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For anyone who is interested in learning, not just spouting opinions, the BLM collects and publishes data for employment and unemployment based on lots of factors including specific degree and career areas. Nationally, unemployment rates have become very low. That does not mean jobs are everywhere for anyone who wants one. Nor does it mean that everyone gets the job they want at the pay they want. It does mean that employers are having a hard time filling jobs nationally and in a wide variety of career areas.
For anyone who is interested in learning, not just spouting opinions, the BLM collects and publishes data for employment and unemployment based on lots of factors including specific degree and career areas. Nationally, unemployment rates have become very low. That does not mean jobs are everywhere for anyone who wants one. Nor does it mean that everyone gets the job they want at the pay they want. It does mean that employers are having a hard time filling jobs nationally and in a wide variety of career areas.
crap in, crap out
complainers are loud. content people keep their mouths shut.
There is a big difference in your potential earnings based on the major of your degree. Those baristas and burger flippers with college degrees likely have degrees in fields that just aren't that marketable. I doubt if anyone with a degree in chemical engineering is working at Starbucks.
The days of going to college just for the sake of learning are over, unless you're rich. Otherwise college is an investment. If you spend $100,000 for a college degree, it better be in a field that will pay off.
The days of going to college just for the sake of learning are over, unless you're rich. Otherwise college is an investment. If you spend $100,000 for a college degree, it better be in a field that will pay off.
The days of going to college just for the sake of learning are over, unless you're rich. Otherwise college is an investment. If you spend $100,000 for a college degree, it better be in a field that will pay off.
The "pay-off" is living an interesting, fulfilling life. Personal finances are a small (but important) part of that overall picture.
I don't buy these statistics. They don't account for skilled trades like welding, plumbing, electricians...I know some of these guys and with a few years of apprenticeship and a trade school they are making big bucks. I don't see them on the chart.
I went to one of the top schools in the country, but I come from a family that tilts more working class/lower middle class. I'm the only one of my cousins to graduate from college to date.
Look, I think a college degree totally pays off for someone from an average to below-average financial background IF certain factors are in play.
-You need to have a plan. It should be flexible, but you need to go into college with some fairly concrete goals that become increasingly solid as you near graduation. Sure, take the first year to figure out where you have the most aptitude, but keep in mind the applicability of the degree in the real world. Also consider whether it is the kind of degree that goes best with a grad school degree, and include that in your plan accordingly.
-You need to have some academic ability and some drive. If you're just going to school to get that scrap of paper and think that's going to open some doors for you, you're wrong. My Ivy League degree opened a lot of doors for me, and I'm very appreciative of that. But "meh" grades from a school of just "meh" academic reputation is not going to add anything to your resume. Get some internships or relevant work experience on that resume.
-You need to keep your loans under control. I have friends who were severely hurt by the economic downturn around 2008-2009. They could not find work that would allow them to tackle their grad school loans and had to defer payments - so now those loans have ballooned even further. It's going to take them forever to pay things off. Keep the debt load reasonable and have a financial plan for when you get out of school.
-Consider if college is your "thing." Vocational school should not be overlooked - I know a lot of plumbers and electricians making very comfortable livings. If you are better with your hands than you are with books, you should DEFINITELY go the vocational route.
-If you are exceptionally gifted in an area, don't be afraid to cultivate that area, as long as it comes with a feasible career plan. I've got an English Lit degree. A lot of people view that as worthless, but I am also a very good writer and have been since I was very young. I knew I would always be able to make enough to take care of myself, and as luck would have it, I kind of fell into a career that really suits me. I kept my options open and worked pretty hard to make that happen, but mostly I just went with the flow and took advantage of opportunities as they appeared.
I also have cultivated good relationships in my field. I could easily pull out a list of 10 enthusiastic references on the spot if a recruiter called. That "worthless" degree in the context of the institution it comes from and the context of my abilities is actually a pretty important asset. But don't major in theater just because you like acting - do it because you have confirmed skills in that area and a career plan that isn't rooted in you being discovered at Starbucks.
I guess basically the best way to get the most out of your investment in a degree is to know thyself and to accept that you're going to have to work your tush off. If you know you won't put in the work to get decent grades and cultivate contacts and you're going to take on a ton of loans, you need to put off college or rethink your approach to life. And if you go to a lower-tier school no one has heard of, you need to know you've got the drive to cultivate a top-notch transcript and resume while you're there. If you make the financial commitment to attend an expensive private institution, you need to be confident that you won't flame out and blow a ton of money.
Basically, I've seen a lot of people go to college who had no business being there. For some kid from a comfortable financial background, it's no big deal, really. Mom and Dad foot the bill. But when some kid from lower on the socioeconomic ladder goes to school and ends up dropping out after a year or two or getting a worthless degree, the consequences can be financially disastrous.
The "pay-off" is living an interesting, fulfilling life. Personal finances are a small (but important) part of that overall picture.
Maybe it's just me, but my observation is that having an education and middle class values, without the income to support that lifestyle, is supremely frustrating, and not fulfilling at all.
Maybe it's just me, but my observation is that having an education and middle class values, without the income to support that lifestyle, is supremely frustrating, and not fulfilling at all.
This lol.
I think as someone else noted to, the key factor is having a long-term realistic career plan and using college as means to get there.
Too many naive and immature 18 year olds step foot on a college campus disillusioned about the real world afterwords. They remain naive until the reality of real life smacks them in the face. I am living proof, and have faced (and am currently facing) the consequences as a result.
No plan? Life might be harder than you expected (at least for awhile) while you pick up the pieces.
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