Are Associate Degrees from a community college worthless?

Brandon_k_W · Post by **Brandon_k_W** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 9:15 pm

I read somewhere that they are. I hope it isn't true. Pursuing for an A.A. in Architectural Drafting/Design. Do employers frown upon job seekers that have only attended community college or something?

Post by **YeOldeStonecat** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 9:18 pm

Worthless? No. Yet realize some schools are recognized as better than others.

Brent · Post by **Brent** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 9:20 pm

Community College is a great starting place if you plan to transfer to a University for a BS.

Having an AA from an CC is better than not, they will really frown upon just a HS diploma.

Also you get the benefit of receiving book smarts, the raw knowledge and learning is obviously beneficial over not having it.

It is not worthless.

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 9:21 pm

College Dips are useless.
Uni on the other hand, shows the prospective employer what a real azzkisser you realy are.
My college Dip, honors grad, outstanding student corp award did absolutly NOTHING for me
You might as well be diggin a ditch with qa shovel, at least then you may get some respesct

edit, my Nefew with his college engineering degree and then uni enginering dip and all that chit ain't got nothin on me, except a big paycheck, I can outsmart him around the clock, but when it comes to gettin the job, a Uni degree beats all

cyberskye · Post by **cyberskye** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 9:32 pm

When I interview folks, I view an AA as a technician candidate and a BS/MBA as a mgmt candidate. Doesn't mean someone can't work through the ranks, but the rounded education 4-year degree gives you says something to me.

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 9:43 pm

cyberskye wrote: but the rounded education 4-year degree gives you says something to me.

Azzkisser no brains follower who can't think for themselves.
I ain't met a uni degree yet that can out smart me or out work me

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 9:51 pm

And for a prospective employer, knowing you went to Uni and have a rediculas debt load, they know you will tow the lline and be a good little robot long enuff to pay off the student loans and interest.
Only having a college degree shows that you are nothing more then some welfare mom who was forced to upgrade in the hopes of getting you off the welfare roll.
The corporate world is a bullchit place.

Loonatic · Post by **Loonatic** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 9:55 pm

Ill be getting my Associates degree after one more semester from a Community College, but this is a credited college. It has one of THE best, if not the best law enforcement program in the state of Michigan. Should be graduating with a 3.4~ GPA. I can move on to get my bachelors (but I dont need it to get hired).

However, jobs in Michigan, even for police, is scarce and dwindling. Im considering moving out of state, such as Florida or Georgia. Hate to move away from the family but the economy in Michigan is just horrible.

MadDoctor · Post by **MadDoctor** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 10:21 pm

Check with the school. They might keep track of graduates for advertising reasons. I know of one school where the “just about to graduate” seniors had multiple job offers to choose from months before they were set to graduate.

Depends on the quality of the school and the AA degree you’re going for (is it in demand or not).

Prey521 · Post by **Prey521** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 10:28 pm

Chris, you sound as if you've been beat out at quite a few jobs by some fellers with fancy lerned edumacations

jz82 · Post by **jz82** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 10:46 pm

Depends on the degree. A lot of BS degrees are virtually worthless (art history, russian history, philosophy, anthropology, etc.) and a Masters or PHD becomes necessary to find meaningful employment, probably as a professor of the same subject. Don't get me wrong, they can all be interesting subjects...but I don't think students realize that spending 50-100K on an education that leaves them with little in the way of specific skills is a questionable move. Then again, a lot of these people probably don't have to survive in the same world as most people...they'll get a well paying job through connections, become a housewife, etc.

An AS degree will prevent you from automatically being excluded, although you'll still lose out to people who have more paper.

Loonatic · Post by **Loonatic** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 11:08 pm

jz82 wrote:

An AS degree will prevent you from automatically being excluded, although you'll still lose out to people who have more paper.

Which is just retarded.

RoscoPColtrane · Post by **RoscoPColtrane** » Tue Apr 04, 2006 11:18 pm

hopefully they aren't WORTHLESS, im getting mine from CCAF soon, community college of the air force. I don't expect it to impress as much as some thats why im also working on a bachelors WHILE doing it. eventually i will have both.

Kinda funny because i came out of tech school about half way done with my CCAF! WTF! tech school was only 4 months long!

cyberskye · Post by **cyberskye** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 9:21 pm

jz82 wrote:Depends on the degree. A lot of BS degrees are virtually worthless (art history, russian history, philosophy, anthropology, etc.) and a Masters or PHD becomes necessary to find meaningful employment, probably as a professor of the same subject.

Only if you want to stay in the field you studied. The broader range of subjects covered in a BA/BS gives a different perspective. AA/AS is generally considered similar to technical training - not a lot of stuff off-topic from the degree. Unless your job description is completely technical (programming) you will always have to learn on the job - demonstrating that you can do that is more important than a degree.

I majored in cosmology, got a part time job installing software routers, moved into database work, then a little web and am now middle mgmt at a sw company.

Theoretical physics to systems integration is a leap.

A_old · Post by **A_old** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 9:28 pm

I have a 2 year from a decent school in Computer Science. It didn't get me anywhere (nor did I expect it to), so I transferred into a 4 year Uni (SPSU), which was a step down, really...then I stepped up to GaTech, graduate in December..can't wait and I already have a job waiting. No, I didn't know anyone. I interviewed in as an intern, still working there and they like me.

Chris · Post by **Chris** » Wed Apr 05, 2006 9:34 pm

Prey521 wrote:Chris, you sound as if you've been beat out at quite a few jobs by some fellers with fancy lerned edumacations

Nah. my age has most to do with it, I was 39 when I graduated and thats bad for the business world, because you can think .
tHE OTHER QUESTION i CONSTANTLY GET IS, DID WORKMANS COMP OR WELFARE PAY FOR YOU TO GO BACK TO SCHOOL? When I payed for it myself, because I wanted it.
That is why I finally went to work for myself doing what I like. To heck with employers
Just most uni grads I've met don't know their azz from a hole in the ground'
But they wear their little school ring and people snap to attention.

SpareX · Post by **SpareX** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 1:14 pm

There are a few CCs that have reps better than the local Unis.. But you need to do alot of research and ask around.. find out from local hiring agencies, or even with the HR dept of a possible future employer.. Almost all CC credits will transfer to a Uni..

a buddy of mine got a General Studies 2yr degree from a CC, then went to a Uni, picked a major in computers, and didn't have to deal with anymore college lvl english, history, or other 101 garbage cause he did it all at an easier place, the CC.. that is a common practice from what i'm seeing as of late.. so your not paying 10k a year for english.. your paying 1k for it.. (estimates, not exact, give or take another billion dollars =p )

Up here in CT, MCC (Manchester Community collage) is widly looked at as a major game up here.. a good education from there can get you into alot of doors, but in computers.. Certifications mean more to most employers.

Wanna be the boss? get all the certs you can, then goto a 4yr for Business managment, you'll get IT manager spots quite nicely..

David · Post by **David** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 1:49 pm

John wrote:Chris is right, Universities pump out a good number of asskissing corporate climbers. (Just what the companies want though.)

HA HA HA HA <off to the bank> HA HA HA HA

AA degree then RDH and start at 35-40 USD/hour.

Roody · Post by **Roody** » Thu Apr 06, 2006 2:09 pm

Loonatic wrote:Ill be getting my Associates degree after one more semester from a Community College, but this is a credited college. It has one of THE best, if not the best law enforcement program in the state of Michigan. Should be graduating with a 3.4~ GPA. I can move on to get my bachelors (but I dont need it to get hired).

However, jobs in Michigan, even for police, is scarce and dwindling. Im considering moving out of state, such as Florida or Georgia. Hate to move away from the family but the economy in Michigan is just horrible.

I hear ya man. I had to move to Florida in late 2003 because of the job situation in Ohio.

cho · Post by **cho** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 2:05 am

Mine got me into University as long as my gpa was over 2.5. Something that isn't very hard to do. Career wise it depends.

Oh yeah, plus all my courses transferred over so I went straight into 3rd year.

stevebakh · Post by **stevebakh** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 6:53 am

John wrote:Chris is right, Universities pump out a good number of asskissing corporate climbers. (Just what the companies want though.)

Wow, where are these opinions coming from... what's university like in the USA? Where does the "asskissing" part come in? Over here, you go to uni, you work your ass off, normally full time ed, with a part time job to get you by, with the addition of the student loan. Why the asskissing? Either you know the material and you do well in practical assignments and do well in exams, or you don't. Right?

Lefty · Post by **Lefty** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 7:10 am

I think they are as good as you make them and the job market can handle. What good does a doctorate in CS help me if I live in a remote area that only has construction jobs. I have an AS CS. I got me a job, the degree showed I had some disipline. Sure a BS would have been better, but I would still have to get the job. Interviewing skills and a good track record get the job. I have gotten a job requiring a BS before without one. Alot of it depends on what the job market will take.

Post by **YeOldeStonecat** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 7:22 am

Chris what university were you exposed to? I couldn't disagree any more about all those views.

The corporate game is the corporate game..that has barely anything to do with universities.

IMO, based on my experiences, doing your years at a university is a big part of your growing up experience, some important years in "the game of life".

My opinion, no matter what degree you pull out of it...overall the average person comes out with more knowledge on life, the ability to do better in more situations. Yes some careers nearly mandate a degree in that specific major, but many other jobs...coming out with some more generic degree is still beneficial. I believe, on the average (I know there are exceptions)...overall it rounds out the persons education.

"Most uni grades don't know their azz from a hole in the ground"...I can't disagree anymore. "wear their little school ring and people snap to attention"...I haven't seen school rings paid any attention to since a few of the sports jocks back in high school. "employer knows you'll stay long enough to pay off your loans." I don't see that either...the loans don't take long to chop down after graduation...I'm sure that varies from person to person, but the percentage is small, and I don't see that as being a concern of the potential employers at all. Some of us worked our way through school also.

I have the feeling that some people have the view of all universities as being stuffy ivy league type schools. My years of that...I didn't experience that at all.

David · Post by **David** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 9:39 am

stevebakh wrote:Wow, where are these opinions coming from... what's university like in the USA? Where does the "asskissing" part come in? Over here, you go to uni, you work your ass off, normally full time ed, with a part time job to get you by, with the addition of the student loan. Why the asskissing? Either you know the material and you do well in practical assignments and do well in exams, or you don't. Right?

It rightly depends on the school and what the student wishes to get out of it.

YARDofSTUF · Post by **YARDofSTUF** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 9:55 am

Chris wrote:Azzkisser no brains follower who can't think for themselves.
I ain't met a uni degree yet that can out smart me or out work me

So then why are u doing odd jobs while people with uni degrees are making a living sitting at an office?

aagiants · Post by **aagiants** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 10:14 am

Hell_Yes wrote:It rightly depends on the school and what the student wishes to get out of it.

This is very true. Im finishing my 3rd year at a Major Public Uni, and some people can take the easy way out while getting good grades and not learn much, its not that hard to do. In my case, i never go to lecutes (unless they take attendance) i read the book a few days before the test, get an A, and move on happily to the next class.

If you plan on getting ur associates, just transfer to a Uni to get ur bachelors. (this is how the people at my school gets 4.0 gpa, they take all the hard classes at CC or we have sattelite campuses, and get A's)

A_old · Post by **A_old** » Fri Apr 07, 2006 10:22 am

when i transferred from gainesville college to southern polytechnic, i lost 10-15 credit hours...from SPSU to GaTech, it was around 30. I had to redo a year, basically and when I'm done, it'll have taken me 5.5 years

worth it tho..even w/ the 4 year unis, some are better than others and it's known. it is not a waste of time. i learned a lot at this school, where my first two schools taught me nothing about development.