EGON FORUMS

Which do you think is better? I'm partial to college style education myself because it prepares you for a broader range of jobs, for example I know people that are in jobs that are totally different from their major but they gleaned enough knowledge from their GEs that they can do the job.

Then again, I'll be in school for another 4+ years (freshman in college, definantly going for a masters) whereas my friend in trade school will be out making money by the end of this year.

note: Computer Science major at UC Santa Barbara

note the second: DeVry and similar schools are trade schools. not colleges. deal with it.

For us non-Americans, would you care to describe the similarities & differences between trade school & college, because the terms mean nothing to me...

College: School where you go to get a general education, including anything and everything from math to Shakespeare to communication techniques, regardless of what you're majoring in and planning to work as.

Trade school, aka technical college: A school in which you go to learn a particular skill needed to succeed in a particular job. Most are to train you for a blue-collar job, such as welder, mechanic, etc., although I know quite a few people who're going to trade school to become a network administrator. (I actually go to a Community/Technical college, so I see both types all the time)

So College is more theoretical stuff, which will eventually lead to getting a job but is not directly related to it & Trade School is more akin to vocational training and leads directly into a career?

Pretty much. Trade school also tends to be shorter (around 2 years or so), but the end result is usually (in theory, anyway) making less money than your full college counterparts.

well, it depends what you want to do. if you think CS is about becoming a programmer or network admin or something like that, you're in the wrong field.

-- Barry, the guy who will probably be a CS major (with a possible political science double major) at CMU next year

I'm sorry

Well, they're apples and oranges as far as I can tell. A trade school will help you get started in <i>a skilled trade</i>. Like Wark pointed out, these tend to be on the applied end of things (a technician vs an engineer or scientist). I guess it's a bit like a modern substitute for an apprenticeship.

I know a number of people that have gone this route (to get nursing degrees, mostly). It's a good thing, particularly for people who want to switch jobs later in life. It's short, and it gets you where you want to go.

A four year (or more >_<) degree is supposed to provide additional context beyond what you would learn in a two year program. You're supposed to learn <i>why</i> things are done a certain way, not just how to do them. This puts you in a better position to make decisions about how to direct work, and pushes you into white-collar/management type jobs.

Personally, I sometimes miss skills that I might have learned in a tech school, (ability to solder well, mechanical repair, etc.) but I know enough of the theory that I'm not afraid to try my hand at it. If it's important enough, I'll be able to pick it up over time.


I think a more interesting question might be Undergraduate (BS/BA) or Graduate (MS/MA/PhD)? These students <i>are</i> going after essentially the same jobs with a not-too-different skill set.

here's another example (using the CS major).

A trade school that does "computer science" really only teaches you how to program. while this is nice and all it's not really computer science. CompSci is stuff like "Data Structure and Algorithm Analysis" and "AI developement." Building a better mousetrap, as it were.

Question: which is more important, faster computers or faster algorithms?

Bleh... I had a CSci professor who kept repeating that... it got really old after awhile.

Either way, I can see the advantages in both. Some people just aren't well-suited for college. Frankly, there are people out there that just want a decent paying job without too much hassle. If you're that kind of person, trade school is a much better fit. Colleges are more geared towards white collar jobs, like Thin said. They're also good for people that want to spend their lives working on computer theory. "Computer scientists", if you will.

It's not a question about which job is more important. The world needs both people who are willing to cruch numbers and people who are willing to develop new theories. It's just a matter of which one is right for you.

It comes down to college not being right for everyone. I've done both (or done one and am in the process of the other)

All through highschool i took vocational classes everywhere i could from school to tech colleges to OTJT. I had fun with it, ALOT of fun with it and made damn good money in the process (~400 a week when I worked). But at the same time I've always been good at school, pulled the grades I needed, need a degree to do what i really want to do, and honestly, don't want to be out in the real world (yet). I'm currently attending a "4 year" university and when I get out, my projected starting salary is about 45K and goes up from there.

OTOH, one of my friends was never real good when it came to book work, but is a hard worker and just wanted to get out into the workforce. He went to a 2 year vocational, got an HVAC certification, and has been working making 40K a year for 3 years off of a 10K education. Not bad.

They have their place, and IMO someone that attended a 4 year university is not a better person or a higher being than a skilled laborer. I'll give a PhD and a Master Technician the same respect, they both have the same work into it and simply, most Master Techs have a greater bearing on your everyday life and a bigger role in keeping everything going smoothly than most PhD's.

I agree with you. My friend is currently attending UTI to learn how to be a mechanic. That requires shitloads of math. Not as much as I need, but more than any English or PoliSci major is ever gonna take. And he'll know stuff most people don't. I don't know how to fix a car (hell I still haven't gotten my license) and it's still skilled labor. also his job can't be easily shipped over-seas. People don't wanna lose their cars for that long if they break!

With the whole shipping overseas part, that's why I also took vocational classes. If I'm ever between "real" jobs that need my degree, i have other skills to fall back on. Doubtful I'll need it once i have my degree, but it comes in handy BIG TIME right now. So long as there is a demand for people to design and build things, there will be a demand for people to fix them. I'll be able to cover both sides of the coin :D

On a side note: it's been kinda quiet around here. what's up with that?

I'm a weird case. I've been 6 years in the It industry with solid full time work with no certification, or formal education, clearing 20% above industry standard for my role, with no shortage of side work.

I've got alot of friends with degrees who are largely unemployable. I've got alot of friends who went to trade schools and did apprenticeships who are now rolling in cash. Friends of mine who are now certified electricians, builders, painters or plumbers are hip deep in cash, and booked solid 8 weeks in advance with contracts lined up for the next 8 months.

I feel largely cheated by my school advisers. I was educated under the principle that working towards a degree was the only way to get anywhere in life, I was almost suicidal in highschool before I discovered alcohol and ended up dropping 3 of my 6 classes and throwing away my chances of going to university because I couldn't handle that shit. I really thought my life was over when I couldn't hack calculus and puberty at the same time.

I think it really depends on what you want to do with your life and where your skills are. If you want to get rich and wealthy, and your good at it? Going through the bullshit for law and finance is the way to go. If you can't bring yourself to go into law or finance, picking up a good trade is far more likely to see you living comfortably then an english or womens studies major.

It, like almost everything in life, depends. If I wanted to be a mechanic, I wouldn't go to college. While I can't say if one is better than another, I can say, with fair certainty, which is better for me. College.