College Advice: Is my Idea a bad idea or a smart one?

"JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!" (jqj213)
09/30/2015 at 16:26 • Filed to: None

As most all of you know, I do not like living in Florida. As tempting as going to the local community college is, I do not have at least another two years in me. The schools I want to go to out of state cost a small fortune, and for the business degree I want to get, I can’t justify it. I had this idea the other night and wanted to know if it’s clever or just plain stupid.

The first step involves graduating high school here. That isn’t going to be a problem for me. I’m on track to graduate like every other kid and may even have done enough specific courses to get a higher tiered diploma.

Next step would involve moving up to New Jersey. I have family there and know some people so it wouldn’t be too bad. My grandma (who I would be staying close to) is right next to a rather good community college. This would be my plan:

1) Stay in New Jersey for 1 year to gain residency. During this year I could get a full time job and actually save some money up.

2) Go to this local community college for two years.

3) Using the community college’s DE program, I can earn credits and then transfer after two years to the school I wanted to get into

4) Attend The College of New Jersey for only two years due to credit transfer.

Doing this would save me a lot of money. The in-state bonus alone saves me around $10K a year. But staying at the community college for two years would in theory save me about $30,000. And I would also have worked for a year and hopefully made some money doing a full time job.

Is this just a terrible idea? Am I crazy? People say that I’m too smart to waste my time at a community college, but in all honesty I don’t see the point of going into debt to pay off student loans; especially when no jobs are guaranteed anymore. I want to try and take one of the cheaper alternatives and get out of Florida.

Obviously there is risk in waiting a year to go to college. I could lose interest entirely or render all of my hard work in AP and DE High School courses useless. But, on the flip side, if I get a good job out of high school, I might only need to do two years at the local community college....

Thanks for your feedback and input.

DISCUSSION (57)

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
09/30/2015 at 16:29

Finding a full time job in NJ is very hard...trust me. That being said, TCNJ is a great school (fucking drop dead amazing cafeteria). What local college would you go to in NJ first?

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
09/30/2015 at 16:31

I really like TCNJ. I like the size and location. My mom is also a graduate.

It would be Mercer Community College more than likely.

And honestly even if it isn’t full time, if I can save anything up its a plus

Spaceball-Two > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
09/30/2015 at 16:32

My advice. Try and get past the sticker shock of a 4 year school. Student loans are easy to obtain and low rates and payment amounts when it’s time to start paying them back after you graduate.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
09/30/2015 at 16:36

I say go for it honestly.

PushToStart > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
09/30/2015 at 16:40

I can’t tell you what is/is not a good idea. What I will say is that you seem to have your head in the right place, and you’re taking the decision (and its long term effects) seriously, so good on you.

My advice is to continue doing what you’re doing, which is considering and evaluating your options. Think about what works for you and your family, and what feels right for you. The plan you mentioned above sounds reasonable and practical, and if that’s what feels right to you, then think about it a little more to make sure, and if you are sure, go for it. But that’s only for you to decide, so I can’t definitively tell you “yes or no.”

TLDR: Keep thinking. If it feels right to you, it’s a good idea. If it doesn’t feel right, then don’t force it.

punkgoose17 > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
09/30/2015 at 16:40

It sounds like a good idea to me. You can also possibly start at the community college your first year in NJ. You would pay higher tuition though since you do not have established NJ residency.

Your boy, BJR > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
09/30/2015 at 16:45

JOIN US

Kinja'd!!!

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Your boy, BJR
09/30/2015 at 16:46

*fist pump

*club music

*hair gel

ONE OF US

ttyymmnn > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
09/30/2015 at 16:47

It sounds like a solid plan, if you can stick with it. The danger is that you will get to NJ, not be able to find work, and be no farther ahead than when you started. I’m not trying to dissuade you, just making sure that you are looking at all the possible pitfalls. My first step would be making sure you have a place to live, and not so much for the year you’re working, but for the time you’ll be in school. If all those things are in place, go for it. Making a dramatic change takes a lot of courage, and you have to do it for the right reason, not just because you want to get out of town. Taking the first step is the hardest, but as long as everything is in place, you should be good to go. Good luck.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
09/30/2015 at 16:48

Go for it, my wife is a TCNJ alumn and it’s an awesome school. I went the route you did, I went to Raritan Valley Comunity College then went on to Stockton University which saved me a shit ton of money.

MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
09/30/2015 at 16:50

I’m not anti small school or community college (I grew up in NJ and know a ton of people who went to county college of Morris)

Just go. If you do the transfer you’re degree will be from TCNJ (take a look at Rutgers too my man!) not from Mercer Community.

I graduated from Michigan State University and I even took 1 accounting course at County College of Morris over the summer while I was at home to get ahead.

Never had to tell the jobs I was applying to that I did a course at CCM. No reason to.

Seriously though, if you have aspirations in business. GO. Whether it legitimately prepares you or not, without it you won’t go far in business, I know it’s stupid but you need it.

Also. Student loans are of course available, you don’t pay on them until you stop going to school, and when you graduate the interest is tax deductible when you do your federal tax deductions.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts.
09/30/2015 at 16:52

My mom graduated TCNJ and my Dad graduated Rutgers.

I just love the size and location of TCNJ

I’m just a thrifty person. And I don’t want to be stuck paying off student loans for many years

wkiernan > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
09/30/2015 at 16:52

Going to community college for the first two years is an excellent idea. People who tell you that you are too smart for a lowly community college do not have a realistic idea of what all you learn in classes during the first two years as an undergraduate. Maybe university classes are better once you get to the high-end and graduate-level classes, but you probably won’t be taking any classes like that as a freshman or sophomore; at that level there’s no significant difference in the subject matter and the community college might actually be better than a big university for some of those classes. E.g. I took calculus I/II at the local community college (back then it had an even more demeaning name, it was called a “junior college”) with about twenty or twenty five students in the class and we got personal attention from the instructor, whereas if I had taken calculus I/II at the nearby four-year university I’d have sat in a lecture hall with about 150-200 students and never met the instructor in person at all, and of course the substance of the lessons was no different.

As far as moving to New Jersey, that’s up to you to choose. I’ve lived in Florida for over fifty years now so I certainly understand why you’d be hot to boogie outa this fuckin’ nut-house. The down side is that you will get out of college a year later, which might seem like a terrible waste to you at your age but believe me, from my grey-haired perspective a mere year amounts to zip; what’s important is that you manage to make it through to your degree.

I’m not trying to pressure you here, but basically this is going to be your one chance to get that degree, so do it right and don’t fuck up. What really sucks is if you run out of money or something and have to drop out; you’ll have a Hell of a time getting back in college and you’ll probably never complete that degree. That happened to me, and while I eventually managed to get some sort of better-than-dishwashing career going without a college diploma, it’s worse for your generation now that the American business community has exported all the no-college-required jobs overseas; you’ll have a hard a time getting any decent job with no degree.

OPPOsaurus WRX > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
09/30/2015 at 16:53

i’m just surprised there is someone who would chose NJ over, well pretty much anything else. I know Florida has a lot of crazy did i didn;t know it was that bad. Hell after this upcoming week NJ might just be under the ocean again.

Sam > Spaceball-Two
09/30/2015 at 16:54

Yeah, but community college prices are impressive. So far, I’m going to get 2 years of my 4 year degree for <$10,000. Then I get a degree with the name of the 4 year college on it, without paying an extra $40,000 for the exact same classes. (The transferable courses use the same syllabus or one approved by the particular school)

It’s a poor financial decision to throw away a ton of your first 10 years’ salary on unnecessary debt.

PetarVN, GLI Guy, now with stupid power > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
09/30/2015 at 16:54

you got it JQJ, you can do it! :D

It's a good idea

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > MontegoMan562 is a Capri RS Owner
09/30/2015 at 16:55

Funny enough my dad is a Rutgers alumni and my mom is TCNJ alumni. I’ve seen a few schools up there and I just like the smaller campuses.

And its very true about getting the diploma from the “good school”

I plan on going to Mercer Community College since its right where all my family is. And they offer the credit transfer right to TCNJ so it would work quite well.

I plan on doing something with business, I’m just not fully sure what yet. I know business is a good somewhat vague degree to have though that can open quite a few doors.

Slant6 > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
09/30/2015 at 16:56

Come to NC.

Get residency.

13k a year for Appalachian state. We have a pretty good business school.

Sam > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
09/30/2015 at 16:56

How much is the difference in tuition for the community college out-of-state vs. in-state? Because I’d STRONGLY recommend (that’s bolded AND capitalised) that you go directly into college.

Otherwise, you’ll get a job making $20 an hour and think you don’t need a degree to make money. And then you’ll be 40 and will have gotten enough raises to be making $25 an hour.

Your boy, BJR > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
09/30/2015 at 16:57

ONE OF US

RAGER BRO

ONE OF US

GTL

ONE OF US

HOP IN THE IROC, WE’RE HITTIN’ SEASIDE BRO

ONE OF US

BRUUUUUCE

ONE OF US

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Your boy, BJR
09/30/2015 at 16:58

GOING DOWN THE SHORE EVERYDAY BRO

GOTTA TAN BRO

GOTTA LIFT BRO

deekster_caddy > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
09/30/2015 at 16:58

Not a bad idea. Also, try to find a job that will pay for school.

Your boy, BJR > OPPOsaurus WRX
09/30/2015 at 16:59

Jersey fuckin’ rules bro

Your boy, BJR > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
09/30/2015 at 17:00

WANNA MAKE A FUCKIN’ QUICK CHEK RUN OR WHAT BRO?

Baeromez > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
09/30/2015 at 17:00

Well, Florida has the Bright Futures program, which will give you a full ride scholarship at any state school if your grades are good enough, and even a 75% scholarship if your grades aren’t quite as good. Florida also has some bad ass schools. UF, FSU, UCF, USF, UNF, FAU, etc. I had a great time at UCF.

I would strongly suggest taking advantage of these factors and then moving anywhere you want after college with a great degree and no debt.

Textured Soy Protein > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
09/30/2015 at 17:01

The basic concept behind your plan is totally fine, especially if you or someone else would need to take on debt to pay for school. Really your goal with college should be to take on the least possible debt to pay for the degree which will give you the best possible career options.

Let me use an example just based on my location. The University of Wisconsin in Madison is the flagship school of the University of Wisconsin system which has many other campuses throughout the state. The “next best” campus is UW-Milwaukee.

Person A takes all 4 years at UW-Madison and graduates with a bachelor’s degree in business. They get a diploma that says they have a bachelor’s degree in business from UW-Madison, which they use to get hired at some job that pays them $50k a year.

Person B takes some chunk of their classes at another UW campus, or a community college, and transfers into UW-Madison. They get the exact same degree as Person A, which all else being equal opens the exact same career opportunities to them as Person A, and get hired at the exact same job as Person A.

If both Person A and Person B needed to take out loans to pay for their schooling, and Person B saved a bunch of money by not doing their whole degree at UW-Madison, then Person B has much smaller student loans to pay off, and will be able to do so more quickly than Person A.

nermal > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
09/30/2015 at 17:02

Get a job working for a large company - Even if it’s retail, most of them will have a tuition reimbursement program. Check the fine print, but you’ll usually get somewhere between $5k and $8k per year, depending on the company.

That’s like free money.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Your boy, BJR
09/30/2015 at 17:03

BRO IM ALREADY HERE WITH MY BOYS. WHERE YOU AT? TOO BUSY GETTING SWOLE?

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Sam
09/30/2015 at 17:04

Thats still something I need to look into. I figured it would be kind of hard to go to a community college out of state though...

Like I said that is one of my fears though with waiting for a year. I could very easily lose all the motivation I had.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Textured Soy Protein
09/30/2015 at 17:06

Ironically enough when I was looking into some of the best business schools, University of Wisconsin Madison showed up as like the top 5. Which I had NO idea about.

And honestly thats exactly it. Each year tuition out of state for TCNJ is around $30K a year. Thats $120k for a four year plan.

I would be able to cut that in half and end up with the same diploma at the end of it. Since I will mostly be paying for this and am not made of money, it makes the most sense to me

TractorPillow > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
09/30/2015 at 17:06

The answer to your question all depends on your determination to actually finish college. The fact that you are already concerned that you might lose interest after a year of working is telling in itself (and I don’t mean that rudely at all). I have known several people that CC worked out great for, but the majority of people I knew that worked right after HS and took a few CC courses now and then always seemed to have some new “plan” or “idea.”

I think CC is a great idea, especially if you don’t have the $ to go to a typical 4 year institution. But you have to want it. You need someone to keep you accountable. Is that Grandma in Jersey? Is that Mom and Dad in FL?

Whatever you choose, be frugal with your money. Learn the value of a dollar quickly and don’t think of student loans as free money.

I sincerely wish you the best . Remember that education is what is going to get you somewhere in life. Some will tell you that you don’t need it and cite the 0.0001% that didn’t need it to be successful (made up stat), but the stats show that a college degree will help.

Or you could do what I did and have the Army pay for my college with a guaranteed well paying job upon graduation. Right now they are paying for my masters degree and the paycheck goes to my insane addiction to cars. But of course I know that’s not for everyone.

Your boy, BJR > Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras
09/30/2015 at 17:06

MY FUCKIN’ POPS WONT GIVE ME THE KEYS TO THE FUCKIN’ IROC BRO

Spaceball-Two > Sam
09/30/2015 at 17:08

I know that not all credits are transferable between schools and I’ve seen universities change requirements mid-stream leaving the c.c. people in the wind. I know that when I hire people in my office I look all the way back in how and when they obtained their degrees and if there were gaps or transfers. You would be surprised in some of the tactics employers use.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > Your boy, BJR
09/30/2015 at 17:09

BRO JUST TAKE YOUR BRO TRUCK.

(we’re probably scaring him away from NJ)

BrtStlnd > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
09/30/2015 at 17:09

I went to CC for two years before transferring to a 4 year school. Worked out well for me and I probably saved $25,000 in the process.

Supreme Chancellor and Glorious Leader SaveTheIntegras > OPPOsaurus WRX
09/30/2015 at 17:10

it’s a jersey thing

Sam > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
09/30/2015 at 17:12

http://www.mccc.edu/admissions_tui…

I saw you talking about this college. Basically, it’s right around 2x as expensive. But still really affordable.

Textured Soy Protein > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
09/30/2015 at 17:27

Here’s something else I know: unless you’re going to super elite schools and getting super elite degrees, where you go to school isn’t so important.

Sure, if someone wants to go to get an MBA from Harvard or UChicago or something, the fancier their undergrad, the better. And that UChicago MBA (it’s the #1 ranked MBA program at the moment) is going to open doors that a bachelor’s in business from whatever state school, however highly regarded, just won’t cut it for.

But there are so many different rankings and so much subjectivity involved in whether one school is better than another, that when applying to jobs, the school that someone got their bachelor’s degree from is not an overriding factor when deciding which candidate a company is going to hire.

In a Mini; let them mock me as My Mini Countryman is higher than you > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
09/30/2015 at 17:29

I’m in JQ’s boat also as I want to go to Georgia Tech. BUT ITS 40K OUT OF STATE WITH ROOM AND BOARD!!!

PLS HALP. I SUCK AT STANDARDIZED MATH TESTING BUT I GOT 32 IN SCIENCE A 33 IN READING AND FREAKING AMAZING 11/12 ON MY ACT ESSAY?!!

In a Mini; let them mock me as My Mini Countryman is higher than you > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
09/30/2015 at 17:30

You have bright futures bro? Than go to UF (with me).

TheRealBicycleBuck > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
09/30/2015 at 17:36

I did something like this. After two years at one university, I took a year off and stayed with relatives in another state to get in-state tuition so I could attend a different university.

You are right about some of the pitfalls. After a year of working, I was making more than I had seen in my lifetime. Be sure to save as much as you can. All of that income counts when they figure out your financial aid package. Because of that, I didn’t qualify for grants and had to pay for my junior year out of pocket. Also keep in mind that they will still count your parents’ income until you are 24.

While establishing residency, you aren’t allowed to take more than four hours per semester and you must live & work in the state for 12 consecutive months. Be careful about that. I almost lost residency since I took a month off right before school started. They were literally counting days. Also make sure you pay rent and have paperwork to prove it. Living rent free doesn’t count.

Be careful about what classes you take at the community college. Make sure they will transfer. Visit with the school counselor for the degree program you want. Ask for a reciprocity sheet and a copy of the course catalog for both schools. These will lay out what courses will transfer.

Also keep in mind that the difficulty is NOT the same. Many students really struggle when they get to the university level after being in community college. I don’t recommend working through college, even though I did it. Focus on school. Your grades will be better and you will complete it on time or early. Treat it like a full-time job. There’s a reason they call them full-time students.

Good luck!

Van Man, rocks the Man Van > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
09/30/2015 at 17:37

Yes! Come to Jersey!

That said, a good plan would be live here for a year with a decent paying job and then go to school. I don’t know much about TCNJ, but Rutgers is dirt-cheap (~$12k/year I believe) for what it is if you live in state. There, you’ll get a great education for not much money and then have a great alumni association to help get a job. If you work through college you can graduate with little to no debt too.

But then again I haven't been to college yet so I may have no idea what I'm talking about.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > TheRealBicycleBuck
09/30/2015 at 17:50

It really is crazy how much of an impact the little details can have. I really need to get in contact with the school and get the specific details figured out.

I really want to use that one year and save up a lot of money because I don’t want to be doing a job while at college.

Even in my senior year of HS right now, I am only working on the weekends to focus on school instead. Honestly, seeing as to how I had been working over 5 days a week every other year, its really helpful to focus on schoolwork.

One of the main reasons I am focusing on TCNJ is the smaller classes. I know it won’t change the course difficulty, but at least I might have a name and not just a number.

Thanks for all those specifics I never really considered before

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Sam
09/30/2015 at 17:53

Honestly Im surprised its a lot lower than I expected it to be. Might make the idea of just moving there and going right to community college a lot better

Your boy, BJR > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
09/30/2015 at 17:53

JERSEEEEEEEYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!!

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > wkiernan
09/30/2015 at 17:54

I never really worried about my future until this Summer. It really is crazy how important this decision is. It really does change my whole life and its part of the reason I have been trying to find the best route to take.

I appreciate you taking the time to write such a detailed response though. means a lot to me

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Van Man, rocks the Man Van
09/30/2015 at 17:56

Ironically enough my dad is a Rutgers alumni. I just went to see the school and was overwhelmed. I really like the size of TCNJ and have been looking into smaller schools because of it. Sadly TCNJ is about twice as much as Rutgers though.

But my mom is a TCNJ alumni so it helps

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Baeromez
09/30/2015 at 17:57

As tempting as it is, I cant be here any longer. I’ve been here over 12 years now and seriously hate every minute of it.

Four more years here would kill me.

Jordan and the Slowrunner, Boomer Intensifies > OPPOsaurus WRX
09/30/2015 at 18:04

I’ve lived in Florida, and I think I’d rather be there than NJ. I’ve always thought of NJ as the Florida of the north.

Baeromez > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
09/30/2015 at 19:13

Damn, what part of FL are you in? I’ve been here on the beach for 26 years and I love it.

JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder! > Baeromez
09/30/2015 at 19:30

Sarasota county. My house is less than a mile from the beach.

I just hate the old people and snowbirds. And the heat.

Honestly if I never come back to Florida It would probably be too soon.

smobgirl > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
09/30/2015 at 20:04

That’s pretty much what I did. Waited tables for a year to get residency and then paid in-state tuition. Didn't hurt me in the slightest and I'm SO thankful I don't have loans to pay off. I bought a house pretty early instead.

m-b-w loves his SUBAROO > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
09/30/2015 at 21:11

Have you looked into scholarships? You should look at some of the schools in North Carolina. Even their out of state tuition is rather cheap compared with many of the other schools.

Tohru > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
10/01/2015 at 05:20

I like the community college idea. It’s the same credits as the fancy-pants university, just at a discounted cost. Do it.

Tohru > Sam
10/01/2015 at 05:22

Fuck, where are these jobs making $20 per hour? I want one. I only make $14.80 per hour.

Tohru > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
10/01/2015 at 05:24

UW-Madison is a really good college - both of my cousins have degrees from there.

My plan was to go to Madison Area Technical College for two years and then transfer all my credits to UW-Madison. It didn’t happen because life and my personal demons got in the way. Now I’m almost 30 and college is pretty much an impossibility for me. Do it now while you’re young!

Chariotoflove > JQJ213- Now With An Extra Cylinder!
10/06/2015 at 13:01

My advice is to first decide what it is that you want to do. Sounds like you’ve done that.

Next, decide the best path to get there. For example, if you wanted to go to medical school, I would say suck it up and go to a 4-year university because no amount of money you could save by the CC route would make up for the hole you’d put yourself in when applying to med schools later. Other career, by contrast, may be perfectly accessible by passing through a CC. Seek solid advice from people in your proposed profession on the risks and benefits of each path.

Third, form a plan and stick to it. My wife, for example, knew she wanted to be a pediatrician. Her family was dirt poor. She went to a top-ranked university and a great med school, but she had a lot of lean years (crummy apartments, hand-me-down- clothes, boxed mac & cheese dinners) to get there. But she got her dream, and the loans didn’t crush her because she prioritized well and stayed disciplined.

Good luck!