College

[chibiXphantom]

So it seems going to college is the thing to do these days. once you graduate its expected of you to go on to some form of higher education. everyone seems to say that if you dont go to college, you cant get a good job. but is that really true?

ive never wanted to go to college ever. i didnt see a point. theres nothing i wanted to learn in college that i couldnt teach myself. the whole point of college is to learn and study a particular field, but a lot of people just go to college to get a piece of paper saying they went to college. so with everyone going to college, just to go to college, the value of a degree keeps decreasing.

Do you think college is something you really should go through? Has your degree helped you land a good job, or do you struggle to find a decent one?
Or do you think college isn't necessary to get a good job?

 

[MrJones]

It's not necessary to get a job, but it helps a lot.

I'm still at college, and not because I want that paper thats says I did it, but because I want to learn about a certain thing and I couldn't teach myself, I need help.

If I could teach myself, then I could do research on my own, present the paper of my investigation, get it published and become a normal scientist as someone who studied at university. But I can't do it alone

Depending on what you want to do, you can do it without going to college. I think it helps, it's helping me a lot and it will probably make things easier in the future, but it's not necessary.

 

[O'Killian]

Short answer: Some fields pretty well require a degree. Generally, a degree is helpful to 'get your foot in the door', especially since you'll likely be competing with someone who has one. Importantly, it is entirely possible to spend more on college than you'll make back at the 'good job' it lands you. Even more importantly, and perhaps unintuitively given what's been hammered into a lot of folks heads, college isn't entirely about the academics.

I agree that college is overrated, or perhaps more accurately, misrepresented. I went for two years because I'd been told that one's life plan should basically be high school -> college -> instant career! That gross oversimplification I probably first heard in grade school is what stuck with me, and I was never dissuaded of the notion. You hear that a lot of people get a degree and then wind up not working in that field. I believe I heard 65% of graduates (from a particular school) working in the field of their major was considered a high mark. I think that's a little bit related to 'go to college whether you want to or not! Major in art appreciation!' Not all degrees are created equal, obviously.

I'm not even going to go into the outrageous costs and how many people are in debt over it.

I did graduate in the top of my high school class (which isn't that impressive as the town's rather podunk), and I actually received a tiny $500 scholarship from the high school as a sort of wink and a nudge. But I had absolutely zero direction. I had a vague notion of being a game designer, but no desire to move out just yet, so I had decided to enter the computer science program at a nearby college (which actually has a somewhat prestigious CS department). I treated it a lot like I treated high school; show up, do the work, go home. I made the Dean's list for three semesters. (I am not attempting to brag here; just stating facts).

I wound up dropping out after the fourth semester because I couldn't deal with professors who spoke absolutely god-awful English and a major group project. (I was also having trouble with Calculus and second guessing whether I really wanted to program for a living). Needless to say, this had a fair bit to do with my own anxiety as well.

The point of this little anecdote is that, basically, you need to have the right attitude for college to really be worth it. I treated it like an extension of high school... which sort of worked, but not really. All that crap about college being a place to 'find yourself' isn't entirely bunk; if you engage it socially and explore your interests rather than declaring a major out of the blue, it can be an all-round growing experience, especially if you're going off to college and not commuting like I did. If you do it right, you'll learn a lot about living independently and networking*.

Which is what I've been told is really important in the job market - experience and networking count the most. Your degree may be a prerequisite or just a nice bonus, but it's often cited as just helping graduates 'get their foot in the door'. There are other ways to do that, if you've got the talent or the gumption. I've also heard a lot of people that waited a few years to go into college say they thought it was a lot better than stumbling in as a doe-eyed 18 year old, so it's not like you must enter college right after high school (and I understand there's a growing number of such 'non-traditional' students).

I suppose a TL;DR version is: college is expensive, not necessarily necessary, and not completely urgent. Don't do it just because it's what you 'should' do, but don't write it off completely, either.

*At least, this is what I'm telling myself; I'm going back to school on the 27th. I'm hoping I've matured enough that I'm not throwing good money after bad.

 

[MarionBerry]

I'm with O'Killian on this one. I went to a fancy pants private university, got out with $40,000 in student loans that I can't afford to pay from the job I found. Although I don't think I would trade the "college" experience (except for certain fields it's really more about learning how to think than learning specific information) I would have gone through a vocational program at a local community college instead of getting a Bachelor's degree. Lower cost, shorter time, higher wages (depending on the field of course). Like they say...."if I knew then what I know now"...

 

[Anomaly]

When 500 resumes rush in for a job posting that has only been up for 24 hours, a very easy way to cull the herd is to look for degrees. Whether or not it's the best strategy simply makes for an interesting discussion, changing nothing.

 

[Silatuyok]

I think far too many people feel pressured into going to college these days. I'm a huge believer in trade schools, community colleges, and certification programs. I am $50k in debt from my college days, which didn't even get me into a high-paying job. The sad thing is, I wouldn't even have to work if I didn't have those stupid student loans! *sigh*

Unless it is your dream to have a professional career (such as engineer, doctor, etc.) then I would say hold off on the college thing, because you can always go back later when you actually know what you want to study.

That being said, I don't think my current employer would have hired me if I didn't have a degree or was working on one. More and more employers are getting kinda snooty like that these days.

College. Oy.

 

[WeirdyMcGee]

It depends on what you want to do with your life-- but you can always go back to college later on to get career training.

Most of the people I knew from highschool have graduated from College or University but they still work at McDonalds.
Having some sort of degree can guarantee you a job when an employer is picking people out of a hat, even if the degree has nothing to do with the work that needs to be done because having a degree is a sign that you can 'stick with something all the way through'.
It shows determination, I suppose... that's what I've been told.

One thing that I recommend to most people out of high school who want to make more than minimum wage is to get their bartending certificate or to find a job at a Temp agency to get out there and experience a range of jobs to help them decide what they want to do.

Most people change their career many times through the span of their life, so it's okay to change your mind... but if you don't have the money to burn and you're not making money at the same time it can be foolish to go out and waste 10,000-50,000 on college tuition only to come home and have to work in fast food.
Not that fast food is the most terrible occupation to work in but it can be depressing if you aren't challenged by your job AND aren't a social person.

A lot to think about, really...

 

[Thelema]

There's nothing in medical school you couldn't teach yourself, but in what way would you actually go about doing it?

College still pays for itself over a lifetime. And the knowledge you get about the world exudes itself in your life.

You have a larger knowledge base to draw from than someone who hasn't spent 4 years or whatever cramming their brain with knowledge.

The college educated will tend to make better decisions in general, know more about the world we live in, and make more money.

 

[Lonelykitsune]

I have the same sort of thoughts as you OP. I just moved in today (last person to arrive in my whole campus village, woo) to do a degree in European studies, which is a sort of business course with law and and a language..

Though here in Ireland, if you can't afford to go, the best thing you can hope for is a grant or a free place in a raffle basically as there is no loan system ( so less debt worries afterwards I suppose).

But as my friend who isn't going to uni says, it helps getting work, as even low-paying jobs look for degrees now as everyone dives for any available job in this recession and she tends to get her CV's ignored.

Plus it puts me out of my comfort zone so I can work on my SA, hopefully....

 

[TheFlamesWithin]

I was raised in the mindset of "You go to college, you get a degree, you get married and you work until retirement."

What type of degree was left up to me, but that was what I was brought up to do. It was ultimately my choice to enroll in college, which I did do, because working didn't go so well... and I rather like classes. I feel like I have a purpose, and I have been able to balance therapy with my education.

Inevitably, its every person's perception of the world and their choices that leads them in life

 

[dottie]

if you are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to go to college... go.

yes, you are right, it is just a piece of paper. are you going to reinvent the wheel? no. you are going to play the game like everyone else. even if it doesn't seem fun, suck it up and get ahead while you have the chance because everyone else will pass you by, leaving you in the dust. go.