I'm going to be a rising senior this year and am thinking about plans for after I graduate. I don't think that the traditional 4 year college thing is for me and I am looking to save some money as well. I was wondering if you all could give me the "working world" perspective and help me out some. As employers, what does a two year degree from NOVA look like to you? Also, what about those online schools like University of Phoenix and Strayer? If someone came in with degrees from these schools would you throw their resume into the no pile just based on the fact that they went to NOVA or an online school? I feel like with NOVA lasting only two years and the online colleges being, uhh... online, they are too good to be true. I just want to get a degree and be done with it. What are your thoughts? As an employer, is a degree from a four year school necessary?

If you are looking to save money stay away from UOP and Strayer.

Not having a 4 year degree will put a limit on jobs, since a 4 yr degree is sometimes a minimum qual. However, a lot depends on what industry/field you are looking to get hired in.

If you are not sure, try two years at NVCC. If you decide to go on there are quite a few transfer agreements with the Virginia 4 yr public universities. This is also the least expensive option to get a degree.

School is serious business.

A degree from NVCC or any of the community colleges in Virginia can be a stepping stone to a career itself or to most colleges in Virginia.

A key consideration here is COST. Tuition at community colleges is much less than that at private schools. You would be better off in most cases by going to NVCC first. Then apply to transfer to a four year school.

I have taken courses at GMU and NVCC. A good education is available at the latter, but the courses at GMU are much more rigorous.

My suggestion: Try a few courses at NVCC. Get a part time job (Starbucks, Giant, etc.) which permits you to work around your classes. Avoid the on line programs and private schools. Save your money.

Do two years at NVCC And then transfer to a real school, like JMU or GMU for a four year degree. As long as you end up with a four year degree from a real school, nobody is going to care about the two years at NVCC. Also, if you want to go the online route, there are plenty of real colleges with online degree programs. Univeristy of Maryland, for instance.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://bible.cc/1_corinthians/13-11.htm

or join the military

What WTL said. I don't think an associates degree is going to get you much more than a high school diploma. But one consideration is where you plan to work. If in NoVA, you will start to run into competition in the labor force with military contracting getting capped / drawn down a little. That will cause people with degrees, certifications, and experience to enter the market.

If you go to Charlotte or somewhere like that where there is job growth you may have better luck.

It would help if we knew what kind of field you wanted to get into. I was VERY surprised to learn recently of the types of agreements NVCC has with state schools, where credits directly transfer and there is some level of guarantee in place for admissions.

I'm with RP on the military angle.

Just make sure you sign up for the GI Bill. You can get alot out of the military. Given, you are going to do some shit jobs, but, you get what you want out of it. Depending on the branch, you could get some cool travel out of it, shoot some terrorists, be a pilot and probably clean several shitters along the way. Don't forget about the potential leadership skills that you can learn. That's what companies are looking for today, not just the required 4-year degree. Or soon to be minimum of having a masters degree, at least in this area.

Hindsight, I probably would have done this had I not been chompin at bit to party it up at school. After your 4 years are done in the military, go back to school and party it out on Uncle Sam's dime.

Save your money and don't go into debt for college unless you are very focused on a specific trade or degree. The military is a good way to go, but again you really have to be driven.

Self educate where you can. If you are interested in a certain field of work, try to get an entry level or even an intern job there in hopes of getting OTJ training or put into aa night school program. Keep a backup plan in casae your field goes bust.

I have a number of friends who are still paying off student loans and they have far less income and assets than me. All I have is a GED.

idontlikebeingrightaboutshitlikethisbutiam



Edited 21 time(s). Last edit at 5/31/1967 05:57AM by WingNut.

Last edit at 11/30/2015 01:37PM Last edit at 5/14/2015 03:52PM Last edit at 1/28/2014 05:57AM Last edit at 11/29/2015 01:10PM Last edit at 3/14/2011 11:52PM Last edit at 7/20/2012 04:07AM
Last edit at 6/29/2013 11:18PM Last edit at 3/19/2011 01:02PM Last edit at 3/26/2012 09:07PM

WingNut Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Save your money and don't go into debt for college
> unless you are very focused on a specific trade or
> degree. The military is a good way to go, but
> again you really have to be driven.
>
> Self educate where you can. If you are interested
> in a certain field of work, try to get an entry
> level or even an intern job there in hopes of
> getting OTJ training or put into aa night school
> program. Keep a backup plan in casae your field
> goes bust.
>
> I have a number of friends who are still paying
> off student loans and they have far less income
> and assets than me. All I have is a GED.


I have to disagree with you there, WingNut. You are the exception, not the rule. Statistically speaking, a four-year degree gives a person a much better chance of having gainful employment throughout his or her life. The odds are in your favor if you have a four-year or advanced degree. A GED may have worked for WingNut, but it doesn't work for most people...unless you want a life of minimum wage jobs.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://bible.cc/1_corinthians/13-11.htm

The Post 9/11 GI Bill pays up to the highest (public) in-state rate at any college or university, PLUS gives the vet a monthly allowance for housing at the E5 rate for the geographic location, and an additional $1000 per year for books.

The ed benefits are finally enough to actually pay for school after serving.

If you aren't sure what you want to do when you get finished with college, don't go into debt, as others have said. If you just go to school to go to school, you'll leave school or won't finish and you'll have a truckload of cash to repay.

In the current job market, you are completely gimping yourself if you don't get the four year degree. I know it seems like a long time and the last thing you want is to spend four years in a classroom (I hate that I've spent the last 13 in them) but in the long run, you'll make more money, you'll have more opportunities available to you and you'll make friends and network that will last a lifetime.

You don't get that kind of networking with NOVA or online. And there's a ton of stuff you learn in college that has nothing to do with being in the classroom.

Suck it up and do the four year thing. It'll be worth it in the long run.

sorry to break it down to you all

but a degree nowadays in the IT field is useless
its all about work experience

and if your confused read my name

I encourage higher education but not just for the sake of higher education. A lot of liberal arts majors aren't qualified for shit though and a lot of kids waste daddys money or go into debt for a degree they are half hearted about. It's scary to go to school thinking about committing your life to a field, but it's better to believe in what you are doing than to just "go thru the motions".

idontlikebeingrightaboutshitlikethisbutiam



Edited 21 time(s). Last edit at 5/31/1967 05:57AM by WingNut.

Last edit at 11/30/2015 01:37PM Last edit at 5/14/2015 03:52PM Last edit at 1/28/2014 05:57AM Last edit at 11/29/2015 01:10PM Last edit at 3/14/2011 11:52PM Last edit at 7/20/2012 04:07AM
Last edit at 6/29/2013 11:18PM Last edit at 3/19/2011 01:02PM Last edit at 3/26/2012 09:07PM

Look, if you are unsure on what you want to do then go to NVCC and get a two year degree. As long as you have a B average or above you have guaranteed admissions to any non private institution within VA along with Georgetown and GW University. Don't go to schools heavily advertised on tv b/c it's a waste of money, life, not to mention a lot of times they aren't nationally accredited. Or join the military!

WingNut Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I encourage higher education but not just for the
> sake of higher education. A lot of liberal arts
> majors aren't qualified for shit though and a lot
> of kids waste daddys money or go into debt for a
> degree they are half hearted about. It's scary to
> go to school thinking about committing your life
> to a field, but it's better to believe in what you
> are doing than to just "go thru the motions".


True. But even if you end up in a different field than what you majored in, having the degree makes a difference. Especially as you get older.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://bible.cc/1_corinthians/13-11.htm

NOVA GRAD Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Look, if you are unsure on what you want to do
> then go to NVCC and get a two year degree. As long
> as you have a B average or above you have
> guaranteed admissions to any non private
> institution within VA along with Georgetown and GW
> University. Don't go to schools heavily advertised
> on tv b/c it's a waste of money, life, not to
> mention a lot of times they aren't nationally
> accredited. Or join the military!


If an employer had to choose between a candidate with a degree from GMU or VCU and a candidate with a degree from Strayer or U of Phoenix, which one do you think he/she would hire? Damn straight it would be the GMU/VCU candidate.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://bible.cc/1_corinthians/13-11.htm

Aw, fuck it. Join the circus or the Foreign Legion. Man up already.

idontlikebeingrightaboutshitlikethisbutiam



Edited 21 time(s). Last edit at 5/31/1967 05:57AM by WingNut.

Last edit at 11/30/2015 01:37PM Last edit at 5/14/2015 03:52PM Last edit at 1/28/2014 05:57AM Last edit at 11/29/2015 01:10PM Last edit at 3/14/2011 11:52PM Last edit at 7/20/2012 04:07AM
Last edit at 6/29/2013 11:18PM Last edit at 3/19/2011 01:02PM Last edit at 3/26/2012 09:07PM

I work with a guy who does the Phoenix U shit online and he gets 100% in all of his classes for complete bullshit assignments and discussions. There are no entrance exams and as long as you've got the money to throw at them they'll give you a degree. Phoenix U and Strayer are the Discovery card of higher education. Fly by night at best.

Washington Tone-Locian nailed it in his first post. Agreed with above.

Making_stuff Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Washington Tone-Locian nailed it in his first
> post. Agreed with above.


Third. Motion carried.
2 years at nova, 2 years at GMU. All the while working towards a career you want. Get internships! You wont even have to take classes full time, so long as you are getting working experence at the same time.
Work experence counts as much as a degree. But they wont even consider you without an undergrad. A 4 year degree is a minimum requirement most places. It doesnt even matter where you went for the first 2 years, or what your degree is in for that matter.

Yahweh Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Making_stuff Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Washington Tone-Locian nailed it in his first
> > post. Agreed with above.
>
>
> Third. Motion carried.
> 2 years at nova, 2 years at GMU. All the while
> working towards a career you want. Get
> internships! You wont even have to take classes
> full time, so long as you are getting working
> experence at the same time.
> Work experence counts as much as a degree. But
> they wont even consider you without an undergrad.
> A 4 year degree is a minimum requirement most
> places. It doesnt even matter where you went for
> the first 2 years, or what your degree is in for
> that matter.


Exactly. On the resume I would suggest just putting the four year degree and the year you received it. I wouldn't even bring up NVCC. Most people won't ask anyway.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://bible.cc/1_corinthians/13-11.htm

If you are interested in an engineering program, try to get an internship at a major defense contractor. I knew quite a few students that got security clearances while they were interns, graduated and had a job waiting for them.

A couple of these students started off making around 60k a year, and within a year secured jobs at other companies making well over 100k. This is with an undergraduate degree; systems engineering is a popular degree, and some of the defense contractors pay for employees to get graduate degrees in systems engineering or operations research.


Granted, with DOD saying they are making large cutbacks, this could change overnight.

Blessed are the murderous.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/19/2010 12:00PM by eesh.

Go be a Navy Seal for four years. Travel to exciting places, undertake one-in-a-lifetime adventures, meet interesting people..and kill them.

Why are you thinking about going to Strayer or University of Phoenix? Is it 1) to get a degree? 2) is it because they have a really good training program for an area that you really want to get into, plus they have a kick a-- internship programs and a good job placement history in that area through their own job placement services? or 3) is it because it will allow you to get a degree on your schedule while you are already working in the field and that degree will qualify you to move higher up?

If it is the first, my opinion is don't bother. People with degrees are a dime a dozen these days. Given a choice between someone with a UP or Strayer degree and a comparable candidate from a traditional four year college, the 4 year person will win out.

It it is the second, and if you have really done your homework and have verified this is all true and not just the school hype, then go for it. This is what a trade school should do-fit you out with the skills that you need for your first job in the industry and then help you get that job. Just make sure that the amount of money that you are having to spend to get that education and job are worth the additional amount of money that you will earn. Some of these edubusinesses will quote you pay rates that are pretty good, but only a handful will get those rates or those rates are what you will get 5 to 10 years down the road rather than at graduation.

If it is the third, and if all that is keeping you from getting that job is a piece of paper, then the quicker and cheaper you can get that piece of paper the better. However if after getting that degree you are simply going to be thrown into the pool with every other job candidate for that same job, and you are not going to get a leg up by either being with that employer already or by having extensive experience in the field, see the answer to the first question.

There is probably little wrong with starting off in a community college rather than going straight into a traditional 4 year school. Most employers will care more about the school you graduated from than they will care about the school where you started just as 10 years out they will care more about your work experience since graduating rather than where you graduated from.

The military is a good option, but only if you are willing to commit yourself, heart and soul, to being a soldier, sailor or airman. It can be hard work, the military doesn't need dead wood, and a less than honorable discharge can close a lot of doors.

WashingTone-Locian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
>
> If an employer had to choose between a candidate
> with a degree from GMU or VCU and a candidate with
> a degree from Strayer or U of Phoenix, which one
> do you think he/she would hire? Damn straight it
> would be the GMU/VCU candidate.

If the degree was the only thing considered, perhaps. We want experience with the degree, and while the degree is important, experience carries more weight in candidate selection when we hire.

And experience can be obtained with internships.

yupper Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> WashingTone-Locian Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> >
> > If an employer had to choose between a
> candidate
> > with a degree from GMU or VCU and a candidate
> with
> > a degree from Strayer or U of Phoenix, which
> one
> > do you think he/she would hire? Damn straight
> it
> > would be the GMU/VCU candidate.
>
> If the degree was the only thing considered,
> perhaps. We want experience with the degree, and
> while the degree is important, experience carries
> more weight in candidate selection when we hire.
>
> And experience can be obtained with internships.


It depends on what line of work you go into. If you want to lay brick or fix HVAC or do some basic computer programming or IT work, by all means, do an internship. But if you want to have a career where you can earn a living without being bored out of your mind at some point or on worker's comp for your fucked up back, I suggest a four-year degree.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://bible.cc/1_corinthians/13-11.htm

Remember, the only way you get out of your student loans is feet first.

Strayer and Phoenix might be OK if you've been at company or agency X for 10-15 years and don't see yourself moving on, but are prevented from moving up.

Otherwise, go to Northern Virginia Community College, work part-time, pay your folks a couple hundred in rent, and figure out what you want to do with your life. Just don't go into debt because you "don't know what else to do." (this also applies to grad school just to go to grad school.)

This is the time to go globe-trotting, drive cross-country, etc., as well.

If you want to move out then work 40 hours, take night classes at NOVA.

formerhick76 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
>
> This is the time to go globe-trotting, drive
> cross-country, etc., as well.
>

Frankly, this is the best advice of all if you don't know what you want to major in. What's the point of spending a year earning credits that probably won't go toward what you are going to major in, anyway? If you don't know what you want to do with your life, take a year off and see the country (or world, if you have the money).

I don't recommend working full-time and taking night classes unless you absolutely have to. That's a pretty good recipe for not finishing. It can be done, but you are talking six, seven or eight years to get a four-year degree (if you finish and don't take long breaks during that time).

Loans suck, but so does not finishing. It's better to have manageable college debt than to spend a lifetime dealing with the lost income that you would have earned if you had finished school.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://bible.cc/1_corinthians/13-11.htm

YES YES YES, Absolutely good advice on the tech summer jobs and the internships. This area is replete with opportunities for PAID internships, you just have to dig through your contacts on linkedin, monster, NoVA's career center, etc. They're out there and they want to teach you, the college-bound student, how to crank out data for them!

EDIT: Also, WTL is firing on all cylinders today. Listen to this dude!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/19/2010 02:58PM by Making_stuff.

Holy cow, yes WTL!

Like Like Like!

NoVA's Fall semester starts next week. First week is free, try out some classes and stay for the whole semester if you like.

I'm about to face this issue in 2 years with one of my kids - but for different reasons. Despite my best efforts he's just not driven to excel in school, but he realizes that he's going to have to go to college. My advice to him is to go to NOVA for two years, get those core classes out of the way, figure out what he wants to do and then transfer to a 4 year university. Maybe between junior year of high school and junior year of college, the maturity will kick in and he'll bust his ass and succeed. Or not. But he'll have 2 extra years to get it in gear.

__________________________________
That's not a ladybug, that's a cannapiller.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/19/2010 03:45PM by Warhawk.

Warhawk Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm about to face this issue in 2 years with one
> of my kids - but for different reasons. Despite
> my best efforts he's just not driven to excel in
> school, but he realizes that he's going to have to
> go to college. My advice to him is to go to NOVA
> for two years, get those core classes out of the
> way, figure out what he wants to do and then
> transfer to a 4 year university. Maybe between
> junior year of high school and junior year of
> college, the maturity will kick in and he'll bust
> his ass and succeed. Or not. But he'll have 2
> extra years to get it in gear.

My biggest motivator for going to school was having to work minimum wage jobs when I was your son's age. Being around 30-something and 40-something year old people making minimum wage with no future is good inspiration for getting anyone's ass in gear.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
http://bible.cc/1_corinthians/13-11.htm

eh, im 27 and i wasted my years without a degree since i left hs. i never knew what i wanted or felt i couldnt live up to it. pretty much 10 years later im back at nova earning my college degree.

Dont do what i did... live a shitty life, a worthless one as i have for nearly a decade post HS.

FU gives away minority scholarships to Clown College for brown ppl

==================================================================================
"Why don't you LOSERS just pack your flower print DOUCHE BAGS
and get your stoopid @$$#$ THE FUCK OFF MY INTERNETZ!"

- 'philscamms' (the YT Watchdog) ; internet & YouTube® extraordinaire.

I would highly recommend learning a trade and becoming a plumber or an electrician. You can get into the field with some ease, do the apprenticeship, and get a journeyman's license in a matter of several years. If you are lucky enough to find work with a master in any either field, one that knows the technical end but is also a competent business person, you will strike gold. The benefits are endless - no matter how shitty the economy, people will always need these kinds of services and you can pretty much pick your own hours once you gain the expertise.

The other career field I would highly recommend is, no joke, a mortician. Motherfuckers always be dyin' and shit.

WashingTone-Locian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Warhawk Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I'm about to face this issue in 2 years with
> one
> > of my kids - but for different reasons.
> Despite
> > my best efforts he's just not driven to excel
> in
> > school, but he realizes that he's going to have
> to
> > go to college. My advice to him is to go to
> NOVA
> > for two years, get those core classes out of
> the
> > way, figure out what he wants to do and then
> > transfer to a 4 year university. Maybe between
> > junior year of high school and junior year of
> > college, the maturity will kick in and he'll
> bust
> > his ass and succeed. Or not. But he'll have 2
> > extra years to get it in gear.
>
> My biggest motivator for going to school was
> having to work minimum wage jobs when I was your
> son's age. Being around 30-something and
> 40-something year old people making minimum wage
> with no future is good inspiration for getting
> anyone's ass in gear.

Same with me. I spent a summer working minimum wage on a delivery truck and I learned it was the last thing I wanted to do for the rest of my life. The guys all asked if I was going to quit high school and come to work full time with them and I about fell off the truck laughing.

Did a stint at KFC and then worked 2nd shift on an assembly line at Coleco (think Cabbage Patch Kids, ColecoVision and the ADAM computer).

That was enough motivation for me.

Especially lucky since Coleco went belly up.

Went to community college, then 4yr, and finally grad school.

sdfasa Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm going to be a rising senior this year and am
> thinking about plans for after I graduate. I don't
> think that the traditional 4 year college thing is
> for me and I am looking to save some money as
> well.

Hard work is not for everyone, but there are often rewards for those who choose to do it. Many of your peers consider college money an investment, rather than an expense. Whether they are correct depends on what you choose to do afterwards.


> I was wondering if you all could give me the
> "working world" perspective and help me out some.
> As employers, what does a two year degree from
> NOVA look like to you?

Looks like one line on the education portion of a resume. No more, no less.


> Also, what about those
> online schools like University of Phoenix and
> Strayer?

Ditto.

> If someone came in with degrees from
> these schools would you throw their resume into
> the no pile just based on the fact that they went
> to NOVA or an online school?

No.

> I feel like with NOVA
> lasting only two years and the online colleges
> being, uhh... online, they are too good to be
> true. I just want to get a degree and be done with
> it.

> What are your thoughts?

My thoughts are that I need to hire the best candidate for the position, and the quality of the degree is one of the things that you bring to the table. Our best hires, meaning the ones who contributed to our company well for a long time, have been, by far, those who graduated from West Point or Annapolis and served 5-10 years before transitioning. Their degrees listed on a resume will open our doors to an interview. Those with two-year degrees tend to be hired for non-exempt staff positions: receptionists, graphical designers, programming assistants, bookkeepers. These positions are often covered with people who have experience in the areas we need filled. Good, loyal, affordable workers.

>As an employer, is a degree from a four year school necessary?

No, but when you are competing for a job against those with four-year degrees, it makes a huge difference. If college isn't your thing, look into some worthwhile professional certifications that interest you, making sure there is a demand for them first.

sdfasa Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I'm going to be a rising senior this year and am
> thinking about plans for after I graduate. I don't
> think that the traditional 4 year college thing is
> for me and I am looking to save some money as
> well. I was wondering if you all could give me the
> "working world" perspective and help me out some.
> As employers, what does a two year degree from
> NOVA look like to you? Also, what about those
> online schools like University of Phoenix and
> Strayer? If someone came in with degrees from
> these schools would you throw their resume into
> the no pile just based on the fact that they went
> to NOVA or an online school? I feel like with NOVA
> lasting only two years and the online colleges
> being, uhh... online, they are too good to be
> true. I just want to get a degree and be done with
> it. What are your thoughts? As an employer, is a
> degree from a four year school necessary?


NOVA took up years of my life, all to no avail. It's really hit-or-miss in terms of teachers, and you either end up with a great professor, or an utterly horrible one. The administration doesn't do a good job of attempting to keep their students, which is basically more so true at a four year institution.

The bottom line is that NOVA made me hate college. It's a great place to take some courses at, especially if you're going for a Masters or you need re-certification, but I'd look at places like Marymount, Strayer, or Shenandoah University if you want to get a year or two under your belt (I'm trying Marymount).

Yes, I'd also recommend Phoenix. I was impressed with their student advisors when I inquired about courses, and I know some people who've acquired degrees through Phoenix, and then successfully gone on to great careers.

You can also check-out the online and physical extensions of major four year institutions as well. UVA has one in Wythe, VA and it's supposed to be really good.

==================================================================================================
"And if any women or children get their legs torn off, or faces caved in, well, it's tough shit for them." -2LT. Bert Stiles, 505th, 339th (On Berlin Bombardier Mission, 1944).



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/20/2010 10:31PM by ThePackLeader.

ThePackLeader Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------

>
>
> NOVA took up years of my life, all to no avail.




wut

WashingTone-Locian Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> formerhick76 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
>
> >
> >
> > This is the time to go globe-trotting, drive
> > cross-country, etc., as well.
> >
>
> Frankly, this is the best advice of all if you
> don't know what you want to major in. What's the
> point of spending a year earning credits that
> probably won't go toward what you are going to
> major in, anyway? If you don't know what you want
> to do with your life, take a year off and see the
> country (or world, if you have the money).
>
> I don't recommend working full-time and taking
> night classes unless you absolutely have to.
> That's a pretty good recipe for not finishing. It
> can be done, but you are talking six, seven or
> eight years to get a four-year degree (if you
> finish and don't take long breaks during that
> time).
>
> Loans suck, but so does not finishing. It's better
> to have manageable college debt than to spend a
> lifetime dealing with the lost income that you
> would have earned if you had finished school.


I've taken years off, and in that time period I've experienced and learned more than my friends who've been in college full-time. It makes it hard to work towards underclassmen credits though, because I already know more than what they're teaching, and I feel extremely restrained. I know I'll love it all when I finally manage to get up to my Junior and Senior years of school though. I'm also looking forward to playing a collegiate sport, and in my off-time right now I'm re-training for it.

Scholarships are my key towards not owing any money as well. They have scholarships for EVERYTHING!

==================================================================================================
"And if any women or children get their legs torn off, or faces caved in, well, it's tough shit for them." -2LT. Bert Stiles, 505th, 339th (On Berlin Bombardier Mission, 1944).

We need to know your goals and interests to be more helpful. I would def do either 4 years at a university or military. You could always do ROTC and have them pay for your education if moneys a problem. Transferring from nova is fine, but I garauntee you will regret not making the friendships/connections you would at a four year institution. I would talk to your school guidance counselor. Online schools are a big no no. Save your $. You could always get a job with Fairfax county. They are relatively easy to get and can lead to a good career. You won't being living in a mansion or anything, but it is a comfortable living with great benefits/retirement. They have jobs ranging from office work to mechanics to animal control, look around. Good luck man.

Subscribe to Inc. This years Inc 500 was just published, read all of the 500 company profiles. Make plan, work plan, be happy.

It really is that simple.

Who is going to run the (your) show for the next 45+ years?

Find a niche. Fill it.

You don't have to make millions, you've got to be happy and enthused. The rest will come.

Need a unique niche?

Be a door to door cat-litter salesmen/ delivery man for old ladys who have cats.


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"Why don't you LOSERS just pack your flower print DOUCHE BAGS
and get your stoopid @$$#$ THE FUCK OFF MY INTERNETZ!"

- 'philscamms' (the YT Watchdog) ; internet & YouTube® extraordinaire.

You could always do what i did.... go to nova and fuck up to the point where your GPA is under 1.0 and around .56

or you can just go to nova, take some classes you might be interested and take general ED classes along with it. trust me, time flys by so fast. I took 5 classes this past summer semester and you know what? Monday begins the fall semester.

i dont know if what im majoring is what i enjoy, but im going to go for it. the way i see it, having a degree with atleast open up more opportunities than not having one.

regarding U of P and strayer, you're going to spend more money there than between nova and GMU/VCU/VT/ODU (basically all of VA colleges aside from UVA, W&M)