Going Back To School

[thatonethere]

The economy is getting really bad, and I no longer feel like there is job security anymore. This has been a long standing trend in this country, therefore, I feel like it's time for me to go back to college. I have never had the desire to work for anybody, and working for someone is wearing thin on me to the point where it is killing me. With that being said, what nationally accredited schools have an online degree program in business with an emphasis in entreprenurship? I chose this program because I'm a fast learner and my experience with a four year university lead me to believe that for the first two years, I was basically paying to repeat high school. I've done quite a bit of research on available schools, but I'm running into a dead end when I try to find something nationally accredited. Does anybody have any suggestions or advice?

[Chreees]

So you're looking for an online school? Be aware many of those are not accredited. Basically for an accredited school you'll have to go to a four-year college... Also, in the workplace only four-year college degrees are actually taken seriously in most situations.

I would also like to add that here at MTSU some classes are offered online but they're an extra $900 PER class...

I guess what I'm trying to say is... You basically have to physically GO to school...

[Tyler]

[quote name='INCUBUSRATM' date='12 July 2010 - 10:43 PM' timestamp='1278988989' post='474847']
So you're looking for an online school? Be aware many of those are not accredited. Basically for an accredited school you'll have to go to a four-year college... Also, in the workplace only four-year college degrees are actually taken seriously in most situations.

I would also like to add that here at MTSU some classes are [b]offered online but they're an extra $900 PER class...
[/b]
I guess what I'm trying to say is... You basically have to physically GO to school...
[/quote]


Really? Online classes at FSU were cheaper than on campus lol, guess it depends on where you go/which class you take. I would reccomend going to a state college/community college (note state means something like Cincinnati State, FCCJ, ect not Ohio State, Florida State, Oklahoma State lol) for your first two years, usually you'll learn more, quicker, for less. Most of these schools are built around adults with full time jobs and offer many classes online. Make sure you take a foreign language early as to not save it for your later years when you're taking your hardest classes.

[indian_villager]

I just got out and can't find a job.

[thatonethere]

[quote name='Tyler' date='12 July 2010 - 10:17 PM' timestamp='1278994665' post='474856']
[quote name='INCUBUSRATM' date='12 July 2010 - 10:43 PM' timestamp='1278988989' post='474847']
So you're looking for an online school? Be aware many of those are not accredited. Basically for an accredited school you'll have to go to a four-year college... Also, in the workplace only four-year college degrees are actually taken seriously in most situations.

I would also like to add that here at MTSU some classes are [b]offered online but they're an extra $900 PER class...
[/b]
I guess what I'm trying to say is... You basically have to physically GO to school...
[/quote]


Really? Online classes at FSU were cheaper than on campus lol, guess it depends on where you go/which class you take. [b]I would reccomend going to a state college/community college (note state means something like Cincinnati State, FCCJ, ect not Ohio State, Florida State, Oklahoma State lol) for your first two years, usually you'll learn more, quicker, for less. Most of these schools are built around adults with full time jobs and offer many classes online. Make sure you take a foreign language early as to not save it for your later years when you're taking your hardest classes.
[/b][/quote]

^^^ I've done this already, and I've completed most of my generals (except math). I felt like all of my time was wasted and I should have done online school to begin with. Too bad I was too busy being a snob to see that valuable shortcut, and thinking that online school isn't "real school". I have a friend who received her MBA at University of Phoenix. I looked into that school, but good jebus....it's expensive, plus I feel like going to school to get a job, especially in middle management, (which a lot of these schools offer degrees that lead towards that kind of employment) is pointless. I already have a job plus I detest middle management because when the shit hits the fan, they are the first to be fired, plus the job seems more like being a mushroom due to the lack of communication between upper management,the people above them, and the people under you, causing middle management to be surrounded in shit (the mushroom phenomenon). Besides, I'm fed up with working for other people.

I think my main thing is that I want to start my own business. I know what I want to do, and how to do it,it's just really hard to get the right connections (suppliers).

[Chreees]

University of Phoenix:

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/education/phoenix.html

http://www.epinions.com/review/educ-Colleges_and_Universities-All-University_of_Phoenix/content_182477753988

Plus, I have friends who said the credits do NOT transfer and if you decide to like go get your masters or something, no university will take your University of Phoenix degree seriously. Also I've heard employers won't either, but you're wanting to start your own business, so that may not matter to you... Buuuuut, what if you have a lot of trouble starting your own business and need to work for somebody to get the money to start your business? Basically what I'm trying to say if nobody LIKES working for somebody. But it's usually where a lot of us have to start and/or end up doing it for the rest of our lives. Most employment situations you're going to be working for somebody.

[thatonethere]

[quote name='INCUBUSRATM' date='13 July 2010 - 10:21 AM' timestamp='1279041684' post='474901']
University of Phoenix:

[url="http://www.consumeraffairs.com/education/phoenix.html"]http://www.consumera...on/phoenix.html[/url]

[url="http://www.epinions.com/review/educ-Colleges_and_Universities-All-University_of_Phoenix/content_182477753988"]http://www.epinions....nt_182477753988[/url]

Plus, I have friends who said the credits do NOT transfer and if you decide to like go get your masters or something, no university will take your University of Phoenix degree seriously. Also I've heard employers won't either, but you're wanting to start your own business, so that may not matter to you... Buuuuut, [b]what if you have a lot of trouble starting your own business and need to work for somebody to get the money to start your business? Basically what I'm trying to say if nobody LIKES working for somebody. But it's usually where a lot of us have to start and/or end up doing it for the rest of our lives.[/b] Most employment situations you're going to be working for somebody.
[/quote]

I checked out the links and that is exactly what I was afraid of. University of Phoenix wasn't even a choice for me simply because it cost so much. There are some employers out there who will accept the online degrees, (as long as they are nationally accredited). Yes, it is necessary to work for somebody (this is obvious). My business plan doesn't require a whole lot of money because I plan on running it from home, eventually making enough funds to replace my job or exceed my current earnings. I'm not planning on dumping everything and jumping head first into the whole thing. Plus it doesn't hurt to have a degree to fall back on, especially if its related to what you love doing.

[Chreees]

Yep. I thought about changing my major to business, because I took a simple Intro to Business class and had never felt more in my own element. Buuuut, I'm already so far into my EMC Production major that it'd tack on another year or two of school. I just wanna get out of school, as quickly as possible. From people I've talked to, it's having a degree which is important, not necessarily what the degree is in (unless you're trying to get a very specific job which requires a very certain degree). So... I'm just wanting to get the damn degree and get out and work SOME kind of job that pays more than what I'm stuck doing now (front desk agent at a hotel making $7.75 an hour).

[Jeff_T]

I graduated with a business degree in May 2009 and still haven't found anything... I've been thinking a lot about going back to school, but I'm not sure if I should just continue on and get either an MBA or MS in Finance or if I should start over again and pursue an engineering degree (I def. should have done this in the first place). I know this doesn't really add any substance to the discussion, just thought I'd post it.

Back on topic, I understand you'd like to get a degree and eventually be your own boss/own your own business, but to me it makes more sense to just keep the money you'd be spending on school and use that as investment into your own business. It would def look good if you go back to work for someone else and have that degree/mba, but if you're working for yourself, does it really matter? There are a lot of entrepreneurial business course you could take, but I wouldn't really see the point. I'm assuming since you want to start a business you already have an idea, etc of what it's going to be. Maybe some general business courses would be better suited for you, to just give you the complete overview. After going to school for 4 years, with 2 being solely in a college of business, I can say I did learn a lot, but I also knew a lot of the information already (maybe just not technical terms or theories, but the overall gist I already had). My case may be completely different that yours, but I think some general courses (beginning marketing, accounting and mgt) and you should be set. Sorry if this comes off sounding strange at all, I guess I might be a little bitter about the "real world" realization that was never covered in any course material. I'd say with your work experience and maybe a few courses you'd be just as well off to tackle your own venture as someone with a degree, just my opinion though...

[thatonethere]

Jeff,
This is something I've considered as well. I definitely understand why you feel the way you feel. And yes, I think maybe some general courses surrounding business just might be my best bet. My one hang up about college is that there were a whole lot of hoops I had to jump through, and a lot of them were complete bullshit (having to spend a good portion of my day to visit several departments to get signatures, only to find out that I need to make an appointment to see someone who is booked all the way up until 2 weeks from the day I started the signature search..grrr). Sometimes I felt the whole experience was to teach people how to jump through hoops and deal with bureaucratic bullshit without questioning or protesting about it. And at the end (depending on your situation) you're stuck with thousands of dollars of debt, only to be told that you don't have enough experience when you apply for the job in your field of study.

I'll check into some general courses, and take some time to continue adding the finishing touches to my business plans,anaylizing anything conflicts and finding ways to fix them.

[Venger]

honestly unless your going to school to learn how to do something all a degree says is your willing to put up with 4 years of doing what you are told. If you know what you want to do and know how to do it a degree will do you no good. Save your money and invest it in your new endeavor. I wish you luck. I hate working for the man.
Ray

[Skoozle]

I agree with the thought of skipping school and starting the business sooner rather than later.

With school, you are willing to invest two things; time and money.

Try to look at your situation and figure out if your business would be more sucessful in five years if you invested the same four years and X,thousands of dollars into starting and building your business, or if you went to school and then ran your business for a year while carrying the school debt.

[Scoop]

not everyone is cut out for running a business and some people find satisfaction with a stable "9 to 5".

its hard times. i have a degree and 3 years of experience and its been a nightmare trying to find anything. however i feel that dumping money into a business endeavor is just as much if not more of a waste of money. i guess it depends on where you live, but the rent for commercial property in los angeles is pretty insane for anything in a decent area so you better have a damn good business plan with a shit ton of money to stay afloat for a year. plus everything here is trend based and trends pop up quick and die hard. theres a yogurt place on every block now a days and cupcakes and bakeries are at the end of their road (unless they are ultra famous, even "sprinkles" isn't what it used to be).

[Dr. B]

the mentality that a 4-year program isnt worth anything except to prove that you can deal with somebody else's BS is not applicable in this scenario. For some degrees this is true. Poly Sci comes to mind. For others, the purpose of the degree is to show that you have been exposed to and have theoretically mastered the necessary skills required to perform in a field. Why that statement of purpose is not trivial is because of the increased propensity for success in the realm of business. For example, almost anybody with a sense of gain and loss can run a cash-basis business. However, the business is inherently limited by the restraints of such a simple bookkeeping system. If the issue of financing presents itself, the more-educated people giving money away are going to be expecting you to describe your business in their language. You are predisposed to success rather than failure with a business education.

A good litmus test to see if your degree plan actually requires schooling is the amount of professional certifications available. Lawyers, Teachers, Accountants, Financiers, Doctors, and Engineers, for instance, all typically require some sort of certificate of capability in order to practice successfully.

All that being said, I'm not too familiar with online degree programs. Sorry.

[thatonethere]

Scoop:

My business plan is going to be online, so I won't have to deal with paying for a brick and mortar location. My house is a decent size, and I can dedicate a portion of a room for inventory. I definitely don't want to jump head first into a business without having any money saved up. That's the same as jumping into a shallow pool head first. The plan is to gradually phase out my current employment until I can continuously suppliment my current income and acquire enough to save like there's no tomorrow (mostly to account for paying state and federal taxes). I want to continue working at my current job and go to school at the same time. I already have a business plan worked out (I've put many years into it) and it would be incredibly awesome to have the education to make sure I have a complete understanding of how to work out the kinks.

Dr B:
[b]"For others, the purpose of the degree is to show that you have been exposed to and have theoretically mastered the necessary skills required to perform in a field. "

[/b]It's funny you should mention this. People in middle management have degrees in business, but a lot of them suck. There's a reason why middle management is the first to go when a company goes through hard times....

Buuuut, I understand what you were saying in your post, and I don't think a bank would be willing to offer a business loan to someone without an education in that field. Plus I will have to know the ins and outs of business accounting, marketing, etc. I would love to get a degree with an emphasis in E-commerce. That would definitely be right up my alley!

I guess my problem is that I'm impatient. When I was in college, I felt like I was paying to repeat high school for the first 2 years. The curriculum didn't challenge me AT ALL. Some of the textbooks were the same as the ones I used in high school, which was two thousand miles from where I went to college! The only thing that was difficult was math. I understand all of the concepts, but I became extremely frustrated because I can explain what I'm doing, and get the correct answer. I remember one instance where the professor was so scatterbrained,that he filled the board up with the process of how to properly solve an equation. I asked him how he got that answer because I got something different. He completely erased the board and had everybody start over because he was wrong. I thought my answer was wrong, but it turned out it was correct. I was pissed because this happened quite a bit. Here I was with a couple pages of notes and I had spent hours outside of class trying to make sure I could follow him step by step only to find out that I had to start all over and unlearn what I just learned. It drove me nuts!!!! I would spend a lot of time after class in the Math lab to get tutored, but the tutors had no idea how to help me. I found out later that a lot of professors in the math department had been reassigned to other areas of the university or quit due to poor student reviews. I figured out that I learn a lot better at my own pace and on my own.

Yeah, my university experience sucked ass, and that's why I have the attitude you mentioned above. I know and understand that my experience won't be the same as other people have had. Don't get me wrong. I appreciate any and all input on the subject otherwise I wouldn't have posted the thread. I would like to find a program that suits me and is fully accredited just in case my business dies (because businesses have a tendency to fail in 3 years or less) and I have to find a job. All in all, I want a solid back up plan to fall back on and I still want to do something fun.

I hope that makes sense.

[Dr. B]

That being the case, grab the accounting and finance degree plan sheets from a local accredited university and shop the bookstore for textbooks that coincide with the courses you would be taking if you were enrolled. Many of the fields I mentioned above can be self-taught. I had to learn all of my upper-level accounting by myself because we had retired professionals rather than qualified instructors teaching us. It's just kind of expected with some fields. Continuing with the accounting example: you won't be able to, say, sit for the CPA exam but you'll learn enough to get the edge you desire. marketing, economics, and management are not as practical and therefore not as necessary as finance or accounting, as far as the small-business environment is concerned.

I'm not around much right now (on vacation) but if you want to rap about this sometime I feel as though I could teach you a few things.

[thatonethere]

Thank's for your input Dr B. I'm looking forward to talking to you more on this subject, and I will check out some finance and accounting degree plan sheets in the future. Edited July 21, 2010 by thatonethere

[Tyler]

Go for a humanities degree, lots of money in that field....[img]http://www.hookahforum.com/public/style_emoticons/default/774_smiley_getting_kicked_in_the_balls.gif[/img]

[thatonethere]

[quote name='Tyler' date='21 July 2010 - 10:15 AM' timestamp='1279728929' post='475852']
Go for a humanities degree, lots of money in that field....[img]http://www.hookahforum.com/public/style_emoticons/default/774_smiley_getting_kicked_in_the_balls.gif[/img]
[/quote]

Philosophy here I come!

lmao. rIIIIIght.

[thatonethere]

oops. double post

Edited July 22, 2010 by thatonethere

[liquidglass]

Well I graduated with my BBA in Trust and Wealth Management and then got my MBA in 2 years, could have done it in a year but too much work while holding down a job. It honestly just depends on your situation. There are many people who have succeeded without degrees but you have to be willing to take the brunt of people being bothered by it when you start out. You can do one of two things.

Either go back to school

or follow Henry Ford. If you know where to purchase knowledge, you don't need to have it all yourself.

[Moovey]

Yeah, I guess someone in my neighborhood got boned over on a college scam. Be careful.

[thatonethere]

Yeah, a lot of the "online schools" are fake, and just want money. I've done a lot of research regarding going to one of them, and I think I might be wasting my time with choosing something that might not be accredited. For the time being, my decision is to grab hold of current college textbooks, and study on my own.

[bailing]

These are the top 10 universities:
Kaplan University AIU Online Phoenix University South University Liberty University Devry University Ashford University Baker College Online Strayer University Boston University Online
Hope it will helpful for you!

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