Online programs, Western Governors U vs Southern New Hampshire U

[Hibush]

I think that people often put too much of an emphasis on "advancement," when advancement has no inherent purpose if somebody is making enough money and does not need a more interesting job.

This concept of "enough" in behavioral economics is important and often overlooked. The assumption that people want more, regardless of how much they have, is not universally true. I suspect a lot of economists only meet that type of person.

[nebo113]

It seems strange to me, but this particular relative is actively opposed to a career with opportunities for advancement. As she puts it, she doesn't want a job where she has to stress out. Go to work, work steadily for 8 hours, then clock out and forget the job, that's her goal. Her main concern is physical demands of no education required jobs as she moves from early forties to mid sixties.

To be honest, I respect this attitude. I mean, if one is able to find such a job, and survive on its earnings, it makes sense if there are other things outside of work (family, church, sports, painting, writing, music, hobbies, etc.) that gives one's life meaning. In fact, when I was a permanent adjunct, this was just the sort of job I wanted, so I could make my living and then spend what time I had left over teaching a class here and there and reading/writing history. I met many people who are highly educated but take decently-paying but dead-end jobs to do things like play in a band, act, write novels, raise children, etc.

I think that people often put too much of an emphasis on "advancement," when advancement has no inherent purpose if somebody is making enough money and does not need a more interesting job.

Of course, I have no idea if accounting is such a job. The accountants I know tend to work long hours, although I do know several people who work in related jobs who meet this description.

Sorry to get off subject.....

I agree.  My step kidlet is "underemployed" but likes 9 - 5 where nothing goes home with her.  Her older sister was miserable when in a very high stress position that was extremely lucrative and quite prestigious.  When she finally quit for a "lower" position with another company, she has been stunned by "normal" life.

[jimbogumbo]

WGU can be a good choice for a very specific degree that earns an entrance credential, especially if you don't really want to keep advancing in a profession. It was in some sense (along with the whole remote Western thing) originally designed to do just that.

[marshwiggle]

I think that people often put too much of an emphasis on "advancement," when advancement has no inherent purpose if somebody is making enough money and does not need a more interesting job.

This concept of "enough" in behavioral economics is important and often overlooked. The assumption that people want more, regardless of how much they have, is not universally true. I suspect a lot of economists only meet that type of person.

If you've ever read "The Peter Principle", that's one of the important underlying themes; in our society,  "promotion" is assumed to be a good thing. However, the wise person decides whether a "promotion" is actually going to be more satisfying, rather than merely more lucrative, and potentially turning it down  in the latter case. (Although the book says it with a lot more humour.)

[Aster]

As others have noted, I strongly recommend enrolling in the local community college's accounting courses well ahead of signing up at one of the online diploma mill businesses.

And while places like Western Governor's and Southern New Hampshire University are among the "least sheisty" within their operating type of private institution, any generic public community college will still kick their butts in both educational quality and educational reputation for most courses. Proper and full course transfer to 4-year universities are much more likely to be successful. That you will be taught be an actual professor and not left to an automated course in a can is far more likely. That your professor will be available for office hours and personal communications at a community college is more likely.

Another plus for checking out the local community colleges is price. You are not going to find a cheaper price for your education than at a community college. No other academic institutional can even remotely compete with community colleges on that front.

Also, there are alternate options in most states besides the "local" community college if you're looking for fully online course offerings. If your own local community college does not have online-formatted courses for what you want, just browse around your state for another community college until you find one that does. Lots of people attend online courses at community colleges that are not in their own area.

And finally, by no means should one discount the possibility that online courses might be available at public 4-year universities in your state. Unless your state of residence is pretty tiny, I would expect at least some R1's and R2's to have online offerings for many business and accounting type courses. One of the R2's in my area certainly does. The costs of an online course at a 4-year public university will also be significantly cheaper than getting mugged at a private institution.

[Vkw10]

It seems strange to me, but this particular relative is actively opposed to a career with opportunities for advancement. As she puts it, she doesn't want a job where she has to stress out. Go to work, work steadily for 8 hours, then clock out and forget the job, that's her goal. Her main concern is physical demands of no education required jobs as she moves from early forties to mid sixties.

To be honest, I respect this attitude. I mean, if one is able to find such a job, and survive on its earnings, it makes sense if there are other things outside of work (family, church, sports, painting, writing, music, hobbies, etc.) that gives one's life meaning.

Of course, I have no idea if accounting is such a job. The accountants I know tend to work long hours, although I do know several people who work in related jobs who meet this description.

Sorry to get off subject.....

I agree.  My step kidlet is "underemployed" but likes 9 - 5 where nothing goes home with her.  Her older sister was miserable when in a very high stress position that was extremely lucrative and quite prestigious.  When she finally quit for a "lower" position with another company, she has been stunned by "normal" life.

I respect her for making thoughtful decisions about what she needs and what will make her happy, even though her ambitions strike me as strange. I'm fairly certain my ambitions strike her as equally strange, but we've teamed up at family events for years to avoid the relatives who want to advise us on how to achieve 2.3 children and a white picket fence.

She said accounting, but she's more interested in bookkeeping and accounting clerk work than in CPA level work. Careful, methodical work, not strategic thinking.

[jerseyjay]

She said accounting, but she's more interested in bookkeeping and accounting clerk work than in CPA level work. Careful, methodical work, not strategic thinking.

Several of the people I mentioned earlier do, in fact, have jobs as bookkeepers as apposed to CPA. The people I know who are CPAs work really long hours, at least when it is time to file taxes. They also tend to earn a fair bit of money. The bookkeepers work less hours and make less money, leaving time for other pursuits.

I have no idea what type of qualifications you need to be a bookkeeper. Those I know all have advanced degrees, but in subjects that are not accountancy.

Some people just do not have any ambition at all. But many people have ambitions, but in a direction that is not obvious. Instead of getting a promotion and making more money, they may have artistic or literary ambitions.

[apl68]

She said accounting, but she's more interested in bookkeeping and accounting clerk work than in CPA level work. Careful, methodical work, not strategic thinking.

Several of the people I mentioned earlier do, in fact, have jobs as bookkeepers as apposed to CPA. The people I know who are CPAs work really long hours, at least when it is time to file taxes. They also tend to earn a fair bit of money. The bookkeepers work less hours and make less money, leaving time for other pursuits.

I have no idea what type of qualifications you need to be a bookkeeper. Those I know all have advanced degrees, but in subjects that are not accountancy.

Some people just do not have any ambition at all. But many people have ambitions, but in a direction that is not obvious. Instead of getting a promotion and making more money, they may have artistic or literary ambitions.

There are many ambitions besides career ambitions.  It was clear from knowing my parents' generation and earlier generations where I live that the most common ambition was a 9-to-5 job that would pay the bills and support the raising of a family.  I suspect that most of us are here now because of parents who had such an ambition.

[Hibush]

She said accounting, but she's more interested in bookkeeping and accounting clerk work than in CPA level work. Careful, methodical work, not strategic thinking.

Several of the people I mentioned earlier do, in fact, have jobs as bookkeepers as apposed to CPA. The people I know who are CPAs work really long hours, at least when it is time to file taxes. They also tend to earn a fair bit of money. The bookkeepers work less hours and make less money, leaving time for other pursuits.

I have no idea what type of qualifications you need to be a bookkeeper. Those I know all have advanced degrees, but in subjects that are not accountancy.

Some people just do not have any ambition at all. But many people have ambitions, but in a direction that is not obvious. Instead of getting a promotion and making more money, they may have artistic or literary ambitions.

I live in an area where this approach is also prevalent. I find it ironic, if not surprising, that bookkeepers from small business, local non-profits and municipal government are constantly being arrested for embezzlement. You might call that some kind of ambition.

[pepsi_alum]

I frankly have a very negative impression of SNHU. There was a forumite on the old boards who adjuncted for them for a while, and their stories were frankly hair-raising to me. They don't have good quality control measures in place. For example, it's the kind of place where instructors don't control the course shells, to the point that they aren't allowed to edit obvious spelling/grammar errors or factual mistakes.

WGU is more of a mixed bag. Most of their programs are crap, but like jimbogumbo said, they do have a few programs that are decent for people already working in their chosen field who just need a bachelor's degree to advance. One of my former neighbors (an RN who already had her associates degree) did their bachelor degree completion program and said it was nothing special, but worked fine for her purposes.

[Vkw10]

I frankly have a very negative impression of SNHU. There was a forumite on the old boards who adjuncted for them for a while, and their stories were frankly hair-raising to me. They don't have good quality control measures in place. For example, it's the kind of place where instructors don't control the course shells, to the point that they aren't allowed to edit obvious spelling/grammar errors or factual mistakes.

WGU is more of a mixed bag. Most of their programs are crap, but like jimbogumbo said, they do have a few programs that are decent for people already working in their chosen field who just need a bachelor's degree to advance. One of my former neighbors (an RN who already had her associates degree) did their bachelor degree completion program and said it was nothing special, but worked fine for her purposes.

Thank you, Pepsi_alum. I'm glad you remembered stories from the old boards, because I was hoping to hear from someone who had worked with SNHU or WGU.

The consensus seems to be that a local community college or online public university courses would be best, WGU is probably acceptable, and SNHU is probably not acceptable. I appreciate all the input.

[kiana]

I frankly have a very negative impression of SNHU. There was a forumite on the old boards who adjuncted for them for a while, and their stories were frankly hair-raising to me. They don't have good quality control measures in place. For example, it's the kind of place where instructors don't control the course shells, to the point that they aren't allowed to edit obvious spelling/grammar errors or factual mistakes.

Wasn't it SNHU where one of their instructors hit the national news after telling a student that Australia wasn't a country and then doubling down on it?