Okay, I am an inspiring programmer who wants to eventually get a bachelors degree ASAP and need some advice!
I am currently going to a tech school that is incredibly easy but I am just sticking with it so that I can finally get my first degree, an associates degree in programming. After this is done, I want to continue and get a bachelors at a real school with a reputation, possibly Universty of Washington. But now heres the problem, I don't graduate from this tech school until October meaning the earliest I can start somewhere else is January or March of 2004, or possibly worse yet, not until Sept 2004. I'm beginning to wonder if there is even a point in finishing at this tech school. Originally I would say yes because I would think I could get a programming job with an associates so be in better shape once I finish the bachelors, but I'm beginning to think in this day and age with the economy being bad that the associates might be worthless. Another plus to sticking at this school would be possible transfer credits, but since its a tech school I'm beginning to wonder if ANYTHING will transfer at all, and nobody at any of the universities will tell me. I just get form letters back saying "once you apply and get accepted we'll take a look at your previous classes at the beginning of your first year with us". Argghhh.. very frustrating.
Anyways here is what I've figured as the pros and cons to sticking with my tech school:
PROS: Get an associates and possible job, increase my GPA (which I admit is abysmal due to a failed college career 5 years ago), learn more about programming that is documented and could possibly be used as credit. Learn some stuff that I probably wouldn't spend the time to learn on my own (like Unix! )
CONS: Costs money - unfortunately lots! Makes me enroll in my next school at a later date than I would like. Spend many hours each week in a class learning nothing (not always true, but most of the time) when most of my learning comes from self-teaching.
So I don't know what I would do. I would like to drop the tech school I'm at but I'm just too afraid of making a rash decision that could end me up worse off than if I just stuck with it. Any advice?