far as you can while you are young.

An AA degree is good in some areas.

One thing is for sure, if you are not able to finish a BS, it is much better to get an AA than to have a bunch of hours towards a BS. Having an AA shows accomplishment. Having a bunch of hours with no degree shows lack of direction in many cases.

Of course during the job interview, this is easy to glean from the prospective employee.

mactastic said:
Assuming you're a typical college student (young), the extra two years will be a good investment in your future.
Click to expand...
Completely agree!

Sushi
 
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