Hiyas. I've been attending a local technical school for the last 4 months. My experience has not been, shall we say, top notch. It seems that the hardware is sub-par, the teaching not too informative and the hands on labs are always fraught with hardware/software problems that ruin any learning experience. The school is a decent one in the area and is quite reputable. My question is, Do you think its worth the 18k for one of these schools? I'm beginning to think I can buy myself another computer or two and order the study materials and do it at home with the same results. I know it all depends on how what enviroment you learn best in, but just as a yes/no question, do you think technical schools are really worth the money?
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Are technical schools really all that? 2
- Thread starter Natecl
- Start date
As with everything, it depends on the school and the individual. One benefit you get that you do not get if you study at home is job placement. This could be critical especially if you are changing careers. But there are good and bad tech schools and good and bad instructirs at all tech schools. If you beleive you have been misled about the school you are attending, talk to their mamnagement about the problems you are having and about the lack of effectiveness of particular instructors.
Many people are not capable of the discipline necessary to study at home. And it is hard when there is no one there to answer questions when you get stuck. For other people this is not a problem.
However, I think many hiring officials would tend to be more interested in tech school grads than people who studied at home for their entry level positions. Especially if the person did not get any outside source to show they had learned something such as a certification.
Frankly in your case, I would look at those messed up labs as your opportunity to learn troubleshooting. This will come in handly in the real world, believe me.
It may also depend on what you are studying. If you are studying networking a network with many computers on it such as the one at the school willhave many more problems available for you to study than a small 2 or 3 computer netowrk at home. If you are studying programming, the at home model seems more feasible to me as you can create sample programs to show off your skill level. You can also probably find some charities that you can do some programming for and have those to show off as professional references. I think it is harder to do this for networking.
Of course, at one point in my career, I taught at a tech school, so you can take my advice with a grain of salt.
BTW the hardware and software are subpar at many companies too. Might as well get used to that.
Questions about posting. See faq183-874
Many people are not capable of the discipline necessary to study at home. And it is hard when there is no one there to answer questions when you get stuck. For other people this is not a problem.
However, I think many hiring officials would tend to be more interested in tech school grads than people who studied at home for their entry level positions. Especially if the person did not get any outside source to show they had learned something such as a certification.
Frankly in your case, I would look at those messed up labs as your opportunity to learn troubleshooting. This will come in handly in the real world, believe me.
It may also depend on what you are studying. If you are studying networking a network with many computers on it such as the one at the school willhave many more problems available for you to study than a small 2 or 3 computer netowrk at home. If you are studying programming, the at home model seems more feasible to me as you can create sample programs to show off your skill level. You can also probably find some charities that you can do some programming for and have those to show off as professional references. I think it is harder to do this for networking.
Of course, at one point in my career, I taught at a tech school, so you can take my advice with a grain of salt.
BTW the hardware and software are subpar at many companies too. Might as well get used to that.
Questions about posting. See faq183-874
I started at a tech school, but it got upgraded to university by the time I gradudated.
I did notice difference when they started preparing to be a university, however the teaching was excellent and I don't regret that I did it.
This particular school however did (in 1997) quote an avg starting salary of $43k (for AZ good money for graduate) and about a 98% placement rate (they do not count people who started their own businesses or were placed in non-field related positions as being successfully placed).
However I agree with SQL sister. It depends on the school. There are some tech schools I wouldn't even consider.
I did notice difference when they started preparing to be a university, however the teaching was excellent and I don't regret that I did it.
This particular school however did (in 1997) quote an avg starting salary of $43k (for AZ good money for graduate) and about a 98% placement rate (they do not count people who started their own businesses or were placed in non-field related positions as being successfully placed).
However I agree with SQL sister. It depends on the school. There are some tech schools I wouldn't even consider.
- Thread starter
- #5
Thanks for the comments. The school is decent as far as tech schools go in my area. The job placement here is ok i suppose but nothing is guarenteed. According to the job placement worker here, she says I'll have no problem finding a job with my skills and personality. I just don't know if she can offer me something I can't do myself. I am convinced I can train myself at home as I have done home learning before with great success. So you guys think tech schools give an edge in this game or do you think it comes down to the person more. I believe it comes down to your desire and natural abilities. Well at least thats the thought I'm moving forward with.
Nate
Nate
Learning at home is certainly commendable, but it is a cold, hard fact that a prospective employer will be less impressed than a guy who has a diploma, even if the school that gave it to him is crap.
I live in France, near the Luxembourg border. I am fully bilingual, having lived 12 years in the US. I also have been dabbing in computing since the first 8086 came out. When I was rid of my military obligations and ready to find a job, I had a diploma in accounting, and plenty of hands-on PC experience. I am sure that I knew more about PCs and how they worked than many people using them in offices all around. Yet, I could decently not put "self-trained in PC hardware" on my resume.
I did a few years of night courses in Computer Science, and got another diploma for that. Then, all of a sudden, I had job offers in computing come to me. I have been profiting from this double-certification ever since (some employers somehow find a programmer with accounting experience more serious than someone who is "just a programmer").
What I mean to say with all this is that you should definitely learn at home, but be wary of trying to build a career out of it. I believe that most employers are going to prefer someone with a paper from an institution - even if that institution is not actually all that interesting.
Of course, once you have a few years experience, that will count more than your diplomas.
Pascal.
I live in France, near the Luxembourg border. I am fully bilingual, having lived 12 years in the US. I also have been dabbing in computing since the first 8086 came out. When I was rid of my military obligations and ready to find a job, I had a diploma in accounting, and plenty of hands-on PC experience. I am sure that I knew more about PCs and how they worked than many people using them in offices all around. Yet, I could decently not put "self-trained in PC hardware" on my resume.
I did a few years of night courses in Computer Science, and got another diploma for that. Then, all of a sudden, I had job offers in computing come to me. I have been profiting from this double-certification ever since (some employers somehow find a programmer with accounting experience more serious than someone who is "just a programmer").
What I mean to say with all this is that you should definitely learn at home, but be wary of trying to build a career out of it. I believe that most employers are going to prefer someone with a paper from an institution - even if that institution is not actually all that interesting.
Of course, once you have a few years experience, that will count more than your diplomas.
Pascal.
Also, beware the person that says "There are no guarantees but I can tell you will go far". While it is pleasing to hear, all this really means is "I'm not guaranteeing anything, give me money".
It's a fairly common sales pitch in many product areas, tell the customer you can't gusarantee anything, but then tell them they wouldn't need the guarantee anyways because they are special. If they were truly sure about tat, then there would be a guarantee attached to it.
Just my two cents (i'm on a bitter kick the last couple months, sorry
)
-T
It's a fairly common sales pitch in many product areas, tell the customer you can't gusarantee anything, but then tell them they wouldn't need the guarantee anyways because they are special. If they were truly sure about tat, then there would be a guarantee attached to it.
Just my two cents (i'm on a bitter kick the last couple months, sorry
)-T
i would bewarily about school stating 98% employment rate...they always fudge the numbers. i went to similar school and it cost me small fortune, but it took me 2-1/2 months of job searching before i landed a job (this was in 1999, hot job market). most employers are looking for experience...credition from a school mean squat to them. if it's too be good to be true...mmm?
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GL
Tk
be a volunteer
GL
Tk
GlenJohnson
MIS
A lot depends on the teacher. The tech school I went to had a gent teaching the classes I was taking who was actually on the team that wrote W2K. Needless to say he had insights you can't find everywhere. He taught W2K pro and W2K server. I passed both MS tests on the first try, and was given my MCP after passing the first one. The third class was taught by someone I swear went to a cram session school. I was teaching him things. I did not pass the test for the class he taught. I went out, bought more study guides, set up a home network and have learned more from real hands on than the second instructor ever could. Between a home network with a server and a few clients, the study guides and such, I've gotten a lot farther along than the third class ever taught me. Good luck.
Glen A. Johnson
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TTinChicago
Glen A. Johnson
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TTinChicago
they all suck
buy a book and $100 walmart PC
your'e done
George Walkey
Senior Geek in charge
buy a book and $100 walmart PC
your'e done
George Walkey
Senior Geek in charge
and as to the school not having the latest and greatest hardware and software, that's a good thing.
Once you get into the real world, you'll hardly ever get to play with that stuff...
In most companies the management gets the latest and greatest and the IT department gets the old machines that noone else wants.
In one place we were using 386s while the beancounters were getting new PIIs. Their Pentiums were handed down to people with 486s, which went to people with 386s which we got...
Once you get into the real world, you'll hardly ever get to play with that stuff...
In most companies the management gets the latest and greatest and the IT department gets the old machines that noone else wants.
In one place we were using 386s while the beancounters were getting new PIIs. Their Pentiums were handed down to people with 486s, which went to people with 386s which we got...
jwenting: In every place I've worked tach staff always had better computers than everyone else.
As to technical schools - I've noticed they talk a good game but fail miserably at educating students. I'm responsible for hiring interns and I'll take a real university grad over a tech school grad 9 times out of 10.
As to technical schools - I've noticed they talk a good game but fail miserably at educating students. I'm responsible for hiring interns and I'll take a real university grad over a tech school grad 9 times out of 10.
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- #13
As an employer of technical individuals in all area of IT, my experiece is that in reviewing job candidates, the money spent on technical schools is much better spent on a good community or state college, if you your not wealthly. Focus on getting an education in basics such as english, math and some technical skills, but do not go totally technical.
Why?
IN the real world, if you want to get beyond blue collar masquerading as a white collar job, it is your speaking, wrting, and anlaytical skills combined with communications styles that get you ahead.
Why?
IN the real world, if you want to get beyond blue collar masquerading as a white collar job, it is your speaking, wrting, and anlaytical skills combined with communications styles that get you ahead.
ahead to where?
the top where no work is done?
George Walkey
Senior Geek in charge
the top where no work is done?
George Walkey
Senior Geek in charge
MasterRacker
New member
If you make more money, who care's if work is getting done? [LOL]
Jeff
The future is already here - it's just not widely distributed yet...
Jeff
The future is already here - it's just not widely distributed yet...
MasterRacker
New member
I for one, would be delighted to earn twice as much for half as much work. Better yet, winning the lottery would mean no work at all...
Jeff
The future is already here - it's just not widely distributed yet...
Jeff
The future is already here - it's just not widely distributed yet...
langleymass
MIS
There are a lot of bad technical schools, or at least there were. Fortunately, a lot of them are also out of business now.
That's an excellent article on this subject, but it's at least three years old. That's when I first read it. I honestly don't know how long it has been up.
That's an excellent article on this subject, but it's at least three years old. That's when I first read it. I honestly don't know how long it has been up.
Do both, get the Diploma to fill the 'college' requirement and get as many Certs in areas that interest you through self study. On my resume I list my college first then numerous certs like this
Cisco Certified Design Professional, Self-Study
The best of both worlds. And the pile of certs just keeps getting higher so I can display a continual effort and self motivation.
Cisco Certified Design Professional, Self-Study
The best of both worlds. And the pile of certs just keeps getting higher so I can display a continual effort and self motivation.
langleymass
MIS
I don't think many employers care about how you got the certification. They only if you have it. Of course, most of them don't care about the certifications at all.
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