**HELP**MAJOR DILEMMA: Go for certs and experience or go for college degree and certs....given my scenario?

i am scheduled for my A+ and NET+ certs 2 weeks from now and pretty confident i'll pass (really)....I have 30 sum odd credits in college but in Bussines Management (none transfer-able to a computer science/operation major), but would like to swtich my major to comps( but that would mean strating all over again) if convinent. I am in a 2yr community collge and intend to go to a four year college if choosing the college path is right for me......so here is the big question: should i hold up on college and follow up with micosoft certs and cisco certs---or go to college and get a 2yr degree in computers and then think about MS and cisco----or is a 2yr computer degree worthless and should i go for a 4yr degree and get my certs meanwhile......the major factor being i need a chance to make the most $$$ possible as soon as possible.....would certs and 4yrs experience in the field down the line make me more money than college degree and certs......|||College always College.





I've been in software develoment for years. We won't even look at a candidate if they don't have a degree.





If you go with the certs, you can probably find some kind of work - not software development work, maybe IT. And what will happen is you will stick with it, avoid school and you will never be making the $ that the degreeded people make. They will start higher than you even with 0 experience.





Don't go for the fast buck with your career and life, keep kicking it out at school!|||Get your degree and some decent certs. Sooner or later you'll need your degree for advancement or pay, so you might as well get it out of the way now.





A+ is essentially worthless. It basically says "I know how to tinker with computer hardware". Which is fine, but unless you're looking to make $11/hr at Best Buy installing new hard drives for the computer illiterate, then it's a waste of time.





Network+ is a little more useful, but most employers want something a little more platform specific. For example, an MCSE is preferred over a Network+


.|||College + work, forget the certs. get your 2 year degree WHILE working to start, then finish up with the 4 year.





There are tons of employers that completely disregard certs altogether if you don't have an ounce of schooling and/or experience.