What's more worth it?

[Steven12]

I've been accepted to UIC for their pharmacy program. In 8 years I'll be paying UIC 185k~

I've been accepted to UIUC for their compE/compS program. In 4 years I'll get my bachelors but will pay UIUC 140k.

Which seems more reasonable? Both make around the same. Im indifferent about pharmacy but see compE as a challenge.

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[Rukn]

it's really a no brainer

really


the pharmacy forum full of pharmacists is crying out loud on how bad things are

there is no sense of optimism at all

unless you want to rot away extra years of your life doing a pgy 3 in order to check orders in a hospital basement or a pgy1 in order to stare at a computer screen and look at hundreds of pills for 12 hours while being interrupted every minute

 

[PharmtoCS]

Computer engineering / science is a no brainer.

 

[Gombrich12]

Paying that much money for either degree is ridiculous. For a 4 year degree you want to be coming out with 50,000 or less.

 

[PharmtoCS]

I've been accepted to UIC for their pharmacy program. In 8 years I'll be paying UIC 185k~

I've been accepted to UIUC for their compE/compS program. In 4 years I'll get my bachelors but will pay UIUC 140k.

Which seems more reasonable? Both make around the same. Im indifferent about pharmacy but see compE as a challenge.

Just read up on how the major tech companies (Google, Facebook, Microsoft, etc.) treat their employees. Compare that to how the chain retail pharmacies treat theirs. One industry treats its workers as valuable assets, whereas the other treats its workers as disposable commodities.

 

[Caffeine QAM]

How is it that a 4-year program costs $140k...nearly the same as the 8-year pharmacy program? But yeah, it seems if your choice is between those two, it's a no-brainer. By the way, you have to take into account that the pharmacy program has an additional 4-year opportunity cost - you will not be working and making money in those addional 4 years as you would have if you graduated in 4 years with a computer E/S degree. Even if you estimate low for a starting salary of a computer scientist/engineer....let's say $60k, in 4 years, you would have made $240k (assuming no raises). So the pharmacy program is really costing you at least $285k more than the computerE/S program...and that's not even including interest from loans. Computers are the future. Even pharmacists are starting to specialize in computer science.

 

[CMUchicka]

Just read up on how the major tech companies (Google, Facebook, Microsoft, etc.) treat their employees. Compare that to how the chain retail pharmacies treat theirs. One industry treats its workers as valuable assets, whereas the other treats its workers as disposable commodities.

This is true. I personally know few who have been working in top tech companies. But know that these people went to schools like MIT, standford.. Also they were very passionate about coding from highschool so they worked hard to get into prestigious school and now have pretty nice life. Also when it comes to landing job at big guys like google, facebook, what school you went play very big role unlike pharmacy. So yes comp. science has nice perks but its only possible if you like coding. Just last year i wanted to quit on pharmacy to get into comp science, so i started taking programming classes and i failed it miserbaly in it lol Dont justget into major based on cost, of course cost matters but you have to enjoy what you do.

 

[panasoniku]

Just read up on how the major tech companies (Google, Facebook, Microsoft, etc.) treat their employees. Compare that to how the chain retail pharmacies treat theirs. One industry treats its workers as valuable assets, whereas the other treats its workers as disposable commodities.

Getting a job at chain retail =/= Google, Microsoft, Facebook

Getting a clinical management position, consulting, etc is more a kin to Google, Microsoft, Facebook. Few and for the cream of the crop