Degree or no degree?? Let's agree to disagree

[Fredkrueger100]

First paragraph - congrats to both of you and the life you've had.

Second paragraph - I think your comment about college being like tech school is off the mark. College is supposed to be an education, not a trade school with a defined route to a job. Unfortunately, the college experience has been degraded across the decades with multiple influences being behind this misdirection.

Outside of college intern/prep, I never worked in the field of my BS degree. It was merely the piece of paper that was required to keep the doors open to get considered for jobs. I did, however, use the thinking and writing skills I learned to have value for my employers and build my resume. With a move into an entirely different field, getting a master's degree did connect to my actual work for the next 2 decades. It was still about thinking, problem solving, and finding value for the client. Sure, it had to be backed up with certain technical and business skills but the other part was the larger portion, IMO.

I would echo your wife's experience that certifications derived from real-world experience also had value in my career development process.

When I went to Gordon Cooper tech center they trained us how to draft a resume. It wasn’t just about learning a trade. Besides, my sister has a masters degree in finance and works at tinker and she suck’s at writing. She had to have me help her. That is something I am good at. But she is good at math and I suck at it. College is all about draining as much money out of you as possible. That’s it. Again, why should I have to take classes I just took in high school all over again? It’s all about money. It has nothing to do with preparing someone for a career. There is a reason most trade school graduates leave school with a job. The school helps you find one. College ain’t gonna do that. You are just cattle moving through and they see the dollar signs on you. And throw in the leftist indoctrination that is everywhere today and that is even more of a reason to not go to college. Tech centers are very inexpensive.

 

[Fredkrueger100]

If I had it to do all over again, I'd seriously think about joining the military and get trained in a career that would be in demand and pay well in the civilian market. Avionics, aircraft maintenance, computer skills, metal work, medical training, even medical school or pharmacy, etc. Use the GI Bill benefits to get an engineering degree, etc.

Military has its drawbacks, some good points are a steady paycheck, decent income, benefits, medical care, etc.

Get in, get out after 20 years with a retirement, go work another 15-20 years in the civilian market using a very marketable skill learned in the military.

And no, don't go into the military to be a tank driver or grunt. They're necessary, of course, for our national security, but where are you going to get a civilian job driving tanks?

When I went to join the military my asvab score was so low I couldn’t choose much. I settled on being an Apache mechanic. But I ended up backing out of leaving for basic a couple days before. I was in my late 20’s at the time and my son as four. I was really struggling with leaving my family behind. A part of me wishes I left but another is very glad I didn’t.

 

[okcBob]

You don’t necessarily need to rack up high student loan debt. The only college I paid for was a junior college AS degree. The hospitals I worked for paid for both my BS & Masters degrees.

 

[jakeman]

College is good for some, and not good for others. It's just not any more complicated than that.

I have questions about the intelligence of those that have degrees questioning why others don't. I also have questions about the intelligence of those that don't questioning why others have a college education.

Broad brushes almost always paint poorly.

 

[StLPro2A]

My wife lied about her age and got a job at 16 in the company she retired from 44 year later.
Pretty much got the job because of her female "assets" being top heavy she assumed and confirmed later. High school graduate.
She got hired into the accounting department as a clerk. Over the years worked her way into a junior accountant, finally taking over the top spot with several jobs as project accountant, and others over a 500 million dollar a year company.
Company sold out to Schlumberger in the early 2000. The first thing they did was try to replace the people in the office that didn't have a degree with those that did.
Wife had a college trainee come in she had to train to take over her job. After 90 days she was assigned to Human Recourses.
After 6 months the new accountant left with no notice, so wife was brought back in to train another college educated trainee.
That one made almost a year and left the department in disarray. The books were so screwed up they brought wife back in to get things back in order and they left her there.
When Schlumberger shut the doors after moving the company to Houston, wife actually locked the doors in the Ponca City plant as the longest employee in the local company's history and was in the top 1% of the 100,005 or so employees of Schlumberger worldwide at that time. Got a VERY nice Rolex watch for retirement.
I find it amazing watching the whiners on TV wanting the government to pay off the debts with some amounting to a half million dollars to get a bachelor's degree.
Why in the hell do you need a half million dollars to get through 4 years of college? Oh, I get it. Young pups seeing big bucks dangling in front of them as low hanging fruit to harvest with no thought of the future to pay back, then lamenting they can't pay back for their debauchery.
I honestly don't know how the system operates but if banks operated by that system with zero collateral, the banking system as we know it wouldn't exist.
I went to a year of college while working a 40 hour work week before the draft hooked me. Zero college loans.
I also get it that colleges have become incredibly expensive. Why is that? Perhaps that issue needs to be addressed? Colleges spend a huge amount of money on things other than education.
There is a huge monolith in Tulsa for OSU that probably cost a half million to put in that could have been covered by a highway billboard sign to accomplish the same message.

A question I don't see anyone asking.....why does a degree cost so much?? If the government wants student loans paid off, let the colleges that charged so much rebate the tuition. But, then, the school loans payoff is merely another Socialist scam of wealth transfer to those that support Socialism.....academia.

 

[dennishoddy]

A question I don't see anyone asking.....why does a degree cost so much?? If the government wants student loans paid off, let the colleges that charged so much rebate the tuition. But, then, the school loans payoff is merely another Socialist scam of wealth transfer to those that support Socialism.....academia.

Harvard University has more money in its coffers that many countries have to support their governments.

Harvard’s endowment is worth $40 billion—here’s how it’s spent

Harvard has the largest college endowment in the country.

Harvard Magazine and The Harvard Crimson report that the fund’s total value during the 2019 fiscal year is $40.9 billion — a $1.7 billion increase from the previous year.

Harvard’s endowment is made up of more than 13,000 individual funds invested as a single entity and is overseen by the Harvard Management Company.

With such a large endowment at the school’s fingertips, some have suggested that the school should use more of the fund to entirely eliminate tuition at the prestigious Ivy League school — while others argue that Harvard’s funds could be better used by recruiting and educating more low-income students, rather than giving free education to their already relatively well-off student body.

But in the school’s 2018-2019 financial report, Harvard stressed that the endowment does not give the school full financial freedom.

“There is a common misconception that endowments, including Harvard’s, can be accessed like bank accounts, used for anything at any time as long as funds are available,” reads the report. “In reality, Harvard’s flexibility in spending from the endowment is limited by the fact that it is designed to last forever, which is crucial for an institution intended to serve generations of students and pursue research on big questions—questions that cannot be answered in one lifetime.”

What a horsecrap response!!
This information comes from CNBC.
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/28/harvards-endowment-is-worth-40-billionheres-how-its-spent.html

 

[trekrok]

Harvard University has more money in its coffers that many countries have to support their governments.

Harvard’s endowment is worth $40 billion—here’s how it’s spent

Harvard has the largest college endowment in the country.

Harvard Magazine and The Harvard Crimson report that the fund’s total value during the 2019 fiscal year is $40.9 billion — a $1.7 billion increase from the previous year.

Harvard’s endowment is made up of more than 13,000 individual funds invested as a single entity and is overseen by the Harvard Management Company.

With such a large endowment at the school’s fingertips, some have suggested that the school should use more of the fund to entirely eliminate tuition at the prestigious Ivy League school — while others argue that Harvard’s funds could be better used by recruiting and educating more low-income students, rather than giving free education to their already relatively well-off student body.

But in the school’s 2018-2019 financial report, Harvard stressed that the endowment does not give the school full financial freedom.

“There is a common misconception that endowments, including Harvard’s, can be accessed like bank accounts, used for anything at any time as long as funds are available,” reads the report. “In reality, Harvard’s flexibility in spending from the endowment is limited by the fact that it is designed to last forever, which is crucial for an institution intended to serve generations of students and pursue research on big questions—questions that cannot be answered in one lifetime.”

What a horsecrap response!!
This information comes from CNBC.
https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/28/harvards-endowment-is-worth-40-billionheres-how-its-spent.html

Think the management company gets paid on a percentage of assets?

 

[AKmoose]

From what I've witnessed is that and education doesn't make you smart and common sense is usually more beneficial when it counts.

 

[AlleyGirl]

So, jobs is the topic and degree or no degree is the subject?
I am mad at times and happy at times about this but wanted others thoughts behind the rationale/demand employers want.
You can be an educated fool with a degree or you can be an educated fool with no degree.
The possibilities are endless.
Jobs want degrees, jobs look for a trade with no degree.
We are all different we can agree on that.
What are some of your thoughts and comments? I am interested to see the public points.

So, let me start by saying I have a degree and have never had a problem finding work in my field. I have made GOOD money in my field! I was not happy though. My degree has definitely helped us to start a small business, both financially and with the knowledge to run a company. I am now going back to school to go in a different direction to further our business, because that is what is required for this particular field. My husband went to a tech school and his knowledge is what our business was initially based on. It all depends on where you are going and what you want to do. The things I do require further education, but my husband has made a living for 20+ years on his technology certificate and experience. In all honesty, to me, work ethic is the most important! If you work hard doing what you want to do, you will figure out a way to make a living.

 

[AlleyGirl]

A question I don't see anyone asking.....why does a degree cost so much?? If the government wants student loans paid off, let the colleges that charged so much rebate the tuition. But, then, the school loans payoff is merely another Socialist scam of wealth transfer to those that support Socialism.....academia.

My student loans were only paid by me and the effort I have put in to make those payments. I chose to go to college, that's my responsibility to pay them back. I am not for this socialism thing they are trying to pass. It's my debt and my responsibility!