Heading Back To College, Input Needed On Some Aspects

[willv28]

I'm heading back to college to finish up a bachelor's degree. I have two colleges I've been accepted too. The question will end up being is the bigger one worth the extra time and money. But some background information will be needed.

In the beginning I went to a small college in vermont by the name of Lyndon State. It's well known for it's meteorology and television studies programs. I majored in meteorology. After the first year and a half. I decided I liked messing with computers. We were always getting in throuble because they couldn't identify our Linux computers on the campus network.

I went on to finish with a BS in Meteorology and an AS in Computer Programming. Pretend the Meteorolgy degree doesn't exist for the purposes of this thread.

It's been two years since I graduated. I absolutely hate my current job, so I've decided to go back to college. I applied for readmittence into my old school, I also applied to Ohio State University. Now here's where the information gets important in regards to the problem.

Lyndon State has a program called CIS/MET(Meteorology). It's an odd degree. But, I'm 4 classes away from being eligable for that degree. Also, I was shooting for a math degree at the time. But after several family members died I gave up on it at the time. I'm two classes short on that.

At OSU, I could only have time to earn a BA in CS. It would take me a year and a half and $24,000 in out of pocket expenses.

Now, my comparrison is leaning to going back to my old school. One, although I love research and doing all the math stuff. That was more intended for meteorology for me. I love getting my hands on stuff. Wiring, monitoring, all that good stuff. So, CS vs. CIS isn't the issue here. Quite frankly I find too much programming makes me depressed.

In the end, I'm worried about the now and the 10-15 years following it. I'm not pig headed to think I need endless money or make sure I look better than everyone else. My question is, knowing all this, is it worth the extra time and money to have the name "Ohio State" on my resume? In the end, I'm not worried. Heck, I think by the time I'm 55 I'll be owning a restaraunt or having a private weather service with my friend. I'm a weird person. I want the unusual. That's why the school appealed to me in the first place. I just feel I might be passing something up by not taking OSU up on the offer.

Any input or questions would be greatly appreciated. It's obvious where I'm leaning right now though.

[RickW]

I Lyndon State has a program called CIS/MET(Meteorology). It's an odd degree. But, I'm 4 classes away from being eligable for that degree. Also, I was shooting for a math degree at the time. But after several family members died I gave up on it at the time. I'm two classes short on that.

If you really want to get into Information Systems, then your current degree(s) is fine, and what you really need to focus on are certifications.

But, if you're looking at more of the computer science degree, dealing with programming and engineering, then the math degree will be more helpful. In either way, this is what I suggest:

Don't waste your time on starting over to get a computer degree.

When you say you're 4 classes away from eligibility - does that mean you're 4 classes away from starting that half of the degree, or 4 classes away from finishing that degree? If you only need 4 classes to complete it, then take those classes. That is just 1 semester.

And are you saying that you just need 2 classes to complete the Math degree? If that is the case, take those 2 classes also. You could do that during a Summer or Winter minimester, or as night classes one semester.

Don't pretend your BS in Meteorology doesn't exist. Use it to your advantage. Use that to go for your Masters degree. I'm pretty sure that with a BS, you can do your Masters in just about anything that is available.

So now you would have 2 more degrees in an extremely short amount of time, and then you can put that extra 1 1/2 years and money into a Masters that is worth more than your Bachelors.

And like I said, in the meantime, study up on some certs. I need to know a little more about what part about computer technology interests you, because there are all sorts of specialities you can aim for. Unless you just want to be a helpdesk tech, in which case you're wasting your time with all this college talk. :mrgreen:

[willv28]

Then the answer to the question would be. It wouldn't be worth going to Ohio State. That's what I had decided.

Yes, I'm only 4 classes away from that BS in CIS and 2 from BS Math. There never was a question of going back to college or not going back. But as I said, the issue was if the extra year or more would be worth the name. Clearly it is not.

Boy, I do know full well certifications are even more important. I still have some things to learn. But, I could mass many of them blindfolded. The issue is where I work currently I don't even get paid on time. Sometimes over a month goes by before I get paid. So, it's hard to be able to afford to take them.

When I say "pretend the BS in Met doesn't exist". I don't mean I won't use it, but it's not of issue in what I was asking. I wasn't just going to settle for moving on.

My goal would be to use the degrees in combination and get a job doing something along the lines of what my friend does. Only it would fully involve the techincal side not forecasting as well. Basically I would like to work for the private sector, a college or the government specializing in meteorological systems and software. Overseeing the working of that network, adding new met software and gathering data from Unidata using programs like McIDAS, LDM, GEMPAK. Anything in the met field is run by someone cheap. So, more than likely I would end up responsible for everything. We had some of the best run weather software at my college. But go inside the "storage room" and it looks like it's run by a 14 year old. Nothing is organized, nothing documented. It's sort of what my friend does only he's just a extra helping hand. If I had a BS in CIS at the time they would've hired me at the Yuma proving grounds in Arizona. My friend had recommended me but they were dead set on what they wanted.

I don't know about grad school. My ideal is to learn all I can over the next several years. Then, when I feel up to it, do something for myself.

As for what I'm interested in. Pretty much everything except actual programming. I just can't sit there that long and do it as a primary function. I need to be hands on. I grew up on a farm, always doing something.

[RickW]

So you want to get into the networking closet? Okay - start out with CompTIA Network+. When you pass that with flying colors, get back to me and I will suggest the next cert. ;)