Is The B.A. Degree The New High School Diploma?
Do I really want to return to college or university? The answer is no I really don’t. I hated York University it was so boring I definitely won’t be returning there. The only happy moment was when I graduated with a B.A. degree it definitely opened up a few doors. Notice that I used the word “few”. It seems everywhere these days you need a B.A. degree to do anything. My goal is to have a more enriched life. I just feel like something is missing from my life right now I can’t quite explain it? Unlike my first post secondary experience this time around I’m going to actually take courses that enhance my skills.
I was on the telephone with a friend the other day and he says the B.A. degree is the new high school diploma. I remember when I graduated from university with a B.A. degree I honestly thought that all the hours of studying, staying up all night writing essays and term papers were over. Well guess what? The competition is fierce and it seems everyone is acquiring a B.A. degree.
The question is how do you separate yourself from the pack? I was thinking about these new online college and university programs that are flexible because you can work and also go to school. Get a Masters degree! However, I should caution I’m doing my research. I think I will definitely skip the University of Phoenix online university courses. I just read an article the other day that HR agents actually look down on the University of Phoenix. I was surprised because the University of Phoenix is an accredited university it is legit. However, the University of Phoenix is a for profit university and there standards may be lower then other universities.
Gayblackcanada 
I think one of the considerations is what COURSE OF STUDY the degree is in. A bachelor’s degree in aerospace or electrical engineering is one thing and a bachelor’s degree in “history” or “political science” (while valid, of course) is quite another.
With the latter, it is beneficial (maybe even necessary in some cases) to look at graduate study.
Bachelors has been the High School diploma for quite a while. You are right about seeking a Master’s degree. Although, that is becoming a degree everyone has too.
University of Phoenix being a for-profit school does not determine academic standards. Accreditation determines the standards. As you said, “University of Phoenix is an accredited university it is legit”.
As a student in both traditional schools and UOP. I find UOP much more demanding of my thinking mind. I don’t get to sit in a classroom and sponge materials from a 1-way lecture. I need to read, comprehend, think critically, write, defend, and learn.
Why do HR people look down on it? HR folks often think they know without having actually experienced, learned, or inquired to find the truth. If you dig further than your one article you will find a mounting body of literature supporting distance learning, online learning, online education, distance universities, and University of Phoenix (or it’s competitors). This is the future of education.
I’ve listed some great online programs on my blog – and you’re right to steer clear of the for-profits..
I take both in person and online courses at State University of New York’s Empire State College, and I must say that the online courses are more challenging and more demanding. You have to write alot more, because that’s really the only way the professor can evaluate your progress. I’m completing my degree for my own edification, not because the BA will help me – I have done all right without one.
My son, who is 30, has a very respectable job at a hospital and he never went to college at all, formally. He did do alot of reading and trained as an emergency medical technician through a volunteer ambulance corps. He’s also brilliant – he speaks at least 3 languages well, and can hold his own in at least 3 more.
The older I get the more I see that sustenance really is in God’s hands.