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Old 06-23-2011, 10:51 AM
 
Location: Woodinville
3,184 posts, read 4,823,834 times
Reputation: 6283

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Quote:
Originally Posted by John23 View Post
Have you seen the LSAT or GMAT books lately? I was in barnes and noble tonight. One of the reasons why gen y is labeled "whiners"....they've got to do through *All* this paperwork, books, tests, test prep, etc. To end up with what....$50 or $100 k in student loans?

I was looking through this huge LSAT logic games book. Wheeewwww!!! A few hundred pages. It seems like gen y is being asked to jump over hurdles, only to find pebbles on the other end.
I think the reality is that gen Y needs to do more work and pay more money while receiving less. A college degree doesn't doesn't go as far as it used to, despite its skyrocketing price tag. Even law school might not get you anywhere near your career aspirations as a lawyer any more.

As an engineer I was hired at the same wage a new grad would have been hired at 15 years ago, but now a box of cereal costs twice as much and my student loan payments are through the roof. This is our reality, might as well deal with it. I got a new job with a slightly better salary luckily, but I almost had to get a second job to be able to afford my loan payments (for an in state 4 year degree). Imagine that, a young, single engineer needing a second job to pay for an in state degree. Unbelievable. I certainly would have done it because I still find the cost of my degree to be totally worth it, but the value has plummeted.
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Old 06-23-2011, 11:18 AM
 
2,279 posts, read 3,957,566 times
Reputation: 1669
Quote:
Originally Posted by Garfunkle524 View Post
I think the reality is that gen Y needs to do more work and pay more money while receiving less. A college degree doesn't doesn't go as far as it used to, despite its skyrocketing price tag. Even law school might not get you anywhere near your career aspirations as a lawyer any more.

As an engineer I was hired at the same wage a new grad would have been hired at 15 years ago, but now a box of cereal costs twice as much and my student loan payments are through the roof. This is our reality, might as well deal with it. I got a new job with a slightly better salary luckily, but I almost had to get a second job to be able to afford my loan payments (for an in state 4 year degree). Imagine that, a young, single engineer needing a second job to pay for an in state degree. Unbelievable. I certainly would have done it because I still find the cost of my degree to be totally worth it, but the value has plummeted.
I am so glad people like you are sharing your stories with the rest of us. Maybe it will finally set the story about this generation straight and people like the OP won't be so ignorant anymore. Or maybe he and others are too stubborn to accept anyone else's truth. I work with a guy like that and not many people like him.
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Old 06-23-2011, 11:32 AM
 
28,803 posts, read 47,491,814 times
Reputation: 37905
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chango View Post
I keep saying this and no one seems to believe me. I am NOT bragging. I do not think my "accomplishments" are particularly special, nor do I feel like I necessarily had to work very hard to get where I'm at. Really, all this: "good for you, you talented, cheeky bastard" stuff is just silly.

It's like congratulating a bird for flying and/or being disgusted that it is actually flying.

Acquiring the skills to find good deals, do your own maintenance, find (and keep) employment and the ability to budget should be a standard skill set for every young adult who leaves home, and up until about 10-20 years ago it pretty much was that way.

What happened? Why didn't we teach our kids how to live?!!!!
Contrary to what the naysayers keep throwing at you, you are right.

I do agree that not everyone has the ability to do everything you have. That's human. We are not all created equal.

In my life I have done a lot of what you write about. I would say the biggest difference between us is age: I'm 63. Along with that might be upbringing. I don't know yours, but we were very poor and I think that had a lot to do with my ability to do the things I have. I had to learn how to do what I needed done myself because I sure couldn't afford to pay anyone to do it for me!

Ignore the naysayers You're on the right track.
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Old 06-23-2011, 11:41 AM
 
2,279 posts, read 3,957,566 times
Reputation: 1669
Quote:
Originally Posted by Tek_Freek View Post
Contrary to what the naysayers keep throwing at you, you are right.

I do agree that not everyone has the ability to do everything you have. That's human. We are not all created equal.

In my life I have done a lot of what you write about. I would say the biggest difference between us is age: I'm 63. Along with that might be upbringing. I don't know yours, but we were very poor and I think that had a lot to do with my ability to do the things I have. I had to learn how to do what I needed done myself because I sure couldn't afford to pay anyone to do it for me!

Ignore the naysayers You're on the right track.
No one is saying that he doesn't make a point about what you can do to be successful. Most of the criticism I've read is that he is creating a vast generalization about an entire generation that isn't entirely true. Why? I don't know, maybe he has a self-righteous, stupid niece that is an imbecile and can't support herself. The OP comes across as something you write after having a bad experience with someone (in this case, a member of Gen-Y).
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Old 06-23-2011, 11:59 AM
 
Location: Sinking in the Great Salt Lake
13,139 posts, read 22,710,554 times
Reputation: 14115
Quote:
Originally Posted by Z3N1TH 0N3 View Post
No one is saying that he doesn't make a point about what you can do to be successful. Most of the criticism I've read is that he is creating a vast generalization about an entire generation that isn't entirely true. Why? I don't know, maybe he has a self-righteous, stupid niece that is an imbecile and can't support herself. The OP comes across as something you write after having a bad experience with someone (in this case, a member of Gen-Y).
I put this thread up after reading thread after thread about y-ers blaming the boomers for all the problems of the world.

But I am the King of Nothing, after all, and that gives me permission to be a bit snooty and make broad proclamations too.


Still, fanning the flames of discontent does have a purpose... I firmly believe we are plowing straight into "The Fourth Turning", and fully expect lots of doom and horror before we get to the end of the tunnel and into a new kind of world, just like post WW2 America, and post Civil War reconstruction before that.

If gen Y is going to survive the trip, we've gotta toughen up A LOT, not to mention being a whole lot less defeatist. As I said in the beginning, STOP WHINING! Don't stop trying to climb the mountain just because it's steep and icy. The relatively easy going for the Boomer genereration is the abberation, not the norm. Most everyone else throughout the centuries had to scratch a living for themselves with blood, sweat and skill; Millenials need to acquire and use skills their parents didn't (and often do not) have if we are gonna make it.
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Old 06-23-2011, 12:04 PM
 
28,803 posts, read 47,491,814 times
Reputation: 37905
Quote:
Originally Posted by Z3N1TH 0N3 View Post
No one is saying that he doesn't make a point about what you can do to be successful. Most of the criticism I've read is that he is creating a vast generalization about an entire generation that isn't entirely true. Why? I don't know, maybe he has a self-righteous, stupid niece that is an imbecile and can't support herself. The OP comes across as something you write after having a bad experience with someone (in this case, a member of Gen-Y).
I agree that the generalizations aren't true, but he is right that if all you're doing is whining about your fate instead of working to do something about it then you've given up, and you shouldn't give up.

If I'd had that attitude growing up I'd be living under a bridge today.
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Old 06-23-2011, 01:24 PM
 
Location: 'Murica
1,302 posts, read 2,933,472 times
Reputation: 833
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chango View Post
WTF is wrong with you people? I worked my way up in my job field from 11 dollars an hour to 24 now, put myself through college without taking out a loan, own a house that is worth more than 200K, have 2 cars (one paid for) 3 kids, no debt besides the mortage and car loan, a bunch of toys and my wife is even a stay at home mom. It wasn't hard.
I agree with the jist of what you're saying, but $24/hr really doesn't stretch that far for most people. That income will get you a decent apartment rental in a nice SoCal neighborhood, a car note on a late-model vehicle, some light groceries at Trader Joe's, and if you're lucky, a small wad of cash at the end of the month to save/invest.

Even if my car and all my student loans were paid off, I don't see being able to support 3 kids and a SAHM on that salary. Not comfortably, at least.
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Old 06-23-2011, 01:27 PM
 
2,279 posts, read 3,957,566 times
Reputation: 1669
Quote:
Originally Posted by Vinsanity View Post
I agree with the jist of what you're saying, but $24/hr really doesn't stretch that far for most people. That income will get you a decent apartment rental in a nice SoCal neighborhood, a car note on a late-model vehicle, some light groceries at Trader Joe's, and if you're lucky, a small wad of cash at the end of the month to save/invest.

Even if my car and all my student loans were paid off, I don't see being able to support 3 kids and a SAHM on that salary. Not comfortably, at least.
I think many need two incomes to support a modest middle class lifestyle these days (meaning mortgage, newer model vehicle, kids, dog, etc.)
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Old 06-23-2011, 01:37 PM
 
Location: Wherabouts Unknown!
7,841 posts, read 18,931,353 times
Reputation: 9584
Tek_Freek wrote:
if all you're doing is whining about your fate instead of working to do something about it then you've given up, and you shouldn't give up.

If I'd had that attitude growing up I'd be living under a bridge today.
OR more likely...those of us in our early 60s would probably be dead!
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Old 06-23-2011, 03:54 PM
 
Location: Los Angeles, Ca
2,883 posts, read 5,867,759 times
Reputation: 2762
Quote:
Originally Posted by Garfunkle524 View Post
I think the reality is that gen Y needs to do more work and pay more money while receiving less. A college degree doesn't doesn't go as far as it used to, despite its skyrocketing price tag. Even law school might not get you anywhere near your career aspirations as a lawyer any more.

As an engineer I was hired at the same wage a new grad would have been hired at 15 years ago, but now a box of cereal costs twice as much and my student loan payments are through the roof. This is our reality, might as well deal with it. I got a new job with a slightly better salary luckily, but I almost had to get a second job to be able to afford my loan payments (for an in state 4 year degree). Imagine that, a young, single engineer needing a second job to pay for an in state degree. Unbelievable. I certainly would have done it because I still find the cost of my degree to be totally worth it, but the value has plummeted.
When I look at those LSAT books, those are supposedly for our best and brightest. Kids are almost trained from kindergarten, that to be a lawyer, you've got to be smart, like top 25% of your class. It's a continuous series of hurdles to jump, from elementary school onward....but there's no silver medal at the end. Or they find there's already 12 Indian kids and 6 Chinese lined up for a medal.

I think the lack of tracking hurts our smartest kids. Smart kids should be on a seperate track in school, it would ease up much of the pressure. How many kids can really focus now when they're 16 or 18? I think the market in many cases has advanced much faster than the schooling.
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