there is no such thing as a free lunch, my friend. One can go to school on a GI bill, but he'll still see some of that cost coming to him in his taxes. Just sayin'
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Is a College Degree Absolutely Necessary
- Thread starter greekorican
- Start date
there is no such thing as a free lunch, my friend. One can go to school on a GI bill, but he'll still see some of that cost coming to him in his taxes. Just sayin'
I have done interview training for college students ready to graduate, and the communication majors holistically interviewed incredibly well and were, in my experience, the best interviewees I dealt with, including business majors. True, someone in communications should have oratory abilities, but they were also elite in their ability to qualify accomplishments, set realistic goals and have long term plans, display intellect, and think critically and abstractly. They also were, in my experience, highly individualistic and didn't give canned answers just because they thought that's what the interviewer wanted to hear. I interviewed a number of them, and perhaps only one didn't strike me as being incredible. I didn't throw lame softball questions, either. My goal was to give an interview experience that would be analogous to an SPHR or I/O psychologist being on the other side of the table.
These were all students from one university, so I can't speak to communication majors as a whole. The department they were out of, though, was a history of preparing their students well for succeeding in the real world, all the way from the interview to being on the job. One of the professors in the department has conducted empirical research in order to find a resume format that gets the department's graduates more calls for interviews than traditional resume formats.
Yes, and without one you will die!
Its a free lunch when you walk out without paying for your meal.
Its a free lunch when you walk out without paying for your meal.
You can never go wrong by going to college. You are more likely to go wrong by not going.
I was in the same boat as you. I skipped a semester after HS. About 1/2 thru that semester i got bored - all friends were gone and I was stuck in a job. I then applied and got into college. I chose Psychology for the wrong reasons, but it has paid dividends. I later got into engineering work (with help from a friend) and went and got a 2yr degree. Fast forward 10 years and I am a senior mechanic for a very large pharmaceutical company doing what I love and making more $ than I could have imagined.
College sometimes overrated will open doors you never imagined!
I was in the same boat as you. I skipped a semester after HS. About 1/2 thru that semester i got bored - all friends were gone and I was stuck in a job. I then applied and got into college. I chose Psychology for the wrong reasons, but it has paid dividends. I later got into engineering work (with help from a friend) and went and got a 2yr degree. Fast forward 10 years and I am a senior mechanic for a very large pharmaceutical company doing what I love and making more $ than I could have imagined.
College sometimes overrated will open doors you never imagined!
Don't recall if anyone put the numbers in this thread, but was cleaning out my office and came across this census article with the figures from 1997-1999: a bit dated but should make the point:
Average income (annual) by education attained:
Did not graduate high school: $18,900
High School graduate: $25,900
Some college: $31,200
Associate's Degree: $33,000
Bachelor's Degree: $45,400
Master's Degree: $54,500
Professional Degree (law, medicine, etc.): $99,300
Doctoral Degree: $81,400
So the really big jumps are completing high school (37% increase in average salary), completing a bachelor's (75% jump from the high school diploma!), and getting a professional degree (more than doubling the average salary with just a bachelor's).
So is it necessary to get a college degree? Well, not if you're happy with the average salary statistics without one. Is it worth doing? In a word, yes.
Average income (annual) by education attained:
Did not graduate high school: $18,900
High School graduate: $25,900
Some college: $31,200
Associate's Degree: $33,000
Bachelor's Degree: $45,400
Master's Degree: $54,500
Professional Degree (law, medicine, etc.): $99,300
Doctoral Degree: $81,400
So the really big jumps are completing high school (37% increase in average salary), completing a bachelor's (75% jump from the high school diploma!), and getting a professional degree (more than doubling the average salary with just a bachelor's).
So is it necessary to get a college degree? Well, not if you're happy with the average salary statistics without one. Is it worth doing? In a word, yes.
I know quite a few people working in the US (with PhDs) earning about half what the average there is.
Damn I wish I went for professional degree
Damn I wish I went for professional degree
My friend got her AA, she's a manager of a KMart.
I dropped out of college, for many reasons I'll leave unsaid, and I work in marketing for a hardware distributor making more than a KMart manager.
I dropped out of college, for many reasons I'll leave unsaid, and I work in marketing for a hardware distributor making more than a KMart manager.
While I applaud you for getting into that position, you're giving anecdotal evidence. Statistics, whether based on a normal curve or any other type of distribution, assume that there are going to be a certain amount of observations that fall far away from the measure of central tendency. People like Bill Gates and Larry Ellison may be pornographically rich college drop-outs, but they're an exception to the rule.
Since you sound young, here is a nugget of truth. you won't believe it, but that matters little to me.
Life has little to do with being right.
That said, you could always get a job without a degree that is worthwhile, but don't be surprised when something unfair comes up and you're on the short end. Another thing, don't think any degree will do. If you have no idea what you want to do in life, that is fine. Either postpone your education a little or choose something that can directly make you some bread.
All of this has to do with making money, if you are against that on principle then sure, go choose some degree that has little chance of making you real dough just to get it over with.
Me? I had little interest in anything so I went with computer science to take care of the bills, and life has been fruitful since. I have no real love in it, but the fruits of life that I enjoy are worth it.
Bah, its nothing to applaud really. Im sure if I were to have stuck it out and gotten a degree I would have done much more with it than manage a KMart. That speaks to her character (my friends) more so than anything really. While I didnt get a degree, I sometimes wish I would have, though at the time I had no clue what I wanted to do with my life, and things got a little hectic, and necessity has brought me to where I am today, which I can admit, isnt that bad (not that things couldnt be better, mind you). Sure, it is anecdotal, but it does illustrate my point, that a college degree isnt 'absolutely necessary'.
Nah, she cant blame the economic crisis for that. She's been working there for at least 5 years now.
If you have the maturity to handle studying and learning on your own, a college degree and the pursuit of it is amazing. A degree program provides a guideline to achieve a rough roadmap to achieve the minimum amount of knowledge in a given subject area. Yes, you can gain all of this knowledge on your own, but it is easiest to follow the progression of those who have gone before you. This is especially true in a technical field (engineering). For example, it is not possible to solve a partial differential equation without learning ordinary differential equations, which cannot be done without learning calculus, and before that, algebra and geometry. Self-study is absolutely possible, but having the filter of a professor's experience and knowledge can streamline the path of learning various techniques and allow for the solving of more interesting problems sooner.
A student who works in some capacity before going to school is a more valuable employee as well as a better student IMO/IME. This enables you to have some practical experience and recognise how you can use the knowledge presented in the course(s), as well as realize the impact that experience, knowledge, etc. can have on one's career.
ian
A student who works in some capacity before going to school is a more valuable employee as well as a better student IMO/IME. This enables you to have some practical experience and recognise how you can use the knowledge presented in the course(s), as well as realize the impact that experience, knowledge, etc. can have on one's career.
ian
I know quite a few people working in the US (with PhDs) earning about half what the average there is.
Damn I wish I went for professional degree
I know quite a few earning more than double the average. Isn't that the great thing about averages?
I earned a degree for the field I'm in yet, I was just passed over on a promotion by a guy that has more experience in the field, longer time being sober, is personal friends with the owner, but has no college degree or formal education. So right now, I'm inclined to say that a degree is important but, they sometimes don't really matter. (as was the case in point in my situation.)
More importantly, follow your heart and do what it is you want to do. You have to make yourself happy first and foremost. Its not like you can't go to college at night while working in a trade. So you can do both.
More importantly, follow your heart and do what it is you want to do. You have to make yourself happy first and foremost. Its not like you can't go to college at night while working in a trade. So you can do both.
Depends.
I have a BA in Telecomunication. I also have two teaching credentials, one in social science (history, economics, civics) and the other in foundation level science.
So what am I doing now? I own my own little company, Frog's Pool Service and Spa Repair.
Right now, the college degree and subsequent education isn't helping much. However, when the teaching market here in California opens up (as soon as our govt gets its budgetary act together) I will have many more employment options than if I didn't have the college education.
I guess it all depends on the path you decide to follow.
I have a BA in Telecomunication. I also have two teaching credentials, one in social science (history, economics, civics) and the other in foundation level science.
So what am I doing now? I own my own little company, Frog's Pool Service and Spa Repair.
Right now, the college degree and subsequent education isn't helping much. However, when the teaching market here in California opens up (as soon as our govt gets its budgetary act together) I will have many more employment options than if I didn't have the college education.
I guess it all depends on the path you decide to follow.
