In a pretty lousy situation, thinking about transferring to Thomas edison state college

[Guest hydropie]

Hi everyone, I'm new to the forum but I have a few burning questions whether Thomas Edison is a good option for me. I saw another thread on the school a while back so I thought I might ask.

 

First of all I am a student at the university of washington majoring in chemistry, I am actually in my senior year right now but here's the problem. I am extremely unhappy with what I'm doing. I take that back, I am actually miserable. I started out studying engineering but didn't like that, so instead of dealing with the highly competitive department, I just decided to switch to chemistry since I had so many math and science credits stacked up. On top of that I have gotten to the point where the difficulty of the classes is just becoming too much. I just feel so discouraged and I dont know how much more I can take. I've failed a few classes already and am retaking some now with some bad results. I'm just reaching my breaking point. If I am unable to pass my classes in a major that I don't care for, then I don't think staying at my university will due me any more good. I am thinking about whether I should just transfer my credits to thomas jefferson and walk out with a bachelors degree right away.

Ive come to realize that I wanted to practice marketing and entrepreneurship. In fact I am working at a startup right now and really determined to start my own business one day. At this point, the only thing I care about is walking out with a degree right away, doesn't matter what because I understand that the degree is mainly used just as a gate keeping device and that most employers dont really care about what degree you have beyond the fact that you have one (with the exception of technical fields).

One of the books that greatly influenced me was "The Education of Millionaires" by Michael Ellsburg which talked about the declining value of the college degree and how self driven education and practical skills will determine ones success in life as opposed to a degree.

 

Sorry for the long post but I wanted to collect some opinions on whether TESC is a good option in the light of my situation. In the long term I would like to start my own business and practice entrepreneurship. In the mean time right after graduation, I plan on working in sales until I can get things set up. Also, is having a degree from an online college like TESC going to reflect poorly on me? Will this create a stigma toward employers? because I know that most big corporations are picky about the degree.

 

Thanks

[aggieamy]

I own an engineering business so I understand the love of entrepreneurship BUT what are you planning on starting your company in? To do that I feel you need a strong background in whatever field you want to practice. It isn't an easy fun job most of the time. It's like a regular job but 500% harder and you are responsible for how it turns out.

 

It sounds like you are in a tough situation. I would NOT get a degree from an online university. That is something I would consider worthless. I would take a semester off and figure out what your passion is. It's possible you have a passion that you can pursue and turn into a business without a degree or maybe you can figure out what you want to do and get a degree that will help you follow that passion.

 

What do you enjoy doing the most? What are your hobbies? What have been your favorite classes? What type of books do you enjoy reading?

[Guest hydropie]

Thanks for the response. I don't have a business idea yet but I know of many prominent entrepreneurs such as Eben Pagan, Tim Ferris, and Dane Maxwell who preach about finding your target market prior to having your business idea. I hope to find it soon.

As for TESC, I thought about using that as a last resort plan in case my current quarter at my university doesn't work out. I'm very reluctant to extend my graduation at this point.

As for my interests, like I said I am very interested in marketing. I spend much of my time reading business books and watching interviews online of successful entrepreneurs such as Joe polish, Dan kennedy, etc. I consider myself to be a much better communicator/writing oriented person as opposed to being technical/detail oriented which is why I would like to pursue sales in the short run.

[Barbara H]

My strong suggestion is that you meet with an adviser on campus. Tell them where you are and what you are considering. If you are a senior you are nearly there. Try to break down exactly how many credits you have to finish and figure out what it will take to make it happen. Within your current situation there may be more options than it appears right now. Often times there can be some wiggle room. One thing I've seen some students in your situation do is opt for a self designed major - some eclectic combination of work they've already completed rolled into a major with a senior project. Maybe you could take courses pass-fail, some independent study or online courses. Colleges want to graduate students - especially when they've come as far as you have - go to the people who have the power to help you. If you don't get good help from the first person, see another. If you want to make it in business you need to be able to persist and this is a good time to work on that.

 

Two articles that you may find interesting. http://www.theatlant...oorer/273628/��

 

http://www.businessi...op-outs-2012-10

[Candid]

Infamous double post.

[Candid]

I also agree that you need to talk with folks on campus. I'd suggest going to two different people.

 

First, I would go to my academic counselor and talk this all out with whoever that was. You are not the first person to learn that STEM classes have put you in over your head. An academic counselor can tell you what majors you could switch to that you could do quickly and would still get you a job.

 

Next, I would also go to the career counseling center and have them do some testing with you to find where your interests and personality lie. Work from that to figure out what areas you might find a job in that you from your point.

 

Integrate these two perspectives to figure out what to do next.

[Wheres Toto]

Thomas Edison State College is a fully accredited public college. It is part of the NJ state university system. It's not a diploma mill like Phoenix or some of the others. I have a degree from there and I've never had a problem when looking for employment.

 

That being said, TESC is for adults. At least when I "attended", you needed to be 24 years old (there may be an exception for military). The work is also not easy. I spent many years at traditional universities - both public and private - before finishing up through TESC and in a lot of ways it was harder. You have to be very disciplined to meet deadlines and complete work without the regular interaction of going to class to kick you in the butt.

 

It sounds like you should explore what it is you really want to do, what kind of business you may want to start, look into developing a business plan so you really know what is needed, and then see what kind of education would be most beneficial to your situation.

[creekland]

I'm with Candid and Barbara. I suspect you can do what you want (with a different degree) right where you are and it will look better than a transfer so late in the game. Plus, many schools (not sure about Edison) want you to do so many credits with them in order to issue a degree. It's not always easy to transfer as a senior.

[Barbara H]

I took a quick look at the websites of some of the authors you mentioned and I am concerned with the information you may be getting. $80,000 a month in passive income with a totally hands off business that requires no management. Trust me if that's how it worked we'd ALL be doing it. Maybe it would be a good idea to try to identify some adults locally who have the sort of businesses you are interested in and see if you can set up an informational interview to get a little reality check on what you've been reading.

[Mnemosyne]

I highly suggest you read The Millionaire Fastlane and check out their forums before making any solid decision towards/against college. To go to college just to go, especially if you want to start your own business, is frankly a waste of time and money.

 

The above mentioned book/message boards have totally changed my philosophy towards businesses and have really helped me succeed as a business owner.

[creekland]

Read this thread and the full article in it too:

 

http://forums.welltrainedmind.com/topic/456884-the-myth-of-the-successful-college-dropout/

 

I'm not against folks wanting to go into business at all (our main income comes from hubby's business), but dropping out of college to chase after it is akin to buying a lottery ticket. Since you are so close, getting that degree (probably in a different major) can't hurt and could help if you end up needing a job that requires a degree (many, many do).

[creekland]

I took a quick look at the websites of some of the authors you mentioned and I am concerned with the information you may be getting. $80,000 a month in passive income with a totally hands off business that requires no management. Trust me if that's how it worked we'd ALL be doing it.

 

 

That sounds a bit like the definition of a scam actually. I know several successful business folks who own businesses from professional firms to fast food franchises. Some are quite wealthy - VERY wealthy. All have chosen to send their kids to college even if they later join them in the business. None get 80K/month in passive income with hands off on their part.

 

If one ends up with that, it really is more like hitting the lottery. I know far more lottery losers (tons IRL) to major winners (none IRL). They exist, of course, but the odds certainly aren't in the prospective's favor. Having a back up plan is good.

[regentrude]

I highly suggest you read The Millionaire Fastlane and check out their forums before making any solid decision towards/against college. To go to college just to go, especially if you want to start your own business, is frankly a waste of time and money.

 

That may be a valid decision BEFORE starting college, but the OP is almost finished with college. Dropping out in senior year is a bigger waste of time and money than finishing the degree and then doing something else.

[G5052]

That may be a valid decision BEFORE starting college, but the OP is almost finished with college. Dropping out in senior year is a bigger waste of time and money than finishing the degree and then doing something else.

 

Yes, frankly I'd finish the degree. I work as an independent contractor for multiple clients, and the majority of my work is not directly related my undergraudate majors. That said, my clients want a bachelor's degree or higher. It doesn't matter what it is in, they just want it.