The Duggars and CollegePlus

[Publius]

I'm about to get a little off-topic. I think the Big 3 are great options for adult learners with work experience who just need to check the box or want to quickly move on to grad school. For people straight out of high school, I think they should go to a traditional college if they can. If I had to do it all over again, I would have attended the local community colleges at about $1500 a year at the time and then moved on to a state university. I would have graduated with little debt since I qualified for the maximum Pell Grant award. Instead, went to work full-time at a fast food restaurant and filled out an information form for University of Phoenix almost a year after graduating from high school. I wanted to become a history teacher and the sales person..ahem...I mean admissions advisor told me to do the AS in Business Administration program at Axia College to get my gen eds out of the way. That threw me way off track and ran up the student loan debt fast. It took me 7 years to finish my bachelor's degree. Did I mention that I HATE UoP and the Apollo Group?

Well, as someone just out of highschool and doing this, I'd much rather do this then going the traditional route for several reasons.

-I obtain my degree faster and cheaper, allowing me to get ahead of most of my peers, career wise and financially.
-I've the option, and many people like me, choose to take advantage of this option, which is with doing college like this, it's extremely flexible which allows for obtaining a job and real life experience. Maybe not just working as a waiter or flipping burgers somewhere, but getting an internship which will the help. IMO, the degree will nicely compliment the experience (and visa versa). And, yes, you can get internships and jobs whatnot going the traditional route, but it's much more easy and possible when college is flexible.
-I don't feel like wasting the first 2 years of college doing the same thing I've been doing for the last 4.
-I don't feel like getting all the other junk that comes with college. It's a 5 year party (which actually the name of a book a prof wrote), and if that's what people are after, there's much cheaper alternatives if that's how you want to waste your time.
-I appreciate the skills I've gained that doing college this way has provided me. There are no terms, no due dates for a CLEP, no assignments, no lectures, no timeline. Same thing for the degree it self. Here's a pile of work, do it. To do it, you've got to have a lot things you don't need when you're being spoon fed it in college.
-It sets you apart. When 1 out 2 college grads can't get a job, what's going to set you apart? When you can say, "Well hey, I'm 2-3 years younger then most other grads, and I did something different. I researched, I dedicated myself, and didn't waste my time drinking and partying. I sought the best use of my time, my money, and my resources and accomplished what I set out for AND I'll do the same for you." That's going to say something, and set you apart from the average college grad. Why? Cause it's more then just words, it took actions, work, to do it.

Sure there are things I may be missing out, some cons perhaps. But nothing that you can hold a candle to IMHO. Everyone has there own opinion, but for me personally, I don't have any regrets about this.