Would you go back to school?

[Airhog]

Here is the situation I have. Below I have lay out some of the pros and con's of the situation. Given the pro's and con's would you go back to school? I am current weighing my options. If I do go back, I would pursue a degree in Computer science, which is the same field that I currently work in.

Pro:
I work for a division of an online education company that offers free enrollment in a degree program, so the cost to me would only be my books, and my free time.
My wife is currently attending a b&m institution, me becoming a student would help her qualify for more assistance.
Some of the courses sound very interesting, and I think I would enjoy taking them.
I would learn a few new languages and tools in the process.
It would make me a better developer in the process.
I would be able to get a bigger tax break for any education expenses I do occur.

Con:
The university is not nearly as prestigious as going to a 4 year b&m school. The impact on my resume would be small, because of the prestige of the school, and I will have 6+ years of experience by the time I graduate. (And who wants to work for a company that won't hire you because you don't have that piece of paper, even though you have many years of experience)
I already have an AAS in a different field. I have a feeling that even though I have similar general ed coursework, that it may not apply, but I am not 100% sure about this yet(So I may have to re-take gen ed stuff).

[flere-imsaho]

IMO, your pros outweigh your cons, especially as I disagree with "who wants to work for a company that won't hire you because you don't have that piece of paper" - which I assume means a B.A.

I've worked with plenty of great people who don't have a B.A., so I'm not suggesting everyone needs to get a B.A. because of what they might learn. I think you just have to accept that tons of companies are using it as a filtering device, and you needlessly hamstring yourself in the job market by not having one.

And, in the same vein, this is why almost no one will care that you got your B.A. from a "non-prestigious" school because you already have experience.

Essentially the B.A. is to get past HR so that you can present your experience & skills to the hiring manager.

[Young Drachma]

IMO, your pros outweigh your cons, especially as I disagree with "who wants to work for a company that won't hire you because you don't have that piece of paper" - which I assume means a B.A.

I've worked with plenty of great people who don't have a B.A., so I'm not suggesting everyone needs to get a B.A. because of what they might learn. I think you just have to accept that tons of companies are using it as a filtering device, and you needlessly hamstring yourself in the job market by not having one.

And, in the same vein, this is why almost no one will care that you got your B.A. from a "non-prestigious" school because you already have experience.

Essentially the B.A. is to get past HR so that you can present your experience & skills to the hiring manager.

This.

Nothing worse than getting passed over for a gig, simply because you don't have the bachelors hoop out of the way. Get it while you have the opportunity, because while it's just a formality and you might not even learn that much through the process, it'll save you hassle later..even if you're managing to get by fine now without it.

[Pumpy Tudors]

IMO, your pros outweigh your cons, especially as I disagree with "who wants to work for a company that won't hire you because you don't have that piece of paper" - which I assume means a B.A.

I've worked with plenty of great people who don't have a B.A., so I'm not suggesting everyone needs to get a B.A. because of what they might learn. I think you just have to accept that tons of companies are using it as a filtering device, and you needlessly hamstring yourself in the job market by not having one.

And, in the same vein, this is why almost no one will care that you got your B.A. from a "non-prestigious" school because you already have experience.

Essentially the B.A. is to get past HR so that you can present your experience & skills to the hiring manager.
I agree completely. I absolutely love the company I work for, and my experience trumped my B.A. since the B.A. is in an unrelated field. I wouldn't have even been considered if I didn't have the degree, though. I think flere-imsaho is right on the money with this.

It also sounds like you're going to have fun earning this degree, and there's no excuse for passing up some fun. I say yes.

[flere-imsaho]

The only real downside is that this wouldn't be a B.A. at a B&M university, so you couldn't spend your free time chasing hawt young co-ed tail. Oh wait, you're married. Forget I said anything. :D

[Lathum]

I went with no. If you have your associates it doesn't seem you would have to go to a BM school for to long to get your BA, which despite your feeling it is a fact people with their BA make more money. It seems like the coursework may interest you and it is free, I just think you need to see if the time spent will be worth the reward at the end. If it is to gain some skills at your current job and take courses that interest you then great, but IMO if I am going to invest the time I would rather get the degree that is actually going to mean something.

[Galaril]

I would say definitely get the degree done. I went back to school in my mid thirties and got my MS in Information Security and it was why I got my current CISO job. Personally, I would not hire a person with a 2 year degree regardless of experience over someone with 4 year degree and slightly less experience to be honest.

[Airhog]

I went with no. If you have your associates it doesn't seem you would have to go to a BM school for to long to get your BA, which despite your feeling it is a fact people with their BA make more money. It seems like the coursework may interest you and it is free, I just think you need to see if the time spent will be worth the reward at the end. If it is to gain some skills at your current job and take courses that interest you then great, but IMO if I am going to invest the time I would rather get the degree that is actually going to mean something.

One caveat. I recently planned out a degree from B&M in Computer Science, It would have taken roughly the same time (4 years, 8 semesters) to get my degree even with the degree. this was because I only had the non math and science classes that could transfer, something like 5 classes.

[Lathum]

One caveat. I recently planned out a degree from B&M in Computer Science, It would have taken roughly the same time (4 years, 8 semesters) to get my degree even with the degree. this was because I only had the non math and science classes that could transfer, something like 5 classes.

Ahhh, that changes things.

[Lathum]

dola- FWIW I based my vote on thinking you would be able to finish a 4 year degree quicker. As someone who is 34 and graduating college in a few months I would never tell someone to not get any form of education, no matter how long it takes or how old they are. A degree is an invaluable tool.

[finkenst]

Airhog,

Definitely go back to school. Can't argue with free tuition.

Also, i'm near the same boat as you. I have 15 years of experience in my field (network/network engineering) and am returning to school to complete a Bachelor's.

It's not a matter of getting HIRED at a place that values that piece of parchment but it gets you in the door. Especially in this economy.

best regards,

--tim