Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
No money, no interest in anything? The military pays well and they'll tell you what you need to know, especially the part about sit down, and shut up.
For the umpteenth to the umpteenth power time, a liberal arts education was never meant to be vocational training. If you want to slack during your first two years, and slack the third year and not declare a major until your fourth year, and then drag out a major you don't like and then finally announce to amazed relatives that are going to graduate ... well, the large universities are great. Michigan State, Penn State, etc will be happy to take your money.
Michigan State has a Geoffrey Fieger Institute, but no Michael Moore institute? I must laugh and cry!
I was subjected to a Fieger rally in my high school gym ... funny guy, needs a haircut.
For every whiner out there, there's me, or a Wallstreet1986, out here to tell you that we were promised grandiose things by Expensive Prestigious U (although I never believed them). Unfortunately for them, many people believe that Big Large Expensive Prestigious U is a no-brainer ticket to 'success' without doing sufficient analysis. Then you get Student X graduating from BLEP-U (... hahaha @ acronym) asking us "I have an interview at Kimberly-Clark, tell me about the hot singles lifestyles in Fox Cities, Wisconsin" and we have to deflate expectations, but at the same time tell him he's the winnah, because he has the hot lead on the job market, compared to "oh great a new college kid to hire at cut-rate hourly earnings" semi-internships. As I did not do the unpaid internship track, and turned down the government, my first job was one of those insulting cut-rate experiences at a small private firm with a busybody, no-time-to-train-the-new-guy manager. As someone who could have afforded an unpaid internship at Hot Law Office in State Capital or Famous Big Corporation Regional Office (financially, but not in terms of principle of being paid to do honest work), I should have known better.
The good news is that Second Tier Private College [STPC herein thereafter] wants you, especially if you're a male student, because there is male-female imbalance on campus. There's a lack of qualified male students who will make it big somehow and donate 'Big Alumni Money' to build 'Howard Stephenson III Clock Tower' or 'Prescott Jones Engineering Hall' ... you have a lot of decent female students that do what administration likes ... sit down, shut up, do the homework, graduate, land as administrative assistant looking for Filthy Rich Guy to Marry (the MRS degree syndrome). Unfortunately, FRGM doesn't exist ... and the guys that would otherwise attend STPC are in the military.
I am sure there is a point in there somewhere, I have yet to find it - but I'm still looking.....
It wasn't an argumentative post, it was a descriptive post.
If there is a point, it is that there is a lot of lost people out there.
Some horses are lead to water, but never drink. The question is whether or not you have an obligation to lead the horse to water. Some people are afraid to learn, and some people try but never do.
Again, not even philosophical, but factual. I'm not here to tell you what to do.
Sorry if this idea may have already come up in the last 4 or 5 pages that I didn't read...
If you're really sold on teaching, perhaps you could consider moving to a fast-growing suburban county. Here in Fairfax County, VA (just outside DC), they are always looking for new teachers as the area just keeps expanding with new families. It's probably the same with other nearby VA and MD counties. Starting salaries are high as well, compared to other metros. Of course, the flipside in this particular area is that the cost is living is high because of all those families rolling in for their own job opportunities. Within an hour's commute, you'll be able to afford a condo at best on a teacher's salary. But there are other relatively growing yet relatively inexpensive suburban metros to consider in : Charlotte, Las Vegas, Phoenix, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, Atlanta, etc. If you're okay with a suburban lifestyle then these areas may provide an opportunity for you.
I graduated from college in the early 90s when I found myself competing with other grads for $5/hr. jobs at the mall. It took me about ten years before I felt I was working and earning at the level I expected to be. So basically I feel your pain. I guess all I can say is keep the faith in yourself and you will find what you are searching for.
Quote:
Originally Posted by lavendersunrise
I wish someone would do a study on the rate of depression/anxiety in recent grads (within 3-5 years of graduation) now vs. what it was 5-10 years ago.
Many years ago "they" said that you NEEDED college to get a job. Now even with a college degree it is hard to find a job.
I graduated from college in 2004 and 2005 (BA, teacher cert.), I've been looking in many different fields that I'm qualified for and am having no luck. It's safe to say that my rate of depression/anxiety is climbing.
The other thing kids have never been taught is how to determine exactly what they want and how to focus all of their efforts on attaining their goals. If you want to get your young lives on a much better track, go buy these two books - Think & Grow Rich by Napoleon Hill and Success Is Not An Accident by my friend Tommy Newberry. Think and Grow Rich is not some get rich quick book like so many others. It is the result of a newspaper man's several year study (sponsored by Andrew Carnegie) of the common traits and behaviors of the nation's 500 richest and most successful people. When Carnegie funded the research he had only one request - that the techiques the researcher found must be able to be implemented by the common man. The knowledge contained in those two books is worth more than your college degree will ever be worth - and that is no exaggeration.
Good luck to you all.
I love books like Think and Grow Rich. It's tragic how little most people are exposed to things that could improve their life, career options, finances.
Sort of a 21st century version of Think and Grow Rich is Jay Abraham's, "Getting Everything You Can Out of All You've Got". One of the top 5 best business/wealth creating books I've ever read. That's a life changing book.
That is so depressing! You put your blood, sweat and tears into earning a degree and can't even find a job! I really feel for you! Maybe you should look at other states or areas to find the perfect job for you! I wish you luck and hope everything pans out well for you.
Heck, I'm a student in a demand field (Nursing) and I'm still afraid I won't be able to find a job when I graduate!
That's pretty much my story. But I've been lucky enough to nab a couple of internships to hold me over... and both are paid
That is so depressing! You put your blood, sweat and tears into earning a degree and can't even find a job! I really feel for you! Maybe you should look at other states or areas to find the perfect job for you! I wish you luck and hope everything pans out well for you.
Heck, I'm a student in a demand field (Nursing) and I'm still afraid I won't be able to find a job when I graduate!
Presidente Bush says their are millions of jobs that Americans won't do...
No money, no interest in anything? The military pays well and they'll tell you what you need to know, especially the part about sit down, and shut up.
For the umpteenth to the umpteenth power time, a liberal arts education was never meant to be vocational training. If you want to slack during your first two years, and slack the third year and not declare a major until your fourth year, and then drag out a major you don't like and then finally announce to amazed relatives that are going to graduate ... well, the large universities are great. Michigan State, Penn State, etc will be happy to take your money.
Michigan State has a Geoffrey Fieger Institute, but no Michael Moore institute? I must laugh and cry!
I was subjected to a Fieger rally in my high school gym ... funny guy, needs a haircut.
For every whiner out there, there's me, or a Wallstreet1986, out here to tell you that we were promised grandiose things by Expensive Prestigious U (although I never believed them). Unfortunately for them, many people believe that Big Large Expensive Prestigious U is a no-brainer ticket to 'success' without doing sufficient analysis. Then you get Student X graduating from BLEP-U (... hahaha @ acronym) asking us "I have an interview at Kimberly-Clark, tell me about the hot singles lifestyles in Fox Cities, Wisconsin" and we have to deflate expectations, but at the same time tell him he's the winnah, because he has the hot lead on the job market, compared to "oh great a new college kid to hire at cut-rate hourly earnings" semi-internships. As I did not do the unpaid internship track, and turned down the government, my first job was one of those insulting cut-rate experiences at a small private firm with a busybody, no-time-to-train-the-new-guy manager. As someone who could have afforded an unpaid internship at Hot Law Office in State Capital or Famous Big Corporation Regional Office (financially, but not in terms of principle of being paid to do honest work), I should have known better.
The good news is that Second Tier Private College [STPC herein thereafter] wants you, especially if you're a male student, because there is male-female imbalance on campus. There's a lack of qualified male students who will make it big somehow and donate 'Big Alumni Money' to build 'Howard Stephenson III Clock Tower' or 'Prescott Jones Engineering Hall' ... you have a lot of decent female students that do what administration likes ... sit down, shut up, do the homework, graduate, land as administrative assistant looking for Filthy Rich Guy to Marry (the MRS degree syndrome). Unfortunately, FRGM doesn't exist ... and the guys that would otherwise attend STPC are in the military.
I totally agree. It's all about marketing and making money. I've convinced my daughter that unlike her friends, she does not need to go to some fancy university -- a regular state college will do, BUT....she must have a "real" major that will get her into a JOB!
We have spent the last 3 years (since she was a Freshmen) exploring various majors and schools. Because we're in California, we have a lot of options. We also have a friend who owns a computer science consulting business in Toronto, and he convinced my daughter to NOT major in Computer Science (which she really wanted to do) and told her that any of those languages she learned in college, would be pretty much obsolete by the time she graduated -- she just needed some higher math courses.
So, since she is extremely interested in traveling, has spent 6 months in South America as an exchange student and is now fluent in Spanish, her focus will be on International Business with an emphasis on Management Information Systems. This way, it covers all her interests and gives her a more marketable skill set: business, international affairs, more study abroad, fluency in a foreign language, and some computer science. I do NOT want her to have to get a graduate degree to even apply for a job (with no guarantee of getting a job).
This whole business of marketing to kids that an undergraduate English Degree is "useful" is laughable!! Or History, of Psychology, or Sociology, and the list goes on and on.
I don't know if my daughter will actually get a job right away, however, we are also carefully considering where the college is located (are there companies nearby that take interns, is there a good economy, will she make connections?) Will the study abroad program have the related classes (yes, in this case), and will the language be useful (yes, again). We figure with the three main skill sets (business, computer science/MIS, and a foreign language) in one degree will at least give her a fighting chance when she graduates.
Anyone actually working with International Business here that can give some advice or feedback?
These colleges have got a good racket going and it's costing kids a fortune in loans. I have a sister who, unfortunately, is allowing her daughter to take out loans to go to a really good eastcoast university but her tuition is .... $40,000 a year!! And what is her major? Italian and psychology....what in the world is she going to do -- counsel the Mafia in post traumatic stress disorder???
It's really hard because you want your kids to have a chance in this world, but these colleges are truly misleading young people. I find it reprehensible, and I also resent that I have done all the footwork on my own to try to find a reasonable degree program with a good skill set that also matches my daughter's interests (well, business didn't originally, but once she lived in Chile and saw that many of the parents of the kids she went to school with owned businesses and how well they lived....then she began to understand the importance of business).
So, in keeping with the thread, yes, there can be a level of depression and anxiety upon graduating college....especially if you didn't realize ahead of time that your degree program wasn't marketable and you were misled!
Just keep on plugging, and as was said before, make contacts, reach out beyond your immediate boundaries and be prepared to relocate if you need to. Good luck!!
One of the best POSTS I've read so far. You are absolutely correct. Half of college is a racket. It's troubling to hear young adults graduating college and sitting on $40K to $50K in debt. And some with a lot more. Many of these people, also have a $10K note on a car and $7K to $10K on credit cards.
When I was required to take a 2nd advanced math course (not statistics), as part of my business curriculum, the professor had some interesting comments on the first day of class. This math professor from India, walked in to the classroom with shorts, sandals (no socks) and a t-shirt, that wasn't tucked in. He took a piece of chalk and wrote his name on the board.
He pronounced his name and then said to our class: "Would someone like to tell me why me must learn this **** ?" He said "Please tell me why you must take this class, when you and I both know, that you will never use any of this kind of math."
I liked this guy immediately. At least he was being upfront with us. Then he went on to say, that we have to take this class "because we must play the game." "In order to get the degree, the POWERS THAT BE decided that you must pass this class, and play the game."
I went to the University of Toledo. Initially, I was in a 2-yr program, for an associates degree. I took several basic classes, but also took Finance, Management, Computers & Business Communication. When I decided I wanted to pursue a Bachelors degree (at the same University) they told me that the 4 classes I just mentioned, didn't transfer to a 4-yr program. In the end, I took the exact same courses over again, with slightly different call numbers. I was too young then. I should have contacted a lawyer and the local news media. This is how they get more money out of students. Then there's the $1,000 I paid in parking permits, just to park the car.
Location: Monterey Bay, California -- watching the sea lions, whales and otters! :D
1,918 posts, read 6,787,722 times
Reputation: 2708
Quote:
LiptonGuy: I went to the University of Toledo. Initially, I was in a 2-yr program, for an associates degree. I took several basic classes, but also took Finance, Management, Computers & Business Communication. When I decided I wanted to pursue a Bachelors degree (at the same University) they told me that the 4 classes I just mentioned, didn't transfer to a 4-yr program. In the end, I took the exact same courses over again, with slightly different call numbers. I was too young then. I should have contacted a lawyer and the local news media. This is how they get more money out of students. Then there's the $1,000 I paid in parking permits, just to park the car.
Absolutely, I understand. In fact, there is another thread about community colleges. Initially, I thought my daughter could go there -- the community college (to save money), but, as you discovered, I researched all the classes (most people don't bother to do the level of research I do, so I can see why they get duped), and discovered that NONE of those "business" or "language" classes would transfer to the university with the degree program she wants. What's the point to spend two years taking supposedly "basic requirements," when they are not accepted as basic requirements at a university? Therefore, I realized that she had to go directly into a degree program at the university -- no community college.
I have a Master's Degree, and I have worked at universities, so I know how it works. It really is a scam in many ways. The sad part is that many parents think that just getting a degree will be the cure-all for a job. It can be a stepping stone, but that's it. There are so many other facets to consider.
If there are any parents who have kids who are going into college in a few years reading these posts, take heed. Do your own footwork.
As an aside, when my daughter went to Chile for 6 months, due to my diligent research skills, we obtained a full scholarship for her through a coporation in another state! Her entire trip abroad was paid for by someone else. She never could have gone otherwise.
I would also reiterate what others have said about "Think and Grow Rich," that books like that are quite useful in helping people to see how attitude, and mental fortitude can overcome supposed lacks. It's too bad more people are not exposed to that kind of "can do" thinking. In my case, money was not my focus, but I have done a lot of things on little -- much, much more than other people would do, or attempt. My daughter seeing and knowing this about me has developed an attitude of "yes I can," when people say to her, "Oh, that would be too hard, or that won't work...." and she just says "Well, my mom did 'this, this, and this,' and if she can do it, I can do what I set out to do...." As a result, she has changed friend-sets so that she can be around others who also believe that one can do what they set out to do.
That would be a good new thread: power of positive thinking.....
Thanks for all the good posts!
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
...
I guess all I can say is keep the faith in yourself and you will find what you are searching for. 
