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There are plenty of excellent state schools and starting at community college is not a bad thing. Living with your parents and commuting to a 4 year school is not a bad thing either.
We have funds for all of our children for college (we have mutual funds but not college specific in case they get scholarships or choose not to go.)
DH and I both have MAs. I will indeed strongly encourage my children to go to college.
Will I think less of them if they don't finish? No. But I would like them to have some sort of marketable skill no matter what they choose.
A lot of this depends on what the degree is in. Unfortunately(and I speak from experience) if you have a bachelor's degree but didn't get further education(law school, medical school,etc.) you may be better off or just as well off going to a technical school. I have a friend with a four year degree and she's working at a supermarket. She decided to get in a 12 month medical transcription program because she believes it will be more marketable than her degree.
ABSOLUTELY - one needs to be a plumber, so I can start using my upstairs toilet again, one needs to be a carpenter so I can replace the window a bird flew into and shattered, one can be a painter so I can finally have my red dining room....UH OH - I NEED TO GO HAVE MORE KIDS!!!!!!!!!!
Kidding...mine so far have gone to college, but we ALL need all of the above, so ABSOLUTELY!
There's absolutely nothing wrong with being 'blue collar.' If my kids want to have a blue collar trade, they're more than welcome. But they will get that sheepskin - period. I don't care if it's a degree in basket weaving from Podunk University. My parents pounded the value of an education into me, but I didn't understand what they were talking about - until I entered the workforce without one. I have over 100 hours of college credit and nothing to show for it. Not having a degree hurts; heck, we're getting to the point where a bachelor's isn't enough anymore. Just having that piece of paper opens up more doors,(hopefully) provides a little more job security, and keeps options open if they want to do something different later on in life.
my older children are in 11th and 7th grades. They will be going to college. They are both "book smart kids" and want to go at this point. I have nothing against trade school. My hubby is an electrician/carpenter and he makes excellent money. In my EXPERIENCE a college degree makes all the difference in the world. Beyond that I tell my children EVERY day that I want them to have all of the options in the world open to them.
It might be different if I felt that my child couldn't deal with the pressures of college or that wasn't right for them - it wasn't for my husband. I worry though that too many kids take the "easy" way out and don't go to college. My son tells me that a lot of his friends who aren't planning to go to college are making that decision because they don't want to deal with more school. It's scary. And maybe that is a sad commentary on today's youth that is meant for a different thread.
I would encourage children to go to college but would NEVER discourage them from being a blue collar worker.
I was raised by blue collar, both my husband and I are blue collar and we've done just fine...better than a lot of the "white collar" people we know.
very interesting post. i have a 15 yr old now and it's something that i've asked myself. i think i have been brainwashed to think that we should all go to college (i have a B.A. degree) but really, for what? not everyone needs a degree. in my humble opinion, i find that college is only useful if you are going after a specific degree where you actually learn a skill such as accounting, engineering or medicine. but a liberal arts degree is a joke. if you do want to get one for your own personal knowledge, that's great, but you may very well end up overeducated, in debt with student loans, and then end up working a regular job that you didn't need a college education for in the first place. i find that knowing a trade does pay off in most cases. you can go to a 2 yr community college and become a dental hygienist and make $30/hr or become an HVAC person or become a plumber. whatever. these people make decent middle income wages--which alot of college grads do NOT these days. i will support my child either way he decides. i actually think it's too bad people are not realistic and tell their kids its okay to go to trade school. a college degree is a joke if you pick the wrong major.
I think the edges are blurring with blue collar vs. white collar because so many jobs incorporate software into their jobs now.
I agree with the preceding post...if someone can get a decent job making decent money, and likes what the do, the label isn't important anymore.
Here in Jersey a Union Carpenter, Electriction, Boilermaker, steamfitter, operating engineer get about a $70.00 dollar an hour. Then we also get time and a half for anything over 8 hours, time and a half for Saturdays and double time for Sundays.
If you work what we call 7-12's (seven days a week, 12 hours a day) you rack up about $8,000.00 grand a week. Of corse thats not all in the envolope. Some of the money goes into pension and annuity and vaction plans and also health care.
But I Love working 7-12's for a about a six week stretch. Then I can kick back take some time off and collect unemployment. And lets not forget it Union so nobody is killing themselve's.
And BTW my Bayfront summer home is right next to a doctors and guess who has the nicer house?....
I've sure enjoyed the posts, everyone! Back in '74, I told my dad that he'd be wasting his money and my time sending me to college. I enlisted in the USAF instead. Best decision I ever made! I went through all my technical training and s-l-o-w-l-y worked on an associate's degree and completed other course work towards a Bachelors. I let the love of travel get in the way of finishing the degree, but my only regret is that I didn't get a Bachelors for my own edification. After I retired from the USAF, I went into trucking and LOVE my job. I'm also married to a teacher who makes pretty decent money, so we're doing well, financially.
I truly wish that we Americans had more opportunities to "take a break" between high school and college. I know, personally, that break before I resumed my education gave me extra time to mature. I'm definitely in favor of kids doing some sort of service after high school, wheteher the military, Peace Corps or some other way to serve others before going off to college...
Location: The world, where will fate take me this time?
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What is it more important in life, being happy doing what you love with your entire soul? or doing something just because society told you it was the right thing to do?
I'd let my kids do whatever they want if that makes them happy, if they are happy they are living life to the max, if they aren't they are just being slaves of their jobs.
just my 2 cents
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agree 1000000%
