Robert Rahni ⋅ White Plains, NY Fordham University ⋅ 13 years experience

Hi Priscila,

Appreciate the additional information. Even though your well-deserves GI BILL educational benefits will cover the cost of tuition/fees, a second Bachelor’s degree, albeit one in an entirely different field, is a huge time and energy commitment.

I’m wondering if you may be better off completing a hyper-intensive 8, 10, or even 12 week bootcamp. Is your end goal to be a computer programmer/coder or software engineer? If so, a bootcamp may be sufficient.

Many companies, specifically those based in Silicon Valley/big tech, think Amazon Web Services (one of ACP’s partners), Apple, FaceBook, Workday, Spotify etc. are hiring folks who do not have a Bachelors in Computer Science or a Bachelors degree altogether.

Depending on your baseline understanding of systems and computer software/coding as well as your aptitude for this area, a bootcamp may make more sense so you could enter the field as a FT employee much sooner.

I hope considering this alternative avenue is helpful!

Will Steinberg ⋅ Thomson Reuters ⋅ 14 years experience

Hi Priscila,

If there isn't a hurry to commit to the time and cost of a degree, maybe you can spend some time first to pursue computer science and other subjects on your time? That way you might get a clearer idea if you want to ultimately commit to a degree in computer science or another subject.

Good luck!

Priscila Jimenez ⋅ Boca Raton, FL U.S. Air Force, Senior Airman ⋅ 3 years served

Thank you all for your replies. My degree in social work but I want to work in another field. My GI bill will be covering my education and housing costs. I applied to the school that awarded me my first bachelor's degree and I am going to be getting a degree in computer science. I am more interested in engineering but because there are fewer jobs in Florida for engineering compared to computer science, I decided to do computer science. I like the idea of studying different branches of engineering because I love learning about how things work. After I complete my degree in computer science, I will still have funds left over in my GI bill. I would have liked for my education this second time around to be more of a self directed path that will allow me to explore different areas that I am interested in. I do not think that this approach would be marketable, or even approved by the VA. I think that maybe I will have to pursue those subject that I am curious about on my own time.

Robert Rahni ⋅ White Plains, NY Fordham University ⋅ 13 years experience

Hi Priscila,

What immediately came to mind for me upon reading your post is what Julie mentioned - you may wish to consider Graduate School and pursue a Master’s Degree.

What is your Bachelor’s Degree in if you don’t mind me asking? Are you looking to pursue an eventual career related to this degree?

Lot to consider. I’ve spent the bulk of my career assisting military connected students transition to higher education across all levels. I’d be happy to hop on a phone/video call with you to talk anything through, serve as a sounding board, review any federal GI BILL educational benefits you may have and how they work at various school.

Feel free to DM me if you think I can be of any help!

Best,
Rob

Julie James ⋅ Tulsa, OK UPS ⋅ 30 years experience

HI Pricila - Have you thought about getting your master's instead of a 2nd BA. Having your master's degree increases your pay potential and puts you ahead of other candidates. Also, what is your first degree in? Some degrees compliment each other: business marketing + business law prepares you to become a valuable asset in advertising, certifications in project management + supply chain management is a sought after combination.

Sounds like you have a love for learning. Getting your master's or a degree that leverages the one you have are ways to put you ahead of other candidates when you get ready to transition.

Best of luck!

Andrew McAfee ⋅ Ontario, CA Amazon Web Services ⋅ 6 years experience

Hi Priscilla

There are many ways to become a well rounded person. I think you should spend time determining what that really means to you and then reassess if another bachelor's is the only/best way to achieve that.

You said second bachelor's which means you already know it takes time and money to complete one. While I never argue against investing in one's self and education, I'd question whether you've considered if this is the right time, if it is the right program, and if it will have the intended result once completed.

I've cruised LinkedIn more times than I can count searching for people in roles at companies I've found interesting. The only thing that they have in common is that they don't ever have the same cookie cutter path to where they are. They don't all have the exact same undergrad degree or internships or promotion path.

Try to find people on LinkedIn that are currently where you'd like to see yourself after your transition and try to connect with them, ask about their journey, and ask their advice for you. If you aren't familiar with LinkedIn to do that kind of targeted search let me know and I can suggest resources.

Good luck!

Joe Engle ⋅ Indianapolis, IN Electrical/Software Eng. + MBA ⋅ 30 years experience

Hello Priscila.
College costs a lot of time and money. It is a big investment. Because of that, I always advise studying in a field that you really love and enjoy, and will be able to have a career in. You want this investment to pay off, when your are done.

Almost all degree programs aim to develop a well rounded person. This is done by requiring courses apart from the major study. Also electives are available to allow study in a wide range of other interests.

It is possible to take general courses for a while, to determine where your interests lie. Different colleges have different names for this, but it is frequently called something like "General Studies".

You should probably speak with the college counselors for their suggestions. Then, if you narrow down your interests to several fields of studies (departments-ex. business), you could speak with counselors from those departments. These department counselors, probably professors, can give you more details about the study program, and what positions you could expect after graduation.

Good luck.