Author Topic: Is a College Degree Really Worth it?  (Read 22741 times)

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Re: Is a College Degree Really Worth it?
« Reply #30 on: April 07, 2015, 02:44:13 PM »

Offline manl_lui

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First: GOOD ON YOU for thinking about WHY you are going to college. Answer: to get a J-O-B. Communications will not get you a job. Communications might just as well be a degree in drinking beer, studying abroad, and trying to date girls who will like you better when you're 30 anyway.

I absolutely think you should switch majors to something requiring an understanding of math. Accounting/IT, etc. The reason those jobs pay more is because majoring in communications is not that difficult. Those fields require some level of technical expertise. You will struggle to find employment (probably, ITE) with a communications major.

Most of my technical friends came out of school making $70s/$80s, while the liberal artists make doodly squat, and their careers never recover.

That said, dropping out to work as an assistant manager at a retail establishment is a bad idea for the same reason. Lots of people can do that job. You want to make money? Do a job that one cannot do without some level of higher ed.

In short: change majors. Do extra time if you must.

List of unprofitable/financially foolish majors:

1. communications
2. history
3. English
4. political science
5. sociology
6. unless you want to be in the mental health field: psychology
7. visual art
8. music/music performance (including especially any kind of singing)
9. journalism
10. dance (of any kind - even knowing a lot about dance)

I was going to say that, but didn't want to say it first cuz I don't want to offend anyone  ;) ;D

but yes in a nutshell, all my friends who majored in the majors listed above, make squat

the two friends I had majoring in communications ended up in marketing (PR and product marketing)

Re: Is a College Degree Really Worth it?
« Reply #31 on: April 07, 2015, 03:04:18 PM »

Offline D.o.s.

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Looks like the caps lock army is here to tell you how to live your life. He wants you to major in accounting. I bet he's a real fun guy in person.

However, the upshot to what he's saying is that you can be stupid and still earn a more-than-healthy income working in some of the fields he's suggested. He's not wrong -- there's a reason why the safe areas of study are the safe areas of study. Someone's got to count the beans and mend the fences.
At least a goldfish with a Lincoln Log on its back goin' across your floor to your sock drawer has a miraculous connotation to it.

Re: Is a College Degree Really Worth it?
« Reply #32 on: April 07, 2015, 03:06:36 PM »

Offline jaketwice

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Looks like the caps lock army is here to tell you how to live your life. He wants you to major in accounting. I bet he's a real fun guy in person.

However, the upshot to what he's saying is that you can be stupid and still earn a more-than-healthy income working in some of the fields he's suggested. He's not wrong -- there's a reason why the safe areas of study are the safe areas of study. Someone's got to count the beans and mend the fences.

You know you've lost the argument when you have to resort to personal attacks. And I'm not writing in all caps-lock. I'm emphasizing certain words. It's the same as using BOLD, just quicker.

Re: Is a College Degree Really Worth it?
« Reply #33 on: April 07, 2015, 03:09:17 PM »

Offline TheTruthFot18

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I like all the feedback I'm getting. To answer some of the questions, the reason why I chose St. Francis was because I was under the assumption that a smaller, more expensive college would be much more beneficial to me. I figured I would get more personal help, and be able to make connections and build relationships with my professors easier than if I went to a public college. It turns out, that so far the only personal help I need from teachers are for tutoring in classes that I have no interest in and only attend because I have to.

Transferring to a cheaper community college sounds like sounds reasonable, although acieEarl echoes a lot of things I've heard from my own co-workers. I have a little less than a month less in the semester. Man this summer is going to be busy.

I would almost suggest the opposite (if possible). I've seen others do it and wish I did too: Get your general/ intro classes out of the way at CC for cheap then transfer over around Junior year.
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Re: Is a College Degree Really Worth it?
« Reply #34 on: April 07, 2015, 03:10:37 PM »

Offline D.o.s.

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Looks like the caps lock army is here to tell you how to live your life. He wants you to major in accounting. I bet he's a real fun guy in person.

However, the upshot to what he's saying is that you can be stupid and still earn a more-than-healthy income working in some of the fields he's suggested. He's not wrong -- there's a reason why the safe areas of study are the safe areas of study. Someone's got to count the beans and mend the fences.

You know you've lost the argument when you have to resort to personal attacks. And I'm not writing in all caps-lock. I'm emphasizing certain words. It's the same as using BOLD, just quicker.

If you read closer, you'll find that I'm not disagreeing with you in the slightest. It might take one of those not-so-profitable degrees to do that, though.  ;)
At least a goldfish with a Lincoln Log on its back goin' across your floor to your sock drawer has a miraculous connotation to it.

Re: Is a College Degree Really Worth it?
« Reply #35 on: April 07, 2015, 03:11:48 PM »

Offline TheTruthFot18

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First: GOOD ON YOU for thinking about WHY you are going to college. Answer: to get a J-O-B. Communications will not get you a job. Communications might just as well be a degree in drinking beer, studying abroad, and trying to date girls who will like you better when you're 30 anyway.

I absolutely think you should switch majors to something requiring an understanding of math. Accounting/IT, etc. The reason those jobs pay more is because majoring in communications is not that difficult. Those fields require some level of technical expertise. You will struggle to find employment (probably, ITE) with a communications major.

Most of my technical friends came out of school making $70s/$80s, while the liberal artists make doodly squat, and their careers never recover.

That said, dropping out to work as an assistant manager at a retail establishment is a bad idea for the same reason. Lots of people can do that job. You want to make money? Do a job that one cannot do without some level of higher ed.

In short: change majors. Do extra time if you must.

List of unprofitable/financially foolish majors:

1. communications
2. history
3. English
4. political science
5. sociology
6. unless you want to be in the mental health field: psychology
7. visual art
8. music/music performance (including especially any kind of singing)
9. journalism
10. dance (of any kind - even knowing a lot about dance)

TP for pointing those majors out. You can easily get away without them and still succeed in those fields.
The Nets will finish with the worst record and the Celtics will end up with the 4th pick.

- Me (sometime in January)

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Guess I was wrong (May 23rd)

Re: Is a College Degree Really Worth it?
« Reply #36 on: April 07, 2015, 03:14:20 PM »

Offline TheTruthFot18

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Looks like the caps lock army is here to tell you how to live your life. He wants you to major in accounting. I bet he's a real fun guy in person.

However, the upshot to what he's saying is that you can be stupid and still earn a more-than-healthy income working in some of the fields he's suggested. He's not wrong -- there's a reason why the safe areas of study are the safe areas of study. Someone's got to count the beans and mend the fences.

You know you've lost the argument when you have to resort to personal attacks. And I'm not writing in all caps-lock. I'm emphasizing certain words. It's the same as using BOLD, just quicker.

If you read closer, you'll find that I'm not disagreeing with you in the slightest. It might take one of those not-so-profitable degrees to do that, though.  ;)

I wish I had a degree that brought me nothing in life but I could still enlighten others on a basketball blog.  ;)
The Nets will finish with the worst record and the Celtics will end up with the 4th pick.

- Me (sometime in January)

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Guess I was wrong (May 23rd)

Re: Is a College Degree Really Worth it?
« Reply #37 on: April 07, 2015, 03:17:29 PM »

Offline D.o.s.

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I'm actually at a loss to what you mean. Who's got a degree that hasn't earned them anything in this discussion? You? I thought you said you had one? Me? I'm at work right now, using the degree I went to school for?


I should clarify my stance, I think, for fear of being misrepresented:


The risk in getting a degree in a "creative"/"useless"/"not-profitable"/"not J-O-B oriented" field of study, which seems to be the various criteria here, is that unless (and even if) you're demonstrably good at what you do, finding a job is going to be difficult. That's true -- a degree in communications will not get you a job. Your portfolio will get you a job. Your networking skills will get you a job. It's exactly the same, in that sense, to an accounting gig or an engineering gig or any other "safe" job that you can bring up.

Would you hire a bad engineer? Not knowingly. Would you hire a bad accountant? Not knowingly. Would you hire a bad visual artist? Not knowingly. The difference between the three is that two of them have intrinsic competencies that are benchmarks for prospective employers borne out of their degrees, while the last one (potentially) requires you to provide those benchmarks in a different fashion.

By extension: it takes a comparatively common amount of intelligence, ability, and work ethic to get a degree in a mundane course of study and find 'middle class' employment, which is why those will always be the safe roads to travel, particularly among those who are operating at the income level to be college-bound. Hence the FED PDFs and things. The thing about colleges is that they don't care about how good you are, really, they care about how much money they can extract from you, and they'll tolerate all sorts of off-key singing and bad stick figure drawing and incorrect AUTOCAD measurements in the process of getting you and your family to cut that check.
« Last Edit: April 07, 2015, 03:32:09 PM by D.o.s. »
At least a goldfish with a Lincoln Log on its back goin' across your floor to your sock drawer has a miraculous connotation to it.

Re: Is a College Degree Really Worth it?
« Reply #38 on: April 07, 2015, 03:33:45 PM »

Offline Chief

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If you can afford it yes during and afterwards yes .    Even if your not college material ,   The experience is invaluable life situation.....regardless......I graduated , but it took an extra year ....I was so immature when I entered.    Plus ......graduating gives you an early confidence boost in life.....several employers told me as I interviewed, they understood that no experience was not so  much of an issue at entry level.  They wanted people who , finished college, would finish what they start.   Off on your own with so many distractions , you learn to be a self starter if you wish to succeed .  Finishing what you start is proof of your diligence and dedication to your goals.

If you can achieve your career goal or get started you can save a lot of money by going to a community college .   Some associate degrees pay nearly what a 4 year graduate earns . 

If your being GIVEN the money by relatives to attend college .  Then , GO for it ......like I said the experience was very cool......I was from a small town and needed to stand on my own two feet.

Plus I met my wife.  ;D.       Some life long friends ,  you learn about other cultures , you'll grow as an adult.

I think going away to school is important .

Yes ,  there is more to it than just a diploma and job .

100% agree. Almost my exact story. I think the federal government has made the first two years of community college free. So, financially it wont kill you to get your feet wet.
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Re: Is a College Degree Really Worth it?
« Reply #39 on: April 07, 2015, 03:33:50 PM »

Offline celticsclay

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I was briefly in a barbershop quarter called the Caps Lock Army. We actually made a pretty good living for a while. Alas, the lifestyle was hard on the body and like most good things, it ended in a parking lot outside a Dennys.

Re: Is a College Degree Really Worth it?
« Reply #40 on: April 07, 2015, 03:35:23 PM »

Online Roy H.

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List of unprofitable/financially foolish majors:
...
3. English
4. political science

I was an English / Government double major, and haven't regretted it once.  Hell, if I could have fit in a third major in history, I would have done it.  Financially, I'm doing just fine.  8)

There's nothing wrong with pursuing a liberal arts degree if you know what you're going to do with it.  It can be "foolish" to major in just about anything, if you're not committed to it.  I know plenty of miserable accountants, and plenty of happy, successful folks with associate's degrees, or no degrees at all.


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Re: Is a College Degree Really Worth it?
« Reply #41 on: April 07, 2015, 03:36:54 PM »

Offline D.o.s.

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I was briefly in a barbershop quarter called the Caps Lock Army. We actually made a pretty good living for a while. Alas, the lifestyle was hard on the body and like most good things, it ended in a parking lot outside a Dennys.
;D

with the caveat that I have seen some things, but I have never seen anything good start, continue, or end in a Denny's parking lot.
At least a goldfish with a Lincoln Log on its back goin' across your floor to your sock drawer has a miraculous connotation to it.

Re: Is a College Degree Really Worth it?
« Reply #42 on: April 07, 2015, 03:40:49 PM »

Offline Donoghus

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Ha....why does everything always come back to the accountants???

We're not bad people!  I work on tax side as a CPA (busy season sucks but you know its coming) but I'm happy with it!

We're not all miserable people!

:vent over:


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Re: Is a College Degree Really Worth it?
« Reply #43 on: April 07, 2015, 03:43:17 PM »

Offline Chief

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I will also tell you to do something in life that makes you happy. I have a degree in education that has allowed me to teach and coach basketball. I will never be rich but I am very happy with my career choice in life. :)
Once you are labeled 'the best' you want to stay up there, and you can't do it by loafing around.
 
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Re: Is a College Degree Really Worth it?
« Reply #44 on: April 07, 2015, 03:46:14 PM »

Offline D.o.s.

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Ha....why does everything always come back to the accountants???

We're not bad people!  I work on tax side as a CPA (busy season sucks but you know its coming) but I'm happy with it!

We're not all miserable people!

:vent over:

full disclosure: Everything I know about accounting comes from reading The Pale King and trying to parse my tax forms. David Foster Wallace is easy -- filing my taxes is anything but.
I have some family members who are accountants and they're also quite happy people.

It's a skillset thing, which is another big point about going to college: you should only go to school to study something you don't intend to pursue as a career if you can afford to do so. If you're going to college to get a job (which is/was the end pursuit for most of us) it would behoove you to study something that you've already got an aptitude for.
At least a goldfish with a Lincoln Log on its back goin' across your floor to your sock drawer has a miraculous connotation to it.