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I think people just look down on people who make inane statements such as "college is a waste of time and most people don't go to college" Yet they would probably not go to a doctor without a degree or vote for a presidential candidate without academic credentials
I guess some do. The ones that come from little to no education backgrounds and are first generation college students or graduates appreciate both groups.
[SIZE=3]I think it entirely depends on the individual themself. I have my bachelor’s degree and when I’m around others my age without college degrees I don’t feel any different. If the topic of education comes up I might feel proud to announce I have a degree, but if someone says they don’t have one, I wouldn’t look down on them. To be completely honest many of my friends that started working full time out of high school and didn’t go to college are doing just as well as the many of us that went to college and are now working full time. How can you look down on someone for working hard? I do have some friends that went to very prestigious private universities, and when I’m around them, they are highly judgmental. They even sometimes pick on me for going to a local state school, saying it’s not “prestigious enough.” And when the topic of someone we know comes up that didn’t go to college, all I hear is the word loser thrown out. Needless to say, these are old friends; I couldn’t stand the harsh criticism at our lunch dates every time we met up. So yes, some people do look down on others, but it’s their own insecurities shining through when they say things like that. [/SIZE]
Certainly different people have different years of education, including dropping out before finishing high school. I don't really give a rat's butt about people's education (or their job/profession for that matter, as long as it's legal). I am interested in what they talk about, how they approach people and the world, and so on. Those "official" education things are often just an indicator of what part of society they came from. I personally find it boring if someone does or did the path of least resistance. For instance, once someone asked me to meet a friend of hers who was "very smart and lives out your way." The guy worked in software (no surprise around here) and had a PhD in math from Yale. I asked how he decided to do that schooling, and he said, "Oh, it's what my father did."
Now that's boring.
Not sure if this belongs here, but this pertains to the social-life benefits of having a college-education.
By this, I mean those of us that are just high-school graduates and work in capacities that either didn't require a degree, or just got by with some trade-tech from a community college.
In the blue-collar fields, it's always possible to make just as much of a living as someone working some sort of job requiring an advanced degree of some sort.
However, when for whatever reason a blue-collar worker attempts to step beyond their social circle for a little more enlightenment, people in the other circle get alarmed.
Only reason I'm bringing something like this up is due to the various threads regarding STEM-related degrees and my current dissatisfaction with the employment field I've been involved with for the past, couple of years.
After getting done with the work day, it's nice to have a conversation about something other than NASCAR, or some recent mod some yokel put on their exhaust system.
However, I feel if I wander over to the other side without the "right equipment", I'll be asked to leave the table.
Now that you've brought it up, yes, I think most well educated people are snobby. Some of my English professors were the most pretentious (and least intelligent). Personally, I try not to look down on those without a college degree for two reasons: 1. I was once a high school grad myself; 2. high school grads can still have interesting perspectives and life experiences.
Do people with high school degrees look down on people that dropped out of school after 8th grade?
Not making any judgements. Just turning the question around a little.
I tend to fall into that category sometimes.
There are some exceptions to the rule, but most of the ones I run into that dropped out early are always the ones with stereotypical problems that are all too real.
You know the types, 5-7 kids, working 2-3 menial jobs, complaining about rent and mountains of child-support.
As for why I feel the way I do most of the time, it's getting to that point where I'm starting to feel a bit encroached upon by the endless amount of "bubbas" in the jobs I've been involved in.
Security, it was mainly people just starting out in life, mid-life crisis, or extra money to supplement retirement income. This area of employment I'm actually okay with when it comes to it.
Truck driving, some degree holders looking for a change, but 80-90% of everyone else is only there because they're the umpteenth person in their family to carry on the tradition of steering-wheel jockey.
I guess it depends on what you mean by "look down on".
All of my friends, but one from high school, are at least college educated. Hell, almost all of them majored in the same field. We are different races, different economic backgrounds, went to different colleges, and work in different places. Meanwhile, my friend from high school did some community college, and is a smart lady, but we just don't have as much in common as my other friends. We work at staying friends but our lives are just really different.
So maybe some people think it is snobby or that I am looking down on less educated people but it really is just the fact that for many people, if you love something so much that you decide to major in it, it means you share a strong bond with others who made the same choice.
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