General > General Technical Chat
US Student Seeking Education Advice
zapta:
--- Quote from: dannyf on September 20, 2014, 04:48:52 pm ---The difference between a bachelor's degree and an associate degree is minimum and is a waste of time to do both.
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+1
And the value of a bachelor degree is much higher (think of it as an enlisted vs. officer).
IanB:
--- Quote from: dannyf on September 20, 2014, 04:48:52 pm ---The difference between a bachelor's degree and an associate degree is minimum and is a waste of time to do both.
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But it is absolutely not a waste of time to continue on from an associate degree and convert it into a bachelor's degree if you can carry over the credit and not start again from scratch. A bachelor's degree is much more valuable.
You can't go straight from an associate degree into a PhD program, so that should not even be suggested.
JoeO:
--- Quote from: dannyf on September 20, 2014, 04:48:52 pm ---I would finish your degree at the community college and go for a masters or a phd.
The difference between a bachelor's degree and an associate degree is minimum and is a waste of time to do both.
If you really like engineering, go to a good school. UNC in your state, or Georgia Tech next door. A lot more choices further north but they tend to be snobby and coming from a school they don't understand puts you at a disadvantage.
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People may read this at a future time and not realize that all 4 sentences are totally incorrect.
Spilly:
--- Quote from: tggzzz on September 20, 2014, 03:29:40 pm ---Whan I've been an interviewer, I've always looked for someone that asks interesting questions, goes out and does more than necessary simply because they enjoy it, has understood the practice and theory of whatever they have done, worked out what they would do better next time. Note that the specific technology isn't mentioned in there, because all specific technologies have a finite lifetime that is shorter than your career.
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In such a situation how big of a factor is a person's degree? For example a bachelor degree in Electrical Engineering vs Electrical Engineering Technology?
dannyf:
--- Quote ---WCU offers a 2+2 ECET program
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Engineering schools are very much like business schools in that if you don't get into the top programs, you might as well don't go, assuming that you want to do some thing good in engineering.
I would aim a little bit higher, and play up your "un-usual" background - poor background, bad schools, difficult life, volunteer works, etc. You just have to remember that those academia types are extreme liberals and you have to play that card to your advantage.
Another angle is to go into a cross-disciplinary area, like engineering for medical devices, etc. If you have the right background, you can greatly enhance your chance of admission that way.
I would also think about what programs you want to get in, and start correspond with the professors who have research focuses on those areas. It will help you a lot in admission.
There aren't a lot of good engineer programs in the US, particularly in the southeast. Aside from UNC and Georgia Tech, some areas at NCState (semiconductor materials) are good too. Going further north, Hopskins, VTech, Carnegie Mellon, Pittsburgh (bio engineering), Drexel, Columbia, MIT, UMass or maybe Cornell are your best bets - there are some very good private engineering colleges in Mass but they are expensive and without the right pedigree, it is difficult to get in.
Going west, you have WashingtonU, Illinois, Purdue, Michigan (expensive for out of state students), and of course a bunch of CA schools - super snobby, particularly if you don't have the right background.
I would focus first on public schools in your state, and then public schools out of your state, with limited efforts on private schools that you really like.
The key is really to think from the schools' perspectives and make you fit their criteria. Once you are in, you have a lot more freedom to do whatever you want.
If you are a white male or Asian, you have a handicap in this game and you have to double your efforts to even the odds, unfortunately.
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