I've been teaching college since 1993 (yikes, nearly 20 years? How'd that happen? Whoa!), and I can say, from the field, that there are folks in college that truly have no business being there. Students whose parents or social group pressure them. That is sad. Then, there are folks who want to work hard and take the chance on more opportunity. Is it more of a chance than when I was in college, perhaps, but I will never ever say who should or shouldn't try. One never knows where things will fall in life, and an education can't ever be taken away. I feel strongly about that. An education may never yield income, but it can not be taken except by injury or dementia. There is something incredibly valuable in learning and confidence in self that has not got a financial measure.
Workplace Do Too Many Kids Go To College?
- Thread starter CuTe_ClAsSy
- Start date
i honestly can't believe someone would ask that.
do too many kids go to college.
statistically going to college equates to a higher pay; better positions and that hasn't changed much imho. the few that manage to make it so high w/o a college degree or despite the fact that they dropped out of college...they're the needle in the haystack.
what needs to happen is that as technology develops machines/programs that takes over basic jobs that were previously held by folks who didn't graduate from college or have further education beyond high school--those are the people that are displaced--those should have gone to college and earn a degree. Sometimes you don't even end up doing what you went to school for but the fact that you completed something--that you went to college, makes a difference.
i understand college may be getting TOO expensive but don't underestimate a college degree/training.
especially when we seem to be moving into an age where we depend less and less on humans to do basic functions and instead have machines do it.
be the person who programs a product (and keeps it running smoothly as its known you don't just develop an app/program and move on)
rather then the person who holds a job that sooner or later will either be downgraded (as in need less of) or altogether eliminated because now a machine can do what you did.
human interaction (e.g. having a b&m presence) will never fully go away but as the social media and interwebs grow; companies are going to look for ways to cut down on human pay (and benefits, goodness the benefits are costly for them!) and invest in machines ($400,000 buys you a robot that can fetch beer)
it already has started awhile back; one of the reasons why companies can cut so many jobs these past few years and still 'operate'
do too many kids go to college.
statistically going to college equates to a higher pay; better positions and that hasn't changed much imho. the few that manage to make it so high w/o a college degree or despite the fact that they dropped out of college...they're the needle in the haystack.
what needs to happen is that as technology develops machines/programs that takes over basic jobs that were previously held by folks who didn't graduate from college or have further education beyond high school--those are the people that are displaced--those should have gone to college and earn a degree. Sometimes you don't even end up doing what you went to school for but the fact that you completed something--that you went to college, makes a difference.
i understand college may be getting TOO expensive but don't underestimate a college degree/training.
especially when we seem to be moving into an age where we depend less and less on humans to do basic functions and instead have machines do it.
be the person who programs a product (and keeps it running smoothly as its known you don't just develop an app/program and move on)
rather then the person who holds a job that sooner or later will either be downgraded (as in need less of) or altogether eliminated because now a machine can do what you did.
human interaction (e.g. having a b&m presence) will never fully go away but as the social media and interwebs grow; companies are going to look for ways to cut down on human pay (and benefits, goodness the benefits are costly for them!) and invest in machines ($400,000 buys you a robot that can fetch beer)
it already has started awhile back; one of the reasons why companies can cut so many jobs these past few years and still 'operate'
But it's obviously worth asking as the responses vary
OP, it's interesting to see the different answers you're getting. A thought-provoking thread
I always felt bad for a lot of graduates. They spent so much time/effort/money going to school, then ended up with a low paying job or no job in their field at all. At times I was the one giving these people jobs while I had no formal education.
My family always put the upmost importance on college/uni.. Im happy I didnt take that path because it wasnt right for me. I ended up becoming a business owner instead and I didnt need any college/uni courses to do it.
My family always put the upmost importance on college/uni.. Im happy I didnt take that path because it wasnt right for me. I ended up becoming a business owner instead and I didnt need any college/uni courses to do it.
Despite choosing to do a degree I actually agree with the idea that everybody is doing it as it is expected of them instead of making a choice suitable for them as an individual. There are enough examples of people and careers that don't require a degree and they are incredibly successful but there are also many benefits to having a BA etc.
IMO what is key in this day and age is gaining experience, I don't think it's possible to float through university and land in a job as it may have been before. You have to set yourself apart from your peers who also have degrees.
IMO what is key in this day and age is gaining experience, I don't think it's possible to float through university and land in a job as it may have been before. You have to set yourself apart from your peers who also have degrees.
^well put UpgradeU, especially that last line.
true, i'm just surprised because every turn i see someone stating they're a lawyer, accountant, doctor and so forth. i'd think the ladies here would have had a different stance, especially given our love of purses that tend to lean towards the pricier side..gotta pay it with cash not credit
But it's obviously worth asking as the responses vary
OP, it's interesting to see the different answers you're getting. A thought-provoking thread
true, i'm just surprised because every turn i see someone stating they're a lawyer, accountant, doctor and so forth. i'd think the ladies here would have had a different stance, especially given our love of purses that tend to lean towards the pricier side..gotta pay it with cash not credit
I agree, UpgradeU. I was enrolled in a university for two years (before I left to enter the workforce) with some kids who didn't have basic skills and/or drive; some could barely put a proper sentence together. Nonetheless, they went to college because it was the "natural progression" and they were banking on the "have a degree = get a job" theory. Their time could have been better utilized learning a trade, gaining experience, maybe going to community college, etc. The degree they ultimately received wasn't likely to advance their professional career and the student loans for that piece of paper that could have come from any accredited institution... That's a whole different issue
true, i'm just surprised because every turn i see someone stating they're a lawyer, accountant, doctor and so forth. i'd think the ladies here would have had a different stance, especially given our love of purses that tend to lean towards the pricier side..gotta pay it with cash not credit
^^I strongly believe in this. I wouldn't buy any "nice to have" item on credit. (To be clear, I do funnel many purchases through a credit card to get perks but pay the balance off right away.) Mortgages and car payments are about the only exception because I don't consider them optional.
I think the concern is that most degrees don't result in lawyers, accountants, and doctors, and some of those professionals are struggling with employment nowadays too. It's the "college is best for everyone" mentality that is a mistake, in my opinion, because the time and cost spent on those degrees are never going to pay off for some individuals. KWIM?
But it's obviously worth asking as the responses vary
OP, it's interesting to see the different answers you're getting. A thought-provoking thread
Yes! Definitely an interesting discussion, and I can definitely see the value to all sides of the argument.
^^I strongly believe in this. I wouldn't buy any "nice to have" item on credit. (To be clear, I do funnel many purchases through a credit card to get perks but pay the balance off right away.) Mortgages and car payments are about the only exception because I don't consider them optional.
I think the concern is that most degrees don't result in lawyers, accountants, and doctors, and some of those professionals are struggling with employment nowadays too. It's the "college is best for everyone" mentality that is a mistake, in my opinion, because the time and cost spent on those degrees are never going to pay off for some individuals. KWIM?
This and this.
I think it is very small minded for anyone to think that the same path is the right path for everyone, or to force someone to do things the way they think they should. Everyone needs to follow their own path in life, and there is no "right" way to go.
That being said, I would never discourage someone from going to college. My parents value education, I was raised to value education, and learning is something I enjoy, and I am for certain going to college. However, I would never try to force someone who didn't want to go to college to go just because I think it's the best path for me. College is not for everyone and in order to succeed in college and in the career world afterwards you really have to want to be there and to work hard and be passionate about your degree IMO, because there are so many kids and the competition is so high. It's idiotic IMO to spend 200,000 dollars, and most likely be deep in debt upon graduation with a degree you didn't really care about and don't really know what to do with, just because "it's what you are supposed to do."
On the subject of college degree not being worth it financially: What colleges are you guys talking about at above comment that average graduates have 200 k in debt from going to college ? Harvard ? We did debt analysis in our graduate school class and most people had less than 20 k debt with approximately 50 % of our class going to a great school like Berkeley for undergrad - that's fairly doable to pay off.
I went to a state university for all years of college, never went to CC and I graduated with 0 debt just by working 1-2 jobs throughout college to pay for it.
I know people with MDs, Pharm.Ds and JDs that have less than 200 k in debt from their graduate education - just for a single BA degree that sounds out of this world high.
I went to a state university for all years of college, never went to CC and I graduated with 0 debt just by working 1-2 jobs throughout college to pay for it.
I know people with MDs, Pharm.Ds and JDs that have less than 200 k in debt from their graduate education - just for a single BA degree that sounds out of this world high.
I don't think too many people go to college in the US simply because when you look at other countries like in Europe - we are under educated and behind, other countries have higher rates of university attendance. Also a lot of jobs that college graduates go for precisely require a college degree - you can't exactly be a mechanical engineer or a biochemistry lab technician without at least a bachelors in that area. I can see one owning a business without education but in technical careers and fields, college degree is a must.
I'd just like to add that you can't really compare the education landscape in the US to that of Europe (or other continents). In most parts of Europe, undergrad university education comes with no student fees (or much lower ones) for nationals of that country, which would probably explain the high attendance. Exceptions are private business schools or other institutions that are more specialised. I only paid admin fees when I studied in Germany (~200 EUR per semester). And even though more universities are starting to enforce student fees now, it still hasn't reached the levels you have in the US right now.
Also, in Europe, university was never seen as the only option to advance your post high-school education. Apprenticeships are still huge over here. About a third of the people from my graduating HS class ended up as apprentices in banks, insurance companies and large corporations like P&G (apprenticeships apply to most fields from engineering to IT). They ended up having the edge over many university graduates four years later because they actually had the hands-on experience that many people in academia lacked upon graduating. There are of course jobs (in law, medicine etc.) that will always require a degree, but there are plenty of cases when companies will actually prefer an apprentice who's been in the industry over someone who's been sitting in a lecture hall for 3-4 years.
Agreeing with this. Also, I think that we need to create more pathways towards getting jobs than just going to college. There are way too many people who are stuck with overpriced degrees they really didn't need had there been something like apprenticeships right out of HS, or simply certification programs that can be completed quickly and are much more affordable. Hence the student loan debt crisis we're facing.