College...was it worth it?

[Jojo4124]

I just wanted to comment on this and I'd love to hear others' experiences.

I was blessed to have a dad who paid for my university bachelor degree. Unfortunately, I had switched out of elementary education after learning that part of my earnings as a teacher could go to pay the liberal teacher's union. So I thought I'd switch to nursing, but the counselors there discouraged me saying that if I switched to the nursing program that it would add another 2 years to my college life. As an introvert, I didnt know to get more opinions on this, and I couldnt talk to my parents as my mom had yelled at me for getting out of el ed. I was a kid who needed the extra guidance n push. I had a lot of siblings coming up after me, and I thought that 2 more years of college would be selfish...so, I got a "nothing" bachelor degree. It cost my dad $30k back then.

I hear that a 4 year uni now can cost over $100k! How do these colleges get away with offering nothing degrees? And no guarantee that you'll get a job that pays more than a job that a highschool kid can get after graduating from vocational ed??!!

I totally advocate for the good high school vo ed programs out there...all kids should be able to graduate highschool equipped to earn a real living!

I encouraged my 2 girls to go to a community college for the first 2 years, then switch to university. Saved a ton of money, plus a lot of community college teachers were also working in their field, providing real-world info to the students.

I know that colleges are great for kids who know exactly what career they want. I wish that high schools would help students maybe shadow professionals for a day (even my RCC "college prep" high school had zero programs to introduce students to different careers...I should have known about the teacher's union thing before wasting 2.5 years in college on it)

Even tho I had graduated from a "college prep" high school, my first 1.5 years of classes in college were repeats of basic junk like geography and history! Apologies to any geography or history buffs, but ew for me, lol!

I DO believe that God put me in college to be exposed to the gospel n get saved! (God bless Campus Crusade for Christ!!!) And my daughters were involved in Younglife at their college.
So that means more than a useless degree to me. But still...a lot of time n money wasted on universities!!

I wish apprenticeships would make a comeback...maybe they have somewhere...

 

[Carl]

Looks like what has been done is to take bunch of useful schooling out of high school and put it in college. forcing extra thousands of dollars on parents for educations that should have been in the 12 year public education program.

I graduated from high school in 1959. You could still get classes that meant something. Many technical jobs could be handled with that high school education. The secret was that the basics were in the high school program. Enough so that a person could get the training necessary to handle many technical jobs.

What we have now is a sham to collect more money from folks for education. Most college is a waste of time since it won't be used for a career. Most businesses have gone along with the lie and a degree is needed for jobs (that don't need a degree).

 

[Jaybird]

Please don't get me rolling on the college issue. My son just graduated from college last year and it was a complete waste of time and money. Fortunately, he transferred out of an expensive school after his first year and commuted to a local state school, but it was still overpriced. A friend brought his son to a college open house a few years back and he asked the college representative if spending over 100K at the school would get his son a job the rep replied back that although they could not guarantee that anyone would get a job he could guarantee that they would have a great experience! I can spend 3,000 dollars on a cruise and get an "experience." These schools scare these kids into attending by saying that if they don't get a degree they will have a miserable life. Then they tell them they can easily afford it by signing the papers for a college loan. Then they graduate, get a job and wind up living in their parents basement for the rest of their lives because the student loan payments are killing them financially. All college does is support overpaid administrators and teachers with outrageous benefits paid for by the gullible students.

 

[daygo]

I just wanted to comment on this and I'd love to hear others' experiences.

I was blessed to have a dad who paid for my university bachelor degree. Unfortunately, I had switched out of elementary education after learning that part of my earnings as a teacher could go to pay the liberal teacher's union. So I thought I'd switch to nursing, but the counselors there discouraged me saying that if I switched to the nursing program that it would add another 2 years to my college life. As an introvert, I didnt know to get more opinions on this, and I couldnt talk to my parents as my mom had yelled at me for getting out of el ed. I was a kid who needed the extra guidance n push. I had a lot of siblings coming up after me, and I thought that 2 more years of college would be selfish...so, I got a "nothing" bachelor degree. It cost my dad $30k back then.

I hear that a 4 year uni now can cost over $100k! How do these colleges get away with offering nothing degrees? And no guarantee that you'll get a job that pays more than a job that a highschool kid can get after graduating from vocational ed??!!

I totally advocate for the good high school vo ed programs out there...all kids should be able to graduate highschool equipped to earn a real living!

I encouraged my 2 girls to go to a community college for the first 2 years, then switch to university. Saved a ton of money, plus a lot of community college teachers were also working in their field, providing real-world info to the students.

I know that colleges are great for kids who know exactly what career they want. I wish that high schools would help students maybe shadow professionals for a day (even my RCC "college prep" high school had zero programs to introduce students to different careers...I should have known about the teacher's union thing before wasting 2.5 years in college on it)

Even tho I had graduated from a "college prep" high school, my first 1.5 years of classes in college were repeats of basic junk like geography and history! Apologies to any geography or history buffs, but ew for me, lol!

I DO believe that God put me in college to be exposed to the gospel n get saved! (God bless Campus Crusade for Christ!!!) And my daughters were involved in Younglife at their college.
So that means more than a useless degree to me. But still...a lot of time n money wasted on universities!!

I wish apprenticeships would make a comeback...maybe they have somewhere...

Go for it.

 

[Baby Yoda]

I went to college on nights/weekends while working full time as a married adult (and stepmom). I paid for it all myself. I studied topics I enjoyed (philosophy, English) and also business courses. The business classes were a little helpful in my mortgage career, but definitely not crucial. I did learn that I would not have had my prior job at the savings bank (for 18 years) without a degree. But not for any good reason.

 

[Tall Timbers]

I hear that a 4 year uni now can cost over $100k!

If you go to school out of state it can easily run 300K for four years now. Some degrees may be worth that, but many are not really worth anything.

 

[athenasius]

I'll use my own career as an example. I think nursing would be better served if we went back to the apprenticeship hospital programs as they did in the world wars and a long time after.

I see some hope with colleges that offer a "ladder up" program for nurses, training as LPN's then qualifying, working as an LPN and taking courses till qualifying for the RN exams.

That's a good balance between book learning and on the job practicality. It means the nurse in training isn't saddled with a ton of debt. Learning practical on the job skills as they go along.

Back in the mid 70s in BC Canada when I did my training, they had just started making RN programs into college and university degrees, and were phasing out the hospital trained RNs. I trained at a college in an accelerated program for 2 years, while the hospital programs were 3 and uni was 4. My college soon went to 4 years after that as the 2 years was too hard for most to keep up to. It was intensive.

Once out in the work force though I noticed a big difference with the grads. The hospital trained nurses were better at their jobs. They talked a lot about feeling inferior to the book learning from the college and uni grads but in my estimate they were just fine, and I would far rather have one of them on a shift with me.

I would place my own training in the middle. We worked very hard, got thru all but some courses in statistics and public health that the uni grads did, but in half the time so we were used to a heavy workload. But we were weak on the actual bedside nursing. Once I figured out how to pace myself and stay focused and on task during a busy shift I did much better.

The university degree nurses liked to offload their own responsibilities onto the LPN's under them, often looking down on college or hospital RNs. They had a good grasp of the technical aspects but they were no good in actually getting the job done. The general feeling was that they didn't go for a university degree to deal with bedpans and vomit, and those were someone ELSE's job.

They were aiming for management positions, and nobody made head nurse unless they had a masters. Nobody was allowed to teach without a masters, and preferably a doctorate. Bedside care was a stepping stone along their path to a teaching or management career. A pretty expensive path mind you, and the payscale at the end was no pot of gold either. I could never figure out the appeal, but plenty of people took that path.

I considered getting a degree or two under my belt, but never in nursing. I'd originally planned to work as I took courses towards a medical degree. I couldn't see the point in the same time and cost but staying in nursing. If I was putting in the time, effort and cost I wanted a medical degree not a fancy bumped up nursing degree.

Contrast that with a college education in a trade or occupation that pays well. That grad isn't saddled with a lifetime debt to pay off.

Then there are the YEARS of social programming from university professors who adore breaking the faith in God along with other quaint notions the kids and their parents believe.

And that is another point. We have had GENERATIONS of kids going to university and losing their faith in God, raising THEIR children as agnostics. And we PAY for that privilege????

Where are the hot beds for indoctrination into Communism, leftist economic madness and things like global warming?

Where are people learning about critical race theory?

Where do the teachers learn that stuff when they teach it in elementary school?

When people learned well in schools, what kind of teachers did they have? What did those teachers feed them?

I think university has become a self perpetuating cycle--producing grads in fields that will now ONLY take university grads, and the university only hires their own production line to teach with--those who went on to get masters, then doctorates.

It started with the notion that a good general education and 4 years of hard work meant a better employee, so employers looked for university grads. But as university dumbed itself down along with the rest of society, those degrees became a dime a dozen.

The emperor has no clothes, and very few will challenge the monopoly that university has on modern life. It's hard to get a job without a degree, and university is involved even when it's churning out teachers for schools and colleges.

They are a gatekeeper for modern society. The ones who make sure everyone thinks the same.

Except for the trades. They are interested in how the job gets done. Not in how politically correct the graduate becomes. And they don't take as long to turn people out with an employable trade.

And the self made entrepreneurs or in other words, the engines of commerce. The owners of businesses who have built them from scratch and hire a lot of people.

But those are the MAGA types that the university grads look down on. The blue collar people, the self made "wealthy" who create most of the jobs.

 

[daygo]

I'll use my own career as an example. I think nursing would be better served if we went back to the apprenticeship hospital programs as they did in the world wars and a long time after.

I see some hope with colleges that offer a "ladder up" program for nurses, training as LPN's then qualifying, working as an LPN and taking courses till qualifying for the RN exams.

That's a good balance between book learning and on the job practicality. It means the nurse in training isn't saddled with a ton of debt. Learning practical on the job skills as they go along.

Back in the mid 70s in BC Canada when I did my training, they had just started making RN programs into college and university degrees, and were phasing out the hospital trained RNs. I trained at a college in an accelerated program for 2 years, while the hospital programs were 3 and uni was 4. My college soon went to 4 years after that as the 2 years was too hard for most to keep up to. It was intensive.

Once out in the work force though I noticed a big difference with the grads. The hospital trained nurses were better at their jobs. They talked a lot about feeling inferior to the book learning from the college and uni grads but in my estimate they were just fine, and I would far rather have one of them on a shift with me.

I would place my own training in the middle. We worked very hard, got thru all but some courses in statistics and public health that the uni grads did, but in half the time so we were used to a heavy workload. But we were weak on the actual bedside nursing. Once I figured out how to pace myself and stay focused and on task during a busy shift I did much better.

The university degree nurses liked to offload their own responsibilities onto the LPN's under them, often looking down on college or hospital RNs. They had a good grasp of the technical aspects but they were no good in actually getting the job done. The general feeling was that they didn't go for a university degree to deal with bedpans and vomit, and those were someone ELSE's job.

They were aiming for management positions, and nobody made head nurse unless they had a masters. Nobody was allowed to teach without a masters, and preferably a doctorate. Bedside care was a stepping stone along their path to a teaching or management career. A pretty expensive path mind you, and the payscale at the end was no pot of gold either. I could never figure out the appeal, but plenty of people took that path.

I considered getting a degree or two under my belt, but never in nursing. I'd originally planned to work as I took courses towards a medical degree. I couldn't see the point in the same time and cost but staying in nursing. If I was putting in the time, effort and cost I wanted a medical degree not a fancy bumped up nursing degree.

Contrast that with a college education in a trade or occupation that pays well. That grad isn't saddled with a lifetime debt to pay off.

Then there are the YEARS of social programming from university professors who adore breaking the faith in God along with other quaint notions the kids and their parents believe.

And that is another point. We have had GENERATIONS of kids going to university and losing their faith in God, raising THEIR children as agnostics. And we PAY for that privilege????

Where are the hot beds for indoctrination into Communism, leftist economic madness and things like global warming?

Where are people learning about critical race theory?

Where do the teachers learn that stuff when they teach it in elementary school?

When people learned well in schools, what kind of teachers did they have? What did those teachers feed them?

I think university has become a self perpetuating cycle--producing grads in fields that will now ONLY take university grads, and the university only hires their own production line to teach with--those who went on to get masters, then doctorates.

It started with the notion that a good general education and 4 years of hard work meant a better employee, so employers looked for university grads. But as university dumbed itself down along with the rest of society, those degrees became a dime a dozen.

The emperor has no clothes, and very few will challenge the monopoly that university has on modern life. It's hard to get a job without a degree, and university is involved even when it's churning out teachers for schools and colleges.

They are a gatekeeper for modern society. The ones who make sure everyone thinks the same.

Except for the trades. They are interested in how the job gets done. Not in how politically correct the graduate becomes. And they don't take as long to turn people out with an employable trade.

And the self made entrepreneurs or in other words, the engines of commerce. The owners of businesses who have built them from scratch and hire a lot of people.

But those are the MAGA types that the university grads look down on. The blue collar people, the self made "wealthy" who create most of the jobs.

Good one athanasius in UK it's now a degree for nursing for my training it was in 2 parts 18 month training in all nursing including management then 18 month in your specialist branch in my case mental health, trained in and experienced all types of nursing eg pediatric, general, midwifery actually took part in 2 births, learning disabilities, practice and health visitor learnt a lot, could write a book as am sure you could just a taster of things.

 

[Jeff K]

As one who hires, trains and fires construction project managers, I would say that most have wasted their time and money on a four year degree. It's rough when you have to start with basic training of coming to work Monday with a fully charged phone and not leaving your tablet at home.

Also, the percentage of kids that leave their Christian beliefs after their freshman year in college is staggering. Makes you wonder if preparing young men and women to succeed in work life is really the goal of a college education.

 

[katt]

JMHO..but I think it's time our high schools became trade schools all over the country..spend the first ten years (K-9) learning the three R's.. History and science..and the last three learning trade skills..with a spattering of biology..chemistry and upper math such as algebra..trig..physics.. calculas and computers as electives..not everyone is interested in the upper math skills and to force algebra and such on someone who couldn't care less in my opinion is a form of abuse..if social studies is insisted upon..I believe every highschool student should have to spend three summers in a third world country and have to write a college type paper on the experience before they can get their diploma...my reason is.. Americas are the most spoiled rotten people on the planet, especially our children..they need to see what the rest of the world goes through...I also feel that we have no idea what to do with children..all kids before they can get their diploma ought to have to have so many hours of childcare classes and the experience of working in daycare for the last four years of their schooling.. personally, I wish I had worked in daycare a whole lot longer than I did before I had my children..I know it would have made me a much better mother..as it was..I learned many tricks of motherhood years after it was to late for my kids to benefit from it..I have to admit some of that learning has come from listening to very good preaching on the subject of child rearing over the years..teaching that I wish I'd heard when the kids were little..but I digress...I guess what I'm trying to say is..our whole school system needs a giant overhaul..which I know will not happen till the millinium..I could go on all day over what I think should be done with our school system..but I do believe it's time I got off my soapbox..so..I will..one other thing before I do.. college isn't for everyone..higher learning was always for those that wanted it..now they're trying to force it down everyone's throats..and why do parents think they have to pay for it? Unless the parents were very rich..most people got scholarships and jobs to pay for it..lived at home to save on cost or shared apartments with many roommates to get through..it just depended on how badly the individual wanted that degree...now the Government wants to indoctrinate everyone.. it's why one now needs a bachelor's just to change diapers..now..I will get my soapbox..

 

[JoyJoyJoy]

My Associates degree in Nursing served me well. I paid for school as I went. And my salary over the years was good.

My daughter has a Bachelors degree in Nursing and was working on her Masters when covid struck. I would her say degree has served her well also.

I would encourage anyone to go to the local technical College. The degrees are in fields that actually need workers. What good is a Masters in 15th century women's undergarments????

 

[Tall Timbers]

My Associates degree in Nursing served me well. I paid for school as I went. And my salary over the years was good.

My degree helped me get a job which I didn't last long at, but then I was able to get a job that just required a college degree no matter the area of study. I didn't have any college debt so I guess the degree was useful to me. It certainly wouldn't have been worth what degrees are costing today..

 

[Carl]

It took me 7 years to graduate from engineering school. Previously to engineering I took a correspondence course in industrial electronics. Looking back on my work experience I was a much better technician than an engineer. Every where I worked I was good at technical work.

I grew up on a farm. I was the son that was dependent on to get stuff done. A machine broke the question was how to fix it NOW and put it back to work. It wasn't how the universal joint worked it was how to replace it NOW.

I don't recall having anyone it education telling me to go to a trade school or tech school because that is what I am good at.

 

[Tall Timbers]

A machine broke the question was how to fix it NOW and put it back to work. It wasn't how the universal joint worked it was how to replace it NOW.

Many universities teach theoretical v.s. practical in the engineering fields so while a graduate may know a lot they're gonna need plenty of job training.

 

[Leigh]

Many universities teach theoretical v.s. practical in the engineering fields so while a graduate may know a lot they're gonna need plenty of job training.

My husband has always said this. He got his BS in Architectural Engineering from a smaller college outside Atlanta where the focus was more on the practical. When he entered the work force in Atlanta, the Georgia Tech grads got all the prestige associated with the big name school, but they required much more training and hand-holding whereas he breezed right into the work.

Two weeks ago our younger son got an engineering degree from Clemson U where the focus was on theory, but fortunately he was a co-op student so got plenty of OTJ experience. Somewhere during his senior year he admitted, "You know, Dad was right; I HAVE learned so much more by doing the actual work during my internships!" (Imagine that - dad knows something after all! )

Not that theory isn't important, but there needs to be a better balance. There were definitely some required classes that will never apply to a civil engineer - why not skip those and teach something they WILL use?

 

[cheeky200386]

Mike and I will definitely be pushing ou son to learn a trade and avoid colleges. They are indoctrination camps and not worth the money. If he truly wants to be a medical doctor or scientist, then that's another conversation. Of course who knows where the world will be by then.

I'll be shocked it it will still look like how it does today.

 

[DWB]

A degree really just opens doors that would normally be closed.

 

[daygo]

Mike and I will definitely be pushing ou son to learn a trade and avoid colleges. They are indoctrination camps and not worth the money. If he truly wants to be a medical doctor or scientist, then that's another conversation. Of course who knows where the world will be by then.

I'll be shocked it it will still look like how it does today.

Best way to go, it's mind-boggling things today and the difference only 20, 30 yrs ago.

 

[pixelpusher]

I trashed my chance at four year uni degree, came back and went to community college for ~$1700 a quarter, plus supplies, and got a wife and a career out of it, so yeah totally worth it. No debt, hit the ground running whereas art grads from the university didn’t know how to actually DO anything. Now I turn ideas and pixels into money with super low overhead and no one dies if I mess up.

 

[Mommasince99]

Yes, it was absolutely worth it. Had less than 10k in debt from my nursing degree. My hospital has a loan payoff thing where you agree to work for (at least) 3 years and in return, they pay off your loan. So, zero debt and I make very good money for my area of the country. In fact, I am actually working a regular full time position at my ‘home’ hospital and I’m working as a ‘travel nurse’ at a local hospital. I’m doing this to have a nice chunk of $ set aside. Plus, I need a new bathroom…have some water issues, so it’s a must. This way, I can pay cash. Only owe on my house, pretty much…still have two (small) hospital accounts to pay off, which I should have paid off next week.