College Degree Value Decreasing

[Hank Scorpio]

Name times when you don’t need to. Legitimate question

The following is a list furnished at your request, with corresponding median income

• Commercial Pilot ~$80k/year
• Technician (aircraft (or transportation), mechanics, automobile, construction vehicles/machines etc) ~$80k
• Fire-Fighter (management or supervisory) ~$75k
• Software Engineer ~$110k
• Plumber ~$60-80k (I know some who make over $100k)
• Electrician ~60-80k (same as the plumber)
• Occupational Therapy Assistant ~$60k
• Radiology and MRI technologist ~$65k
• Police Officers ~$70k (NYC cops make over $100k after 5 years of service)
• Dental Hygienist ~$80k
• Air Traffic Controller ~$120k

The problem is, society is conditioned to believe college or higher education is the end all, be all prerequisite to have a comfortable life. Hell, even these educational institutions have a hand at making us all believe this grift.

I'm not saying F college or getting a degree. I'm saying, if you feel school isn't for you--there are other options out there. I went to college, majored in engineering, went into finance and then got my MBA (Harvard Business School). I am where I'm at today because of college, but that's because it was a choice I made for myself.

We need to start thinking more profoundly, critically, considerately.

 

[WASHED KING]

Police officers are vastly over paid.

 

[Hank Scorpio]

Delete

 

[tay1]

Police officers are vastly over paid.

You have to incentivize people to want to become officers. In many areas, police are understaffed. I would say the funds are being allocated improperly imo

 

[waukeganwill]

Are you gonna make your kids go to college?

It wont be forced upon like it was for me. Not saying my parents were wrong, I just think we are in different times. Im going to let My Son know that college is a route that he can take if he chooses to and that it is not mandatory or a requirement. Whatever he shows passion in after high school, let it be continuing his education or something he enjoys that doesnt require a degree I plan on helping him with and supporting.

But trust and believe if he does pick college I wont let him make the same mistakes that I made.

 

[WASHED KING]

You have to incentivize people to want to become officers. In many areas, police are understaffed. I would say the funds are being allocated improperly imo

Agree to disagree. Don't want to derail the thread.

Public schools are understaffed and you don't see money being funneled in to attract more teachers.

 

[shorty doo wop]

you go to school/work for money.

you do whatever your passion is in your free time.

the problem is people have been told to do or study what they love...then later in life theyre mad because theyre broke and cant buy their kids nikes.

I agree people need to think about whether what they love will be able to pay their bills, cuz if not maybe they should keep it as a hobby and do something else for money

 

[tay1]

It wont be forced upon like it was for me. Not saying my parents were wrong, I just think we are in different times. Im going to let My Son know that college is a route that he can take if he chooses to and that it is not mandatory or a requirement. Whatever he shows passion in after high school, let it be continuing his education or something he enjoys that doesnt require a degree I plan on helping him with and supporting.

But trust and believe if he does pick college I wont let him make the same mistakes that I made.

What would some of the mistakes be? Wrong major? Loans taken out?

 

[ahat]

If you’re paying for college out of your own pocket you already lost, full ride scholarship or nothing. What the hell are you doing wasting time with school?

 

[WASHED KING]

Expecting 18 year olds to have their life figured out while signing up for tens of thousands of dollars in loans is insane.

 

[deusavertat]

The following is a list furnished at your request, with corresponding median income

• Commercial Pilot ~$80k/year
• Technician (aircraft (or transportation), mechanics, automobile, construction vehicles/machines etc) ~$80k
• Fire-Fighter (management or supervisory) ~$75k
• Software Engineer ~$110k
• Plumber ~$60-80k (I know some who make over $100k)
• Electrician ~60-80k (same as the plumber)
• Occupational Therapy Assistant ~$60k
• Radiology and MRI technologist ~$65k
• Police Officers ~$70k (NYC cops make over $100k after 5 years of service)
• Dental Hygienist ~$80k
• Air Traffic Controller ~$120k

Some of these are misleading, although you don't necessarily need a college degree to become an MRI or nuclear medicine tech, most of them do Plus 2 to 4 years of additional training. It isn't a job someone without some form of basic training in the physical sciences is likely to get.

Professions like OT assistant and dental hygienists have to get associate degrees in those colleges that have commercials on TV.

A candidate must have either 3 years of progressively responsible work experience, a bachelor's degree, a combination of postsecondary education and work experience totaling three years, or obtain a degree through an Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)-approved Air Traffic Collegiate Training Initiative (AT-CTI) .

Anyone can become a software engineer by going through a coding bootcamp but the better companies arent going to hirer someone without some form of formal training. I was surprised to hear a friend I graduated with who majored in English became a software engineer by going through an intensive coding boot camp. I doubt most people can do this without the type of diverse education she got at my almamater. No matter what your major was my school forced you to take math and science classes. She took an intro to comp Sci and calculus class as a liberal arts major and that experience helped.

Bottom line is a lot of what is listed here has some component of a "college equivalent" training plus certification exams which can be expensive.

It's crazy that the easiest training on here is probably police.

 

[sohi 23]

College doesn’t work for everybody but it worked out for me. One of the only roads available for me to pull my family out of poverty.

I got a BS in EE, financial aid came through for me and I graduated with small debt. It worked out for me but I can see why it didn’t work for others. You have to pick a degree that’s worth it and make sure that you don’t cripple yourself financially.

I would recommend my future kid to go to CC for 2 years and then transfer to a 4 year once you have a better handle on things.

 

[blastercombo]

The following is a list furnished at your request, with corresponding median income

• Commercial Pilot ~$80k/year
• Technician (aircraft (or transportation), mechanics, automobile, construction vehicles/machines etc) ~$80l
• Fire-Fighter (management or supervisory) ~$75k
• Software Engineer ~$110k
• Plumber ~$60-80k (I know some who make over $100K)
• Electrician ~60-80k (same as the plumber)
• Occupational Therapy Assistant ~$60k
• Radiology and MRI technologist ~$65k
• Police Officers ~$70k (NYC cops make over $100k after 5 years of service)
• Dental Hygienist ~$80k
• Air Traffic Controller ~$120k

“Don't think you NEED to go to college or seek higher education per se to make it life”

You think these things don’t require some sort of education?

 

[Hank Scorpio]

“Don't think you NEED to go to college or seek higher education per se to make it life”

You think these things don’t require some sort of education?

Sure, for it's corresponding trade. There's Pilots schools, plumber schools, electrician schools etc.

But you don't need to get a 4-year degree to do any of these things.

 

[s0lefunk]

Expecting 18 year olds to have their life figured out while signing up for tens of thousands of dollars in loans is insane.

Agreed. One aspect of the education system I don’t see talked about enough is effective guidance counseling at the HS and college level. I was an unmotivated, average student with an entrepreneurial spirit. Wouldn’t do a lick of homework but would spend all night balancing books from candy and CD sales.

In HS, we had to complete maybe 1-2 mandatory meetings with the guidance counselor. All we did was go over my transcript to make sure I had enough credits to graduate. No talk about life goals, majors I might be interested in, nothing. I had to figure myself out by myself. Pretty much same deal in college. Went undeclared my first 2 years then had to meet a counselor to declare a major. She berated me for not deciding on a major yet...Didn’t offer any help. Just told me to come back when I picked one.

Some days I wonder had just a single counselor or teacher ask me “What interests you?” early on how different my life/college experience would have been.

 

[8|24]

Im all for college tbh i just enjoy learning in general. I used to not like school but i learned to like it because i always think about the end goal of making good money. The further i progress through my program the more i want to learn even though it stresses me out

i was at community college for years. Transferred to University, paid with money outta pocket from working while in community college. I always knew that student loans was a no go for me. Im not about to be in debt bruhs..

college was da only option for me honestly. I was so tired of working in warehouses/distribution centers, construction, ...putting my health on the line everyday for relative cheap pay for the amount of work required. I gambled on college in the health field because i knew it pays well. I knew absolutely nothing about the human body when i started, i never even been in the hospital before

though my gpa was only 2.2 gpa graduating high school i knew i wasnt stupid, just lack motivation and was scared to try. Had to buckle down because i was getting more broke by the month.

being broke is a gift and a curse. It can either break you or motivate da **** outta you

 

[blastercombo]

Sure, for it's corresponding trade. There's Pilots schools, plumber schools, electrician schools etc.

But you don't need to get a 4-year degree to do any of these things.

And that’s not higher education?

 

[Hank Scorpio]

And that’s not higher education?

Technically, no. It's not. These are all trades. And you can go to corresponding schools, focused on these trades. Higher education is usually defined as a "tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree".

Now, has some colleges and universities began to offer training of these trades? Of course! They don't want other peoples hands in their cookie jar

 

[deusavertat]

“Don't think you NEED to go to college or seek higher education per se to make it life”

You think these things don’t require some sort of education?

A lot of what he listed requires a higher education. Techs have to work with doctors and their diagnostic tests are essential in coming to a patients diagnosis. They dont just take anyone. Preferential treatment will be given to a NM or MRI tech with a Bachelors degree in the STEM fields for advanced training or job placement.

 

[waukeganwill]

What would some of the mistakes be? Wrong major? Loans taken out?

1. Loans - I got my Bachelors and My Masters. My Bachelors I took loans out and the refund checks I had no business touching. I smartened up during grad school and got an assistantship which paid for my grad school and gave me a stipend. But Im still feeling the effects of the loans from undergrad. If he wants to go to school Im going to make sure he can graduate with zero debt, because getting a decent paying job is already a challenge, but doing that AND being thousands of dollars in debt is basically like starting a race with a weight on your leg and I want him to avoid that at all costs.

2. Partying/Binge Drinking - It is inevitable, I know. But college is some wild **** man. Lotta schools are plopped in the middle of nowhere. So you got all these young kids in these rinky dink towns with access to drugs/liquor and they dont know what they are taking or how to take em. I never had these conversations with my parents and I want him to be aware and at least knowledgable in it before he goes out there. I wasnt and mind you I had hella fun, but lots of bad habits were developed.

3. Finding the right degree - If he wants to go to school I want him to get a degree that he can find a job that he will enjoy doing and also that he can have a decent living on. Out of all my friends I am the only one that has a job in the field I actually went to school for. But I wish I would have put more thought into it because Im not necessarily enjoying my career. So I dont want him getting a degree and not being able to use it, or using it and not being happy. If he wants to go to school I want us to dig deep on his interests and what he wants to do professionally so that way he can have a feeling of fulfillment.

4. Take advantage of community colleges - In my hometown we had a community college where I took courses the summer before my freshman year and got credits. I only took 2 but looking back I should have done more which would have saved money. The courses offered at the community college were wayyyy cheaper I would def encourage him to enroll for multiple classes each summer.

5. Come home after school - My dumb *** graduated and drove straight to a new city, got an apartment, and thought I was grown lol My Dad kept telling me to come home and stay for a few years and I think about that decision daily. Its been 7 years since I graduated and I would say I didnt get to a comfortable spot till about year 5. I would like him to come home for a couple of years (at minimum 2, but he can stay longer) and just stack up. I plan on having the house set up to where he has his own entrance and side of the house so its like he has his own apartment and we dont have to cross paths unless we choose too. Id like him to get the job he wants, stay at home for 2 years, put majority of each check in the bank, then when he gets to a good spot we can send him on his way with a comfortable cushion.


These are just a few things I feel I want to help him with if he decides to take the collegiate route. I cant protect him from everything, but I def can put him in the right direction and give him the guidance that I missed out on.

 

[blastercombo]

Technically, no. It's not. These are all trades. And you can go to corresponding schools, focused on these trades. Higher education is usually defined as a "tertiary education leading to award of an academic degree".

Now, has some colleges and universities began to offer training of these trades? Of course! They don't want other peoples hands in their cookie jar

They’re absolutely higher education. Not even debatable

 

[blastercombo]

A lot of what he listed requires a higher education. Techs have to work with doctors and their diagnostic tests are essential in coming to a patients diagnosis. They dont just take anyone. Preferential treatment will be given to a NM or MRI tech with a Bachelors degree in the STEM fields for advanced training or job placement.

He’s just wrong. That’s all. Won’t even argue with “you don’t need to go to school to become a pilot”.

 

[$tacy]

A college or advanced degree is something that people SHOULD be proud of and SHOULD be celebrated. Umurica is just doing it backwards.

College makes knowing the right people a little easier. Can't network if you don't have a network.

And so is running a business....

 

[deusavertat]

Expecting 18 year olds to have their life figured out while signing up for tens of thousands of dollars in loans is insane.

Actually one of the purposes of college is helping you figure out life. God knows how many people started out premed or engineering who end up discovering a different passion by being exposed to different fields.

Technically not going to college is just as drastic a decision for an 18 year old. What if you don't go and at 30 you decide you want to study medicine? Now you have to go back and get a Bachelors degree and graduate college as a 34 year old?

 

[WASHED KING]

Actually one of the purposes of college is helping you figure out life. God knows how many people started out premed or engineering who end up discovering a different passion by being exposed to different fields.

Technically not going to college is just as drastic a decision for an 18 year old. What if you don't go and at 30 you decide you want to study medicine? Now you have to go back and get a Bachelors degree and graduate college as a 34 year old?

I would agree if you if those years of discovery didn't cost them thousands of dollars in debt.