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

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joegrizzy

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I left University need 5 credit hrs for a degree in accounting as I was offered to run a guys welding truck for 60 dollars/hr in 1982 which was outrageous pay for back then. I was tired of starving my way through college without taking loans on.
I never looked back. It only even mildly bothers me even now as a worn out old man. I have no regrets. Would I do it differently in another life? Maybe but probably not. To each his own.
Its like my best friend in Highschool to our teacher when she was griping at him for fail class and saying he would have to cut pulp wood for a living if he didn't study. He told her "Someones got to dig the ditches" HA.
>would I have done it differently?

haha, i got a lot of free applications from certain schools i knew i was waaaay too blue collar for. i always think about what if i actually applied to them as myself instead of Luke Skywalker.....

oh man, i wrote the BEST essay for Columbia tho, i should have somehow kept a copy. it was a gem i tell ya. The prompt was to talk about a time you overcame adversity and i gave them 500 words about how humbling it is to call upon the Force for the first time at the end of a Death Star trench run, after seeing your lifelong buddy Biggs get blasted. oh it was great.
 

okcBob

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I left University need 5 credit hrs for a degree in accounting as I was offered to run a guys welding truck for 60 dollars/hr in 1982 which was outrageous pay for back then. I was tired of starving my way through college without taking loans on.
I never looked back. It only even mildly bothers me even now as a worn out old man. I have no regrets. Would I do it differently in another life? Maybe but probably not, I always was one to take the road less traveled. To each his own.
Its like my best friend in high school told our teacher when she was griping at him for fail class and saying he would have to cut pulp wood for a living if he didn't study. He told her "Someones got to dig the ditches" HA.
I would Take the 2 online courses and graduate.
 

druryj

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I retired from Higher Ed (my second career) 7 years ago. There are certain fields that require degrees; Nursing, Accounting, most Medical Fields, Law, Teaching (elementary, Middle, or High School), Teaching at the college level certainly requires a degree, usually at least a Masters. Then we have those who major in History, Art, Dance, etc. Those are hobby degrees; they won't qualify you for a specific job. I am of the opinion that one should consider what field they want to work in and then carry on with post-secondary education accordingly. Oklahoma has one of the best Vocational/Technical Career Training [programs in the Nation. Welders, sheet metal workers, IT (to a degree 😝), etc. College is not for everyone, those who plan are usually those with a better chance of success.
 
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montesa

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I worked around many people with college degrees for 40 years in a refinery. Some were pretty sharp and some should have gotten their money back. I've always said that a college education is a poor substitution for intelligence. I worked rebuilding pumps ,steam turbines, valves ,and compressors. We once had a mechanical engineer argue with us that there wasn't such a thing as left hand thread. He said you just turn the nut over. Refund here please! College is great for certain fields but, a waste of time and money for people that can't apply what was taught. In todays world I think you could do better being a machinist or welder compared to most white collar jobs.
I spent 20 years at civil engineering firms. 12 with one company. I wouldn’t recommend it as a career. You can work your ass off and still only make about 60k (edit more like 80k) a year and easily be surpassed in income by someone with no degree that’s just better at producing. In the end, I don’t think it’s about the degree. It’s the person. I also have a friend that started his own civil engineering firm and that worked out very well for him. It takes skills that you don’t just all of the sudden acquire having gone to college.
 

El Pablo

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I spent 20 years at civil engineering firms. 12 with one company. I wouldn’t recommend it as a career. You can work your ass off and still only make about 60k (edit more like 80k) a year and easily be surpassed in income by someone with no degree that’s just better at producing. In the end, I don’t think it’s about the degree. It’s the person. I also have a friend that started his own civil engineering firm and that worked out very well for him. It takes skills that you don’t just all of the sudden acquire having gone to college.
College is just part of the learning journey, not the end. It gave me breath of knowledge, I got the depth later.

Being the person that writes the checks pays more than just getting a check. I wish I’d learned that 20 years ago when the opportunity costs were lower.
 

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