Poll of the Day > Is college worth it

(+) Yeah! (+)

With all the money it costs nowadays to attend college, do you feel it was worth your time and money to attend. Looking back I have mixed feelings on it.
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Depends on what you're thinking of majoring in and your life. For me, it's a good choice because I can start out at 75k and possibly move up in the world or I can take an easier approach and teach.

Trade school might have been easier/ better 20 years ago for me but I can't do the heavy duty work like I used to. Hard to argue with $60 an hour for an HVAC job though.

It can be. Depends on what youre majoring in. Also depends on he cost. For example, its worth it to me because I can get it for free with the military. Others who have scholarship chances can definitely make use out of it, as well...
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in the US i would say no absolutely not
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Sometimes
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If you have a specific degree in mind and are mature enough to handle it, absolutely. It's definitely not something people should feel pressured to do immediately after high school, a lot of people aren't ready for the commitment at that stage of their lives.
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Yeah. Look at college in the midwest. You can go to a local state university and pay like 3k a semester. Living in the northeast now and I'm surprised how everything is like 15-30k a year.

It depends on a lot of factors. Don't listen to anyone who simplifies it as Stem vs Non stem, they don't know what they're talking about.

Don't bankrupt your family over it. A more expensive college is mostly just one with sexier aesthetics.
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Yes.

But only if you are smart and plan on actually going to class, studying, and graduating.

I was severely disturbed by how many people went to college and skipped class, got shit-faced every weekend, slept around, and ultimately dropped out after the first or second year.

Complete waste of time and money. And all they got out of it was herpes, liver damage, and debt.
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depends on your major and the person. telling everyone to go to college is like telling everyone they should buy a Ferrari. its easy to give that advice when youre not the one footing the bill.
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Other than having the degree, probably not since I could have learned everything I needed for my career through self-study in maybe 2 years and entered the workforce that much sooner. However, being able to point to a degree clearly helps. I never finished my MBA but that would have been of far greater value. The company I was working for that was covering 75% of the cost wound up either discontinuing that or closing (I can't remember if the two events were tied together) and the places I've worked since haven't offered tuition reimbursement.

In general, America has one of the highest college enrollment rates in the world (higher than places giving it away for free) -- despite those degrees not doing people a lot of good -- which has played a large part in creating debt crises and if Warren or Sanders's terrible free college plan goes into effect, things will just get much, much worse.
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In my experience, it is worth it only if you are willing to do more than go to class, do your homework, and take tests. Just a single degree, no matter how valuable your major is, is not enough to net you a good career nowadays, I think. But if you work on making yourself more employable during school by say, learning new job skills or undertaking some internships, then these, in my opinion, would act as good supplements towards the degree in question.
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No, unless it's for a job that's in very high demand.
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I went to school for IT and didn't learn anything I didn't have to end up doing on my own
maybe like one class was worth it, and some math stuff for fun

but other than that it was just for fun
business' don't want degree's they want certs and experiance

I might just dip into auto body for the hell of it,
painting peoples cars vs having to create designs, I'd rather paint a car at least im not committing intellectual property theft and I'd know what I'm doing
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No, trade schools are a much better option (in the US).

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CTLM posted...

Depends on what you're thinking of majoring in and your life. For me, it's a good choice because I can start out at 75k and possibly move up in the world or I can take an easier approach and teach.

Trade school might have been easier/ better 20 years ago for me but I can't do the heavy duty work like I used to. Hard to argue with $60 an hour for an HVAC job though.

My uncle actually went to trade school while in high school in the late 1970s (he graduated in 1979 I think) and he told me back then when you reached your junior year of high school, you had an option of attending regular school for half the day and then attend a trade school for the rest of the day. He did that and learned auto mechanics and he now owns 4 repair shops and he says his biggest gripe now is no one is being trained to repair the newest cars that are all computerized so he has a hard time finding skilled mechanics/auto techs.
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TheWitchMorgana posted...

in the US i would say no absolutely not

I think I agree with you. It seems to me that over the past 40 years or so, the US has cheapened education and dumbed down out citizens.
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BUMPED2002 posted...

CTLM posted...

Depends on what you're thinking of majoring in and your life. For me, it's a good choice because I can start out at 75k and possibly move up in the world or I can take an easier approach and teach.

Trade school might have been easier/ better 20 years ago for me but I can't do the heavy duty work like I used to. Hard to argue with $60 an hour for an HVAC job though.

My uncle actually went to trade school while in high school in the late 1970s (he graduated in 1979 I think) and he told me back then when you reached your junior year of high school, you had an option of attending regular school for half the day and then attend a trade school for the rest of the day. He did that and learned auto mechanics and he now owns 4 repair shops and he says his biggest gripe now is no one is being trained to repair the newest cars that are all computerized so he has a hard time finding skilled mechanics/auto techs.

I couldn't go that trade school route in high school because I took advantage of a program that allowed you to get your high school diploma for taking college classes. Yes, it is kind of backwards in a way. Drop out of high school to take college classes and graduate high school ahead of time (and get a degree in the process) or drop out, have to wait until your class graduates to only then be allowed to get a GED (something that if you have, almost every business locally will simply not hire you).

Before I left, I signed up to be trained electrician. Only could do it a year because of my colorblindness (whereas most did it two). Still would have been helpful, I think.

I did not know much about cars, but knew automotive was not in my future. It turned out it was not for many of took the program then and now. My area is simply inundated and not enough jobs. Lack of training is not the problem.

Turns out training hundreds of kids a year for a job that does not even have two hundred jobs available leaves many with a wasted education. Plus the adult education program that teaches hundreds a year for the same jobs running concurrently creates even more issues.

For me, no.
I have a handful of credits from three different colleges, never finished my degree. I make close to $100k per year, it's just not necessary in my career. You'll get much further with intelligence than you will education.
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BUMPED2002 posted...

CTLM posted...

Depends on what you're thinking of majoring in and your life. For me, it's a good choice because I can start out at 75k and possibly move up in the world or I can take an easier approach and teach.

Trade school might have been easier/ better 20 years ago for me but I can't do the heavy duty work like I used to. Hard to argue with $60 an hour for an HVAC job though.

My uncle actually went to trade school while in high school in the late 1970s (he graduated in 1979 I think) and he told me back then when you reached your junior year of high school, you had an option of attending regular school for half the day and then attend a trade school for the rest of the day. He did that and learned auto mechanics and he now owns 4 repair shops and he says his biggest gripe now is no one is being trained to repair the newest cars that are all computerized so he has a hard time finding skilled mechanics/auto techs.

Every single car is manufactured different and the pay is shit
you reap what you sow
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I wish I realized the importance of it a LOT sooner.

I honestly didnt have that drive to go right after high school, so I took a few years off just to work and make some money. Should have made it only one or two years. By the time I was ready to go to school... I got hurt. So I had to put school off. Then I got hurt again, and had to continue putting school off.

So now Im finally in a place where Im in school (and fortunately my union offers a free college program) and I should be graduating next year. But Ill be 32. With only an Associates.

Definitely look into it. Or if you arent going to go to college right away, work somewhere else besides a fucking grocery store (which has destroyed me mentally AND physically). I, unfortunately, didnt have many options.
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BUMPED2002 posted...

CTLM posted...

Depends on what you're thinking of majoring in and your life. For me, it's a good choice because I can start out at 75k and possibly move up in the world or I can take an easier approach and teach.

Trade school might have been easier/ better 20 years ago for me but I can't do the heavy duty work like I used to. Hard to argue with $60 an hour for an HVAC job though.

My uncle actually went to trade school while in high school in the late 1970s (he graduated in 1979 I think) and he told me back then when you reached your junior year of high school, you had an option of attending regular school for half the day and then attend a trade school for the rest of the day. He did that and learned auto mechanics and he now owns 4 repair shops and he says his biggest gripe now is no one is being trained to repair the newest cars that are all computerized so he has a hard time finding skilled mechanics/auto techs.

They still do that where I live. Vo-Tech classes. I went and toured their various classes they have. Nice offering and the students love it. Smart choice.
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yes

My options paid less and are less enjoyable than what i do now

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RoboXgp89 posted...

but other than that it was just for fun
business' don't want degree's they want certs and experiance

They also want degrees. Even fields that have never needed a degree now want degrees.
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Zeus posted...

Other than having the degree, probably not since I could have learned everything I needed for my career through self-study in maybe 2 years and entered the workforce that much sooner. However, being able to point to a degree clearly helps. I never finished my MBA but that would have been of far greater value. The company I was working for that was covering 75% of the cost wound up either discontinuing that or closing (I can't remember if the two events were tied together) and the places I've worked since haven't offered tuition reimbursement.

In general, America has one of the highest college enrollment rates in the world (higher than places giving it away for free) -- despite those degrees not doing people a lot of good -- which has played a large part in creating debt crises and if Warren or Sanders's terrible free college plan goes into effect, things will just get much, much worse.

Self-study? If you'll being studying by yourself, you could've just said, study. But do go into detail with how free college will make things much worse.

Jabba_the_Gutt posted...

Zeus posted...

Other than having the degree, probably not since I could have learned everything I needed for my career through self-study in maybe 2 years and entered the workforce that much sooner. However, being able to point to a degree clearly helps. I never finished my MBA but that would have been of far greater value. The company I was working for that was covering 75% of the cost wound up either discontinuing that or closing (I can't remember if the two events were tied together) and the places I've worked since haven't offered tuition reimbursement.

In general, America has one of the highest college enrollment rates in the world (higher than places giving it away for free) -- despite those degrees not doing people a lot of good -- which has played a large part in creating debt crises and if Warren or Sanders's terrible free college plan goes into effect, things will just get much, much worse.

Self-study? If you'll being studying by yourself, you could've just said, study. But do go into detail with how free college will make things much worse.

I could have, if study and self-study weren't distinctly separate in the same way you could say vehicle instead of car and hope that somebody understood what you meant. But before you get into trolling more with semantics, how about letting me know who's behind that alt?

And if you don't understand how much the US *already* spends on education --- before covering the rest of the bill and having countless more people enter the program -- I'm not sure I can help you nor do I think college would help you understand it. I'd maybe encourage some self-study, but I imagine it's something of a lost cause regardless. At any rate, the American collegiate system is fundamentally broken and is currently turning out well-educated baristas, a larger issue that will only be exacerbated -- rather than addressed -- through free college which will place another onerous tax burden on the American public. Of course, that assumes the quality of education itself doesn't also further deteriorate under the new system due to how the funding might be handled. As it is, though, America's college enrollment issues demonstrate that we don't have an issue getting kids to college in the first place considering that our per capita rates are *higher* than many nations which offer it for free. You'd have a much stronger case that something has to be done if that wasn't the case and, by the way, many of the current problems resulted from efforts to expand enrollment rates (such as the college loan issues which helped to balloon tuition rates)
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I am a double college drop out and do decently well. My best friend never set foot in a college and is the director of network engineering for the company I work at.

Its mostly about who you know and what you know
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hypnox posted...

Its mostly about who you know and what you know

Definitely this...
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hypnox posted...

I am a double college drop out and do decently well. My best friend never set foot in a college and is the director of network engineering for the company I work at.

Its mostly about who you know and what you know

Pretty much. I know an 18 y/o who, with no college, started working directly for IBM making $28/hour. Of course, his dad worked for the company >_>

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Not really. You can take a number of cheaper courses that get you in somewhere that will pay well to start.

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For me personally, it wouldn't have been worth it. I have trouble staying motivated when I have no interest in the subject matter, and I had no idea what I wanted to major in. I just spent the time working up in my current job and investing my extra dollars in real estate. It turns out that was a good choice for me.

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