Please convince me i should go to college.

[SilentPanda]

I don't have a college degree. I went to the University off and on for a few years hating it. While doing that I ended up applying for a data entry position at a company. When they looked at my resume (all self taught stuff) they offered me a programming position. I've been here for near 8 years now. I make about $15k a year over the average wage in my area for a family (and I'm single).

I won't say don't go to college but it's possible to get a job without a degree. This was even my first job at a company where I knew nobody to pull strings for me.

It may be a "rare" story but it can happen. Just don't bank on it.

 

[carbonmotion]

So I'm twenty years old and I'm not in college. I took 3 night classes last fall and hated every second of it. I failed all three of my classes as far as i know. I didn't really look into it. I took a psych class, English class, and history type class. Two out of the three classes were taught by people who i had in high-school the previous year. So that just reinforced my fear of never getting out of high-school. Or being able to get away from it.

I can think of one example of people who don't have a B.Sc. or B.A. and are quite successful. But that's only one example.

Even if you think its a load of Bull, you might need to hunker down and dislike what you're doing for three or four years to make the rest of your life easier. It's tough call though, especially if you're a free spirit and school feels like suffering.

 

[Rapmastac1]

I think a technical trade would be your best bet. They aren't completely expensive and they are very direct. That was the problem in my high school years, my schedule was too long and I needed to work to make money to help my situation out. So my classes were more direct and aimed at getting the credits that I needed to graduate, rather than having a million extra credits.

I just picked a job up at Fed-Ex working nights making 11/hour, and this comes with 25 cent increase every 180 hours worked (every other month) for the first year, and then that changes to 50 cent increases for your second and third year. It's the benefits that make the job worth it, it is only a 25 hour a week job but I make more money in it than I make in my 36 hour/wk job at Sizzler.

I am in my final stretch of high school and am doing "ok". I'm just paying off my car and getting money saved in the bank. I plan on going into a Technical college (DATC) when I'm 20 (I am 18 now). I want to either take a class on Business management or an IT class. If I stay with my current goals and save a lot of money, I will be able to have time to actually take two classes at the same time to broaden my view and I will only have to work one job, becuase working two jobs and going to school and no cake and ice cream!

Just do what you gotta do becuase you can't coast like this for the rest of your life. All my family before me is just like this... They had to get a job early on in High school and then eventually had to take night classes so they could work enough hours to help out around the house. And later in life they face the burdens of not getting some sort of higher education. I would like to go a full college but I just don't have the time, or I don't want to go to school for 4 years becuase I'm taking classes that aren't aimed towards my goals.

Do what you can now or you will regret not even making any sort of decision later...

 

[ErikCLDR]

What one side of me says:
I think you should go to college, but this is probably my parents constant obsession with me going to college rubbing off.

I doubt you want to spend your whole life sitting around making $8-10 cleaning clean rooms. You obviously seem bright, to make good money you need a good job, and for that you need college. I don't know what the cost of living is in Missouri where you live but making $10/hr where I live probably won't get you very far.

Maybe you should consider something more technical- electrician, plumber, or mechanic. Our plumber/my dads friend is a plumber, owns a huge house on a big plot of land, has a plane he flies to his house in florida and it lands in the water behind his house, its incredible how well he has done. I bet the mechanics at the car dealers do alright when the labor charge is $90/hr. You seem to like cars... do you like getting your hands dirty? You will have to become and apprentice and take some tests but it'll work out in the end.

Yet I also think:
Do what you want to do. You have one life to live so you might as well do what you want. I think if you look at the world in a broad prospective its ridiculous how much of our lives we spend slowly chugging along though school, only to come to 3hrs of homework. Even if you like school there are probably things you would rather do with your time. I suppose the world couldn't function that way. But again, do what you want to do, and what you think will make you happy in the long run.

 

[jsalzer]

Leadership

Hey, Buddy,

While I'll agree that we push people too many into college, let me give you an option if you do decide to go. Actually, the fact that you might want to go and that you can go tells me that you should - very few people who finish a degree regret doing it, but plenty who didn't finish do regret it.

My advice would be to avoid the "career-specific" path. You need something that will keep you well-rounded:

Major - Organizational Leadership
Minor - Psychology

More and more companies are realizing that it does them no good to hire someone with a specific business degree - they end up having to re-train you to do everything their way, anyways. In fact, it's harder to re-train someone who learned bad habits in college than it is to train a well-rounded person. What's more important to employers is that you have the necessary communication, team-work, and leadership skills needed to succeed in ever-changing positions and environments.

Supplement those fluff - I mean, important - skills with real experience. Tell your employer that you'd like a little more responsibility - or to be put on a project or two in another area. Or find volunteer work that will give you experience.

Just some thoughts.

 

[Xfujinon]

College sucks. Finding yourself does not.

As a preface, I am a college graduate, finishing my first master's degree this semester, and will embark on a dual doctorate degree in six months, picking up a second master's degree in the process.

Most of college is a pain in the ass. However, you begin to discover that your own personal definition of "pain in the ass" is really a matter of perspective. It takes experience to gain perspective, you cannot read it from a book or pick it up from coworkers. I learned a lot of crap in college, but easily I learned 500% more from my own private endeavors (reading for pleasure, practicing my art, volunteering, just talking to smarter people), but the college EXPERIENCE taught me a lot about myself and how I view the world.

Successful people are not born, they are born AND bred. The factors that serve as catalysts come from everywhere in life. Typically, however, people find these things in college, whether in the form of some subject or topic they enjoy, or a personal experience that influences their motivation.

College didn't do a damn thing to motivate me to succeed. Seeing people around me that were half as smart but with twice the ambition succeed motivated me.

College is also a form of competition, both with yourself and with your peers. In most cases, college helps to teach you to make goals, stick to them, and prioritize. Avoiding temptation is another good lesson.

90% of what you DO in college academically will be forgotten about six months after you leave. Yet many of the profound experiences will influence you for the rest of your life.

As for money, it is unquestionably a smarter fiscal decision to invest in a degree unless you like gambling and have somehow convinced yourself that the odds are in your favor of "beating the system" and getting a high-paying job without some form of college in today's (American) job market. Good luck. It isn't impossible, just harder, and the kind of "harder" may be worse than just having sucked it up and done the college anyway.

Best wishes to you, PM me if you want more information on anything. The previous posters are wise people, and have also given you good advice (though some of their opinions differ from mine).

One way or another, you'll make a good choice, your attitude will be the biggest deciding factor in your success, not the path you take per se.

 

[Frisco]

Hey, Buddy,

While I'll agree that we push people too many into college, let me give you an option if you do decide to go. Actually, the fact that you might want to go and that you can go tells me that you should - very few people who finish a degree regret doing it, but plenty who didn't finish do regret it.

My advice would be to avoid the "career-specific" path. You need something that will keep you well-rounded:

Major - Organizational Leadership
Minor - Psychology

More and more companies are realizing that it does them no good to hire someone with a specific business degree - they end up having to re-train you to do everything their way, anyways. In fact, it's harder to re-train someone who learned bad habits in college than it is to train a well-rounded person. What's more important to employers is that you have the necessary communication, team-work, and leadership skills needed to succeed in ever-changing positions and environments.

Supplement those fluff - I mean, important - skills with real experience. Tell your employer that you'd like a little more responsibility - or to be put on a project or two in another area. Or find volunteer work that will give you experience.

Just some thoughts.

Great post! To the original poster, just go to college and get your BS/BA degree--then decide exactly what you want to do--whether that be cars, plumbing, or executive. At least then you will have the choice to do what you want and have your degree to fall back on.

A Bachelors degree today is like a high school degree 20 years ago. You need it!!!! I know it's expensive, but seriously if you go to a public in-state school it's not that bad. Just put up with it for 4 years. You might be surprised and actually enjoy it. Trust me you need a Bachelor's degree today for the freedom to choose what you want to do in life.

Choosing to get your degree is in no way a bad decision. Trust me the time will fly!

Good luck!

 

[kretzy]

Some really great stuff has been said in this thread!

There was an article in a magazine I was reading today that found that university graduates earn on average 39% more than workers without a degree. They were also more likely to be employed with only 2.4% unemployment vs 7% for those without degrees.

Just some food for thought. Best of luck with whatever you decide!

 

[Eric Piercey]

I have to massively disagree with the idea that college doesn't teach life lessons outside of academia, particularly during the transition between childhood and adulthood. College is so many things I can't begin to list them all. For one, it's a microcosm of the professional, political, academic, business, science, engineering, etc worlds. It's a place where one's world view/ identity may change several times over.

 

[Memeryle.12345]

Better educate yourself its just a matter of taking your momentum in studying.

 

[jsalzer]

Non-Traditional Learners

I have to massively disagree with the idea that college doesn't teach life lessons outside of academia, particularly during the transition between childhood and adulthood. College is so many things I can't begin to list them all. For one, it's a microcosm of the professional, political, academic, business, science, engineering, etc worlds. It's a place where one's world view/ identity may change several times over.

Keep in mind that the OP is not about to enter the immersive experience you're talking about. He's holding a full-time job. Class is class, in this case, and there is no "college experience" outside of class for him. This may be what some people are addressing.

Of course, taking classes with other non-traditional learners can be a valuable experience in its own right. You get to hear about the real-world experiences of your classmates, and you may even make a connection with someone who can get you hired into a better job.

 

[iriejedi]

Watch More TV

Watch the show dirty jobs - you'll go back for you masters degree.

 

[Sun Baked]

Watch the show dirty jobs - you'll go back for you masters degree.

Funny thing about that, is that some of the janitors cleaning up after the degreed employees may make better money and have better benefits ... especially if it is a govt. facility.

 

[cantthinkofone]

I do like watching the show 'Dirty Jobs'. But haven't seen a job on there i like yet.

I went and talked with the head HR lady at work the other day. They offered me a full time position with benefits and i accepted. I get a pay raise that i think is a fair amount for what i do. It will go into effect Jan 1st.

I think it might be possible to get higher in the company, but maybe not in the group i work with. It is a very small company, only about 300 people. We have offices in England and Hong-Kong. My dad is actually on the board of directors. He and 5 other people are all in charge of a certain part of the company and then report to the owner. He has worked there for about 21-22 years. Doesn't have a college degree. He did go to college. He went to UMR for 2-3 years i believe. Although he did take a few night classes there about ten years ago.

I am still thinking about college. How far can you get with those online classes? And how do they work?

i think the day will come when people can be self taught. With the internet so easily available to everybody.

It used to be thought that the size of your head was how smart, and far you could go. Now its how well you do on a test. Could that faze out into a world with self taught individuals?

 

[OdduWon]

I don't want to be rich, just happy in life.

Night classes are always worse than day IMHO. Working day makes it hard though. I just quit my night job at the grocery. worked from 9-6 in the morning for the last year while i went to college. A friend of mine was un sure about what he wanted to do, so he takes two classes at a time, one he wants to explore and one he needs for transfer. the classes you took were all GE type classes and thus very boaring. these are the type of classes you take because you cant take the interesting classes without them. Not everyone know what they want to do in life. Some are lucky enough to find it, others have to wait longer till life reveals our path. College is a great place to grow. Math and Philosophy have helped me greatly in how i see the world. Better jobs come with education of self. Not necessarly through education of recolection.

 

[CalBoy]

They offered me a full time position with benefits and i accepted. I get a pay raise that i think is a fair amount for what i do. It will go into effect Jan 1st.

How much is the average wage in your area, and how much did they offer you? Just so we have some perspective.

I think it might be possible to get higher in the company, but maybe not in the group i work with. It is a very small company, only about 300 people. We have offices in England and Hong-Kong. My dad is actually on the board of directors. He and 5 other people are all in charge of a certain part of the company and then report to the owner. He has worked there for about 21-22 years. Doesn't have a college degree. He did go to college. He went to UMR for 2-3 years i believe. Although he did take a few night classes there about ten years ago.

You might be able to get certain certificates or something along those lines as you work. These certificates can help you advance yourself fairly well. My dad started out with nothing but a HS degree and the sense in his head, but he went pretty far up. It really depends on how well you prove yourself.

I am still thinking about college. How far can you get with those online classes? And how do they work?

Pretty far actually. There are many degree programs that are only online. However, as a student, I have to voice my concerns about online classes. I found them impersonal and ineffective. I learn best when a person lectures and when I can speak (rather than type) out my answers.

i think the day will come when people can be self taught. With the internet so easily available to everybody.

The days of being self taught ended many decades ago. It's almost impossible-and pointless- to do such a thing now because you would reinvent the wheel over and over. School gives you the benefit of learning what has already been done so that you set out to create something new or something which expands on what has already been achieved.

It used to be thought that the size of your head was how smart, and far you could go. Now its how well you do on a test. Could that faze out into a world with self taught individuals?

Standardized tests will always be around because there is no other objective way to measure certain minimums. However, I'm sure that they will get better and be more "fair" to more students as time goes on. They're always being improved in some way or another, and most students indicate that one part of the test is easy for them while another is hard.