What's on your mind?

[Journey.In.Grace]

You can continue on talking about how college is worthless, but it isn't very nice.

That doesn't mean it isn't rude or untrue. He is giving his honest opinion. It isn't playing unkindly. In fact, in most cases he is right. A college degree has come to the point where it is worthless. Thousands of students can't get into the career they studied for even with their degree, and they have all this debt to pay off. But he was voicing his opinion, something we are all entitled to.

 

[Saucy]

Maybe that's just my perspective living in the rust belt and watching many, many people I know chase degrees, graduate college, then end up in tons of debt working minimum wage. And the most successful people I meet never even went to college or they drop out. There's a common theme I run in to upon meeting clients and colleagues all over the world. It's usually through entrepreneurship where you learn the best lessons about life right now. You learn about current trends. You succeed through trial and error.

I also said to follow your dreams. If you want to be a teacher, a nurse, or whatever, do it! That's amazing. I'd never keep someone from doing what they truly loved. I'm just sharing my experiences.

If you disagree, that's fine, but I'm not being mean.

 

[redblue22]

Some of us worked very hard to get what you want to brush off as worthless.

Maybe it depends on what you value.

I'm just voicing my entitled honest opinion too.

 

[Saucy]

Well, I didn't say college degrees are worthless. I said they are BECOMING worthless in this modern times because the job paradigm is swiftly changing. It was in connection to my suggestion they pursue a trade or something more economically viable. If you got a degree and are going great, that's awesome! I'm glad you're proud of what you accomplished. I'd never try to take that away from you and I'm sorry if it seemed like I was.

 

[Paulie079]

Statistically, college graduates make more than those who don't go to college, and college students are not nearly as underemployed as people think (see this article). There are some degrees that could be deemed as worthless. If you go and study German Polka History, you probably aren't going to find many well-paying jobs out there looking for your skill and expertise. On the other hand, I personally think the best thing that you can do is figure out where your passions lie and what you might be interested in doing, and take the most inexpensive route through college you can find. Unless you can pile up scholarships, I do think it's unrealistic to think that you can go to college for free, but that doesn't mean you can't pay your way through.

It all depends on what you want to do. There are some careers that don't necessarily require a college degree in order to advance and succeed. Trade labor, as Saucy mentioned, is a great example. But if you want to work in the medical field, you absolutely need a degree. If you want to be an accountant, you're going to need a degree. If you want to do counseling, you need a degree for that.

Personally I believe that what you really need is a scrappy, can-do attitude about things. Life might make things really difficult for you to get where you want to be, but you just have to be a little bit creative. My current job pays me around $15/hr (that's after a recent raise), but I work overtime to bring in more. I also am constantly looking for other simple ways to earn income. I have a roommate, so that brings in a little extra. And I might be taking on a position at my church which would provide some additional income. I coupon like it's my job lol, and I budget every dollar that I make. You just have to have this attitude that you are happening to the world--you are exerting your will upon the world, not the other way around. I am planning soon to go back to school to finish up my bachelor's in accounting (I have a bachelor's in Intercultural Studies [might as well be German Polka History] and an associate's in accounting) and then I am planning to switch jobs with the intent of increasing my income. If you have a dream, it's really not as far out of your reach as you think. You just have to be willing to be scrappy and fight for it. Have a little chip on your shoulder.

EDIT: I would also add--network, network, network. As you are pursuing employment, you are more likely to land a job via someone you know than you are sending applications and resumes to someone who has never met you before.

 

[Saucy]

Awesome man! Congrats on the raise!

 

[redblue22]

. . . because money is everything.

 

[Saucy]

That's the context of our discussion. Finding employment in the real world. If you want to go to college to pursue something not employment related, that's fine. My whole context revolved around finding a career, mainly because I've already had private chats with Lizzy and Squeakers about this topic and I know what they're struggling with. They feel stuck that they might not be able to go to college, so I was, in a way, trying to encourage them by saying they don't need a degree to be successful.

Again, sorry for offending you, but it wasn't about your experience.

 

[SeekerOfChrist94]

My crush

 

[Paulie079]

My crush

*peers up to Cloud 9*

How's the weather up there??

 

[SeekerOfChrist94]

*peers up to Cloud 9*

How's the weather up there??

Cloudy

 

[Squeakers]

I have so much to do...but I feel I must save Hyrule. It is my ultimate duty...to become a legend.

 

[SnowyMacie]

I am seeing people all over the place complaining about college or being relieved they are finally graduating, when all I can think to myself is 'There are people who wish they can start their first day/year of college'. :3

If these people were anything like me within a few months they'll be thinking "I wish I could go back to college. I don't because I regret my degree or anything, but because I actually miss going to class and learning.

Statistically, college graduates make more than those who don't go to college, and college students are not nearly as underemployed as people think (see this article). There are some degrees that could be deemed as worthless. If you go and study German Polka History, you probably aren't going to find many well-paying jobs out there looking for your skill and expertise. On the other hand, I personally think the best thing that you can do is figure out where your passions lie and what you might be interested in doing, and take the most inexpensive route through college you can find. Unless you can pile up scholarships, I do think it's unrealistic to think that you can go to college for free, but that doesn't mean you can't pay your way through.

It all depends on what you want to do. There are some careers that don't necessarily require a college degree in order to advance and succeed. Trade labor, as Saucy mentioned, is a great example. But if you want to work in the medical field, you absolutely need a degree. If you want to be an accountant, you're going to need a degree. If you want to do counseling, you need a degree for that.

Personally I believe that what you really need is a scrappy, can-do attitude about things. Life might make things really difficult for you to get where you want to be, but you just have to be a little bit creative. My current job pays me around $15/hr (that's after a recent raise), but I work overtime to bring in more. I also am constantly looking for other simple ways to earn income. I have a roommate, so that brings in a little extra. And I might be taking on a position at my church which would provide some additional income. I coupon like it's my job lol, and I budget every dollar that I make. You just have to have this attitude that you are happening to the world--you are exerting your will upon the world, not the other way around. I am planning soon to go back to school to finish up my bachelor's in accounting (I have a bachelor's in Intercultural Studies [might as well be German Polka History] and an associate's in accounting) and then I am planning to switch jobs with the intent of increasing my income. If you have a dream, it's really not as far out of your reach as you think. You just have to be willing to be scrappy and fight for it. Have a little chip on your shoulder.

EDIT: I would also add--network, network, network. As you are pursuing employment, you are more likely to land a job via someone you know than you are sending applications and resumes to someone who has never met you before.

This is exactly on point. I've always known that I wanted to be a teacher and to be a teacher you need a bachelor's degree. In addition to that, I strategically took classes in college and did what I needed to do in order to be eligible for a teaching certification. There are fields which do require bachelor's degrees in which there is a shortage, teaching is a great example. There is a HUGE shortage of Math and Science teachers at least in Texas, and if you are interested in English, @LizzyMae , English teachers are not far behind in that category.

I think both the mentality that degrees are everything and that college degrees are becoming absolute are both completely wrong, and it ultimately depends on what you want do with your life. If you are going into a field like medicine, engineering, education, even business nowadays, you are going to need a degree in that field if you even want to be looked at. With the exception of education (except for high school then you need coursework in the field you teach), the key phrase there is in that field. Don't get a degree in English and except to get a job marketing for an oil company, that's ridiculous. I'm recent college graduate still (less than three years), and have been considered to be underemployed until recently when I got a job as a substitute teacher (which requires a college degree in my area), and it happens a lot with people my agree.

The problem with us isn't that we got useless degrees, it's that we graduated into a depleted to recovering economy where we were and to some degree, still are competing with people with experience in the field for entry-level jobs. I heard on the radio this morning that current high school students are significant less likely to have summer jobs than any other high school age students in the past, and I think that is partially due to the fact that there aren't jobs like that anymore. I remember looking for a summer job as a college student, I applied practically everywhere and only got a few interviews and no offers. In fact, one restaurant blatantly told me that they didn't hire just for the summer.

 

[SnowyMacie]

In related news, I now have a job interview in an hour.

 

[Saucy]

In related news, I now have a job interview in an hour.

Go you! Prayers brother.

 

[ReesePiece23]

In related news, I now have a job interview in an hour.

When you get to the "any questions?" stage of the interview, for goodness sake don't say "bondage?"

It doesn't go down well.

TRUST me.

 

[kittysbecute]

It's very hard to find work. Regardless of education level. In my experience and with many people I know. Unemployment is still high where I live and most people have been unemployed so long that they dont "count" in the statistics.

 

[MehGuy]

To be fair, I think you used the term "entitled" correctly.. lol..

 

[alsughasoughaiuyfygh]

Speaking of college, I heard down in the states the tertiary education system has become a beacon of chaos due to students having their own version of McCarthyism running rampant and acting like high school students well into their 20's.

Personally, I did not enjoy going to primary and secondary school with this generation so I highly doubt I will enjoy going to college with them either.

 

[SnowyMacie]

Personally, I did not enjoy going to primary and secondary school with this generation so I highly doubt I will enjoy going to college with them either.

You never know, I hated school from grades K-12, but absolutely loved college.