Fleeing the Strip's parking issues, company heads to the North Hills (Pittsburgh: loft, condo)

[RogersParkTransplant]

Originally Posted by Copanut

You get out what you put in, if it's a waste, it's on you.

Yes. The question of how to pay for it is really tricky -- it depends on what resources are available to the student -- but there are still ways to keep the cost down and to parlay the degree into a good job.

For what it's worth, some of my very best students at Pitt are transfers from CCAC.

[fleetiebelle]

Originally Posted by RogersParkTransplant

Yes. The question of how to pay for it is really tricky -- it depends on what resources are available to the student -- but there are still ways to keep the cost down and to parlay the degree into a good job.

For what it's worth, some of my very best students at Pitt are transfers from CCAC.

A bit off topic, but there were a few posts this summer on my neighborhood message boards that really surprised me, from college students who had just graduated asking if anyone had a job for them and would like to see their resumes. So, here are a handful of young people with the wherewithal to finish school, but from the looks of it it never occurred to them to network, intern, volunteer, and use university resources all during their time on campus to put them in a good place to find a job. That's not the economy, necessarily, that's a lack of preparation.

[PghYinzer]

Originally Posted by bluecarebear

College is a waste in Pittsburgh unless a student is going to enter the healthcare field. Almost everyone I have met in Pittsburgh, outside of healthcare, is working in a position that they did not use their degree to obtain. To tie this back to the topic of the thread, Erie is going downhill because the city only has eds, meds, and tourism as the economic base. So yes, it matters when high paying jobs leave the city limits.

This just goes to show that some people don’t get degrees that align with job opportunities. They get degrees on what they hope to be someday, with no real plan or idea if that is even possible.

[Paul2421]

Originally Posted by PghYinzer

This just goes to show that some people don’t get degrees that align with job opportunities. They get degrees on what they hope to be someday, with no real plan or idea if that is even possible.

obviously there is personal responsibility but shouldn't a schooling system have the best interest of the students finding jobs and not making money? why do they have degrees without jobs?

[bluecarebear]

It just shows what a scam college is for most. It is an antiquated governmental system. There is no reason why we can't streamline the system. Majors could be completed within 2 years. Half the college classes don't have anything to do with an individual's major. Paying $500+ for a worthless elective? Permanent employment for professors? Universities that accept over 90% of applicants? 46% of students graduate? There are better opportunities out there than getting into debt because of social stigmas.

[fleetiebelle]

Originally Posted by bluecarebear

It just shows what a scam college is for most. It is an antiquated governmental system. There is no reason why we can't streamline the system. Majors could be completed within 2 years. Half the college classes don't have anything to do with an individual's major. Paying $500+ for a worthless elective? Permanent employment for professors? Universities that accept over 90% of applicants? 46% of students graduate? There are better opportunities out there than getting into debt because of social stigmas.

It might be an antiquated system, and the student debt situation is a huge problem, but that leaves out the fact that education is valuable in itself. A university is not a trade school. Yes, many people probably don't necessarily need to go to college, but learning and expanding your knowledge is never pointless.

[bluecarebear]

Originally Posted by fleetiebelle

It might be an antiquated system, and the student debt situation is a huge problem, but that leaves out the fact that education is valuable in itself. A university is not a trade school. Yes, many people probably don't necessarily need to go to college, but learning and expanding your knowledge is never pointless.

It's not pre-2005. Computers have changed the world. Physical libraries have almost become useless. Kids have instant access to knowledge with the ability to download books to kindles, googling topics on cell phones, and streaming educational programs or classes online. If someone isn't well-rounded, then it is their own fault they don't take the effort to educate themselves.

There are plenty of jobs in Pittsburgh but people have to start thinking outside of the box and stop listening to what the educational system is preaching.

[PghYinzer]

Originally Posted by Paul2421

obviously there is personal responsibility but shouldn't a schooling system have the best interest of the students finding jobs and not making money? why do they have degrees without jobs?

The school systems do not control the economy, or what jobs are being produced. The primary goal of that school is to produce an individual that is well educated in the subject the student chose. The best interest of the student, from the schools perspective, is providing that education in the subject the student chose.

As to why they have degrees that don’t have current jobs, I believe there are some people that are interested in learning. I dual majored in undergrad in economics and history. History alone wouldn’t have landed me a job, so I had to supplement it, but I truly love history so I should be able to learn about it. l

Universities are not career prep centers. If you do not want an education that expands beyond what you do on a day to day basis at your job, then don’t attend a university. Now there is an issue with jobs that don’t truly need a degree requiring them, but that again is not the university’s responsibility. But perhaps these companies want someone that is well rounded and educated in more than just knowledge of the job they will be doing.

[RogersParkTransplant]

For what it's worth, I have a huge range of students -- some are very career oriented and come to office hours starting as freshmen to help work on their resume and get internships, etc etc. Faculty spend tons of time volunteering to help students find opportunities -- there are weeks in the Fall that I spend more hours writing letters of recommendation than I do prepping for class! Of course we also have many other students that don't put in this kind of time and effort...but there's only so much we can do, especially when the same students wo never talk to us about careers are usually the same ones who don't show up to class.

[tyovan4]

Originally Posted by prnlvsxy

That doesn't solve the traffic problem, but I'll look into that. Where in the Hill do you park?

Dinwiddie or Colwell

Originally Posted by bluecarebear

It just shows what a scam college is for most. It is an antiquated governmental system. There is no reason why we can't streamline the system. Majors could be completed within 2 years. Half the college classes don't have anything to do with an individual's major. Paying $500+ for a worthless elective? Permanent employment for professors? Universities that accept over 90% of applicants? 46% of students graduate? There are better opportunities out there than getting into debt because of social stigmas.

The general education requirements need a serious reorganization. Ridiculous for students to be required to spend time taking things utterly unrelated to their major.
I was a History major and minored in Political Science. I wasted time, and limited money, having to take courses such as astronomy, meteorology, and mathematics to fulfill general education requirements.