College Planning

[Iscn]

Hello all. I wanted to get some information on colleges and how to pick one best suited for ones needs or major. Also i would like to know which colleges are good for Computer Engineering & Computer Science/Programming in general.

[Keebler Elf]

Whatever is most cost effective for your situation. No point in a fancy college if your paying loans off for 20 years.

[Anna Comnena]

The thing they don't tell you is those little tech "institutes" are big fancy loans you'll pay off forever too.

My suggestion on purely an economic level is to start small, go into city or community colleges, and try to work if you can find a decent enough job. This should help you pay for school without having to resort to taking out loans, if your economic needs make this feasible at all. One downside to this is it is not as time-efficient for the results; around 2 years and you'll only have an associate level degree if anything. Tech schools are the best bet for time involved, since they are usually track programs (whereas a college is more loose). However since they are track programs at tech schools, you have to commit to the whole program.

Going to state and local colleges can be cheaper in the long run if you manage it right, and take advantage of any grants and other payment options; but it's more of an investment of time. If you know what you want to do and there is a decent institute for it (with a decent job placement rate), then go with them; you might have a better chance at a career in less time, but you'll have student loan debt (although maybe not as much as a big university).

[Iscn]

Thanks for the tips.

I was thinking of getting a loan and parying it off when done with college but i feel like you will spend most of your life paying it off.

Do you guys have any ideas on universities or colleges who offer Computer Programming Major?

[SawQuart]

Go for Computer Science, not "programming". Most schools offer it. If they don't, then they're probably a terrible school.

Why are you talking to us about it and not your counselor?

[Iscn]

> Go for Computer Science, not "programming". Most schools offer it. If they don't, then they're probably a terrible school.
>
> Why are you talking to us about it and not your counselor?

Already talked about it with counselor.

And i am doing COmputer Science. Already picked the colleges and everything.