Is College Degree Worthless? (employees, credit, debt, tips)

[Rei]

I know tons of people who have never touched a college campus (a former coworker of mine for one), who can tinker around with circuitry all day and night, and get machines up and running in no time flat. But that doesnt make the guy who went to school for 5 years any less valuable.

Engineering encompasses more than this. To me, what you just described is a technician's work.

[solytaire]

Originally Posted by Rei

Engineering encompasses more than this. To me, what you just described is a technician's work.

I figured someone would bring that up. Which sort of leads to another thought: There is some overlap across many professions, both technical and artistic. The designer or animator who must also know a little code, is very similar imo to the engineer who must understand and liaison back and forth with both technician and the animator/designer. So I do acknowledge that there is a bit of overlap there, and in some cases as you said, the two are different altogether.

But whereas people make that distinction with the engineering professions, those who studied the arts are constantly bombarded with "Well, you cant do anything with a degree in such and such"...when what should be said is: Muddling around with paint all day may not be the most fulfilling career path, but a creative ad designer is different than someone who is drawing stick figures for the hell of it. Kind of like a technician is something apart from the people who go on to actually engineer, although the two stem from the same origin.

[Alexus]

Originally Posted by AngelEyez02403

Apparently, I wasted years of higher education because it's unlikely I will be able to secure a job of any sort when I graduate in May. I'm glad I spent four years studying pre-law to be rejected for a job by a grocery store.

Should I have not gone to college?

My first job after I did my undergraduate work was as a PT stockperson with a pharmacy store in Milwaukee. I would later add on a PT Security job at a department store, then a PT job unloading trucks at UPS. The UPS job was grueling and I had unreliable transportation to the plant. Only lasted a month there. It would be over a year before I finally got the job I was looking for. My degree was in Computer Science and Applied Math in the mid 1980s. We had been told before we graduated that there were 12 jobs for every computer graduate...not in that region of the country. There was a recession during that time and I didn't know where the opportunity would come or if it would come at all.

I tried to envison the job I wanted, then started preparing for that. I worked on a portfolio to show my work and what I was capable of. I targeted specific companies, filled out every application that was available to me. It would be over a year before I got the call that changed my life. When the interview came, I was prepared, and got the job.

So, congratulations when you earn that degree. It is very valuable. Now put it to use. Be resourceful, creative, show patience, and perserverance. Get focused on who you want to work for, then started banging on their door. Do that long enough and they will let you in. When they do, you better be prepared.

Another option of course is to get a graduate degree or go straight to law school. This would be my recommendation. Pre-law carries zero weight. Biomedical engineering? "One of few." Pre-law: "One of many." Because you are "one of many" with such a degree, you will catch hell finding work. Find a way to become "one of few."

[Rei]

Originally Posted by solytaire

I figured someone would bring that up. Which sort of leads to another thought: There is some overlap across many professions, both technical and artistic. The designer or animator who must also know a little code, is very similar imo to the engineer who must understand and liaison back and forth with both technician and the animator/designer. So I do acknowledge that there is a bit of overlap there, and in some cases as you said, the two are different altogether.

But whereas people make that distinction with the engineering professions, those who studied the arts are constantly bombarded with "Well, you cant do anything with a degree in such and such"...when what should be said is: Muddling around with paint all day may not be the most fulfilling career path, but a creative ad designer is different than someone who is drawing stick figures for the hell of it. Kind of like a technician is something apart from the people who go on to actually engineer, although the two stem from the same origin.

That's totally cool man...

It's just the reason why I went with engineering is b/c STATISTICALLY engineers make more technician.

This would be my recommendation. Pre-law carries zero weight. Biomedical engineering? "One of few." Pre-law: "One of many." Because you are "one of many" with such a degree, you will catch hell finding work. Find a way to become "one of few."

I second this...

[TKramar]

Originally Posted by Rei

Engineering encompasses more than this. To me, what you just described is a technician's work.

That may be...but your degree in electrical engineering won't make you a "master electrician".

[Ohs]

It would be nice to go get some experience first and then decide on a degree you want to follow instead of trying to make this huge career decision right out of high school when you have no clue what you really want to do and what sort of jobs exist. I went into teaching because that is one of those jobs everyone knows about. As a kid you are surrounded by the education system and teachers are your main role models. But I do not like teaching, and now have a worth less degree that will get me laughed at anywhere else. Most employers look at you as oh you worked with children that’s not the same as adults you are just a babysitter. I want a new career and have no idea in what. So now I have to start all over, try some jobs out and then if I figure out what I like I can go back to college if it helps me out at all. But at this point I have to teach to pay off all my huge school loans for a job I don't like and then start over again and go back to getting paid very little. College degrees are only helpful after you get experience or at least that’s what everyone else says. I wish I did not go to college and would not owe anything right now and could spend time trying out different jobs. So yes lots of degrees are useless.

[solytaire]

Originally Posted by Ohs

It would be nice to go get some experience first and then decide on a degree you want to follow instead of trying to make this huge career decision right out of high school when you have no clue what you really want to do and what sort of jobs exist. I went into teaching because that is one of those jobs everyone knows about. As a kid you are surrounded by the education system and teachers are your main role models. But I do not like teaching, and now have a worth less degree that will get me laughed at anywhere else. Most employers look at you as oh you worked with children that’s not the same as adults you are just a babysitter. I want a new career and have no idea in what. So now I have to start all over, try some jobs out and then if I figure out what I like I can go back to college if it helps me out at all. But at this point I have to teach to pay off all my huge school loans for a job I don't like and then start over again and go back to getting paid very little. College degrees are only helpful after you get experience or at least that’s what everyone else says. I wish I did not go to college and would not owe anything right now and could spend time trying out different jobs. So yes lots of degrees are useless.

I know you were just paraphrasing potential employers you've encountered, so this is not addressing your sentiment directly, but wouldnt it be interesting if everyone thought teachers were just glorified babysitters...who would teach the people who run off into every other profession?

[Ohs]

Originally Posted by solytaire

I know you were just paraphrasing potential employers you've encountered, so this is not addressing your sentiment directly, but wouldnt it be interesting if everyone thought teachers were just glorified babysitters...who would teach the people who run off into every other profession?

Yeah society as a whole does not respect the teaching profession.

[Flexbaud]

I think it just depends on where you live. The city I live in does not have any large companies and most of the jobs here are tourest related (retail, hotel) or military related (contract warehouse work) so if I got a degree it really wouldn't serve a purpose unless I moved and that's not something I want to do right now. I own a home and my mortage is only $500 a month. I'm a few blocks from the water, 5 minutes to two wal-marts and a target, and less than 15 minutes to the beach. I am also within 15 minutes of my mom and my grandparents :-)

[Jackyfrost01]

Originally Posted by AngelEyez02403

Apparently, I wasted years of higher education because it's unlikely I will be able to secure a job of any sort when I graduate in May. I'm glad I spent four years studying pre-law to be rejected for a job by a grocery store.

Should I have not gone to college?

Its not worthless but I feel your pain. I have known personally all too many people with college educations, 4-10 yrs of their life spent to get a carrer, who are working at Retail stores or doing odd jobs just to keep the bills paid. I have a BS degree, hasn't done me a lick of good in over 6 yrs.