Let's Clear the Air

[Maniac Craniac]

Is it even possible to suggest that there is a school that exists outside of the Big 3 without the community here jumping on someone like a school of piranhas? If someone makes the suggestion that ANY college in the world is better in ANY way, why does this forum all of a sudden have a total meltdown?

Two rhetorical questions above, but my real question is this: if you are happy with your degree, then why are you SOOOOO defensive about it?

To add a little character to this discussion look at my signature. I have a degree from one of the three Schools of Divine Light in question. That considered, I still am not given "permission" to give an honest assessment of what they are. At least, not without people labeling me as an elitist (with or without using the actual word) while throwing an endless supply of red herrings and strawmen in my lap.

Every once in a while, I notice a newbie somehow find himself thrust into this acid bath. Rather than help someone find what they are looking for, there are those here who come completely out of the woodworks just to tear someone else down, potentially turning them away from the information that could be useful to them. That is downright spiteful and frankly, hypocritical.

If you ARE happy with your degree, then you should feel absolutely no need to be defensive nor tear anyone else down who says they are looking for a better school.

[cookderosa]

Is it even possible to suggest that there is a school that exists outside of the Big 3 without the community here jumping on someone like a school of piranhas? If someone makes the suggestion that ANY college in the world is better in ANY way, why does this forum all of a sudden have a total meltdown?

Two rhetorical questions above, but my real question is this: if you are happy with your degree, then why are you SOOOOO defensive about it?

To add a little character to this discussion look at my signature. I have a degree from one of the three Schools of Divine Light in question. That considered, I still am not given "permission" to give an honest assessment of what they are. At least, not without people labeling me as an elitist (with or without using the actual word) while throwing an endless supply of red herrings and strawmen in my lap.

Every once in a while, I notice a newbie somehow find himself thrust into this acid bath. Rather than help someone find what they are looking for, there are those here who come completely out of the woodworks just to tear someone else down, potentially turning them away from the information that could be useful to them. That is downright spiteful and frankly, hypocritical.

If you ARE happy with your degree, then you should feel absolutely no need to be defensive nor tear anyone else down who says they are looking for a better school.

Not from me. You'd have a hard time finding a post where I thrust the big 3 on someone. I generally offer the following generic course of action- look locally at your cc's clep policy, if it's good, get a written articulation in place and you'll exit with at least 1 less year and tens of thousands of dollars saved. Plus, you'll have a state college on your resume.
It's the person with a long list of assorted credits, the smallest of small budget, and the person with no time who get my prompt into the big 3. *well, I usually suggest TESC since I have 2 of those degrees lol.

That said, you were right on target. :iagree:

[MISin08]

Since I ended up not testing out of everything and taking longer than I ever expected, I only fall into the "varied transcripts and broke" category. It does occur to me from time to time I could have gone to another (read "better") school; after all, I took enough online classes to meet a conventional residency requirement (I just took them at 4 schools). A lot of the alternatives I might have considered aren't "name" schools either.

I picked my classes carefully and I enjoyed having control over my degree. That seems to me another advantage of the Big 3.

Phillip

[Maniac Craniac]

Since I ended up not testing out of everything and taking longer than I ever expected, I only fall into the "varied transcripts and broke" category. It does occur to me from time to time I could have gone to another (read "better") school; after all, I took enough online classes to meet a conventional residency requirement (I just took them at 4 schools). Just the same, a lot of the alternatives I might have considered aren't "name" schools either.

I picked my classes carefully and I enjoyed having control over my degree. That seems l to me another advantage of the Big 3.

Phillip

Right. For you and I, the Big Three are the perfect option, but that is not what this thread is about! milelol:

[burbuja0512]

I think I'm a little defensive about degrees in general. I know I probably shouldn't be, but I just don't think that they're all that. Yes, I understand the need so I don't want to get into a debate about why companies want them. But I'm in sales. I have consistently been at the very top of the sales leaderboard at every company I've worked at. I've also struggled with being a woman in this area.. almost all of the top earners in the B2B world are men. I've really had to earn the respect of everyone by working 10 times as hard and selling 10 times as much.

I am SO sick of meeting lazy, dumb, or undeserving people that think that they are hot sh** because of their education. In sales, that just doesn't work. I have to be totally professional and rock a Power Point and be an amazing public speaker, totally comfortable with a C-level audience. I agree that it would be more likely that someone with a degree to have these skills. But I've also seen grown men with advanced degrees totally turn to jelly when speaking to "important" people. I'm at ease and truly enjoy helping my clients.

So, when I hear someone in someway suggesting that a degree from the big 3 (or any other online or non-traditional school) is anything less than awesome, yes I get a little grumpy. Am I right? Probably not. Once I have the piece of paper, I'll probably be less defensive and realize that my career path is cutthroat regardless of what degree I hold. Maybe I'll be able to see in retrospect that I was pushing myself harder not because I didn't have a college education, but because that is what you need to do to succeed in business.



... Anyway, sorry for the rant. Did I mention I failed macroeconomics today?


*burbuja runs off to go cry in the bathroom for an hour*

[blu2blu]

Acid baths? Red herrings? Meltdowns? We were just having a discussion. I never felt defensive or angry but if you want to consider me hostile because I disagree then so be it.

No one is saying the big three are the only way to go by any means. Some people love to take classes and spend an entire semester aborbing the material in a classroom. That's fine and I am glad they have that opportunity. I am not looking down on anyone for attending B&M schools. I just expect that same respect for my choice.

[Maniac Craniac]

Acid baths? Red herrings? Meltdowns? We were just having a discussion..

I never mentioned you in this thread.

In fact, I kind of like you. Can't we be friends?

[burbuja0512]

I'm not sure I can be friends with anyone until I *sniff* finish this pint of Ben and Jerry's.


Ok.. all better now. Why did I ramble on so much? Oh yeah... macroeconomics. Probably hormones too.. so likely not much to do with the original point of the thread.

[TMW2010]

Every once in a while, I notice a newbie somehow find himself thrust into this acid bath. Rather than help someone find what they are looking for, there are those here who come completely out of the woodworks just to tear someone else down, potentially turning them away from the information that could be useful to them. That is downright spiteful and frankly, hypocritical.

You mean like your caustic, elitist attidude towards instantcert and CLEP exams in general?

[MISin08]

Right. For you and I, the Big Three are the perfect option, but that is not what this thread is about! milelol:

Sorry, whenever I see the characteristic MC sig/avatar I have this irresistible urge to go off topic

OTOH I'm not sure realistic advantages of the big 3 are off topic if the the topic is unrealistic advocacy of one school or another.

I wonder 1) if it's defensiveness where posters are really that invested or just bad forum manners (like we see in debates about which of the Big 3, RA vs. NA, film vs. digital, Kodak vs. Fuji, Mac vs. PC...) and 2) how many of the folks who pile on have their degrees.

Phillip