Hypothetically...

[CradleRobber]

You're 20, halfway to a BA in journalism with a Spanish minor. The daily where you work part-time loses their assistant SE and you get offered a full-time writing position paying 35K, but you have to put school on hold, perhaps indefinitely. You begin to wonder if you'll ever make significantly more money than that with a degree, anyway.

What do you do and why?

 

[Dan Rydell]

Finish school. Get that degree first.

You might wanna do something else later, such as teach, and you'll need that degree then.

Might not seem important now, but it would be later.

 

[Flying Headbutt]

Cradle, I had a chance to work fulltime before I graduated at a place I was working at part-time back in college. Ultimately I turned it down, and the timing worked perfectly because shortly after I did graduate the fulltime position opened up again, and I used it as a good springboard.

And the satisfaction of getting my college degree was a very proud moment for me personally. And a professor of mine played a big assist in me eventually getting the job I have now, by introducing me to someone who I can safely say is responsible for me being where I am.

That said, your degree won't ever trump your clips or your experience. I have no regrets about the choice I made, and I think ultimately it helped me out. But the same decision isn't always the right one for someone else. And it sounds like a good opportunity at least worth considering, depending on how badly you're ready to give up school and get a start on your career.

 

[lono]

I've never met anyone who regrets having a college degree.

 

[buckweaver]

And yet: a college degree is no guarantee that better jobs are in your future. ... That said, it's a lot harder to go back to school once you've left. ... Ultimately, do what's right for you, with no regrets. What's right for anyone else may not be right for you.

 

[Monday Morning Sportswriter]

Sounds what like I did, only for about a third of the money. No regrets. But I was a crappy college student anyway.

 

[txsportsscribe]

can you not go to school part time, even 1 or 2 classes a semester?

as for it being hard to go back to college, i don't necessarily agree with that. i went back to college at 31 or 32 and completed my bachelor's degree and then went to grad school (now that IS a waste if you're expecting it to make you a better journalist).

 

[Theoldbenchwarmer]

as for it being hard to go back to college, i don't necessarily agree with that. i went back to college at 31 or 32 and completed my bachelor's degree and then went to grad school

I think you're probably one of the few who had the motivation to do this. I NEED to get my master's to get ahead in my profession but I have no desire to do it. I mean, it sounds sexy telling people that I'm looking at grad schools and am planning on doing it, but I've been saying it for months. I think when I move closer to where my job is located (DC) and the commute doesn't extend my day so much (traveling to Baltimore adds about 2-2.5 hours every day), I'll find a good school that has the program I'm looking at and finally do it. See, doesn't that sound sexy??

 

[Jeremy Goodwin]

I know you've probably already thought about this, but your financial situation could play a big role. Are you in debt, do you pay for college or do your parents, could factor in big. I'm looking for my first job out of school and I would jump at any place that offered 35K. Most of the places I've talked to have said mid 20K or less. So, you are probably at a decent paper already. I agree with txsportsscribe, if you can take classes part time do it. It should be a lot easier to chip away at a degree then to take a year or two off later in life to finish it. With sports your mornings / early afternoons should be free. I see no reason why you couldn't take the job and still take classes from 11 (or earlier)-3 then go cover a practice or a game. Don't take Friday classes, then you won't have problems going on road trips to cover teams on weekends. That is all easier said than done. Good luck with the decision, and do what you won't regret. You don't want to think back in 5,10, or 15 years and say "what if".

 

[farmerjerome]

I got my start in the field midway through my four-year.

Best thing I ever did. I got tons of experience, and went to school on and off for a couple of years before I finished. It was a pain in the ass sometimes, but I really think going to school a day or two a week and taking the job would be the best route to go.

Your college is always going to be there. It will just take you a little more time to get the degree. You can start to pay off your debt before it gets too deep, which is always a plus.

 

[hockeybeat]

You're 20, halfway to a BA in journalism with a Spanish minor. The daily where you work part-time loses their assistant SE and you get offered a full-time writing position paying 35K, but you have to put school on hold, perhaps indefinitely. You begin to wonder if you'll ever make significantly more money than that with a degree, anyway.

What do you do and why?

If it were me, I'd take the FT job and go to school PT.

You won't have much of a social life, but you'll have your degree and a full-time job. You'll be ahead of the curve, plus have some money in the bank.

 

[In Cold Blood]

Stick with school. You have the rest of your life to work.
Be a college kid. Go to games and sit in the student section. Drink on a random tuesday. Take classes that interest you, even if they don't apply towards your degree.

You can write gamers and features until your 100 if you want to. You'll never again have the opportunity to enjoy the college experience.

 

[Hammer Pants]

Don't let anyone other than you make such a huge decision.

 

[Your Huckleberry]

I was going to tell you to get the degree but after reading everyone else's posts, I think this is a decision you have to make based on what you think is best. Consider all factors and then make the best choice that you can live with and have no regrets.

I chose to get my degree and I have no regrets. You might need to choose this job, depending on your situation over the degree right now. If so, go for it. I would recommend that you do what some of the others have suggested and attend school even on a part-time basis of 1-2 classes so that you do actually finish the degree. I like that idea the best but do what's best for you.

 

[Piotr Rasputin]

My standard statement is: Having a degree never hurts you, not having a degree never helps you. You can help or hurt yourself in other ways, of course.

A decade ago, two decades ago, this would have been a tough choice for someone . . .hypothetically. But now? The offer might sound great in the context of the pay, the position and maybe wnting to get into the workforce ASAP.

But with the way newspapers are going, five years from now this hypothetical person would want to have the bachelor's degree in hand, because that will create more options for what happens next. So even if the job cannot be turned down, it's best to keep one foot in education.

As for the earlier remark about grad school not making one a better journalist . . . . it depends on where you go, and what you choose to study. Certain places suit certain people's goals.

 

[awriter]

Everyone here made good points. I have a question: How are your grades? Are you doing well in school, or are you on the verge of flunking out? I've known people who never earned a BA but wound up at major outlets. And I once worked with a guy who got turned down by a major paper because he didn't have one -- even though his dad had been the ME there. It's a tough call for you.

 

[Walter_Sobchak]

Stick with school. You have the rest of your life to work.
Be a college kid. Go to games and sit in the student section. Drink on a random tuesday. Take classes that interest you, even if they don't apply towards your degree.

You can write gamers and features until your 100 if you want to. You'll never again have the opportunity to enjoy the college experience.

What Truman Capote said.

 

[wickedwritah]

Get the degree. Nail some more sorostitutes. Enjoy life.

If they think that highly of you, they will hire you once you've gotten the piece of paper and you've worked the partying out of your system.

 

[The Last Boy Scout]

Get a degree, but change your major to a field that will pay real money. In 15 years, when you're ready to get out because you're still making $35k, you'll wish you had something to fall back on.

 

[Prodigal Son]

Get a degree, but change your major to a field that will pay real money. In 15 years, when you're read to get out because you're still making $35k, you'll wish you had something to fall back on.

Best advice yet.