Community College(2 years/transfer) vs University(All 4 years) vs Online Degree

Does it Matter?

  • No, a degree is a degree.

    Votes: 12 40.0%
  • Yes, it is more prestigious.

    Votes: 3 10.0%
  • Yes, it earns more money in the long run.

    Votes: 4 13.3%
  • Yes, it is both prestigious and adds salary.

    Votes: 11 36.7%

  • Total voters
    30
  • Poll closed .

Vigilante

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I actually thought this was a good discussion even after I saw the date and would like to see how opinions have changed(or stayed the same) since 2008. 7 Years is quite a lot of time, I decided to add in Online Degrees as well because in this day and age, they are becoming more prevalent. So between the slow slow recovery and the more acceptive culture we have now, does it make a difference?

Edit: I already realized I messed up, the poll question should've been, "Does all four years at a university matter?"

Original thread: http://www.svtperformance.com/forum...ity-college-vs-all-four-years-at-a-University
 
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nxhappy

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IMO if you are going to college it should be all or nothing. I would say the 4 years is the better option. Just because many jobs require BA. Also I don't think an online degree matters. A degree is a degree.
 

Blown 89

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It depends on the degree, your career path, etc. I don't think there is one solution that fits everyone.
 

WhiteFaleen2001

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Taking 2 years at community college is certainly fine if you transfer and finish your remaining years at a 4 year. First two years of undergrad are pretty generic and aren't focused on your major necessarily.

If I were a business owner, and I had two equal candidates, one that went to online school, and one that went to a University (doesn't matter if it was all 4 years or just 2), I would most likely select the candidate that went to University
 
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Planter

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do gen eds at comm college. its cheaper, your gpa will be better and it will better prepare you for the 4 year university level work.

then your major core curriculum at university.
 

Deceptive

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I think it does not matter if you do your gen ed classes at a community college. I think it matters more the connections you are able to make, the degree you have, the drive you have, and the willingness to make sacrifices to get where you want to be. I am running a department in a hospital, in surgery, with an associate degree. I did get some experience running an aid station in the Army, I was in charge of a great deal as a junior enlisted, I worked at two major university hospitals. My current position is a great experience at being a manager. The department is small and I have already made many changes that the higher ups have taken notice of.

It is the total package.
 

VenomousDSG

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Save yourself the money and do the 2 years at a community college, then transfer the credits to whatever college you want to get your bachelors at. In the end, you'll still get the same degree, and will save many thousands. That's what I did.
 

nofire

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A 4 year degree from an actual brick and mortar college is better than one from an online university.

That being said, as far as CC goes, do what you can afford. If you're tight on money then go to CC and transfer because the name on the degree matters more than where all the credits came from. if you don't worry about money then go to the big school for all 4 years because it's more about who you meet there and the connections you make.
 

Sapperstang

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Taking 2 years at community college is certainly fine if you transfer and finish your remaining years at a 4 year. First two years of undergrad are pretty generic and aren't focused on your major necessarily.

If I were a business owner, and I had two equal candidates, one that went to online school, and one that went to a University (doesn't matter if it was all 4 years or just 2), I would most likely select the candidate that went to University


Yep. Doing two years at a community college and then transferring to a 4 year school is a great way to save money. That is what I did.

I suppose an online degree would depend on the major but I think in many cases they are a joke. Many of the online schools are for-profit and will cost you more in the long run.
 

BlckBox04

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Go to the college physically. Network the hell out of yourself, make friends, connections and take life from there. You'll never know who you'll come across by physically meeting new people which you can't behind a computer screen.
 

32ValveRom

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I say transferring from a 2-year cc to a 4-year university is the best way to go. I'm sure they offer online courses as well
 

Coiled03

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I'd definitely recommend starting at a local CC, then transferring to a 4-year school.

Take your generic, weed-out classes at the CC where you have a chance at getting help from your prof if you're having issues.

That's NOT what I did when I went back to school. But I kinda wish I would have.
 

Blackoyote

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I got put on academic suspension after my first year at a 4 year school and had to go to a community college for two years before transferring back...if I could do it all over again, I would've gone there in the first place, as my first year was my most expensive (living in the dorms, expensive ass meal plan, etc.). I'd be done paying my student loans right now would I have taken that route.
 

cobralvr01

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Since I was the one who revived it from the dead I guess I'll add to this one.
IMO, the smartest route to take financially would be to get an Associate's at your local CC and setup your course load into a full transfer program to a 4 year university. An associate's is equal to a high school diploma these days and won't gain you much other than a "congrats". It's not really worth anything. As far as online classes are concerned it really depends on the University you go to. ASU has an online degree program that gives you the exact same diploma as if you were there in person.
On a personal note though, if you're looking to get your full educational bang for your buck then you need to take the classes where you have to be there. They hold you accountable to actually retain the information and use it. Online classes allow you to use your book and "cheat". Even though this is more realistic in the working world, it doesn't help you retain the information...and employers know this.
 
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wht93gted

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I interview a lot of people and read a lot of resumes. I barely even look at the college they went to.

I look at work experience; and most importantly, talking to them. I can tell pretty quickly just having a 10 minute conversation.

For entry-level hires, I haven't even heard of most the universities. It barely matters for me in the software industry. We have debugging tests, and problem solving skill tests. For freshers, it's basically a trial anyway.
 

lobra97

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save money and do a 2+2 cc to university. its the same degree plan with way less money if you can swing it.
i did notice on this last job i interviewed for that they asked if we had any vets and/or college degrees. i was the only one who raised my hand that had both and it finally felt good being singled out for something positive. my buddy had the same experience with the same company and so we shall see how it goes. def. knock out the easy course at CC and transfer. my buddy used his post 9/11 to do CC then transferred to Texas Tech in Lubbock. his colege ring is huge and from the actual campus which was cool, i get jealious of it when we compare rings but i try to hide it lol

good luck
 

JasonSnake

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If you've had a wide gap between finishing high school and starting college a few years later, I would recommend starting at a CC because class sizes are much smaller, class times are more flexible, you can actually interact with the teacher if you have a problem, and of course, easier on the wallet.
 

4GTNSVT

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I started at CC and then transferred out to finish my degree in Engineering. I got my Bachelors and got out for under 20K in student loan debt. Funny thing is that the contacts I made at CC are what got me the job I have now.
 

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