Current Events > Half of graduates underemployed 10 years after college. Blacks suffer worse.

(+) Yeah! (+)

https://youtu.be/JdDFnVAL6pc

https://gamefaqs.gamespot.com/a/forum/1/129249d8.jpg

I can see why Gen Z would be steering away from college. They look at those before them and think whats the point.

Just keeps getting more and more expensive. And with little to show for all that schooling.

"Quick, how can we blame this on everyone and everything that isn't the wealthiest individuals with the most broad economic power and capitalism!"

The cost and risk has inflated far faster then the benifits and we do jack shit to actually prepare kids for navigating it.

Instead of bashing kids for not going to college we should question why the appeal has dropped. Its systemic failures(not just in colleges themselves but everywhere. Housing, policing, Transporation options/costs, wages, workers rights, healthcare, educstion laws etc.) and exploitation diminishing the risk/reward outlook along with a helping hand from bigotry and Anti Intellctualism from right wingers driving some away. Attacking DEI, LGBTQ+, Libraries, women's rights, science and student aid is obviously not gonna help.

I went to college for Business Administration and Computer Science, turned out pretty well for me.

Unsuprised_Pika posted...

The cost and risk has inflated far faster then the benifits and we do jack shit to actually prepare kids for navigating it.

Instead of bashing kids for not going to college we should question why the appeal has dropped. Its systemic failures(not just in colleges themselves but everywhere. Housing, policing, Transporation options/costs, wages, workers rights, healthcare, educstion laws etc.) and exploitation diminishing the risk/reward outlook along with a helping hand from bigotry and Anti Intellctualism from right wingers driving some away. Attacking DEI, LGBTQ+, Libraries, women's rights, science and student aid is obviously not gonna help.

So true.

No surprise there.

Go to college they said.
Get the good jobs they said.

Unknown5uspect posted...

Go to college they said.
Get the good jobs they said.

"Get into IT," they said. "Jobs everywhere," they said.

Has getting a degree really been enough to guarantee a good job at any point? It certainly wasnt enough when I went.

No wonder when half the degrees shouldn't even exist and are useless.
Masters degree in liberal arts? I'd like extra fries with my burger, thank you.

How do they define underemployment - I ain't watching

I didn't get a degree. I wasn't intelligent enough for university. I went to TAFE, our equivalent to "college" in Australia. Got software and programming certificates, no employer would even read my resume since discrimination is legal no matter what legislation says.

GunmaN1905 posted...

Masters degree in liberal arts

likely want to write and/or teach

Dark_Arbron posted...

I wasn't intelligent enough for university.

Got software and programming certificates

These two don't go together.

no employer would even read my resume since discrimination is legal no matter what legislation says.

This is the only reason I got a masters degree in computer science, even though I barely learned anything in college if we talk useful programming stuff.

GunmaN1905 posted...

These two don't go together.

Software development I meant to say. Certificate 3 Software Design following on to Certificate 4 Programming.

ZannoL posted...

I can see why Gen Z would be steering away from college. They look at those before them and think whats the point.

In fairness, I was aware of this nonsense back in 2005 / 2006. It always seemed like such a fucking scam to me that it was so expensive and didnt even guarantee you a job.

I may not have the best-paying job, but I am so glad Im living with hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt.

I would love to see what GPA breakdown is among the ones who are underemployed versus the ones that aren't. Half of students being underemployed looks an awful lot like the left half of a GPA bell curve, and while I do sympathize with people who believed that simply getting a degree would guarantee them a good job, I become less and less sympathetic towards those who half-assed their education and still expect a good job.

rexcrk posted...

In fairness, I was aware of this nonsense back in 2005 / 2006. It always seemed like such a fucking scam to me that it was so expensive and didnt even guarantee you a job.

I may not have the best-paying job, but I am so glad Im living with hundreds of thousands of dollars of debt.

In fairness, while Ive never been out of work, I didnt go to university to get a job.

Professors told this to me when i was in college. Things were much less fucked back then too. Those that came after me have only gotten worse results relative to the amount of money they've put into it. I'd only go to college now if I had a clear career path in mind that required it.

Generations of gullible children were told they would all be a bunch of worthless fucking losers if they didn't go to college and get a degree.

s0nicfan posted...

I become less and less sympathetic towards those who half-assed their education and still expect a good job.

Never met someone who knocks back "beneath them" jobs waiting for a good one. I have, however, met a shit load of people who just want a job in the first place. But unemployment exists by design, so at least I'm fulfilling a purpose.

Dark_Arbron posted...

Software development I meant to say. Certificate 3 Software Design following on to Certificate 4 Programming.

Doesn't matter, if you can get any kind of software development certificate, you're more intelligent than most people.

Jiek_Fafn posted...

Professors told this to me when i was in college. Things were much less fucked back then too. Those that came after me have only gotten worse results relative to the amount of money they've put into it. I'd only go to college now if I had a clear career path in mind that required it.

Where I'm from, there is alway an over-saturation in certain fields, even if we talk solid degrees.
Economics and law always have way too many students.
And then to make it even worse, they take easier economics classes and very few go for accounting.

Apprenticeships are way more needed nowdays.
Electricians make a ton of money without having to do any of the dirty work.

GunmaN1905 posted...

Doesn't matter, if you can get any kind of software development certificate, you're more intelligent than most people.

Where I'm from, there is alway an over-saturation in certain fields, even if we talk solid degrees.
Economics and law always have way too many students.
And then to make it even worse, they take easier economics classes and very few go for accounting.

Apprenticeships are way more needed nowdays.
Electricians make a ton of money without having to do any of the dirty work.

See, this is why I've always been of the opinion that rather than offering universal free college what we should be doing is every few years surveying the country to determine what skill sets are lacking and then offer free tuition to anybody who completes a program in one of those areas, which would include things like trade schools and apprenticeships.

If somebody wants to get a degree in a field that is already saturated they are welcome to, but at that point it's a luxury not a necessity and they can pay out of pocket.

This way, we are actually investing in our populace in a way that isn't just lip service, but specifically in a way that will guarantee returns for society.

s0nicfan posted...

See, this is why I've always been of the opinion that rather than offering universal free college what we should be doing is every few years surveying the country to determine what skill sets are lacking and then offer free tuition to anybody who completes a program in one of those areas, which would include things like trade schools and apprenticeships.

If somebody wants to get a degree in a field that is already saturated they are welcome to, but at that point it's a luxury not a necessity and they can pay out of pocket.

This way, we are actually investing in our populace in a way that isn't just lip service, but specifically in a way that will guarantee returns for society.

Well, it's not about college being free, it's about people's mentality.
Both college and apprenticeships are more or less free where I'm from.

Mentality that a lot of parents have is the issue. Up until 00s most people didn't even go to college and now they want their kids to not be left out.

As it usually goes, everyone thinks their kid is the smartest and it's beneat them for their child not to go to college, even if they don't have any talent for that field. Then they end up studying law for 8 years and being more or less useless.

GunmaN1905 posted...

No wonder when half the degrees shouldn't even exist and are useless.
Masters degree in liberal arts? I'd like extra fries with my burger, thank you.

Some jobs simply require a bachelor's degree minimum. It doesn't even matter what the degree was for. They just want the applicants who were able to complete it.

Not that it's extremely hard to pass college classes. I thought it was easier than high school. But you need the paper just to get an interview.

LeoRavus posted...

Some jobs simply require a bachelor's degree minimum. It doesn't even matter what the degree was for. They just want the applicants who were able to complete it.

Not that it's extremely hard to pass college classes. I thought it was easier than high school. But you need the paper just to get an interview.

Yeah, its not possible to do my job without a degree but most employers dont give a shit what its in.

Related: As a college professor, I can tell you that the amount of effort put in by most students is at an all time low. They've convinced themselves that college = buying a career (without putting any actual work in).

GunmaN1905 posted...

No wonder when half the degrees shouldn't even exist and are useless.
Masters degree in liberal arts? I'd like extra fries with my burger, thank you.

Wow, only took 10 posts for this lazy as fuck hot take

Euripides posted...

Wow, only took 10 posts for this lazy as fuck hot take

I'm more surprised he picked "liberal arts." Been a while since I've seen that one used. Nowadays, "gender studies" is the go to degree for these takes.

AlveinFencer posted...

I'm more surprised he picked "liberal arts." Been a while since I've seen that one used. Nowadays, "gender studies" is the go to degree for these takes.

Just another lazy "college should just be for STEM and Business" take that is helping contribute to the ruination of the higher education system

Glob posted...

Yeah, its not possible to do my job without a degree but most employers dont give a shit what its in.

I can see it being a requirement for some fields where what you learn in college will be applied at work on a daily basis. Others where on the job training would be enough it becomes more of a formality.

At my former job experience wasn't even enough. One guy who'd been there for over 20 years pretty much running a department didn't qualify to be that department's manager because he didn't go to college.

GunmaN1905 posted...

No wonder when half the degrees shouldn't even exist and are useless.
Masters degree in liberal arts? I'd like extra fries with my burger, thank you.

ok boomer

But anyway, college is a game that you have to play the right way but nobody tells you that. I originally wanted to be an architect and if my dad didn't have a hands on experience with that hell before I graduated high school I probably would've screwed myself over going into debt for Georgia Tech's program because I also thought back then that just having a degree was cruise control to a stable career

LeoRavus posted...

I can see it being a requirement for some fields where what you learn in college will be applied at work on a daily basis. Others where on the job training would be enough it becomes more of a formality.

At my former job experience wasn't even enough. One guy who'd been there for over 20 years pretty much running a department didn't qualify to be that department's manager because he didn't go to college. Instead they went through a new incompetent manager with a degree every year or more.

Ive known of that sort of thing happening.

But for my profession, youve got to have one. I dont think I could even legally work in this country without one.

Something I learned (that no one tells you) is the most important thing by far in college is making connections and networking. Whether thats with your professors, your peers, or companies (through internships and stuff like that).

That sucks for socially award people but its something you must know if you go to college.

Ive never used any of the connections I made at college to further my career.

Glob posted...

Ive never used any of the connections I made at college to further my career.

I've used dozens

Euripides posted...

I've used dozens

Maybe it depends on your area of study and the field you end up in.

Unknown5uspect posted...

Go to college they said.
Get the good jobs they said.

Isn't that a song?

Glob posted...

Maybe it depends on your area of study and the field you end up in.

I guess if you go for a degree in a high-demand field that is a simple transition from college it doesnt matter. Still getting an internship will help you immensely in finding your first job post-degree

But that isnt the case for most people, and picking your degree/major based on what job you want is a mistake waiting to happen

Literally nobody in the cohort I was in got an internship. I dont think theyre anywhere near as common where I studied as they are in the US.

DoubleOSnake posted...

Isn't that a song?

Wouldn't be surprised if it were

Taking out FAFSA loans is a scam for 4 years private school. More people should take two years at a CC, then go to an in-state school so they can actually afford to pay off their debt over time. Assuming you cannot get a scholarship, that is.

Glob posted...

Literally nobody in the cohort I was in got an internship. I dont think theyre anywhere near as common where I studied as they are in the US.

I graduated college right after covid ended and getting an internship in my field was basically impossible.

ssb_yunglink2 posted...

I graduated college right after covid ended and getting an internship in my field was basically impossible.

College juniors/seniors during COVID got royally fucked

Xenogears15 posted...

Taking out FAFSA loans is a scam for 4 years private school. More people should take two years at a CC, then go to an in-state school so they can actually afford to pay off their debt over time. Assuming you cannot get a scholarship, that is.

I agree but the scholarship thing is important

I did decently in HS and got small scholarship/grant offers, but I did great in CC and got none. This is from public schools

Oh another thing I forgot is you need to totally forget about name-branding, or at least put that last on your list of importance when looking at schools

Go to a decent in-state school, preferably the one that gives you the most money. No one is going to care which college you went to after you graduate.

Euripides posted...

Just another lazy "college should just be for STEM and Business" take that is helping contribute to the ruination of the higher education system

I'm not even an American, lmao.

GunmaN1905 posted...

I'm not even an American, lmao.

This isn't an attitude limited to America

Graduating during the recession wasn't fun.