College degree = worthless (1 Viewer)

[Carlo_M]

Life (and getting a job) is a combination of who you know, what you know, what you choose to do, and of course luck.

You can know all the people in the world and be lucky, and you're not going to get an electrical engineering job without the degree. Conversely, you can be a bookwork shut-in, get a PhD in Economics, and be stuck as a mid-level accountant for the rest of your life.

Just because there are examples of people with degrees making less than those without, I can assure you that I'll cite just as many (if not more) that are completely the opposite.

I don't think a college degree is a guarantee of anything financially, it certainly doesn't hurt your cause, and all other things being equal between candidates, often the degree can help you land a job.

And on the subject of "who you know" - college is a place where a lot of networking happens. If you ignore that aspect of it and just focus on schoolwork, you rob yourself of half of the college experience and half of the potential benefits.

And of course, luck. If I hit those 6 Mega Millions numbers, I'll burn my degree certificate!

 

[Robert_Z]

Just curious. Question for everyone: What do you consider to be "decent money"?

 

[Carlo_M]

Since when was 30 the new 60?

Seriously, I used to feel like you did (I'm 33) but I realized the limitation is in my mind. I realized that I'm not too old to change, I'm too risk averse to do it. But I've known plenty of people who have successfully changed careers in their thirties and forties.

All it takes is dedication, hard work, and the confidence to know that you're good at the new job you want to take on. For example, I'd love to be a novelist or musician. But I know right now I'm not good enough to do either, so I keep working my current and practicing my crafts. If I get to the point where I feel I'm good enough to go out on a limb on either, I will.

 

[David Hobbes]

i guess it depends on where you live. and what your expenses are. Decent money to me is living a life where you can buy the necessities and some of the "extras" that you desire while also saving some money for the future. i.e. not living from paycheck to paycheck.

decent money in my area, SW Pa would be 40-50,000 (at least IMO)

 

[Bryan X]

That's going to vary significantly depending on location.

 

[johnADA]

I hate these debates and really hate those whom give us the statistics that mean little or nothing, but want us to believe them.

You and only you can say that "you" are interested in the outcome of your students. That cant be made a broad statement in the least. For every professor out there making a difference and caring, there are 1-2 more that are just holding their position because one they dont care, 2ndly that they couldn't make what they teach work in the real world.

In 26 years and you could say its my field, but in reality it is not, I never saw a business, machine, piece of metal do as a book has taught it would. So in the statement cliche of the real world, it true for the most part that these colleges have no idea in most fields what is happening in the real world.

If you take out the exceptions on both the high earners and the low earners, what then would be the percentage of degrees earning more than non degree people??? For every one person nailing down over 6 figures how many minorities within this percentage game making minimum apply to it??? Lets take out those and see where it gets us.

And while this can be true, how applicable is it???
"""Like anything in life, you've got to work hard to get on. A degree is not an automatic passport to riches. Sure, it gives you a head start, but nobody said getting a degree was *all* you needed."""

Schooled people have a majority tendency to think that the education is all they needed and place themselves upon pedestals over a non educated person. So they tend to work with less passion, AKA work hard at all.

Really it boils down the the person and his up bringing as to what a school can and cannot do or if its even needed.

So what happens??? If you got a degree and you face someone whom has worked hard to get where he got, you wont be hired because you have no applicable experience.
On the other hand the guy whom got lucky to get where he is, that has a education background wont hire and experienced person if he has no degree within the field!!!

Catch 22!!!!

 

[johnADA]

Thats and understatement!!!!!!!

 

[Chris]

Good money depends heavily on where you live.

My parents live in a 7 bedroom house, an acre plus of land, etc.. and pay less then $500/month in mortgage because the property (although new construction when they moved in 20 years ago) is still around $80,000 in value.

Meanwhile, here in KC, that same house would be worth at least quadruple that. LA insanely more.

So, it depends on where you live. I always check wage calculators. My friend (plumber) makes "good money" about $65 a year + benefits in KC.

 

[Robert_Z]

I like my job well enough, but it is so frustrating to see everyone else making more money than me. Makes me feel foolish.

I consider it to be a lack of respect for what I do. After all, everyone knows how to write well...

 

[ChrisMatson]

A college education is not for everyone.

At age 18, many young adults do not know what they want to do. A college education (active learning, not strolling through to earn a piece of paper) will do more than expand career opportunities, it will expand the mind. Many do not value knowledge and will be happy to stroll through life chasing money. Others enjoy learning and see education as an investment that has rewards beyond financial gain.

 

[johnADA]

""A college education is not for everyone.""


Totally concur!

"""At age 18, many young adults do not know what they want to do. A college education (active learning, not strolling through to earn a piece of paper) will do more than expand career opportunities, it will expand the mind. """""

Again I concur!!!

But is the reason for young adults not knowing what they want to do a fault of high schools and up bringing in todays society goals??

Schools today preach and teach for end results that are college oriented and not conducive to going to work.
You got the push on regents materials for all students when over 75% will never have any need for that type of teaching in most professions. Yeah you can say it expands the mind, but it confuses more minds than it expands so whats gained?
Common sense has gone right out the window, this one would take a book to post.
No tolerance policies are a total waste. Now we got young adults trying to test the adult world since the tolerances are now lifted.
Colleges are known by most kids today and a party mecca, a last stand before having to take on the responsibilities of life so how few really making it a learning curve??

All I can say is WOW to school systems today, REALLY WOW!!

 

[David Hobbes]

well i have to say that as long as you equate your worth or happiness with money you will be doomed to frustration. and old cliche perhaps, but oh so true.

I would like to make more money, but i very rarely get mad because other people make more than i do. It's my choice to have the career i have so why compare my career to others?

(rant beginning) I feel that public libraries provide a golden opportunity for everyone to educate themselves and in my mind very few other careers are as important as educating the public. What ticks me off is the money wasted by governments instead of being used to fund public libraries. (rant over)

 

[Andrew Pratt]

In my field having a degree basically means you have a base of information that you can build on and have the ability to learn...everything else comes with on the job training. When we bring in new people fresh out of school its painfully obvious they lack experience but we know they can and will learn if given the chance just as we did when we were their age. Some learn faster then others and ask the right questions and those are rewarded while others never seem to progress and get left behind. Point being I needed a degree to get started but it took hard work and constant upgrading of my education to get where I am now. Anyone that thinks their education stops once they graduate is sadly mistaken...if anything its only just begining.

There was a point made about the other benefits gained from going to school and I agree most people that are going to succeed tend to grow a lot during those important years and that social education is likely as important what they learn from the books.

Obviously anyone that's been to school of any sort can name prof's/teachers that knew their stuff and really seemed to care. There's always going to be teachers that don't or can't put in the same effort to their students but over all my personal experience with the teachers I had was that the did care and tried to make their courses reflect what was current in the field they taught.

 

[Dome Vongvises]

Boy this one is popular.

I'm getting ready to go to medical school this fall, and I'm considered about average age. Otherwise, the classes that have proceeded me have involved forty and fifty year-olds getting a medical degree after having worked in something totally non-health related. So it's never too late to change.

RE: original question
I honestly do believe your average college degree is worthless (unless it's investment banking). Otherwise you almost have to go to grad or professional school to make it worth your while.

 

[drobbins]

Your income should be related to your value in the work place. (if not maybe you need a new job) You sell yourself, like selling anything else. Just like the same house will sell for different prices in different locations, your skills may bring different incomes in different places. You can have 2 identical 3 bed room houses side by side. The one with all the upgrades will bring a higher price than the one with just basics. Even though you have a degree, what else have you done to upgrade yourself?
I went through Vo-Tech and never spent a day in college, but I never stopped learning skills that would further my income. First I got my Journey-man's certificate, then learned factory automation, picked up many computer skills at home that helped me land a higher paying desk job. I am earning a "decent" income. My wife went back and finished her college. She became a RN.
I believe that upgrading skills is the only way to "climb the ladder" and help not to be knocked off by some young wipper-snapper.

 

[MarkHastings]

To those who think a college degree is not necessary and a waste, you will not make it that far in life. The degree is not necessarily the main factor when hiring someone, but it DOES show the willingness of someone to pursue something they want. They put in the hard work and time.

If I were to hire someone, I would first hire them on their abilities, then, if the two were tied, I would hire the one with the college degree over the one without because the one with the degree has experience dealing with the very same things that I deal with at my job. Deadlines, juggling tons of work, seeing things through, doing something even though you think it's not necessary, etc. These are things you learn at college when you have grown into adulthood. High School graduates are still kids and have barely begun using their adult minds. Those 4 years of college are key and even if you think you haven't learned much, you really have - more than you realize.

College is a lot like being in a career. More so than high school.

Kind of on the same lines of elementary school. I knew a young person who was having trouble with algebra. He said "Why do I need to learn this? I'm never going to use this in the real world!"

My response: "You may be right - You may NEVER use this in the real world ever! BUT in the "real" world, you will have to do LOTS of things you don't want to do. Learning this at a young age is very key because if you are taught that you don't need to do the things you don't want to do, well then you're in for a rude awakening when you grow up."
So high salary is the ultimate goal for going to college? College gives you the skill sets to get a good job, but as far as actually finding one, well that's up to the individual and some luck.

I wouldn't base the worthiness of a college degree on the fact that someone (who doesn't have one) makes more money than you. That's ridiculous. That college degree may seem like a waste now, but it has probably given you a lot more than you realize.

Again, don't let salaries be the end all judgement on a degrees worth.

 

[Marty M]

I have a college degree and I look at my college experience as a time to find out who I am. I am also coming from a totally different perspective as most of you.

I graduated from high school in 1967, at the height of the US involvement in Viet Nam and a pre-lottery draft. If I had not gone on to college I would have been drafted into the Army. That was something I was not an alternative that I was looking forward to. So basically if I kept up my grades, I was given a four year exemption from the draft.

Going to college right after high school was my only alternative, I have never regret that decision.

 

[Carl Johnson]

I'm a few classes away from earning an associate's degree in business administration. In terms of directly using the degree to make more money it's pretty much worthless, but I'm in school for two reasons.
First off my employer pays 100% tuition for any degree that's related to my employment. I would have rather majored in a hands on technical field like heating and air conditioning or construction technology, but those don't qualify as work related. Since it's like free money I will take the business degree, then I'll pay to study something that's a bit more useful.
Secondly adding a college degree to my resume is a definite plus. Although the degree won't get me a job paying six figures, it just might give me an edge over another candidate.
"They both have 10+ years of rock solid work experience, but Carl has a degree and Todd doesn't........"

 

[Jimi C]

I work retail, I have no degree and am soon being promoted into a position that I was told requires a degree. I am being promoted with the terms being that I have to go back to school, if I dont I will then be demoted.

They do not care what field I get my degree in, or what type of degree I get. I just "have" to have one. Ive proven myself with this company for the last 4 years. There is nothing I can learn in any school that will be of any benefit. I will be going to a junior college that requires me to take one semester of physical education! Gym class!

A degree is important... to the people doing the hiring. For that reason I would be going back to school even had this "opportunity" not come up. I guess this is just a little extra motivation to go out and buy myself a meaningless piece of paper.

This job only starts at 36k a year.

 

[MarkHastings]

While that might not always be the case, it's surely something I wouldn't want to take a chance with. Whether the degree is useful or not, it will almost always give you the advantage over someone without one. And that right there is enough reason to get one.