I'm really struggling with the college education vs trade for the kids. My wife and I are both degreed (business). And the assumption in our house has always been that our sons will go to college. They are certainly capable of doing whatever they want from an academic standpoint. But, I have to admit, I don't know if I believe a college degree is worth it if they decide to go the 'general' route - ie business, management, marketing types. I haven't ever actually said that to my kids but silently I wonder. I wish that they didn't have to start making those choices in high school with either college or vo-tech type selections, where one track kind of eliminates the other. What are your thoughts??
OSU IT in Okmulgee offer vocational training and a bachelor's degree. I think it's a great option for many. Get a liberal arts education and earn 6 figures in A/C installation and repair.I'm really struggling with the college education vs trade for the kids. My wife and I are both degreed (business). And the assumption in our house has always been that our sons will go to college. They are certainly capable of doing whatever they want from an academic standpoint. But, I have to admit, I don't know if I believe a college degree is worth it if they decide to go the 'general' route - ie business, management, marketing types. I haven't ever actually said that to my kids but silently I wonder. I wish that they didn't have to start making those choices in high school with either college or vo-tech type selections, where one track kind of eliminates the other. What are your thoughts??
OSU IT in Okmulgee offer vocational training and a bachelor's degree. I think it's a great option for many. Get a liberal arts education and earn 6 figures in A/C installation and repair.
It has been a big discussion in our house. My wife and I both have business degrees and she is a hard sell that trade schools are a viable option. My degree is effectively an HR degree before UCO had a dedicated program for it, and I haven't used it for anything more than checking a box on job applications and knowing when to cringe when I hear or say something at work. Luckily I was a good bullshitter on my scholarship applications with good grades and a decent ACT score so I had no debt when I graduated.
My son hates math and seems to have a tendency to grind on the line of our requirements for grades even though it takes twice the effort. We have discussed that depending on high school goes, the military might be the right option for him to get some more time to mature and to help further instill the sense of drive and responsibility that we are trying to coach him into now. He is physically competitive enough that I really think he could thrive in that environment as well.
My opinion is that if a person isn't pursuing a technical degree in STEM or law, odds are good that they will have a tough time paying off the debt. Business degrees is pretty much a second high school diploma for new graduates unless that person has a drive to be an entrepreneur and is actively pursuing the knowledge for a plan already in place.
I have a good friend that has been a mechanic since about the time I started college. By the time I graduated college, he had enough certifications stacked up to where I have still yet to catch him in gross income. Granted my body has weigh less wear and tear on it than his does, but from a purely financial perspective his path has been more lucrative. His tool setup probably costs close to what a business degree for an OK resident at UCO, so there's that part too.
I'm really struggling with the college education vs trade for the kids. My wife and I are both degreed (business). And the assumption in our house has always been that our sons will go to college. They are certainly capable of doing whatever they want from an academic standpoint. But, I have to admit, I don't know if I believe a college degree is worth it if they decide to go the 'general' route - ie business, management, marketing types. I haven't ever actually said that to my kids but silently I wonder. I wish that they didn't have to start making those choices in high school with either college or vo-tech type selections, where one track kind of eliminates the other. What are your thoughts??
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