cost of college

Santapez

Well-Known Member
Team MTBNJ Halter's
Personally I think college tuition today is obscene. Depending on your major or field of study it doesn't have to be expensive, even today. Granted, I'm an old fart so college was "cheap" back then but since I had to pay my own way through college I had to find the cheapest or least expensive way possible to get the best education I can. I worked part time to earn my tuition money and I lived at home. I only had 1 goal in mind and that was to get my engineering degree. Not to live the college life or to join a frat. No, I had a 1 track mind and that's to get a degree. So what I did was for the first 2 years I went to a community college to get an associates degree in engineering. I made sure that upon graduation I was able to transfer all the credits to an accredited 4-year college where I could earn a bachelor's degree. Keep in mind that it doesn't matter where you start, it only matters where you finish. As an engineering major no matter what engineering discipline you're going for (mechanical, electrical, civil, chemical, etc.) everyone takes the same basic fundamental courses (calculus, physics, chemistry, etc.) in the first 2 years of school. Kinda like pre-med before you go to med school to specialize in what area of medicine you want. Since 2 plus 2 equals 4, water boils at 100°C, and when you combine sodium with chloride you get salt whether you're in a community college or at MIT it doesn't matter where you learn the basics. In fact my Calc 2 professor in my community college also taught the exact same class at Rutgers and he said to us that we're the smarter ones because we're paying a lot less to learn how to differentiate equations than the students at Rutgers. So I graduated with my associates degree with no college debt and transferred 100% of the credits to NJIT here I majored in Mechanical Engineering. Still working part time I graduated 2 years later. I wasn't making enough at my part time job to pay the full tuition at NJIT so I had to take out student loans but it was only for 2 years and with the money I was making I was able to keep the loans low. I lived at home to keep the cost low. So I guess my point is if feasible and when available don't overlook the possibility of starting at a community or county college if your main focus is getting a good quality education with a marketable degree. Again, it doesn't matter where you begin. Only matters where you finish.

100%
 

tonyride

Don't piss off the red guy
I'm a NYU grad, but my company foot the bill. I just went back to school at Stevens just because...
I also got my graduates degree from Stevens but that's only because work paid for it. I couldn't afford the $65K/year they wanted.
 

tonyride

Don't piss off the red guy
Im not saying its the preferred method...But when I wanted to go to college no way my mother could afford to pay for it (she sent my sister to Pratt) so I knew from day one whatever my costs were, I was paying for it. Because of this, I did things a little differently....I mean at the time im sure I whined no fair no fair...But nobody gave shit...So I could either not go to school, or figure something else out. So few things I ended up doing

Really thought about what I wanted to do rather than just go to school to hang with my friends and party...which hey, im sure I missed a few great parties, but NJIT was 99.9% dudes anyway.
Soon as I could, I found a job doing ANYTHING I could in an actual engineering firm...drafting, making blueprints, etc... By doing this I learned something important...MANY of my bosses and coworkers went to NJIT...And nobody seemed to hold it against them that they didnt go to Stephens, MIT, etc. This has carried on now through several companies....Where it seems that if you know what you are doing, people want you. So while I finished CCM and got accepted to Lehi...I decided to save a BUTTLOAD of money and go to NJIT.
Having to pay for every class...I sure as hell didnt screw around a fail any of them.
Taught me some great lessons about spending money
In the end, my sister had a dump truck on money spent on her education and has spent the past 20 years trying to find a job and has worked for about 3 of those years and lived off my mom for the rest. I ended up with a total of $15,000 in loans after scholarships, couple of tuition reimbursements at jobs I worked at (CCM I worked and paid for myself)

So while im saving for my kids college...there is no way its going to be some blank check and go fuck off for 4 years on my $100,000...not a chance. I dont feel the slightest bit obligated to fund his education. Nobody funded mine and I thank my mother every time I see her for it. I learned some great life lessons from it.
This was me nearly to the T. Since I was paying my own way through school I knew that every class I missed I was wasting all the work I did to pay for that class. This was the best lesson my parents ever taught me, how to respect money. Kids today don't respect money because it comes to them so easily and I know I'll get some heat for it but the parents are to blame. Many parents give their kids money (in different forms like cash, stuff, etc.) but that actually hurts the kids. Of course you need to give them what they need but giving them whatever they want will never teach them how to respect money. You can never give them enough because they'll always want more. The best thing to do is to teach them how to make their own money so this way they'll never run out. This way they'll be self sufficient and won't be a financial drain on you. Education starts at home. BTW, my kid is going to West Point.... I hope. Get a great education, guaranteed job, serve the country, and no loans to pay back. Winning!!
 

rick81721

Lothar
BTW, my kid is going to West Point.... I hope. Get a great education, guaranteed job, serve the country, and no loans to pay back. Winning!!

Good luck but I hope you have a backup plan, getting into WP is about as difficult as Princeton. Is grandpa a general?
 

tonyride

Don't piss off the red guy
Good luck but I hope you have a backup plan, getting into WP is about as difficult as Princeton. Is grandpa a general?
No, grandpa isn't a General but neither was my cousin's grandpa and he graduated from there. I'm fortunate enough to have a job where I got to know enough of the right people to help with that. Of course my son will have to be qualified (academics, character, willingness, drive, determination, etc.) but if that's what he wants to do then I'll be able to help him with that.
 

tonyride

Don't piss off the red guy
BTW, I'm not bashing any 4-year colleges or universities. If the parents can afford to send their kids there then by all means send them there. Congratulations on being able to do that. I'm just suggesting there are other alternatives from personal experience for those who don't have the financial means or limited financial means to do that and still get a good quality education in a marketable field. Money should never be a reason or excuse for not going to college and college should not be such a financial burden to the parents and/or students that it affects them for the rest of their lives, including the parents' retirement.
 

Monkey Soup

Angry Wanker
These days a college diploma is required on your resume to get you an interview, the rest is what you know and soft-skills. For certain technical fields, the real learning happens in graduate school. The most important thing a 4-year college can do for you is have a good intern or job-placement program, this gives you a leg-up on the “ what you know” part. Ivy League schools are good for networking, the “who you know” and that narrows things down to Harvard, Yale, or Princeton. I work with quite a few folks that are Ivy League educated, they don’t make any more (in some cases less) than my state-school educated ass.
 

rick81721

Lothar
BTW, I'm not bashing any 4-year colleges or universities. If the parents can afford to send their kids there then by all means send them there. Congratulations on being able to do that. I'm just suggesting there are other alternatives from personal experience for those who don't have the financial means or limited financial means to do that and still get a good quality education in a marketable field. Money should never be a reason or excuse for not going to college and college should not be such a financial burden to the parents and/or students that it affects them for the rest of their lives, including the parents' retirement.

Agreed. My point was don't just assume your kid is going to get a free ride and therefore you don't have to save anything to help him out. BTW how old is your son?
 

tonyride

Don't piss off the red guy
Agreed. My point was don't just assume your kid is going to get a free ride and therefore you don't have to save anything to help him out. BTW how old is your son?
My son only just turned 8 so he's got a long way to go but I've already started "teaching" him on some basic life lessons. It's a lot easier to fix a child than it is to fix a teen and impossible to fix an adult. BTW, I do have a plan B in case West Point doesn't work out so I am saving up for his college tuition. If he does get in to West Point or any of the other Military Academies then great, I get a new boat and a lake house.
 

tonyride

Don't piss off the red guy
Oh, I forgot to mention trades schools. Don't overlook trade schools. I know people who never went to college but have marketable skills and are making serious money well into the 6 figures. College isn't for everyone and trade schools are grossly under rated.
 

Bike N Gear

Shop: Bike N Gear
Shop Keep
My son only just turned 8 so he's got a long way to go but I've already started "teaching" him on some basic life lessons. It's a lot easier to fix a child than it is to fix a teen and impossible to fix an adult. BTW, I do have a plan B in case West Point doesn't work out so I am saving up for his college tuition. If he does get in to West Point or any of the other Military Academies then great, I get a new boat and a lake house.

I just have to laugh at the fact that you think your now 8 year old will have any interest in West Point in 10 years. Maybe he will, but I’m not sure if this is any different than the t-ball dads planning their kids career on the Yankees.
 

JimN

Captain Wildcat
Team MTBNJ Halter's
you can make lots of money being a consultant to parents and kids too lazy to do this on their own.

We paid a financial aid consultant to help with the paperwork. It wasn't very expensive, and the guy was very knowledgeable. No idea if it really helped or not though.

we visited Lehigh and not only is it hard to get in (<20% acceptance rate), they are pretty expensive.

I went to Lehigh because of the couple of schools that I was choosing between, they gave me the most money. I wouldn't rule out a school based on how expensive it is until you see how much help you'll get.
 

tonyride

Don't piss off the red guy
I just have to laugh at the fact that you think your now 8 year old will have any interest in West Point in 10 years. Maybe he will, but I’m not sure if this is any different than the t-ball dads planning their kids career on the Yankees.
Yes, it is quite funny and a long shot which is why there's a plan B. There's nothing about him today that suggests he'd be a good fit for the military academy unless playing Roblox is a prerequisite or have any interest other than he's dad's encouragement. But neither did any of the past graduates when they were 8. It never hurts to plan early and if he does then great. If not, that's fine too. But West Point was just a side note from the main intent of this topic which is that college doesn't have to be expensive. We just let it be sometimes.
 

qclabrat

Well-Known Member
These days a college diploma is required on your resume to get you an interview, the rest is what you know and soft-skills. For certain technical fields, the real learning happens in graduate school. The most important thing a 4-year college can do for you is have a good intern or job-placement program, this gives you a leg-up on the “ what you know” part. Ivy League schools are good for networking, the “who you know” and that narrows things down to Harvard, Yale, or Princeton. I work with quite a few folks that are Ivy League educated, they don’t make any more (in some cases less) than my state-school educated ass.
What the Ivies do best is get you in the door, after that it's what they can do and no one gives two shits about entitlement. I'll be honest, I've hired and brought into projects someone just because they had Columbia on their resume. On the most part they are at least on par with my expectations, but there are always a few which I can't believe were let in.
 

qclabrat

Well-Known Member
We paid a financial aid consultant to help with the paperwork. It wasn't very expensive, and the guy was very knowledgeable. No idea if it really helped or not though.



I went to Lehigh because of the couple of schools that I was choosing between, they gave me the most money. I wouldn't rule out a school based on how expensive it is until you see how much help you'll get.
wow, so many high IQ people here
Jim, if you remember the person, can you PM their name?
 
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