The State University of New York Empire State College

Date: Nov 21 2011
Major: Education (This Major's Salary over time)
College has helped me get a job in the field of teaching, however, much of what I learned bears little impact on actual teaching. The teaching methods that I had to write numerous papers about are very antiquated and badly need to be overhauled. I believe everything in education should be as technology driven as possible - technology is the one field that the majority of people readily accept, and pick up in an instant.

I wish I had got a different college degree however, now that I am in the field. Don't get me wrong, I love teaching (especially as a college adjunct because the students are much more motivated and mature), but the cost of the college degree and the huge number of student loans hanging over my head that will take at least 15 years, if not more, is not worth the cost. If I could go back and do it again, I would most definitely get a graduate degree in something related to computers and would be able to pay off my student loans in only a few years. I am afraid to have children or buy a house as I'm already seriously in debt from college loans and literally can't afford to pick up any more debt. I'm working a full-time and two part-time jobs at the moment and am barely finding the money to pay for my expenses as well as put some money in savings.

If you are a high school or college student, I would recommend getting a degree in a field related to technology as this field is a very high paying field and is expected to grow until at least the year 2020, thus ensuring job safety. Also, if you attend Empire State College, be prepared that you may or may not have traditional face-to-face class meetings, depending on your major and what courses you are taking. You will need to be very self-motivated in order to succeed at ESC. Additionally, if you go for a degree in education at ESC, you will have to write 2-3+ papers in every graduate class (minimum 10 pages and 10 sources if you want to get an A) and do a horrible annotated bibliography with at least 60 sources as one of the portfolio/graduation requirements.