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> "Sean is now pursuing another bachelor's degree, this time in computer science, from the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg. He is paying for thi

> "Sean is now pursuing another bachelor's degree, this time in computer science, from the University of Mary Washington in Fredericksburg. He is paying for this degree as he goes, with help from an internship program with the U.S. Navy." ... or he could have just driven 40 minutes north and gotten a CS degree at George Mason University, which is a far, far better program than Mary Washington. OR if out of state tuition is not an issue, he could have driven another 30 minutes further and gotten a CS degree at U Maryland, which hovers in the top 15. Both of which are basically the same price as Mary Washington. Is it worth mentioning that the Navy has close connections to both schools? Particularly GMU. Indeed of nearby schools, the following are all superior to Mary Washington in CS and cost about the same: GMU, U Maryland, Virginia Tech, UVA, ODU, VCU. So one son decided to blow $200K on a journalism degree, and his parents helped him. Now the other son, already $60K in the hole, is going back to school, and has picked the worst of several options to get a computer science degree. And no doubt his parents are helping him again. One wonders if the problem is the parents.

cpursley 11y ago
There's another option that's even cheaper. My training to enter software development was less than $1,000 (various books and online courses + plus lots of hours behind the keyboard). While that might not provide a deep CS background, its enough to become a competent developer to build real things and obtain a job. And if someone feels like they still need that CS degree, do so after entering the field and pay tuition out of pocket along the way.
randycupertino 11y ago
"One wonders if the problem is the parents." Agreed- no reason the starving artist underemployed son couldn't come home and go back to school for something he could actually get a job in, like nursing. There are 1 year accelerated BSN programs for people with bachelors in other subjects.
dragonwriter 11y ago
> So one son decided to blow $200K on a journalism degree $129,000, not $200K. $189K is the combined amount of the two sons. (And "blow" largely because he got a journalism degree, apparently, for what appears to be a goal of an acting career, which is just mind-bogglingly weird, and not particularly because of the $ amount.)

cpursley 11y ago

There's another option that's even cheaper. My training to enter software development was less than $1,000 (various books and online courses + plus lots of hours behind the keyboard). While that might not provide a deep CS background, its enough to become a competent developer to build real things and obtain a job. And if someone feels like they still need that CS degree, do so after entering the field and pay tuition out of pocket along the way.

randycupertino 11y ago

"One wonders if the problem is the parents." Agreed- no reason the starving artist underemployed son couldn't come home and go back to school for something he could actually get a job in, like nursing. There are 1 year accelerated BSN programs for people with bachelors in other subjects.

dragonwriter 11y ago

> So one son decided to blow $200K on a journalism degree $129,000, not $200K. $189K is the combined amount of the two sons. (And "blow" largely because he got a journalism degree, apparently, for what appears to be a goal of an acting career, which is just mind-bogglingly weird, and not particularly because of the $ amount.)