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Yes, I regret going to college. Although the process of moving away and living in another city, going to school, and doing things are interesting, the bachelors degree I obtained in 2005 has no value. As I write this, I just got home from a job where I make 14,000 a year.
There are only two reasons why people go to college:
1.) The job they have in mind requires a degree or several degrees
2.) They've been told by society countless times since they were young that the only way one can make it in today's times is to get more education, so they go to college believing in they graduate with a degree, any degree, they will have a better job than getting paid 9 dollars an hour.
If the whole point of college is to get educated, then why would someone spend tens of thousands of dollars then? Why would someone need to spend 40,000 dollars for a bachelors degree for an education? Wouldn't it be easier and cheaper to go to the library or buy and read books about something that interests you?
No one was pushing college back in the 50's, 60's, or 70's. If one graduated college back then, they were ahead of the game and got a decent paying job. Sure a few of them had to possibly scratch and save for a years while working at a low paying job in bad economic times, but they eventually find themselves in a much better job after a few years. Now, maybe not so much.
The push for college has been going on for a good 15 years, maybe more. It's still going on.
Again, if the idea of college is to get an education, then why is society still pushing the idea of going to college when it costs a lot of money? Why are colleges/universities costing tens of thousands of dollars other than the fact they can? I understand the idea of trade schools and learning how to do something. But why is it tens of thousands of people every year graduate from college with a bachelors degree or higher even if the degree doesn't directly link them to a job?
I doubt very seriously people are going to college for the sake of learning something and educating their minds. That's too stupid of a conclusion. If they wanted to do that, they could have gone to the library and read books for a lot cheaper.
Your post reflects why you regret going to college, you do not seem to have properly processed its value.
The value of a college education, no matter what the major, is that it can teach you the most well developed ways to successfully interpret: the world you live in, all of interconnected systems, how they came to be, have evolved, and most importantly, how to position yourself to access them, so that you can create the opportunities you desire.
College is being pushed now because we are a developed society that requires more members to possess a level of knowledge never known before.
Think about what was being pushed in the timeframe mentioned (50s, 60s ,70s). Would you rather live in a society pushing its young to pursue college, or Korea, Vietnam, the Middle East? I would choose to be pushed toward college.
Yeah but you seem to be forgetting all of the current graduates that are taking advantage of the amazing opportunities that do exist today. For some reason today whenever people discuss the current state of college they focus on the worst outcomes, and completely gloss over the millions of success stories. When discussing the past, they wax poetically about the success stories and leave out all the graduates who did not experience immediate success.
BS Business Management, concentration Accounting 2013
I lucked out and ignored the marketing of the masses. I did not start college until 24, graduated at 27.
I worked full-time overnight, paid my tuition cash every semester, no outside help (with the exception of Pell grant my first year, and some need-based tuition waivers the second year), and graduated debt free.
I'll let you know when I finish my Bachelor's. Got the first half of it done with a little over 11k in loans though thanks to CC..no private loans yet. I am trying to avoid that at all costs, but we'll see.
I don't regret college, but I wished that I took a year off after high school graduation and maybe travel around Europe, but then again, my family and obviously I could not afford something like that. I think in the UK, they call it a Gap Year? Not sure, but it always sounded like such a good idea to me.
I don't regret college, but I wished that I took a year off after high school graduation and maybe travel around Europe, but then again, my family and obviously I could not afford something like that. I think in the UK, they call it a Gap Year? Not sure, but it always sounded like such a good idea to me.
I went to Europe and Africa as part of my schooling.
I went to Europe and Africa as part of my schooling.
That must of been an amazing experience! I think traveling when you are young, especially right after high school, has got to be the best learning experience. It exposes you to new experiences, cultures, and may even provide insight into what you want to do with the rest of your life. I wished I had found a way to travel to another country while I was that age. I think in that year living on your own, especially in foreign countries would make you more self-sufficient and develop a maturity far ahead of your college classmates.
That must of been an amazing experience! I think traveling when you are young, especially right after high school, has got to be the best learning experience. It exposes you to new experiences, cultures, and may even provide insight into what you want to do with the rest of your life. I wished I had found a way to travel to another country while I was that age. I think in that year living on your own, especially in foreign countries would make you more self-sufficient and develop a maturity far ahead of your college classmates.
It was definitely the most worthwhile expenditure of time and money as a student. I learned more that's benefitted me more in life from living abroad than I did in all my other years of schooling put together. And I would not have been able to do it nearly as affordably as I did doing it through my school.
My younger brother is a college instructor, now, and for reasons unknown to me, feels it necessary to counsel his students that study abroad might not be the best use of their time or tuition dollars. Over holiday dinner, he asked me my opinion, as someone who did study abroad...did I feel that it was worth the time and money, or if I'd have been better off staying on campus during that time. I told him there was no question in my mind, that it was probably among the top decisions I've ever made in my life. Not really sure what his agenda is, but at any rate, I don't think my answer did a lot by way of supporting his argument.
I imagine he is thinking of the students who sign up for study abroad and then do nothing but hang out with other American students and do and see nothing different than if they'd just stayed home, won't eat the local food, don't care about learning about the culture of the place they're living...I certainly saw some doing just that when I was a student, myself, and it IS a waste of time - but that's not the majority, in terms of students who seek out this type of experience. But that's the tack I'd personally take with it...if you're not actually going to take advantage of the opportunities offered to you while studying in a foreign country, don't bother.
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Gap Year
