Can anyone here say they got rich off going to college?

[bamez]

Depends on what you go to school for.  I have a friend who is a CPA making good money.  I know and work with several ER doctors fresh outta residency making 250k+ minumum

If you go with a specific career in mind, you can't lose with that education.  If you going to school not knowing what to do, or just getting a degree just to get one, its more of a toss-up.

 

[Hank Scorpio]

Even if every college student got a degree in a field with a strong job market and kissed the right ***** along the way there would still be just as many in the position they are in now.

No, the thing you're failing to understand is--Not everyone has the ability to get a degree in the same field. With the amount of competition and intellectual level required--eventually most people would get "weeded out"

 

[Hank Scorpio]

Depends on what you go to school for.  I have a friend who is a CPA making good money.  I know and work with several ER doctors fresh outta residency making 250k+ minumum

If you go with a specific career in mind, you can't lose with that education.  If you going to school not knowing what to do, or just getting a degree just to get one, its more of a toss-up.

DING DING DING--Correct answer.

Tell em' what he's won, Bob!

 

[7thave btn 31stn33rd st]

Yeah, but when junior gets a BS degree in something that doesn't have a strong job outlook ie architecture, liberal arts, womens studies, business management etc etc --Do they really expect to get a high-paying job right out of undergrad?

95% of college kids don't even take the necessary steps needed to line up a job before graduation. They think just going to class and getting good grades will get you a job.

These same kids fail to realize how powerful networking, interning and leadership roles while seeking mentorship means to this whole "post-graduate hiring process".

I recruit for my company (VERY LARGE Private Equity firm in NYC) and I see so many kids who fit this model. It's laughable.

I don't blame them though, because they're ignorant about the process. It's not common knowledge and they weren't taught any of this.

All of this. But especially this. The most hungry people make it, in any field.

 

[hennessy]

I thought this was interesting...
[h4]  [/h4]

[h4]What is the average starting salary for a new college graduate?[/h4]
According to the September 2013 issue of NACE's Salary Survey, the average starting salary offer to a bachelor's degree candidate from the Class of 2013 is $45,327, 2.4 percent higher than the average salary to a 2012 bachelor's degree graduate.  
[h4]http://What are the top personal qualities employers look for in college graduates?[/h4]
The top 5 personal qualities/skills employers seek, according to NACE's Job Outlook survey, are:

1. Ability to work in a team
2. Verbal communication skills
3. Ability to make decisions and problem solve.
4. Ability to obtain and process information
5. Ability to plan, organize, and prioritize work

[h4]http://What do college students/new grads look for in an employer?[/h4]
Students responding to NACE's annual student survey said that when looking at a job and employers, they first consider:

1. Nature of the work
2. Compensation
3. Friendly co-workers

 
However, when they actually weigh a job, they consider opportunity for personal growth, job security, and friendly co-workers.
[h4]http://What kind of benefits does a student/new grad look for?[/h4]
Students responding to NACE's annual student survey have made it clear that while salaries are important, benefits also matter to them. The top five benefits according to seniors are:

1. Annual salary increases
2. 401(k) company match
3. Tuition reimbursement
4. 100% employer-paid medical insurance
5. Dental insurance

 [h4]http://Does it pay to have a college education?[/h4]
The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics says, "The more you learn, the more you earn—and the less likely you are to be unemployed." They have put together this handy chart to prove the point.
[h4]http://What does the job market look like for the Class of 2014?[/h4]
Results from NACE's Job Outlook 2014 survey show that employers expect to hire approximately 7.8 percent more graduates from the Class of 2014 than they hired from the Class of 2013.
[h4]http://How many students will graduate this year?[/h4]
The National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) projects 1,791,000 students at the bachelor's degree level will graduate as the college Class of 2013.
Source: Projections of Education Statistics to 2020 (Table 33)

http://www.naceweb.org/press/faq.aspx

 

[tay1]

Even if every college student got a degree in a field with a strong job market and kissed the right ***** along the way there would still be just as many in the position they are in now.

Can't say that that's true at all. Granted there would be more competition, but people still would be better off with a Engineering degree compared to an Anthropology degree.

 

[sea manup]

you should reword the title OP

no one gets rich off going to college, but people do get rich off the knowledge they gained from going to college

 

[moe fab]

I think some of you are going into with the wrong mindset as stated before. I also think the materialization and commercialization of our culture is also feeding into this. Rags to riches stories are well and good, but you have to understand how hard it was for those folks and how much they actually put into it. Everyone wants everything and more importantly they feel entitled. Things just don't work that way anymore, for the most part. You need to grind and grind, then after that grind some more. Do you realize there are others in the same boat striving for the same thing? You have to showcase yourself and show what sets you apart. There are worst-case scenarios and best-case scenarios, but more than likely you'll end up somewhere in the middle. In either case, dropout or graduate, it's all about networking to get your foot in the door, but it's after that where your know-how comes in. And I feel that is what gives you lasting power. I know one side and am on my way through the other. In my experience, it's better to at least try school. That doesn't mean just college, but vocational and trade school as well. Knowing what you want to do doesn't hurt either.

 

[oidreez]

I think the problem with college itself is the classes you are forced to take that have nothing to do with what field you want to work in. For example art history, some of the chem classes I took, basically those filler classes you take to meet the requirements for a degree that cost money.

 

[ayzee]

AyZee, which part of Boston you live in bruh? My aunt makes 30k a year, lives in Dorchester, and she living pretty comfortable right now. All depends on how you manage your money.

I suppose 30K is manageable if you don't have kids and rent an apt/have roommates or something similar to that. What does she do for work?

 

[frankl1001]

getting a relevant degree increases your percentages, the rest is up to your work ethic / motivation

 

[thepointgod]

no one should go to college. why would you spend money to go somewhere to not make money for four years instead of just making money for four straight years? lock this thread up

 

[7thave btn 31stn33rd st]

I think the problem with college itself is the classes you are forced to take that have nothing to do with what field you want to work in. For example art history, some of the chem classes I took, basically those filler classes you take to meet the requirements for a degree that cost money.

I use to think that way too, until I started graduate school and networking. I'm in my last year of physical therapy school, what did I need ENC1101 for? I still use principles in that class I took 10 years ago in writing research. I had to take Public Speaking. For what? I cant even count how many In-Services, presentations, and lectures I've given. I even had a prof. last semester ask "Where did you learn to public speak like that?". It's little things you pick up along the way that you can apply. I dont need 99% of the stuff I learned in those "filler classes", but that 1% you do need pays significant dividends when needed.

 

[miketysonthekiller]

Hey OP, you got a masters, thats great. I don't know in what though, but have you looked into taking you skills oversees to say, umm Sweden or New Zealand or Germany? I hear they're running short on programmers and other ventures out there, look into it. Thats my plan. Get a masters and if I can't land a job here than i'll take my skills somewhere in Europe. I will not sell myself short if I can't find a job in the states. The world is bigger than the US and I'm sure you'll get a good paying job with better benefits in some parts of Europe, granted a higher cost of living lol. If not, start your own business?

 

[zapatohead408]

nvm. One of my friends went to UC Berkeley and sold drugs to all the frats, he got rich off high school.

 

[rell826]

I use to think that way to, until I started graduate school and networking. I'm in my last year of physical therapy school, what did I need ENC1101 for? I still use principles in that class I took 10 years ago in writing research. I had to take Public Speaking? For what? I cant even count how many In-Services, presentations, and lectures I've given. I even had a prof. last semester ask "Where did you learn to public speak like that?". It's little things you pick up along the way that you can apply. I dont need 99% of the stuff I learned in those "filler classes", but that 1% you do need pays significant dividends when needed.

Great post.

There are way too many posts in here that look at college/university the wrong way. Those needs threads for themselves.

 

[Hank Scorpio]

I think some of you are going into with the wrong mindset as stated before. I also think the materialization and commercialization of our culture is also feeding into this. Rags to riches stories are well and good, but you have to understand how hard it was for those folks and how much they actually put into it. Everyone wants everything and more importantly they feel entitled. Things just don't work that way anymore, for the most part. You need to grind and grind, then after that grind some more. Do you realize there are others in the same boat striving for the same thing? You have to showcase yourself and show what sets you apart. There are worst-case scenarios and best-case scenarios, but more than likely you'll end up somewhere in the middle. In either case, dropout or graduate, it's all about networking to get your foot in the door, but it's after that where your know-how comes in. And I feel that is what gives you lasting power. I know one side and am on my way through the other. In my experience, it's better to at least try school. That doesn't mean just college, but vocational and trade school as well. Knowing what you want to do doesn't hurt either.

Best post thus far

 

[Hank Scorpio]

OP, on a serious note:

Can you divulge where you went to school? What kind of degree(s) you have and in what fields? And what your GPA was like?

Please do not spare any of the extra-curriculars you may or may not have been apart of.

 

[suberzat1]

I hate to say it but starting to feel like Don Chance(old dean of business LSU) is right with students feeling entitle.

Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

Rants & Raves​

(Don Chance)

Mr. Rogers and the Entitlement Generation

OK, you may know some of this story.  On July 5, 2007, The Wall Street Journal  quoted me as saying that Mr. Rogers was the reason the current generation of young people is spoiled.  Mr. Rogers, as you will remember, told every child that he or she was “special.”  I was quoted as saying that each child then grew up to believe that he or she is indeed special, leading to a nation of spoiled young adults.  The ensuing hoopla caused a national furor and a raging debate over whether the current generation is indeed spoiled and whether the man in the red sweater had anything to do with it.  At the time, I tried to stay out of the debate.  It was, after all, an off-hand metaphorical comment, for which I paid a heavy price in the vitriol I received from fans of Mr. Rogers, many of whom clearly did not get his message about how to treat people.  They demonstrated to me and others that even though they were deeply troubled that someone would criticize Mr. Rogers, however metaphorically, they behaved in a manner of which he would not have approved.  Every so often the story resurfaces and I get more vicious emails.  I have finally decided to tell my complete side of the story and to fill in a little more.  Please read all of this carefully before you fire off a response.

First, a little perspective.  I have been teaching college students in finance and business full-time since 1980.  At some time in the early 21[sup]st[/sup]  century, I began to make anecdotal observations that a surprising number of my students seemed spoiled in relation to their predecessors.  This was not a formal study, as reported by Steve Doocy of FoxNews and erroneously reiterated by many others.  I do not consider myself an expert on the psychology of young people, though I was reminded by a close relative that I really was something of an expert.  You cannot spend more than two decades teaching young people without accumulating some expertise of this sort.  But whether I am an expert or not, here is the story.

On May 3, 2007 Wall Street Journal  writer Jeff Zaslow wrote an article called “In Praise of Less Praise,” which raised the question of whether we give out too much praise to children these days.  I emailed him and I mentioned that maybe we should blame Mr. Rogers for telling kids how special they were and how those kids grew up unable to take criticism.  A few days later he replied and thanked me, noting that he’d like to follow up on the Mr. Rogers idea.

[Let me take a brief moment and say that the opportunity to talk several times with Jeff Zaslow was well worth the ensuing aggravation of the Mr. Rogers affair that I am about to tell you about.  Jeff was a relatively unknown writer at the time but only a year later became famous for his best seller The Last Lecture, the story of a terminally ill college professor.  After that he wrote Highest Duty:  My Search for What Really Matters, the story of U. S. Airlines Captain Sully Sullenberger, who saved his plane when it dove into the Hudson River, and he also penned Gabby:  A Story of Courage and Hope, which was about Congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords and her recovery from a near-fatal shooting.  Unfortunately, Jeff was tragically killed in an automobile accident in Michigan in the winter of 2012.  Of course, all of this has nothing to do with my connection with Jeff, but I cannot tell my story without praising him for his excellent work in the last few years of his life and telling you how sad I was to hear of his death.]

In July of 2007 he followed up, contacting me about his plan to do another article that would address the point of whether young people were spoiled because we brought them up telling them they were special.  This article appeared on July 5, 2007 at the bottom of p. B5 of the Personal Section, complete with a color picture of Rogers in his famous red sweater.  The title was “Blame It on Mr. Rogers:  Why Young Adults Feel So Entitled.”  It was, to say the least, attention-grabbing.

Here is the exact text that involved me, which started with the first sentence of the article.

Don Chance, a finance professor at Louisiana State University, says it dawned on him last spring.  The semester was ending, and as usual, students were making a pilgrimage to his office, asking for the extra points needed to life their grades to A’s. 

 

“They felt entitled,” he recalls, “and it just hit me.  We can blame Mr. Rogers.”  

He goes on to say

 Fred Rogers, the late TV icon, told several generations of children that they were “special” just for being whoever they were.  He meant well, and he was a sterling role model in many ways.  But what often got lost in his self-esteem-building patter was the idea that being special comes from working hard and having high expectations for yourself.

Later he writes,

 But as Prof. Chance sees it, “he’s (Rogers’) representative of a culture of excessive doting.”  Prof. Chance teaches many Asian-born students and says they accept whatever grade they’re given; they see B’s and C’s as an indication that they must work harder, and that their elders assessed them accurately.  They didn’t grow up with Mr. Rogers or anyone else telling them they were born special.

By contrast, American students often view lower grades as a reason to “hit you up for an A because they came to class and feel they worked hard,” says Prof. Chance.  He wishes more parents would offer kids this perspective:  “The world owes you nothing.  You have to work and compete.  If you want to be special, you’ll have to prove it.”

This article turned out to be the Wall Street Journal’s  most downloaded article of the week, a point further highlighted in the Journal’s Saturday issue, which also included a color photo of Rogers.  The intent was to continue to pump up the article so more and not let the story die.

Well, things then exploded.  I began receiving three types of emails and phone calls.  The first was from other media outlets wanting interviews, all of which I declined.  Even the opportunity to be on FoxNews’ morning show “Fox & Friends” was not something I wanted.  The second type of email was from those who agreed with my comments, nothing of which really had anything to do with Mr. Rogers.  These people saw that he was clearly just a metaphor for the incessant coddling and trophy-giving we have done to these kids as they went from toddler to adult.  The supporters of my statement almost never mentioned Rogers.  They knew what I was talking about.  By the way, I would like to emphasize that these emails came from a tremendous number of teachers.  They knew exactly what I was talking about and that it had nothing to do with a PBS television show.

It was the third set of letters that really got me, though I suppose I should not have been surprised.  The metaphor sailed over the heads of a lot of people, possibly even the majority.  They came at me with varying degrees of respect.  Some were extremely bitter and some were just bewildered.  The bitter ones attacked me for attacking a dead person or attacking someone who had been so nice and had done so much good.  The bewildered ones could not understand why I had to “pick on him.”

Well, I wasn’t picking on him.  Public figures know that they will often be mentioned and not always in the most favorable light.  By putting themselves in the public eye, they are fair game.  And I do not believe that just because a person is dead they cannot be mentioned in a negative light.  Of course, none of this really mattered.  Rogers was just a metaphor, but I’ll admit it was perhaps way too deep for people to catch.

I responded to each email and some of the negative ones softened up, realizing that I had a point that had nothing to do with Rogers.  They certainly wished I had made the point another way, but I am pretty sure had I not mentioned Rogers to that reporter, it never would have gotten in print.  I even got into a communication with the head of the company that made Mr. Rogers’ train.  He was a personal friend of Mr. Rogers.  His note was written in a respectful manner, and we had an excellent exchange of comments.  I think he ultimately did get my point but wished it hadn’t come at the expense of his late friend.

I am pretty sure the end result was a resurgence of interest in Mr. Rogers.  He had been dead four years, and I cannot recall any other mention of his name since his death.  In Hollywood, they say “there’s no such thing as bad publicity.”  I’m convinced that getting his name out there ultimately did his legacy a great deal of good.

I did respond to reporters in those few days afterwards.  I did no formal interviews but answered a few questions.  It was also quite interesting that Fox News originally reported my story as being a “professor at Louisiana State University did this study that showed that Mr. Rogers had damaged generations of children.”  I can certainly see that this would have been a headline-grabbing story, but of course, no such study was ever done.  I sent an explanatory note that was read on Fox & Friends.  Here is the text:

I made a casual observation that we have a society full of people who think they’re entitled to things they haven’t earned.  The reference to Rogers was just a metaphor.  As the article says, he is representative of a culture of excessive doting but he is not the problem itself.  That said, it was just an observation.  I have no professional qualifications to evaluate the real problems or propose solutions.  Mr. Rogers was a great American.  I watched him with my children and wouldn’t hesitate to do so again if I had young children.  I would just want to makes sure that they know that people become special by the choices they make, not by who they are and that the world owes you nothing.

Then in the manner of a raging forest fire, the internet grapevine reported that I had apologized and backed off.  There was truly nothing to apologize for and I certainly did not back off.  I think the above statement is clear.  I just explained my position.

Zaslow did a follow-up story two weeks later, fortunately not mentioning me, to provide some clarification of his position.  He stated that he had received about 1,000 comments from readers.  In a private conversation he confirmed to me that it was interesting that when a comment came from a teacher, there was nearly universal agreement with the article.  The teachers did not obsess over the Rogers reference.  They knew what the real problem was.  In that article, Zaslow said

Many readers appreciated the arguments, but others felt the column was unfair to target Mr. Rogers, who was such a positive influence.  I hadn’t expected that column to be taken so literally, and I should have articulated the fact that Mr. Rogers also encouraged hard work and mutual respect.  It’s not his fault if others now misinterpret the “special” language he popularized.”

He also went to point out many other reasons why young people feel entitled.

 In addition, I would like to point out that I’m not the only one to allegedly make the allegorical connection between entitlement and Mr. Rogers.  On December 12, 2008 Fox Business reporter Elizabeth MacDonald “blamed” the Wall Street bailouts on Mr. Rogers:

Better yet, blame the bailouts on everyone who forgot the most important part of the Mister Rogers' Neighborhood show, a willful ignorance that has led to a mass dereliction of civic duty, of civic vision--Rogers' emphasis on "neighborhood."

So again blame the bailout on how generations were raised, on an overweening sense of narcissistic entitlement.

Yes, Mr. Rogers helped those of us, too many of us, who had to endure obnoxious abusive parents to get through the day. I get that.

But again, I'm talking about the culture of entitlement that's behind bailout fever.

Miss Louise of Romper Room never encouraged this behavior--remember the Bumble Bee telling children to behave: "Do Bee a Don't Bee Doer"?

E-Mac was unaware of the Wall Street Journal story, because she inserted the following into her web article after it was published.

 (Readers have pointed out that the Wall Street Journal  took a similar crack at Mister Rogers in a prior column years ago, thank you for pointing that out dear Readers, I have since read the piece, it’s hilarious).

 [Some have misunderstood this piece since it appeared as being written in all seriousness, and have read it literally as such. This is jest, this is only jest. You are reading a spoof, satire. I adore Mister Rogers and always will. And the Wall Street Journal beat me to this years ago with an editorial trying to blame something or other on Mister Rogers. So I'm not the first here. Although my thoughts are more satirical here]

 In 2010, the story resurfaced.  I learned that someone somewhere found the story and posted it.  The fire was lit again, though fortunately it didn’t rage too far.  I started getting hate emails, however, including some that were utterly vile, even worse this time than the last.  It is interesting that someone who evidently thinks so highly of Mr. Rogers would talk to me with such offensive language?  Clearly those people were good examples of the kind of spoiled people I was talking about, but more importantly, they took actions of which Mr. Rogers would certainly not approve.  The positive messages he sent simply were not received or if they were, they were overshadowed by the “specialness” these people thought of themselves.

 If you ask me how I feel now about Mr. Rogers, I honestly have mixed feelings.  On the one hand, I see kindness.  He taught good manners and respect.  I truly believe he would disapprove of how children are being reared today.  But on the other, every time I think about his telling children how special they are, I cringe.  One responder told me that he believed that Rogers used the wrong word.  What he really meant was “unique.”  This is quite possibly correct.  Every child, indeed every person, is unique and “special” is probably an easier word for a child to process.  Nonetheless, I cannot fathom what value is gained from telling a child that he or she is unique.  How could their little minds believe this means anything other than there is no one in the world exactly like them?  That isn’t exactly a profound or character-building revelation.  I suspect most all already are quite aware that we are all different.  Even identical twins.  I had indicated in my note to Fox & Friends that I would allow my children to watch Mr. Rogers if I had that opportunity today, but I am now not so sure.  There are a lot of good ways to get that positive message across.  Frankly, I really do not want to hear him say “you’re special” another time.

 So I am really not sure what I think of Mr. Rogers on balance.  I wish children watching his show had gotten the message that it is a competitive world out there.  While people may not be out to “get you,” they are out to get something you want before you can get it.  It is a tough competitive world.  No one owes you anything.  If we teach our children anything less, they grow up feeling entitled.

 For a good treatment of this problem and the consequences, read The Trophy Kids Grow Up  by Ron Alsop.

 

[kspar]

Out of curiosity, how does a 6 year old drop out of 1st grade?

"Man I'm off this. The alphabet is for suckers"

View media item 624660

dragonball basically

 

[boris]

It would have been extremely difficult to learn about my major without going to a university. I chose to attend an inexpensive university that is well known for what I studied. I'm not sure I'll be rich, but I'm sure that I'll be well off. 

 

[bigstan]

Any NTers looking at colleges I highly recommend Northeastern University in Boston, MA. We're most well know for our 5yr program, during which you do 3 co-ops (6 month paid internships). They're a great way to get some insight in industries you may be interested in as well as get some experience on your resume.

I have many friends who have interned in accounting at the big 4 as well as large financial companies such as Morgan Stanley or Goldman making $24+ an hour.

Other quick facts

you get interview practice and your resume looked over before you apply to jobs

theres a job database through which you can send your resume, then if they're interested you go through a normal interview process

you pay for 4 years, the 5th essentially is all of your internships which are done in your second third and fourth years with classes in between

jobs are 40hrs a week for 6 months

I feel like a recruiter after writing all that 

 

 

[sea manup]

You sound like a big stan

 

[ozarkshark]

dont want to pay that out of state tuition plus Boston sucks 

 

[tay1]

Honestly it's not that difficult, almost like Legos. I think the hardest part is finding the hardware that won't conflict with your motherboard.

Similar feels with HS.. Skated by with a 2.1 GPA and a 24 ACT. Didn't learn a thing in high school and didn't really care. Finally realized what my life would be like if I continued to have that same attitude..

Always knew I was just as smart or smarter than most of the people around me without trying.. Didn't realize it till after I saw a couple of my friends I had in honors classes going all over the place while I stayed stuck in my city attending a local university. Just had a homie get arrested Saturday before he was about to rob someone. Gun charge and he's a minor.. So MIP on top of that. Could easily have chosen that path as well.

Helps put life in perspective. College really feels like the only way out of this. Not sure what I would be doing if I didn't decide to go this route.

Hoping if I deans list this semester and next semester I can finally make it out.

I think the cost of the hardware would be a bit of a problem for me. If I was to build me my own computer, I would want top notch specs to go with it. I'm thinking about just buying a cheap computer, and taking it apart and practice putting it together. And yeah, college is the only way for me. I don't feel as if a High school diploma is rewarding enough for 12 years of being in school, so I'm gonna get my times worth. With Computer Science though, I think I'd just stop at a Bachelors, I don't know if a masters is that needed in this field.