So I’m thinking of taking a class or two this spring/summer to test the waters of whether I want to go back to school full time, but I’m pretty damn ignorant when it comes to the schooling options I have around the San Francisco area.
First, am I too late to sign up for the Spring quarter? What schools are on the quartley system around here anyway? I live close to Skyline Community College, but they use semesters and thus have a few more months to go – ideally, I’d like to hop into a class before then.
Secondly, and more importantly, what schools are well respected around here? Or rather, are there any I should actively avoid going to?
Any other feedback regarding any local schools that I may have forgotten ask about would be welcome too.
SFSU is actually really well respected in the bay area. If you leave the bay area however, people would probably think its a dumbass state school. Other good options are USF (not to be confused with UCSF), City College of SF and Golden Gate University. If I were you and I may be soon because I need to take post-bacc “big girl” physics (the calculus kind not the slacker kind I took in college that no grad schools accept) I would go to Berkeley Extension. It has a downtown SF campus, taught by Berkeley staff, and its a non-degree program. YOu just kinda show up, pay for a class and take it. I’ve heard really good things about it actually
I can’t speak for Berkeley, but down here UCLA extension has some very good extension courses and certificate programs, although here the instructors tend to be part timers from the relevant industry or field, rather than regular professors.
Check around, too. You might find a CSU campus that offers an online degree in something you’re interested in. I’m attending a 2-year part-time program in software engineering at CSUF. This program is offered by the engineering and computer science college; the business college at CSU offers an online MIS program as well. It might be a “dumb state school” but IMHO it’s better than an online program from a place nobody’s ever heard of.
Dammit, I’ve GOT to stop wasting my time here at the Dope and get back to my project…