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College or A Full-Time Job

Haeking

I currently reside in Massachusetts
Im looking for a college for Computer Networking and Cyber Security
But, lately my parents have been going on about the same thing money money money, its too expensive and I know I'll need a co-signer
Are there any cheap colleges around that are close to the IT field in Computer Networking and Cyber Security other than New England Institute of Technology 
I would love to stay in the IT field since I'm working towards my CGEIT
But any tips or suggestions, should I go to a community college, should I just stick it out with NEIT and pay almost 20k in tuition a tear
Or should I just find a full time job and just go from there
My last boss told me certifications and experience pay off more in the field so this is just a lot to me 

Edited by Haeking
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I would suggest a university.

 

Here is an option you might not aware of:

I had an English teacher from Hawaii. He told us once that he recommends all his friends at home to send their kids to universities in Europe because tuition doesn´t exist in some countries here. You don´t even to have to speak or understand German because some universities have created English only speaking degrees due to foreign demand. Of course, Germany is just one choice.

 

Europes university system has a Bachelor (3 year) and then possibly followed by a master (2 year) degree.

 

It depends on the city size but you can make it with 15.000 € per year well just to state a number. This includes everything.

 

Just saying because some are not aware of that ;)

 

 

 

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I've been in your exact same position, here are your options:
 

1) Start Full-Time Job Now:

Going into a full-time job right now and ditching college means you can only apply to jobs that your resume allows you to qualify for, and those are usually not very high-paying jobs. By going for this route, you are gaining work experience and earning money, allowing you to earn promotions and potentially apply to new jobs and work your way up the employment ladder.

 

2) College -> Full-Time Job

Best of both worlds; Go to college, complete your course, and apply for a full-time job with your shiny new degree/diploma on your head. This will definitely allow you to apply for high-end jobs.

This route is the longest and most difficult route to take, but it rewards you the most between choosing college or a full-time job.

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That's disgusting tuition prices, I would suggest my university in NY but you'd be an out-of-state resident and tuition would be nearly 17K for you because of it. Honestly I don't really think there are notable amount of cybersecurity undergraduate degrees in Massachusetts from the quick searching I did.

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I remember when I first started University the people that just went straight to jobs were way ahead and seemed like they were making tonnes of money, but now 6 years later or so most of them aren't making a whole lot more, have very little job security, are doing jobs that are really hard on their bodies, and usually have to deal with crappy people a lot.

 

On the other end of the spectrum I think all of my friends that completed a degree now have a stable and high paying job. In some cases it might have been a year or two of kinda crappy jobs before finding something in their field, but now they all have pulled out of that, are generally enjoying their jobs, and in the future have the potential to make way more money.

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15 minutes ago, AlexTheGreatish said:

I remember when I first started University the people that just went straight to jobs were way ahead and seemed like they were making tonnes of money, but now 6 years later or so most of them aren't making a whole lot more, have very little job security, are doing jobs that are really hard on their bodies, and usually have to deal with crappy people a lot.

 

On the other end of the spectrum I think all of my friends that completed a degree now have a stable and high paying job. In some cases it might have been a year or two of kinda crappy jobs before finding something in their field, but now they all have pulled out of that, are generally enjoying their jobs, and in the future have the potential to make way more money.

Thing is I've already worked 2 government jobs one networking at a school for IT and one at a bank, and its just hard finding a college, most of them are enrolled except for New England Institute of Technology, and I'd be paying a loan of $18,519. Would be working a full time job, plus having to do studies, and the worst part is its all of my money none of my parents. The only school excepting now is NEIT, and the rest have started, if I wait a year I can pay cheap, and work now but if I want to work and have certs etc at least started its my best bet. 

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4 minutes ago, Haeking said:

Thing is I've already worked 2 government jobs one networking at a school for IT and one at a bank, and its just hard finding a college, most of them are enrolled except for New England Institute of Technology, and I'd be paying a loan of $18,519. Would be working a full time job, plus having to do studies, and the worst part is its all of my money none of my parents. The only school excepting now is NEIT, and the rest have started, if I wait a year I can pay cheap, and work now but if I want to work and have certs etc at least started its my best bet. 

If you're just thinking of taking a year off to make some money that's totally fine, I wouldn't recommend rushing into something.  Maybe take the time to figure out a good student loan and then go back next September.

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51 minutes ago, 2FA said:

That's disgusting tuition prices, I would suggest my university in NY but you'd be an out-of-state resident and tuition would be nearly 17K for you because of it. Honestly I don't really think there are notable amount of cybersecurity undergraduate degrees in Massachusetts from the quick searching I did.

Whats your uni 

 

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1 hour ago, Haeking said:

I currently reside in Massachusetts
Im looking for a college for Computer Networking and Cyber Security
But, lately my parents have been going on about the same thing money money money, its too expensive and I know I'll need a co-signer
Are there any cheap colleges around that are close to the IT field in Computer Networking and Cyber Security other than New England Institute of Technology 
I would love to stay in the IT field since I'm working towards my CGEIT
But any tips or suggestions, should I go to a community college, should I just stick it out with NEIT and pay almost 20k in tuition a tear
Or should I just find a full time job and just go from there
My last boss told me certifications and experience pay off more in the field so this is just a lot to me 

My recommendation is to look into Financial Assistance for students. You should be able to get a government approved student loan.

 

I would also suggest waiting until the next proper semester starts for program entry. If you intend on starting in the current semester that already began? I would wait a year and apply for next year.

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20 minutes ago, dalekphalm said:

My recommendation is to look into Financial Assistance for students. You should be able to get a government approved student loan.

 

I would also suggest waiting until the next proper semester starts for program entry. If you intend on starting in the current semester that already began? I would wait a year and apply for next year.

For NEIT it hasn't started, yet, I already did FASFA and have scholarships coming throughout the year, but I don't know where I can get a government loan or a loan that doesn't need a co-signer 

 

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Lots of good recommendations here. As @Teddy07 pointed out, sometimes going abroad is a lot cheaper than going to school in country. Though there are many things to consider, such as will the diploma you get be recognized in the US, and if you move to a country where the native language isn't English, can you adapt to that. Even if your classes aren't in German (for example), the rest of your life will be very boring if you don't learn at least a little. One of my ex gf's moved to Vancouver to go to school because, even paying the foreign student costs (which are significantly higher than residents), it was tens of thousands of dollars cheaper than school in the US.

 

There's absolutely nothing wrong with taking a year off, especially if you're going to be saving a ton of money in the long term. Student loans are all fine and dandy in theory, but they can take ages to pay off if not done in a timely manor, and they'll be with you for the rest of your life. Don't take it lightly. It's a very serious burden to take on.

 

I'd say you definitely should get some kind of higher education. IT is a pretty crowded field, and if you're up against someone who has a degree, they'll pick the person with the degree almost every time. It might not even have to be a degree in the same field; a lot of the time a university degree simply shows that you're a more rounded individual.

 

It's expensive, for sure, but there's no better way to spend money than investing in yourself.

 

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2 minutes ago, dizmo said:

Lots of good recommendations here. As @Teddy07 pointed out, sometimes going abroad is a lot cheaper than going to school in country. Though there are many things to consider, such as will the diploma you get be recognized in the US, and if you move to a country where the native language isn't English, can you adapt to that. Even if your classes aren't in German (for example), the rest of your life will be very boring if you don't learn at least a little. One of my ex gf's moved to Vancouver to go to school because, even paying the foreign student costs (which are significantly higher than residents), it was tens of thousands of dollars cheaper than school in the US.

 

There's absolutely nothing wrong with taking a year off, especially if you're going to be saving a ton of money in the long term. Student loans are all fine and dandy in theory, but they can take ages to pay off if not done in a timely manor, and they'll be with you for the rest of your life. Don't take it lightly. It's a very serious burden to take on.

 

I'd say you definitely should get some kind of higher education. IT is a pretty crowded field, and if you're up against someone who has a degree, they'll pick the person with the degree almost every time. It might not even have to be a degree in the same field; a lot of the time a university degree simply shows that you're a more rounded individual.

 

It's expensive, for sure, but there's no better way to spend money than investing in yourself.

 

Would you happen to know of any programs to help me start off the process for studying abroad, or would be able to point me in the right direction 

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6 minutes ago, Haeking said:

Would you happen to know of any programs to help me start off the process for studying abroad, or would be able to point me in the right direction 

I only know Canada's system, and it's pretty easy; just apply and bleed the money. For a 2 year Computer Technology degree (I assume that's what you'd be after?) you're looking at $38k Canadian, or about $29k US. If you look at most course costs you can assume roughly a 2.5x cost factor for International students. Cheaper, but you also have to factor in rent etc (if you pay that now).

 

The free European countries are tempting, but I'd strongly suggest making sure the degrees are accepted in the US.

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Community college. 

 

Cheap & just as good. If you do really well, transferring to a university wouldn’t be too much more money. Additionally you can work at the same time. Otherwise you could do online college which is also quite cheap too & work any job with any hours. 

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6 minutes ago, fpo said:

Community college. 

 

Cheap & just as good. If you do really well, transferring to a university wouldn’t be too much more money. Additionally you can work at the same time. Otherwise you could do online college which is also quite cheap too & work any job with any hours. 

be careful about doing so. just make sure the credits transfer seamlessly, contact the unis directly and look at transfer credits. in-state should be pretty easy

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6 minutes ago, Techicolors said:

be careful about doing so. just make sure the credits transfer seamlessly, contact the unis directly and look at transfer credits. in-state should be pretty easy

Not a problem in Ontario anymore ;) So I'm sure others have or will follow.

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15 minutes ago, Techicolors said:

be careful about doing so. just make sure the credits transfer seamlessly, contact the unis directly and look at transfer credits. in-state should be pretty easy

Ime most community colleges have things setup with low cost 4 year schools to help with this. 

That and online colleges do have 4 year programs. 

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