College education, or not? (psychology, dental school, graduates, credits)

[Prinny]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

A degree in history is not wasted if it gets your foot in the door in a field or job where a degree, regardless of what it's in, is needed.

The degree shows an employer that the holder has certain skills---the ability to think, write and organize material. It also shows the holder has a certain work ethic and amount of self-disipline.

The improvement in a person's knowledge and outlook on life gained by a proper liberal arts education is well worth the money spent, to some people anyway.

Very well stated! My sentiments exactly! You articulated far better than I could! Guess you worked harder in college than I did, ha ha ha ha ha ha!

[MStant1]

I disagree with the insinuation that if you plan to own your own business you don't need a degree. Many people when starting their business need investors and other parties willing to cough up the dough so that they can start said business. Generally speaking investors, banks and the sort would generally feel more confident in leaving their money in the hands of a college grad than they would someone who barely graduated high school. Just a thought.

[Momma_bear]

There are tons of studies that show that college graduates earn more money over their lifetimes than non college graduates. This holds for nearly ALL degree holders, not just technical degree holders. Graduating from college indicates an ability to think independently, work independently and to be self motivated. A college degree is NOT VOCATIONAL TRAINING.

Just because a person does not work in the field in which they studied, that does not make their education a waste. You learn things in college which transfer to different disciplines.

[K-Luv]

Originally Posted by travelmate38

A specified career and perfecting it through hands on education, learn and earn is the best way to go. I realize not all fields will allow for this, but many do.

Keep these figures in mind:

81% of adult Americans do not have a college degree.

77% of college grads say their first post college job, utilized little, to none of their education.

For the average BA, you will spend the first 3 years worth of your total salary to pay back the costs.

68% of college grads end up in another career then their original degree was for.

55% of all degree programs offered by major universities today, are for careers in industries that are, or expected to shrink drastically over the next decade!

The American dream is still to run your own show. IE. own your own business. In most cases, no degree is needed to accomplish this.

And 90% of all statistics are made up on the spot.

If only 19% of the adult American population has a degree, then I am happy to be a part of that elite group of individuals. It makes me feel smug and proper.

[KarlaT2]

I don't think it ever hurts to get a degree even if you end up working in another field. These days you never know when you may have to change jobs, and a degree of any type seems to open up some doors. I find many jobs I know I could do since I've done them at other companies, but the requirements say must have degree-they don't care in what. I'm going to take classes and get a degree just for myself as soon as I get my life rearranged. I do agree you don't have to have one, but why not get it anyway if you can just in case? Never hurts to learn more. I enjoy it myself.
A former friend/boss of mine who doesn't have a degree just recently bought the company he and I started at back in the 80's. All his managers he hired by ability only (myself included when I was there) and I appreciated that about him, but it was a rarity. I had another boss who was a bit snobby about having a degree. He said only people who had a degree could have the title "manager" so even though I was doing the same work I was a supervisor until I got that degree for him. There are people out there like that, so I'd get the degree.

[travelmate38]

Again, the pupose of the original post was not to argue that college is a bad idea. It is simply to show there are alternatives. It is also to show that for young people, thinking of college, need to really research what field they choose.

I agree, for many a college education is the way to go. An AA degree is the new high school diploma. A 4-year degree is the new minimum requirement for most professional jobs. I am ware of this. The stats above are not made up as some here have implied.

The most glaring one to me, is that most college students said they use little to none of the college education for their first post college job. If you really think about it, 90% of what you learn in college is never applied in your day to day career. It is not until you get to post graduate school and take specific classes related to a specific field that you really learn stuff you will use. This last statement, is my opinion, but one I have found to be true in most cases.

[Momma_bear]

Originally Posted by travelmate38

The most glaring one to me, is that most college students said they use little to none of the college education for their first post college job. If you really think about it, 90% of what you learn in college is never applied in your day to day career.

That's because a college education is not vocational training. Vocational training prepares you for a specific job and only for that job. A college education is broader and teaches you to THINK which is not specific to just one job.

[Irishtom29]

Originally Posted by Prinny

Very well stated! My sentiments exactly! You articulated far better than I could! Guess you worked harder in college than I did, ha ha ha ha ha ha!

Nah, I didn't go to college, I was a union boilermaker in Chicago. But good union wages allowed both my girls to go the University of Illinois, I paid every nickel.

Both girls are doing swell up in Chicago and both have a wide range of interests and are entertaining conversationalists. They even read non fiction books!

[Prinny]

Originally Posted by Irishtom29

Nah, I didn't go to college, I was a union boilermaker in Chicago. But good union wages allowed both my girls to go the University of Illinois, I paid every nickel.

Both girls are doing swell up in Chicago and both have a wide range of interests and are entertaining conversationalists. They even read non fiction books!

Well you still articulated far better than I did!

[travelmate38]

Originally Posted by Momma_bear

That's because a college education is not vocational training. Vocational training prepares you for a specific job and only for that job. A college education is broader and teaches you to THINK which is not specific to just one job.

I would assume you do not mean this in the literal sense? The human mind does just well thinking on its own. A smart mind will always find a way to excel and thrive, if the host is self-motivated. When I went to college, although I never enrolled in degree program, I was able to clap the maximum amount of allowable credits. Over thirty-six to be exact. And I would have been able to clep myself to master's degree in many programs if they would have allowed for it. I did it for a few reasons. To prove a point to myself and the "system" that I did not need to be institutionalized to succeed in their preconditioned arrangement. And that I could accomplish anything I put my mind to without becoming one of the "sheeple."

What have I accomplished so far? At age 40, my net worth is over 1.2 million with half that being in liquid assets. Raised a very responsible teenage daughter, stayed married to the same lady for 20 years and so on. All without a college education or one ounce of outside help. I moved out on my own and began working at age 15! Parents are dirt poor and never was given any aid, a penny, or advice from anyone, or any institution. As the great Frank Sinatra would say, I did it my way from start to finish and have only just begun.