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Obviously, this is an opinion question with no right or wrong answer. It could have been the same 20 -30 years ago, too, but what percentage would you guess go on for an advanced degree just to put off having to go out in the world and start their adult life? Do you think there are more or less people going for advanced degrees for that reason today than say 20 - 30 years ago because I think you could make a case for it either way. Do you base your opinion on what you know or think you know of college students these days or is it based on external factors like affordability, job climate, etc.?
Anyone know people or knew people that went for an advanced degree to avoid going out into the world to start a career?
I have no children, I'm retired and not from any field that has to do with education and frankly, don't know any young person in college these days so there is no agenda here, just curiosity. I'm sure there are statistics to compare percents of young adults applyling for advanced degrees today versus 20-30 years ago but the statistics won't say why there are more or less.
I don't much care for the inference that people are going to college expressly to avoid work. This implies people are shunning responsibility and someone who is willing to invest the considerable time and funds to get a graduate degree is not lazy. People attend college primarily as a tool for job qualification. Since you're retired, you grew up in an era where a four-year degree was a "leg up" in the labor force. Today, many basic jobs that would have formerly required no college at all or an associate's can now require a four-year degree, and a graduate degree is the leg up the bachelor's used to have been due to a surplus of labor. Employers can be far more discriminatory now than perhaps at any other time in modern history.
The reason many more people are getting graduate degrees is because they think it will assist them in career growth, with a few going back for the classical pursuit of learning. It is not because of a deferral of responsbility.
I don't much care for the inference that people are going to college expressly to avoid work. This implies people are shunning responsibility and someone who is willing to invest the considerable time and funds to get a graduate degree is not lazy. People attend college primarily as a tool for job qualification. Since you're retired, you grew up in an era where a four-year degree was a "leg up" in the labor force. Today, many basic jobs that would have formerly required no college at all or an associate's can now require a four-year degree, and a graduate degree is the leg up the bachelor's used to have been due to a surplus of labor. Employers can be far more discriminatory now than perhaps at any other time in modern history.
The reason many more people are getting graduate degrees is because they think it will assist them in career growth, with a few going back for the classical pursuit of learning. It is not because of a deferral of responsbility.
This is true. When my husband got his BS back in 1980, he had 2 different job offers (really good ones) a full semester before he graduated. Only a few people he knew actually when on to get a masters. Now, in his same field, which is actually booming right now, a masters is the entry level working degree. They can't hire people for these jobs fast enough, but they still won't talk to you unless you have a masters.
My youngest son graduated from college in May with 2 bachelors degrees. He will have to go back to school to get a masters, and plans to, if he ever wants to get a decent job in his field. Right now, he's working in a position that pays so little, he has had to move back home and it's not even really related to his degree. The only reason he took the job was to get some work experience and to possibly get the opportunity to advance into his field within this same company. He interviewed for quite a few jobs before graduation. None of them were actually related to the major. The only people he graduated with that had decent jobs in his field upon graduation were the few at the very top of the class.
I can understand staying in school to ride out the current state of the economy. That makes sense and is a smart move in my opinion. There may be just as much chance that you couldn't find a job anyway, so instead of a year or two with nothing to show, you have a degree from it.
As for the implication that people do it because they are lazy and shun responsibility, for me, school has always been harder than work. When I have been a full time student, I sometimes sacrifice whole weekends for school and work late into the night many weekdays. Work has always been pretty static. There may be days I get home quite late, and have to work a Saturday here or there, but for the most part, when the bell rings, I don't have to think about work until the next day.
Obviously, this is an opinion question with no right or wrong answer. It could have been the same 20 -30 years ago, too, but what percentage would you guess go on for an advanced degree just to put off having to go out in the world and start their adult life?
I don't know a single person who is in college for an advanced degree right now 'just to put off having to go out in the world and start their adult life' quite frankly. I just finished undergrad in May and I don't use my degree at all and neither do most of my friends. I'm lucky in that I worked outside of school to teach myself web programming/development so I work for myself and make a great income compared to my friends. Most of my recently graduated friends are waiters, interns, salesmen, bank tellers, or pretty much any job they had while in school. That's what is available to them. I have plenty of friends still in school, for undergrad and grad level. My grad level friends are mostly people who are actually wanting to do a job that requires the extra training: teacher, professor, doctor, therapist, etc. I don't know anyone who went into the grad level solely to put off being out of school because they are ALL taking on a ton more debt to go through those programs and they know that. Staying in grad school is the dumbest cop-out ever (for whoever is doing that) because you're just taking on more debt in the future instead of at least getting a basic job somewhere.
I just don't want generations before mine to look down on everyone my age. The vast majority of us are doing the best that we can with what options are available to us.
I don't much care for the inference that people are going to college expressly to avoid work. This implies people are shunning responsibility and someone who is willing to invest the considerable time and funds to get a graduate degree is not lazy. .
The only difference between now and when I was younger is that when I was younger I actually knew people who did it. But nowadays there could actually be less people doing it for that reason because of the cost. I don't know. That's why I asked.
I could have also asked how many woman go to college to find a husband. Probably more true in my day than now.
To be fair that is not the conscious intention the intention is to find a safe non high risk path that has some present benefits and some hope for a distant future of prosperity
The curse of the x generation
Career cowardice
Most should drop out of college today and get a trade
And work
America does not need 20 million more managers
To be fair that is not the conscious intention the intention is to find a safe non high risk path that has some present benefits and some hope for a distant future of prosperity
The curse of the x generation
Career cowardice
Most should drop out of college today and get a trade
And work
America does not need 20 million more managers
I am sure some people stay in college to avoid work, especially if someone else is footing the bill for the most part. There are definitely the "perpetual students" out there, you can find them easily if you know their individual story.
Although this is not in the US, I recall at a large university in central Germany some years ago where there were about a dozen students who went to university for more 18 years consistently (most of them would be about 37 years old at that time, if they entered university immediately after Gymansium ([H.S.- U.S. equivalent]).
In Germany, one has to pay for their own room and boarding expenses, but an enrolled student gets free tuition at most universities in that country. Although I did not know such people in college that long myself, I would call such people "perpetual students" who seem to be avoiding work, in my opinion anyway.
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