5 replies to this topic

[Plan B]

I'll try to keep this short and sweet, I'm just looking for some general advice.

My background:
I have nearly 10 years of full time experience as a land surveyor. I grew up around it (son of a surveyor) and have done everything from field to finish. I'm not registered and not sure I even want to go down that path. I currently have a couple years experience working with a small/med municipality locating utilities. I've become more and more involved with their GIS and really enjoy it. I'm a computer geek and with my gps/survey background I've been able to learn and contribute pretty quickly.

My question:
With my survey background and the experience I am currently gaining about utility work as well as GIS, would it be worthwhile to pursue a geography, computer science or other GIS-related degree? The reason I am hesitant is because I have the opportunity to complete a BS in Public Administration from a local private college for FREE. I plan on cash flowing whatever I decide, and by finishing my BS for free it would allow me to put that money toward a masters (possibly GIS)? Otherwise I would be putting $15K +/- to finish a BS in something else (CS, Geography, Business, etc).

Any advice?

[jrat]

Take the Free Degree. Then work on the GIS or Geography. Not having the debt load is huge.

[Jimbo]

If you can get something for free take advantage of it especially if your American because the way your system is run the amount of money you need to pay for education in the states is nothing short of price gouging students & at the end of the day many if not most of them will never use their degrees towards what they trained for. And if you can take a free degree think of the student loan trap, it's bad here in Canada but even worse in the United States. At least in Canada after seven years if you can prove you can't pay it back then you can file for bankruptcy while in the US your stuck. So carefully make your choice already & take the free degree. And while your at it if you don't like what you have been doing think of survival rate now, because economic indicators are predicting a long depression.

[spg]

Agree with doing the free degree, do some GIS papers at the same time (if available) if you want to keep your hand in, then look at Masters if that's the way you want to go.

[Plan B]

Thanks for the advice. I've decided to save the money and go with the Public Admin degree and put what I would have spent toward a master's at some point. Seems like the logical choice while I continue getting real world experience working in utilities with GIS.

[cyndarelli]

Be a landman, they make triple digits and ur a perfect match for that. it also only costs a few thousand for the training.

I'll try to keep this short and sweet, I'm just looking for some general advice.

My background:
I have nearly 10 years of full time experience as a land surveyor. I grew up around it (son of a surveyor) and have done everything from field to finish. I'm not registered and not sure I even want to go down that path. I currently have a couple years experience working with a small/med municipality locating utilities. I've become more and more involved with their GIS and really enjoy it. I'm a computer geek and with my gps/survey background I've been able to learn and contribute pretty quickly.

My question:
With my survey background and the experience I am currently gaining about utility work as well as GIS, would it be worthwhile to pursue a geography, computer science or other GIS-related degree? The reason I am hesitant is because I have the opportunity to complete a BS in Public Administration from a local private college for FREE. I plan on cash flowing whatever I decide, and by finishing my BS for free it would allow me to put that money toward a masters (possibly GIS)? Otherwise I would be putting $15K +/- to finish a BS in something else (CS, Geography, Business, etc).

Any advice?