Is college worth it?

[KissMeImSlutty]

First I want to make it clear that the sole purpose of me going to college would be $$.


I now work full time and make $500 a week. I only finished a program for my job which lasted 3 months.

In high school I was so sure I would eventually go to college....but when I started working full time...I learned the value of money. I don't want to waste it on things that might not pay off.

What really puts me off about college is there is so many prerequisites I would have to take. And they have nothing to do with what I want to study...I feel like I might not care enough to actually suffer through them.

Anyhoo if I finish a surgical tech program I will easily make almost as twice as much money as I do now...and eventually with experience much more than that.
I already work with surgical instruments so my job is kind of like an introduction into surgical technology.

But if you have any advice post it here. I'm sure some of you have college degrees. Also feel free to give your opinion which ones really pay off....and which ones don't.

 

[RoadBike]

I worked full time and went to school part time for many years. I'm glad that I graduated from college. My job is directly related to my degree. Yes, the money is better than what I'd be making without the degree, but there are other benefits than just the money. I have higher self-esteem because of all the work that it took to get the degree. There are many people out there who don't want to make the effort required. Graduation Day was one of the proudest days of my life. It gave me a great sense of accomplishment.

 

[MrRochesterNY]

To me there is nothing worse than making a lot of money but having an insular and closed-minded view of the world and life in general. If you aren't going to invest in an education that will give you the breadth of understanding that living life fully requires, at least do some travelling or reading to understand the rest of the world beyond the island you condemn yourself to live on.

 

[unloadonme]

If you need a degree for your chosen career (such as law or medicine), then you have to go to university. If you're sufficiently engaged with a subject that you want to study it for its own sake (and can afford to do so) without the promise of a job afterwards, go for it. Otherwise, I'd say not to waste your time and to work your way up instead.

 

[KissMeImSlutty]

To me there is nothing worse than making a lot of money but having an insular and closed-minded view of the world and life in general. If you aren't going to invest in an education that will give you the breadth of understanding that living life fully requires, at least do some travelling or reading to understand the rest of the world beyond the island you condemn yourself to live on.

So a college degree will automatically make you open minded and a good person?
That is some offensive advice. Plenty of war criminals and horrible people had master degrees.
Also I've traveled over the US and Europe. Stop exaggerating it...it doesn't do anything great for you unless you are traveling to places you enjoy.
And I did enjoy my time in the places I liked. Mostly in Europe.
Also just because I don't want to go to college doesn't mean I can't read.



It's so sad I had to write that.

 

[Serenx55]

It really depends on if you've got a plan. Even a degree in history has potential if you know what you can do with it and further more. However if you just go into college get a degree because it interests you and don't think about employment prospects then yes, it's a moronic idea.
That being said, a degree in surgical tech or healthcare is relatively speaking a very good investment. This is furthermore compounded if you proceed to obtain graduate education in your field such as a doctorate in medicine, physical therapy, dentistry, or a masters in nursing or therapy.

Either way, I would highly recommend trying to scope out your interests and decide what you want out of your life.

 

[Soilwork]

Depends on what you want to do.

You want to make money. So getting a degree in Arts or Music would be a "no."

But if you want to get more out of your life, learn to work towards something and dedicate your life to bettering yourself.. If you want to truly get a better understanding of the world you live in... Yes, a well-rounded university education will help with that.

But don't confuse degrees with wisdom. I come from a family where my parents and sister have 9 degrees between them and not a clue among them. Book smart but if they had to survive outside the world of academia, they would starve to death in a month.

 

[mbamike]

First I want to make it clear that the sole purpose of me going to college would be $$.

Do your research. I did a quick google search on "top paying jobs" and found this:

• 1. Surgeons $219,770 2. Anesthesiologists $211,750 3. Oral & Maxillofacial Surgeons $210,710 4. Orthodontists $206,190 5. Obstetricians & Gynecologists $204,470 6. Internists - General $183,990 7. Physicians & Surgeons, Other $173,860 8. Family & General Practitioners $168,550 9. Chief Executives $167,280 10. Psychiatrists $163,660

This is just the top ten of 300 careers listed.

Next, you will need to balance your interests with the career opportunities. There is no need to study to be a surgeon if you have no interest in medicine and helping people. You will burn out quickly.

Then you need to be realistic. You may love art, but a degree in art appreciation won't get you high dollars.

Lastly, companies make it a prerequisite to have a college degree to even apply for their jobs. So, in the long term, college is worth it; but it depends on one's goals.

 

[handyman76]

College grads have lower unemployment rates than average, so it's not just a matter of getting a higher salary.

If you do get a degree, it should be because you're interested. If you're not interested in a liberal arts degree, don't get one. Instead, get a degree or professional certificate that will advance you in the career of your choice. Don't major in psych just because it's the easiest path to graduation. Getting a liberal arts degree just for the sake of the piece of paper is a waste of your time and money, and annoys the professors.

 

[SonOfSlobone]

If you think it would be a waste of time, don't go. I come from a family of college professors, and I can tell you, there's nothing they hate more than students who don't want to be there filling up all the chairs. Make room for people who really want to be educated.

 

[Harke the Boeotarch]

Is any of it?

 

[RaKroma]

To me there is nothing worse than making a lot of money but having an insular and closed-minded view of the world and life in general. If you aren't going to invest in an education that will give you the breadth of understanding that living life fully requires, at least do some travelling or reading to understand the rest of the world beyond the island you condemn yourself to live on.

You sound like the many generations of Americans that were oversold the idea that college education = open minded intellectual. That's why every secretary at some firm and every Starbucks manager has a Masters degree in some liberal arts field and walk around proud with college debt still unpaid. There is no country on the planet that has more colleges and universities than the U.S. It's the biggest scam ever. But for some reason, many people with college degrees in this country are still ignorant when it comes to culture, languages or basic knowledge about other countries. Unless it's medicine, science and engineering related, I don't see a lot of value in bachelor of arts in women's studies or philosophy. The problem today is that our high school education is so miserably poor that a bachelor degree is the new high school diploma. But there is more to this. Ohh and don't get me started on people with PhD.s

 

[T-Rexx]

First I want to make it clear that the sole purpose of me going to college would be $$.


I now work full time and make $500 a week.

I hold a doctoral degree in science, and I make less than that.

If you only want to go to college for money, don't. You will not get a return on your investment.

If you want to learn how to understand the world, however, then the education is priceless.

 

[Seasoned]

There are a lot of ways to become educated. Earning a degree is a recognized achievement that can open doors. If your goal is to do something technical, a technical college is in order.

 

[rareboy]

Suck it up.

Go back to school.

 

[shainski]

In my experience - a college degree will not make you smarter - but it will open doors that would not have been there.

A college education will expose you to others who are able to get degrees.

There are plenty of very intelligent hardworking people who do not have degrees - but they must convince people of their abilities. There are plenty of people who have been able to get degrees who are lazy, opinionated and/or inadequate that have been promoted to their level of incompetence. (Peter Principle)

But having that degree will open doors that were not open before. And you have to be able to get in the door to show others how talented you are.

There are examples of very successful people who have dropped out. (Were they lucky or talented or both?).

And when you compare salaries - do not look just a couple years out - look 20 or 30 years out. What kind of job would be available with one path verses the other? And how would you think you would be able to prosper in such a job?

A college degree won't be for everyone. But i would rather face the future with more doors open to me - more paths that i can take if i no longer feel comfortable on the path i'm on.

 

[AdInfinitum]

I think it depends largely on what you want to study and where you plan to go.

If you intend to get a job that would require lots of knowledge that would be difficult to obtain exclusively through on-the-job experience then you should go. If the job you want is more of a learn-as-you-go type thing, it probably isn't worth it.

However, the experience of particular colleges is amazing. I go to a small, private liberal arts school and am fortunate to be able to afford the $56,000 price tag. When you go to schools like this, the experience and luxury is amazing. If you think you can go to a school like this or would qualify for enough aid, I recommend it for the experience alone. I'm studying Managerial Economics so I think it will eventually be worth it. However, the philosophy and anthropology students or like major students here are probably wasting their time (and $200,000+).

 

[handyman76]

But for some reason, many people with college degrees in this country are still ignorant when it comes to culture, languages or basic knowledge about other countries.

I see this as the result of a vicious circle that we desperately need to break out of. Here is how I see it. I think it began in the 50's and 60's, when colleges got bigger with the influx of students (GI bill, Sputnik, students seeking draft deferral). Colleges became less elitist, which is a good thing. But then, in order to maintain themselves at this larger size, colleges had to start to compete with each other in order to keep up the enrollments. Courses became less rigorous, so as not to lose the less able students, while more emphasis was put on attractive amenities such as posh dorms and athletic facilities, driving tuition up. At the same time, the oversupply of college degrees devalued it. It became more like a high school degree: since everybody else has one, you have to have one too, in order to be competitive.

I fear that market forces, the law of supply and demand, will soon result in a major correction in higher education. It is a pity, because higher education is what contributes to our (US) society's economic strength. But for the moment, resources are being squandered on people who go to college for the wrong reasons.

P.S. Yes, a liberal arts education can be an absolutely tremendous, life-shaping experience. If that's what you want.

 

[Harke the Boeotarch]

But for the moment, resources are being squandered on people who go to college for the wrong reasons.

Don't those people (or their families) end up paying for it themselves?

 

[maxpowr9]

if you're going to a school that's going to leave you $200,000 in debt, I'd think an engineering major has a lot more potential to pay that loan back than an art history major.

I also think we need to end the stigma against trade schools and community colleges, which are perfectly viable options for many career paths.

I know what you mean Loki. I have a friend that graduated from BU with a Classics major (If you don't know what that is, it is Greco Roman Literature) and a French minor. IMO what a waste of a $200k education. He works as a retail manager now but I can't help but think his parents would be scorning him if he wasn't an only child.

I personally am all for further education too even if it is a technical school. I have a friend who works on GM cars and makes close to what I make now with a Masters in Finance and he only has an AA. I don't scold him about it either but it shows that there is a huge demand for those "trade skills" in the US.