MyLifeMyCareer.com

Hopefully you all enjoyed a nice couple of weeks off from the studying, cramming, and attempts to maintain or boost the ol' GPA. Including the weekends and holidays I had 11 straight days off where I was completely disconnected from work and nowhere near the office or cubicle. Unfortunately, I had five straight days of holiday parties and family get-togethers followed by a nine hour drive to Memphis, TN for a wedding. After driving back the day before New Year's Eve I didn't even feel like going out and partying, but I made a brief appearance at a house party before hanging out in a much more relaxing and low-key apartment shin-dig involving two other people.

Before I knew it, I was back at work sorting through emails and voicemails from while I was out and coming up with a plan of attack to take care of project work in a timely fashion. Even though the time off wasn't the most relaxing, just being away from the office environment, client calls, and project deadlines for an extended period of time was enough to allow me to return and be more productive. After three days of 8 straight hours of work per day I'm ready for another vacation - which is where the weekend comes into play.

I'm sure as students you will start to feel the weight of coursework assignments and stress building up as the first few "orientation" and sessions basically covering the syllabus are overcome by actual lectures and assignments. As a freshman, I thought that the three week break between semesters was almost too long and couldn't wait to get back to the grind. Once back in an auditorium listening to a lecture for a course that I was required to take commenced I started wishing I was back at home messing around.

One of my flaws is not being able to fully relax, and always thinking about work or what is coming next. In college, as breaks would drag on I would look forward to the coming semester. Once it arrived, I would look forward to being done with the semester. This is a vicious cycle, and one that I've been trying to break by really taking the time to relax or take part in something that I enjoy from reading or writing to going out to the local bars with friends.

There will be times this semester as with any previous semester where you will turn down social opportunities due to coursework that you will feel needs to be completed in order for you to feel like you can relax and have a drink with your friends. Looking back, I know that I did this way more than I should have realizing that the assignments or studying never took as much effort or time that I predicted they would. I'm not saying, "Screw School, Have Fun", I'm saying "Work hard - especially in courses that matter to you and could benefit your career the most, but play harder". This will allow you to manage the stress and worries that come along with the whole going to college thing.

In the words of comedian, Lewis Black, from the movie, Accepted - "You only have four short years here. And then you're f*****". When you're in college, this is pretty much the battle cry. When you're out of college, you see that life is still very fun if you take the time to enjoy it and take adequate time off from work in order to re-charge and maintain the work/life balance. My goal this year is to use more of my vacation days, and hopefully increasing productivity and contributions while at work as a result.

Are you able to remember facts, figures, and concepts over a fifteen week period, and spit that information back out in a 60-90 minute exam? Can you handle a deadline and stressful situation? Can you multi-task and plan accordingly during the week to put forth the correct amount of effort at the right times in order to pass the tests with flying colors? Are you more intelligent than the students sitting next to you in a cramped auditorium filling out bubbles on a scantron sheet?

To me, final exams were all part of the four year cumulative test to see how dedicated you are to learning, succeeding within the boundaries and forms of measurement in place, and proving that you can repeat the process within a company after college. The problem with certain final exams is that they simply measure your ability to memorize information - and they don't care if you cram for two straight days, pass the test, and forget it right after the final.

The best classes, the classes where you actually learn, and retain knowledge that will benefit you in the long-term are the classes where you have to learn and memorize the facts and content. Your assignments and tests are not simply a question of "What is this, What is that, Is it one of these four options?". The best professors and courses are the ones where they make you apply the knowledge gained to an applicable scenario and problem-solving exercise. These classes are easy to identify because the final is usually some type of project or case study, or a few questions that require essay type responses.

Multiple choice tests and final exams only prove that you are able to pump and dump information in an exercise of short term memory retention. The "application" rather than "memorization" courses/exams are the ones that prove if you are capable of succeeding after college.

Hint: Application-style course are the ones you should attend and devote time to. Memorization style courses are usually common in the gen ed course catalog which you are required to take. These are the classes which you should attend, but take a laptop and invest in stocks or sell stuff on eBay or Facebook marketplace to make some money. Nine times out of ten you probably could've done less work to get an "A" in these types of courses.

I am a strong supporter of companies, ceo's, and recruiters striving to be as truthful about the positives and negatives of the company that they represent, the job responsibilities, and their honest opinion on if the job is right for you more so than if you are right for the job. I'm always focusing on the flaws of recruiting entry-level employees as a result of misrepresentation in order to meet hiring quotas or simply to fill a position, but it is equally important for all of the job seekers out there to bring the same attitude and honest approach to the table.

Other than telling the truth and fully answering questions, how do you make yourself transparent or appear to be transparent? If you had an interview with no time limit, how much should you reveal?

These are tough questions, and I don't think that you can say that revealing the same amount of information to every recruiter is a wise decision. I think there is something admirable and ethical about not just answering the questions that they ask you, but revealing details about your experience and past that they didn't necessarily ask to hear about. If the recruiter is a seasoned interviewer or HR professional they will appreciate any additional information that you are willing to share with them in order for them to decide how good of a match you actually are.

That's the easy answer for the situation where you applied for a position, they offered you an interview, and you are in the room with them. What about making your resume and details of your past available through your profiles on Monster, CareerBuilder, LinkedIn, Facebook, or your blog? I'm not talking about the pictures of you passed out on a couch with sharpie all over your face, but more about the details highlighting your previous employment, current interests, portfolio of sample work, or academic performance.

My answer to this: the more the better. Go into detail about successes and failures at each of your previous positions. Justify any possibly negative points of your past. There is no limit to what you can post about yourself on the social networking sites or your personal website. The popularity of social networking sites lies in our enjoyment of making and managing personal connections. Use the same power to attract the attention of a recruiter who seems to connect with you - your profile, actually, and you will be a step ahead of everyone else. Hopefully, you are attracting companies who are more aligned with your skills and interests since you would have revealed more of these details. When you apply for jobs they usually want a one or two page resume included with a one page cover letter. Three sheets of paper amounts to several millimeters of thickness. If you want to trust a recruiter to let you know if you are right or wrong for a job based on this minimal amount of information combined with several hours of interviewing that's your call.

If you went through four years of school and are still not sure what you want to do you have a few choices - sit around and live with the parents, get a job and move on, declare a new major and take a few undergrad victory laps, or get into an advanced degree program. Let's explore these options a little more:

Sit around and live with the parents. You'll probably get a part-time job to get paid to support your social life, but the full-time job search will probably last for at least six months unless you are lucky. Companies that usually hire full-time college grads usually hire either right after the fall or spring semester, so you may have to wait until the next end of the semester to start actually working, but your interviews and offers will come before that time so you need to continually be looking.

With your time off and part-time job, you may have time to find out what others are saying about their employers and jobs which will help you make a good choice or avoid a bad decision like them. Also, your friends can refer you if you are someone that they would risk their office reputation on. Referral fees are much larger in corporations and large businesses, so you and your friend could split it if it works out.

Don't just sit around, though. Work a few part-time jobs and find yourself by using the experiences and time off to determine what you really enjoy compared to what you thought you enjoyed. We all have pictures of ourselves after college, and when you actually get there it may be better or worse than planned.

Get the first job and move on. Do what you are supposed to do after college - get a full-time job, buy some suits, and throw in the towel. What? That was a depressing thought, and it's really not that bad for those that research the companies in depth that they are considering. You may find out that the job is not right for you soon after, and then you move on to the next one hoping to get closer to what you like.

The important thing is to not lock yourself into an employment situation by racking up credit card debt or buying stuff that you can't really afford just because you have a bigger paycheck. Have a good time, but create a budget and save your money so that if your job is not working out your paycheck and financial situation is not holding you back from an opportunity that could make you much happier and benefit your career in the long run. This is the getting paid to figure it out method.

Declare a new major and take a few undergrad victory laps. It's never too late to decide that your major is not really for you. Hopefully you decide before senior year, but if not you should not force yourself to graduate unless it is financially not possible to take more courses. Most of your general education courses can be used to fulfill major requirements for 8-10 years depending where you go (maybe longer), so you wouldn't be starting over. I had a friend who switched majors after their junior year to a completely unrelated area of study, and they graduated in five years while working part-time and taking summer classes.

If you force yourself to graduate with a degree that you didn't really enjoy obtaining, chances are that your related job will not be very enjoyable. The key here is that if you don't enjoy your classes then you need to start taking new types of classes. I know that you want to be done with school, but it won't be worth it a year or two down the line when you're already unhappy with your job and area of work. That feeling will only grow and become more and more bottled up until you start taking it out on other people. Life's to short to be pissed for no reason, or for a reason that could have been prevented.

Get an advanced degree. If you enjoyed what you studied in undergrad, and don't feel ready for the full-time job go for a related advanced degree. The course work is more specialized, the projects and classmates will typically be more professional in nature, and many positions now require an advanced degree.

I only recommend this route if you enjoyed your undergrad courses, and you know that you do not want a full-time job yet. If you're unsure about which path to take between grad school and working, take your placement tests and interview with companies at the same time. The best way to learn is by doing, right? Grad school should not be a backup plan in case you don't get hired after your undergrad years, but it is for many students which ends up having mixed results.

Michael Wesch and his students at Kansas State university have come up with another great video that makes you question several aspects of your life if you are in college or recently graduated. More details from the video can be found at the K-State digital ethnography site.

This is inspired by a conversation with my younger brother, who is in his third year of college, and I expressed the same feelings while I was in college that he is now talking about. I feel that my major was broad, at least across the technology spectrum, but there were many classes I was not allowed to take since they did not fall in my major's line of study. I wanted to get into some audio recording/production courses as well as fine arts courses, but most were limited to audio or art majors. How limiting one's education to a straight line of inter-related courses is considered beneficial and correct by your university's standards I will never know.

Maybe college should be five years, and the first year everyone is required to take completely different courses from different areas of study to see what they do well in and what they truly enjoy. Four years with little room for error or change of heart really limits your exploratory and personal development. Graduates who have a chance to try new courses or subjects, and really pick something that they love would result in better grades and a more enjoyable college classroom experience for them.

Once I switched majors from accounting/finance (what was I thinking?) to Informatics after one semester, I was more attentive in class and expressed a genuine interest since the lectures and material were aligned with what I was and am currently into. I still look back, and wish I would have just gone the exploratory route the entire first year, and jumped into a line of study after giving all subjects a chance. What's another $20,000 of education and living expenses on top of an already large figure which you have your whole life to pay back?

The current academic schedule allows you to really only declare and switch majors within the first or second semester before you have to play catch up with summer courses to still graduate in four or four and a half years. Take at least the first semester of your first year of college, and take courses completely unrelated to what you wanted to declare coming into college.

One semester will not put you far behind, and it may lead to a much more enjoyable education and work life beyond the college years.

Trendy clothing companies, computer and software companies, food and beverage brands. What do they all have in common? They know that college campuses include dense groups in the 18-24 target demographic. By having on-campus marketing reps, accessing and influencing that demographic could be like shooting fish in a barrel if the marketing concept and plan are executed correctly.

If you are into the game of resume building, and gaming the job-hunting system then these unpaid positions may be your ticket for marketing experience points. How much marketing and experience will you actually pick up? That all depends. Some are as simple as slinging free drinks of a particular brand at the bars on the weekend, and others are more involved like using a software program in classes and going to campus events to promote it (offered by Microsoft several years ago, not sure if it is still around...).

Search job-searching websites, pick up your campus newspaper and look in the classifieds, or check out the career or employment section on the store website the next time you are buying goods on-line to see if they have campus rep positions. There are tons of these opportunities out there, so check them out.

Thanks to the Gore Gone Wild or general environmentalist movement, jobs in the life science sector are booming. And by booming, I mean if you have a degree with "Bio", "Chem" or a combination of the two with another word, "Tech", you could probably write your own paycheck if you were an outstanding student in your area of study.

Last month alone, the cover story in three magazines that I subscribe to was about cellulosic ethanol studies and the push to produce this next-gen fuel alternative at a mass distribution level. That movement alone will result in thousands of jobs for all of you future scientists out there.

Science has changed dramatically in the past decade with the introduction of affordable super computing to aid research. If you get a degree in Biotech or Bioinformatics you would be a hot commodity. The point here is to be a scientist with the ability to use technology to complement your research, and not to be a computer scientist with a minor in science as some schools offer. Getting the tech-heavy degrees with very little scientific background is not as attractive degree as they make it out to be.

Science and math are not hot majors for most American higher education students for multiple reasons: not gaining grade school and high school students' interest early on, our perception of the American business person and the glamorous occupations that they have, and the complexity and high degree of intelligence and creativity that is required to strive in the field. I'm sure many high school students enjoy math, but they may not be good at it - a common excuse. If you enjoy math or science, stick with it, work hard, and there will definitely be jobs for you in the industry or academia.

Most business jobs involve fitting into a mold and performing a required function with little room for creativity until you get into a management position or if you are fortunate enough to work for an innovative company. Having the ability to research, strive to find something new, and to create something useful seems like it would be very rewarding. I'm sure you would have days as a scientist where you are just running standard tests, but it seems like you would be able to share your ideas and create your own projects based on research initiatives which would be amazing.

Go for a hot degree if that is where your interest lies rather than going for a degree that seems like a conventional and safe bet.

I was checking out what was on tv today, and caught an hour long program on PBS titled, Buffet & Gates Go Back to College. Warren Buffet and Bill Gates are extremely successful individuals, and both of them in the same room would probably be worth 60 minutes of my time. They were at a Q & A session on the campus of the University of Nebraska, and only students were allowed to ask the questions. I decided to take notes after the first 5 minutes blew my mind. These are very informal as I was just scribbling down thoughts as I was watching, so you have been given fair warning.

Worry about your inner scorecard rather than your outer scorecard.

Create an environment where you can think independently. It's very important who you look up to as well as surround yourself with.

There's a simple trick to making the ethical or right decision: if a newspaper article was written about it and made publicly available would you still make the same choice or take the same action?

Don't take a job for the money. Don't work for an organization that you are not excited about and believe in. You may not be with the same company in ten years, but you are always learning and building your skill set. If you're waking up excited to work you are at the right place.

The biggest mistakes are the ones that don't show up - ideas that are not pursued or opportunities that are missed.

Public speaking is a very important skill. Invest in yourself as you are your greatest asset.

Stand out, and stand out without trying just by being you. Some people just have "human skills" and some do not. The great leaders and success stories do not just go through the motions.

You will change the world. It may not be in a dramatic or hugely noticeable way, but it will be equally impressive because you are affecting somebody's life whether you know it or not.

Take in a diverse atmosphere and spend time with different types of people from all backgrounds who may not be successful individuals. Some have lucky tickets in life and some do not. Be thankful for what you have and be sure to give back and work to solve important issues and problems facing the less fortunate.

Knowledge is more widespread globally, now. Be aware of the positive and negative intentions of those who possess this new knowledge.

Teach your children to act responsibly and to be humble. Teach them the dangers of buying into the "material culture" that is infesting our country.

Taxes are not fair. The richest individuals are taxed less than someone making an average or below average salary. Secretaries may pay more in payroll and income taxes than Warren Buffet. He could've avoided paying taxes his entire life by borrowing against his stock and allowing his estate to pay it off when he passes away.

Divert the consumption of wealth towards charitable activities rather than towards yourself.

Maintain a great work life balance. If you love your work and love your family more you will be very well off. The biggest goal for success in life is raising a great family.

You have lived a successful life if when you are older the same people who loved you before your success still love you.

Congratulations to everyone who graduated this May! I wish you the best in whatever you do after school, and it's quite an accomplishment to get through college. I will begin posting more frequently once again as I finish up some other projects that I am working on.

Some go the complete opposite route of what they studied during college once they begin looking for open positions to start out in. This is normal, and completely possible. If you still haven't found a full-time position or have no idea what you want to do, explore jobs that are outside of your area of expertise that you know that you would enjoy. How well you do in school shows companies what kind of work ethic you hold and how determined and capable you are of completing a company's sometimes rigorous training program. You can go into many types of positions that don't require a technical background and some that do as most companies want to train you their way.

My economics professor sophomore year said it best, "College is just a 4 year test to prove to a company that you are capable of succeeding".

I hope everyone is using the time to relax somewhere, either a beach or a sofa at your house. Safe trip to those traveling this week.

How’s the challenge coming along? 20 resume AND cover letter submissions by March 1st, baby. Hopefully you are all rocking it out. I apologize for not posting yesterday, I try to post 5 days a week or whenever I have something valuable that I need to get out there, but I was actually catching up on work from time that I lost last week to the Valentine’s Day Blizzard.

I stumbled upon a great college student oriented audio broadcast, possibly a podcast - I don’t know, in which students that were in a career class were asking Dick Bolles, the author of What Color Is Your Parachute? (a great book, check it out) questions about their search. Listening to this podcast was bizarre because I could relate to both sides. I remember the ideas, the jobs that I thought I wanted, and what I was feeling while searching for jobs last year. On the flip side of the coin, now I also feel like I could answer my own questions from the past right along with Mr. Bolles. It was a deja-vu experience for me, and I think you will learn a few things from listening.

I especially liked the first caller, “I’m a senior plus, plus, plus…”. What does that even mean?

I don't care if you have close to a 4.0 GPA. If you don't have previous experience from a past job, you are digging yourself a hole. Companies are taking a big financial risk when they hire a new associate, and when it comes down to Al who had 2 successful internships with companies and Pete who volunteered with a student group on campus we all know that Al is getting the job unless he has no personality. Get out there and work. Build up a successful history of constant employment with no gaps. When you work for a company, you typically work year-round minus vacation here and there. They don't want somebody who is going to get bored and quit after a few months. Show them that you are dependable and experienced, and then get paid.

I don't know how many people say, "Oh, if I don't find a job I'll just go to grad school." This is a poor decision although it may work out in the end for some. Grad school is tons more work than undergrad, costs lots more unless you can get a graduate assistant position or other funding, and will not be very enjoyable if you enrolled simply because you gave up on the job search. Oh, and you still will have to search for a job in another year, and another degree still doesn't guarantee that you will easily find a job. Most companies will pay for you to go back to school while working part-time. It's a little benefit you will see as "continuing education" when you are applying for jobs. Especially for those considering an MBA, I have heard from everyone who is older than me that the experience working full-time and gaining real business experience makes it a much more rewarding experience. Eveyone who goes straignt to MBA programs after undergrad studies are dedicated, no doubt, but they lack any real experience other than a possible internship. It would be beneficial to have something to back up what you reading in textbooks. Bottom line, giving up on the job process and going to grad school simply because you did not get a job is weak sauce. Go to grad school if you really want to and had no intention of working right after college. Otherwise, keep using the campus career resources, even after graduation, and you will eventually find a job.

I have already referenced GE before as a great company to start your career with, and here is another cool opportunity from the innovative company. The EcoChallenge is put on by GE and MtvU, and challenges college students to bring ideas to the table on how to improve the environment on college campuses. Now, I am not a treehugger or hippie by any means, but I enjoy a good reason to think creatively - outside the box, if you will. Your idea could be as simple as a new trash/recycling campaign or something as crazy as designated smoking areas that are giant bubbles with air filters that turn the smoke into something good for the environment, like more Al Gore's. Is that a little political humor mixed with sarcasm? Panel says....yes, lame, but yes. In all seriousness, someone out there has a great idea that could actually help the environment, and participating in this contest would not look too shabby on the resume. Work with some of your friends or fly solo, and just see what happens after you submit your idea. There is also a link to apply for jobs with GE on the EcoChallenge page, if you are interested.

There is no argument to this equation. Halloween is the best holiday when you're in college. Live it up.

A quality movie, check it out later. Also a skill you should build up or shape if you already have it. If you feel awkward or nervous going up to company reps at career fairs, then you are a normal human being. The more times you do it, the less it will bother you. You need to try not to show it, though, if you are feeling uneasy. That's why it's good to go up to companies that you have hardly any interest in, and just work on your skills. In time, you will be a natural. Some people get so nervous and worked up, and then go straight to the top company on their list and just give a horrible impression of their true self. Progressively work your way up to the companies that you really want to look at seriously. That's why I recommend spending several hours at a career fair experimenting and learning what to do. Another thing to remember is that you are interviewing these people as well because you will be dedicating at least a few years of your life to the company that you choose to work for. You want to make sure that they are really right for you. Take your time, build up confidence, and leave the most personable and natural representation of yourself with the reps working for the companies that matter most to you. Oh, and you'll probably end up getting interviews and offers from some of those "practice" companies. Take the interviews to gain experience, or leave them on the table if you honestly are studying that much for your history of bubble gum exam and can't spare a half hour of your time. Is that a real class? I don't know. It should be.

Or Myspace. Or both. Or even some rare one that I don't know about. This social networking website phenomenon is a tremendous resource to aid you in your job and internship search. Less than a year ago, facebook started allowing people to register with their company emails. Now, anyone can register - but that's beside the point. You can search your friends' professional info for a company that you are interested in. You can search their friends to see who they work for. You can even search for random people that you don't even know that work for a specific company. Although this is border-line stalking and kind of creepy, as long as you are classy and tactful about it then I think you should use it. Don't go messaging random people asking them to refer you. In companies, if they refer you and you end up performing poorly or getting fired then how does that look for them? I'm not about to risk my career to recommend someone who randomly sent me a message through myspace or facebook. As long as they are your friend or a friend of a friend or a friend from the past that you don't really talk to anymore but you still check their profile every now and then, I think you could at least ask about their job role, how they like the company, and what they would recommend you do to rise above the other candidates in interviews. These social networking sites allow you to see clearly where people work and how closely they are related socially to you. Years ago, you would have to go to college networking fairs, mixers, and other events that took up a lot of time and didn't yield direct results. Now you can find people who you already know that work for the company that you are looking at…in a matter of seconds. Advantage....you. Stay classy.

I know many people that still list relatives and parents of their friends down as references on applications and resumes. This may have worked for your first job bagging groceries or renting movies (those were the days), but now you need solid, professional references. The easiest way to obtain a good reference and more importantly, a mentor, is to get to know one of the professors that you really enjoy. Attend office hours enough to where you are comfortable enough to carry on conversations that do not revolve around school. If you enjoy and respect the opinions of this person, this should not be a task at all. You will probably get great advice for getting a 4.0 in the course, how to survive college, and more than enough tips for life after college. The other good reference would be from an employer on campus or the ultimate reference, your boss from a summer internship. Just ask for a reference letter at the end of your term of employment (assuming you did not get canned, and actually performed above average), and you will be money. Get around 3-6 reference letters that were written during your college years. If you are going for a full-time job, it's good to have them from the last 2 years of college. Not all employers will ask for the actual letters, but all of my applications required at least 3 references, phone numbers, and my relationship to that person. Obtain the letters just to have in case they are needed, or you can go down the risky route with no letters and grandma as your reference. Your choice.

Everyone and their mothers has either a cell phone or an ipod, gigabeat, sansa, zune, or or [insert your mp3 player here] to their ear at all times when walking around campus or town. When you walk into a career fair, meeting room for candidates prior to interviewing, or any other location where you are trying to find a job or internship, put the cell phones and ipods away. Take the time to talk to other people, and find out what they know. Talk to any company reps greeting people. Do anything that makes it appear that you can socialize and not just rock out to the newest track from The Fray or talk to your friend about that guy that you stared at for 45 minutes at the bar last night (OMG!!!). Some people claim that it helps them relax before interviewing. Listen to whatever song it is that pumps you up or settles you down on the way to the interview or career fair, and then just keep it in your head. No earbuds though. I think it sends a horrible impression if you are just sitting there bobbing your head or intently listening to nature sounds with your eyes closed (funny as it sounds, you will no doubt see other candidates doing these things). Moral of the story: take the opportunity to learn from your classmates and company reps rather than draining the battery power on your phone or musical device.

For all the frosh out there going through rush, getting hazed, making it to classes, and finding your way around. I just heard from a guy one month into school, and he feels like everyone is smarter, he doesn't know what to do, and just doesn't feel like he belongs. It's a rough first semester or two, that's for sure. To immediately improve your life, switch majors to something that you enjoy doing. Examples:

* listening/editing music -> recording arts degree
* doodling/drawing/web design -> graphic arts or new media
* investing -> finance program
* being outdoors -> geology, environmental science, agricultural science
* building things -> industrial design or engineering
* playing sports -> sports marketing, therapy, or broadcast communications
* playing video games -> game developor/designer

If your school doesn't have the program you are looking for then transfer. It's too early in your college career to get locked into something you dread learning about. You will be getting a degree in something that you will probably be doing for the next 45 years so pick something that you will enjoy doing! Get involved with groups around campus: student governement, intramural sports, drama clubs, whatever. You usually just have to go to their call out meetings and bam, you're in. It's the easiest way to meet people that you may enjoy hanging out with rather then the people on your dorm floor who just roam in a pack, which was cool in my case and may be in yours. Hang in there, its a good 4 year drive that leads to more fun after college.

I was talking to a guy just starting out college, and he was telling me that he wanted to just get his associate's degree in Computer Information Systems, and then just get an entry-level job that he can build from. He said after that he would go back for his Bachelors of Science.

I told him what I tell everyone. Get at least the 4 year degree if money and time allow it. Student loan payments are not a huge burden once you graduate and are making more money than you ever have in your life. Get the loan if you have to and finish school. The BS or BA leverages you over everyone else who is walking around with a diploma from a 2 year program. Also, once you get in the routine of working full-time and enjoying a decent salary it's tough to get back into the academic mode. I've only been working for 4 months, and I'm pretty content about not going back for a few years at least.

So, stay in college for 4 years, enjoy the social scene, learn more, leverage yourself above other job candidates, and give yourself the sense of completion so that you can be content leaving college after all of the commencement parties.