Bear with me, this is a long post. Except for certain careers which can't be achieved without a degree, why do people still go to college now days in the information age when it's a click away? And yes, I did go to it but as the technology shift had just came into focus. This was spurred on by a version of this picture, which I found funny and true: Spoiler Later, I saw this: Spoiler I know employers are looking for a college degree now days. That's not up for debate, I'm not arguing against that. I'm asking if college is a scam now days. 200-300 years ago, it was harder to communicate and travel and most people lived in rural areas with little to no formal education. It only made sense, if you wanted to get a higher education, to attend a college or university because that's where knowledge, both in the form of books and instruction, as well as for the research that was conducted and expanded for individuals and society in general. Even after the Industrial Revolution, communication still was an issue and travel was only gradually getting easier. Fast forward to today. We have the internet with almost an infinite amount of info on a number of subjects. Perhaps some of it is misinfo or disinfo but regardless information is easier to obtain than ever for one to try and discern at their own discretion. People of all backgrounds write books of any subject matter imaginable and they're pretty much all available in mass consumption. Some get scholarships so going to college on a free ride is understandable to a degree (no pun intended) but is it worth the time? Sometimes, yes but for others no. Then of course, you have the average person spending and/or even worse borrowing tens if not hundreds of thousands of dollars with the hope of getting a good job, at least one worth the time and money. At the biggest schools, you don't even see the professor (who does so much research and hands off work to the grad assistant) and it's hard to get into a nurturing environment where, like high school, a professor may have reasonable one-on-one time with you. How much can you learn, even if you try your hardest, if you have lots of question and but lack direction? Athletes, who have to travel often and miss class, have it so much worse. I'll try to wrap this up because it's long enough but why don't more people at least start at a JUCO , then go to the 4 year schools? Or perhaps consider a trade school, which can be cheaper and get you out and making money quicker? And for some, what's the point of going to college, spending both valuable time and money when all you want to do is mess around anyways (i.e. partying, drinking, Greek organizations, sex, sports, etc...)? Because of this idea of people going for these reasons, employers are starting to see beyond someone having a certain major and even having gone to a prestigious school because it doesn't prove they learned much there or they may not be qualified for the job. The grading system in the US has been a joke because it allows people who didn't make the grade in reality to pass anyways (and I benefited from this sometimes too). I'm thinking, if you want to get out and meet people, go out and meet them. If in a small town/rural area go to the city and get a job, place to stay and meet people. If you want the college lifestyle, go live near a college and take part in the social life. The Greek organization thing is tricky, so you may have to bite the bullet for a semester to do that or have them illegally bring you in. If you want to support a certain college, then support them without enrolling unless you really want to or need it (sometimes enroll at a nearby school that offers what you want for cheaper). It's the milk without the cow, no strings attached. Most people don't know what they really want to do in life at 18, I know I didn't, so why go and get into lots of debt trying to find your way? Lots of people change their major after a year or two as well. That's all I have on it for now, I know it's a lot to read, what do you think?
Because it is a life-changing event that speaks volumes of your perseverance, ability to finish a long project, endurance for studying and getting good grades, etc., etc. It's worth it. Nowadays, they expect you to be able to say "I was able to finish college, so I can tackle the most difficult tasks and projects." Be successful. Take two people, let's suppose... with the same amount of skill, knowledge, experience, and wisdom... and I will bet $1000 that if they read "Graduate" on the resumé of one of the two people, that this will be the difference. It's been proven that you could earn on average $30k more with a degree. I'll play... Spoiler That same attitude is probably why she won't get hired. Also, mind the redundancy, speaks volumes of you when you're as unprofessional as to take a picture of yourself and your complaint and plaster it all over the internet. Successful people don't do this sort of stuff. What's going to happen when she wants to be CEO or at least MANAGER? How will that look?
Couldn't agree more. Im a Artist and Graphic Designer, The little college I did go to was a huge waste of time and money for what I do. Especially art ( Why the **** does anyone need BFA??? ). Most of my Graphic design skills Ive honed by doing various tutorials online throughout the years. But this probably isn't the cause for other careers.
To me it's worth it. I go to UH where tuition is roughly 10k a year, I live at home which saves me money. I'm studying to get a finance/accounting degree. For the most part I don't owe too much in tuition, it's a reasonable amount for me to pay off fairly quickly. What i always wonder when i see the pictures of those like you pictured, is what exactly did they get a degree for. I remember reading an article where a lady had 100k of loans for a degree in women's studies. I don't care what people study it's their choice but racking up loans for a degree that generally doesn't pay well isn't so smart.
No. It opens up doors that nothing else will. However, it also depends on your personal skills, interests. Like some have noted already, you need to be smart about it and not throw money at a degree that wont be worth it and eventually realize was not a good investment.
Why do people do this sort of thing? Do they not know how to manage their money and that's the root of the problem? About 66.666% of my friends have debt... but they still go on vacations... buy fancy cars... the latest phone, etc., etc... thank you for breaking the economy... Mrs. SwoLy and I didn't have loans... I had a scholarship that paid about 20% of my tuition so I was then able to also pay hers and the rest of mine... little to no debt now. Is this what's scary... paying back the loans?
Even people like Karl Rove who never finshed college believe that it is necessary- http://www.freakonomics.com/2012/07...lege-part-1-a-new-freakonomics-radio-podcast/ Freakonomics went through the cost of going to college against the value. It's a good listen if you're trying to weigh the benefits. In terms of things like networking and changing your worldview and just looking good on a resume I think college is quite necessary now.
It's not overrated in the sense that you're going to almost certainly need it to get the job you want. The education in an undergrad is probably overrated or even useless depending on what you do. I could have completely skipped college(classes anyways) and performed equally well in my job today. But without that piece of paper I wouldn't have the job.
I'm not going to mince words. Anyone who sincerely believes this is a complete, ****ing moron who doesn't even truly understand the crap he reads on Wikipedia. College was an important experience. I'm a different person without it, and a better one. not to mention one who actually has a job he likes now.
I even said in that ridiculously long post that I wasn't even arguing the fact that employers are looking for it. I'm basically arguing that in this day and age it's overrated and stupid that employers are looking for it as a benchmark or basic requirement for employment when it doesn't necessarily prove someone is qualified/competent and all but forces people totake out tens, if not hundreds of thousands of dollars in loans just so they can say they got a degree. My uncle got one and he's a Regional VP (third major corporate promotion) at Enterprise Rent-a-Car. I talked to him last night and he was "meh" on whether or not the degree actually helped him to get his job.
Pretty much this. It is a way to weed people out. Unless you are in a pure science major, it's more about what connections you make in college than what you learn. As for the non-useful majors, it will still help you get a job, just not one that will pay and you most likely will need to settle for something that isn't related to your degree. For technical knowledge, if you are a self starter, then no, college isn't worth it to gain that knowledge.
Forgive me. TL;DR. You're right about "not arguing" that point... but, it's not "stupid", per se. I also agree that you should be able to go to a JUCO or CC and get some basics out of the way... but that only might work when you know what you want to study and are set on it, so you don't waste your money with unnecessary classes. Your uncle might be one of among hundreds of peeps that were more qualified than people with same degrees... he could be the TexasTofu artist of that rental company.
It's not overrated in the sense that many, many fields are impossible to enter without a degree. If you want to get into a science/engineering/finance/etc. field, the knowledge and experience gained at a university is paramount. That being said, college IS overrated in the sense that most everyone views it as the only way to be successful. Many kids spend $100k+ on a degree that has no real benefit, just because they felt they "had" to go to college. Rule number one that every parent needs to hammer into their teenager is that not all degrees are created equal. I have no problem with a kid majoring in 18th Century Roman Art, they just need to realize that there is a good chance they will be in big time debt without a job in four years. In plenty of cases it is much more beneficial for a teenager to find a trade they are interested in, enter that trade right out of high school, and hone that skill so that one day they can open their own practice. Yet, this isn't an option that many kids even know about until it is too late.
The point is that she was likely conned into believing that she just had to have both degrees. Forget actually trying to figure out what you want to do in life and whether or not it actually requires you to go to college, just get the degree has been the mantra we've been told. It's almost like we're programmed like robots from the youngest age possible. "BEEP. BEEP. Must get college diploma. BEEP. Must go to four year school and borrow loans I assume I'll be able to pay back." And for employers: "BEEP. BEEP. This person has college degrees. They're qualified. BEEP. BEEP. This person doesn't. They aren't as smart or qualified as this person. It's a joke now because now pretty much everyone is getting a degree, even people who don't learn and either just regurgitate whatever they're taught or worse yet cheat or do other immoral things to get by. And when I was in undergrad, I was shocked by how high schoolish the curriculum was.
No degree. Worked in fields around recent college graduates. I know for a fact I performed better than they did at work but I think their degree aided in their promotion. I'm not bitter about it. It's the reality of promotion. If there are two candidates that are qualified for a position and one has a degree while the other doesn't, they're going to choose the person with the degree. It's just how it is. There are definitely other paths to follow that don't require a college education. Trade schools are a good example. IBEW for instance has a 5 year Electrician Apprenticeship that in Austin starts out at $12.93/hr with benefits, health insurance and affordable tuition of $600 for the whole year not including the cost of books. By the time you're in your 5th year of apprenticeship you're looking at making $40,000 a year. Your salary increases throughout your apprenticeship and as soon as soon as you get your state license you're easily looking at a six figure salary right away after graduating. Texas has huge growth in construction though. Journeyman Electricians start out at $55/hr without factoring in overtime. That's a minimum of $114,400 annually before taxes Foreman's make $65-70/hr. $135,200-$145,600 annually before taxes. Master Electricians are looking at potential salaries of $100/hr and that's after acquiring 7 or 8 years of work experience and passing a state test. That's $208,000 annually before taxes. If you become a Master Electrician that gives you the opportunity to start your own business and hire other Journeyman and take in apprentices. So instead of accruing student loan debt and being forced to non paid internships during the summer, you get a gradual pay increase as your knowledge and experience in the trade increases. And once you do graduate you're guaranteed a six figure income. It's hard grueling work sometimes. You can expect to dig ditches for 8 hours under the Texas sun. You can expect to deal with insects, vermin and wildlife possibly. You can expect to deal with some mean foreman and journeymen that are piss poor at teaching you the trade. You run the risk of losing a limb or your life if you don't practice common sense safety protocol. It's hard work but damn does it pay and with that trade you'll never need a gym membership. That's pretty good when your starting qualifications to get into the program are proof you passed high school or GED and a test that shows you can pass basic arithmetic. The rest is a face to face interview with the owners of the Electrician company looking to hire you just to see if you got a good head on your shoulders and a willingness to work.
If I could back, I wouldve gone straight to a university. These disgruntled part-time community college reject teachers are awful. Math was my weakest subject, had this cat from U of H teach me real good.
