Your highest level of education?

[DipDipDive]

I'm curious about how far all of you went in school. Do any of you plan on going back to school at some point in your life? Do you feel you can achieve the level of success you hope to have without getting a secondary/post-secondary degree of some sort?

Please discuss. I'm intrigued.

[Yetra Flam]

college graduate - but totally NOT reaping the supposed benefits of a college education.

[abcdefz]

Flunked preschool.

Fuck them, though.

[DipDipDive]

college graduate - but totally NOT reaping the supposed benefits of a college education.

What did you study? What are you doing for a living now? How old are you? If you don't mind my asking...

[Bob]

i am smack in the middle of law school. i'm kind of worried about what i'm going to do after graduation though, which i know sounds silly, because obviously i'm going to want to try to be a lawyer after graduation, and i do, but i've learned a few things about how the legal profession works since i've started law school that have got me a little worried.

basically, the legal profession waits until AFTER you graduate to weed you out. law school is, all things considered, not really that hard to get into, or even get out of. you can half-ass the LSAT, have mediocre grades and still get into a shitty law school, you're going to law school. and yeah, law school's really hard, but ultimately, you can kind of half-ass your studying and get mediocre grades on your exams, and you'll graduate law school, you'll have a law degree. but when you get out, unless you graduated from a highly prestigious law school, or unless you have amazing grades, or unless you have connections, your employment options are going to be kind of limited because there are way more people graduating law school than there are well-paying jobs for them. which seems like a cheap trick to me, because law school is so damn expensive, you really can't afford to not be a decently-paid lawyer after you graduate.

compared to something like med school, where they weed you out before you even get in. med school is, i'm told, very hard to get into, but once you're in, you're set, you're going to be a doctor and you're going to be alright if you want to (assuming you graduate).

i dunno. i mean i don't regret it exactly, i'm looking forward to the whole lawyer thing, i'm just a little worried about how i'm going to get myself a job, is all. and i'm gonna need one, i am so badly in debt right now

[Yetra Flam]

i did a bachelor of fine arts majoring in graphic design
i now work at a dog boarding kennel, dog daycare place. (sounds like fun yeah, but it is not a decent career)
i am 22 now

[abcdefz]

You can always go into politics, Bob.

[Bob]

lol i voted for the wrong option

i R educated

[DipDipDive]

i am smack in the middle of law school. i'm kind of worried about what i'm going to do after graduation though, which i know sounds silly, because obviously i'm going to want to try to be a lawyer after graduation, and i do, but i've learned a few things about how the legal profession works since i've started law school that have got me a little worried.

basically, the legal profession waits until AFTER you graduate to weed you out. law school is, all things considered, not really that hard to get into, or even get out of. you can half-ass the LSAT, have mediocre grades and still get into a shitty law school, you're going to law school. and yeah, law school's really hard, but ultimately, you can kind of half-ass your studying and get mediocre grades on your exams, and you'll graduate law school, you'll have a law degree. but when you get out, unless you graduated from a highly prestigious law school, or unless you have amazing grades, or unless you have connections, your employment options are going to be kind of limited because there are way more people graduating law school than there are well-paying jobs for them. which seems like a cheap trick to me, because law school is so damn expensive, you really can't afford to not be a decently-paid lawyer after you graduate.

compared to something like med school, where they weed you out before you even get in. med school is, i'm told, very hard to get into, but once you're in, you're set, you're going to be a doctor and you're going to be alright if you want to (assuming you graduate).

i dunno. i mean i don't regret it exactly, i'm looking forward to the whole lawyer thing, i'm just a little worried about how i'm going to get myself a job, is all. and i'm gonna need one, i am so badly in debt right now

See, this is exactly why I started this thread. I wanted to open up the discussion about the necessity of secondary education.

In your case, Bob, obviously it's necessary to go to law school. You can't be a lawyer without a law degree, just like you can't be a doctor without going to med school. Yours is one of the few instances where a post-secondary degree is absolutely necessary to get a job, but I guess I didn't realize that you have the same level of uncertainty about your future as most students in a graduate program. I've thought all this time that law and medical students don't really have cause for concern, but by the sounds of it, that's not true at all.

People of our generation are pumped so full of rhetoric about the correlation between education and success. But with more students come more graduates and more competition for jobs, so are any of them any better off than they would have been if they hadn't gone to school at all?

I guess what I'm getting at is that most people I talk to who are my age and have more education or a higher level degree aren't any better off than I am right now. Sometimes I toy with the notion of going back to school, but in most cases, it doesn't seem to pay off.

I want some of you to prove me wrong, though.

[Yetra Flam]

i agree with you here. i'm thinking that maybe a college education is good if you went to a good school that people recognise. i honestly believe i would be better off if i never went to college.

[b i o n i c]

thank you for that post, bob.



i just copied it into an email (without any info about you) to my dad. my parents are constantly pressuring me to go to law school.



aside from that, im seriously thinking about continuing my education and dont know what to study or where to start. my field of interests and my job history are all over the media industry

[DipDipDive]

Why aren't any of you bastards voting?

[Helvete]

I fucked up and didn't go to college or anything. But I've spoken to my Troop Leader about getting higher education in the Army and then transferring to become an officer. Would have been a lot easier if I'd done all that before joining, but hey, better late than never.

[TurdBerglar]

just the fact that all of us here have decent enough computer skills learned mostly through leisure, we could find some decent enough job to get by in life.

there's so many jobs out there that just require basic excel and word skills

now you may not be able to find a great job with those skills but enough to get by happily.

[Helvete]

Why aren't any of you bastards voting?

I'm not stupid, but I barely know what any of them are. Obviously none of them apply to me of course.

[DipDipDive]

I fucked up and didn't go to college or anything. But I've spoken to my Troop Leader about getting higher education in the Army and then transferring to become an officer. Would have been a lot easier if I'd done all that before joining, but hey, better late than never.

Do you regret not going to college, or are you satisfied with your level of success without having received a college education?

[Helvete]

Do you regret not going to college, or are you satisfied with your level of success without having received a college education?

I absolutely regret not going. The decisions I made when I was a teenager are going to take me a while to correct. Ask me this again in the future and if I succeed with my career plans, then perhaps it won't be so bad. I really wish I had the thoughts I do now regarding education, when I was actually at school.

[Freebasser]

BA (Hons) Graphic Communication (y)

I am a graphic designer, so it must have worked (y)

[Dorothy Wood]

I have a teaching degree, but I don't teach. I think college was a good
experience and I learned a lot of different things that made me more
smarter, but now I just do things to get by that I taught myself.

I would be financially better off if I would've gone to a technical school.

an old boyfriend of mine is making over 100 grand at an engineering job
that he doesn't care for much, but he got a job there with an associates
degree and then they paid for additional schooling and he stuck with it and
kept getting promoted, etc. etc. I don't think he has a particularly happy
life, but jesus, I think I could find a way to be happy if I was making that
much money.

I'm actually pretty scared most times about how little money I have/make,
but I'm surviving okay. :/

[DipDipDive]

I have a teaching degree, but I don't teach. I think college was a good
experience and I learned a lot of different things that made me more
smarter, but now I just do things to get by that I taught myself.

I would be financially better off if I would've gone to a technical school.

an old boyfriend of mine is making over 100 grand at an engineering job
that he doesn't care for much, but he got a job there with an associates
degree and then they paid for additional schooling and he stuck with it and
kept getting promoted, etc. etc. I don't think he has a particularly happy
life, but jesus, I think I could find a way to be happy if I was making that
much money.

I'm actually pretty scared most times about how little money I have/make,
but I'm surviving okay. :/

Do you think you'll go back to school?

[QueenAdrock]

Associate of Arts - History, English
Bachelor of Arts - History
Master of Library and Information Studies


Not bad for a girl who dropped out of high school and never earned her diploma or GED, eh?

Anyways, for what I want to do, I need my master's degree. I want to be a manager for a government library, handling and organizing government documents and shit. Whether it's in the US or Canada I haven't decided, I just find it interesting.

[MC Moot]

I have my BSW but if I want to earn more in this field I really should be hacking away at my MSW instead of resting on my laurels....:o

[saz]

bachelors degree, history
post-graduate degree, journalism

[na§tee]

i have a M.A (hons) in film and television studies and psychology.

i've been thinking about degrees all day (see graduate thread).

it is difficult. in some disciplines that could be described as more 'esoteric' than vocational like film, english, the arts - a degree might not help you against competition who have real life work experience. fuck what university tell you about transferable skills and all that shite, i truly believe if you have not made a concerted effort to get work experience/internships in your area of interest you cannot expect to just walk out post graduation and ease into that field. employers are looking for more.

there are plenty of school-leavers i know who decided uni was not for them and just steadily worked there way up into middle management in banks, government agencies, whatever, and they earn equivalent (if not greater) 'graduate-level' salaries with no graduate fucking debt. while we are at it, i wonder how many graduates actually achieve that level? in the uk, the average graduate level starting salary is £23,024. that is nearly $48,000.

on the other hand, lots of positions state that they require a degree in their job descriptor. but then again they also accept if you don't have a degree as long as you can show x years of relevant work experience, or membership of some professional body, you're in.

i think it all depends on what you want to do. if you are lucky enough to be studying something vocational, good for you, it helps. if not, well.. it really depends. i went to a good russell group university and i got a first class degree, but i don't think any of that helped me get my job. i think it was my work experience and other activities.

i'm only considering going back to uni now to do a masters and phd because, obviously, i need a phd to be a university lecturer. an extra university qualification in my area is not going to help me do my current job better. it's because i want to change career paths.

i work at university (uni uni uni, how i'm sick of this word) and it is revealing seeing it from the other side. i find a lot of the people i work with - while they obviously want to recruit a certain amount of students to get more money - are concerned about how, especially in this country, schoolchildren are being pressurised even from choosing their standard grades (aged 13) into having an idea of what they want to do because a mistake made in choosing a pissy subject at school level will apparently translate into a mistake made in reaching their careers, and that is ridiculously unhealthy. people at universities target 14, 15 year olds now. they're out there with prospectuses and showing face at open days.

it is promoting a real anxiety about further education and making everything so time sensitive. i really feel a lot of kids could benefit from taking a year or two out to just kick about, try a variety of things, and then return to education if they really want to, or have a stab at something else. not just sign up because mummy and daddy think it's the done thing.

[Freebasser]

Sorry, can you repeat that? I wasn't listening :(

[DipDipDive]

i work at at university (uni uni uni, how i'm sick of this word) and it is revealing seeing it from the other side. i find a lot of the people i work with - while they obviously want to recruit a certain amount of students to get more money - are concerned about how, especially in this country, schoolchildren are being pressurised even from choosing their standard grades (aged 13) into having an idea of what they want to do because a mistake made in choosing a pissy subject at school level will apparently translate into a mistake made in reaching their careers, and that is ridiculously unhealthy. people at universities target 14, 15 year olds now. they're out there with prospectuses and showing face at open days.

it is promoting a real anxiety about further education and making everything so time sensitive. i really feel a lot of kids could benefit from taking a year or two out to just kick about, try a variety of things, and then return to education if they really want to, or have a stab at something else. not just sign up because mummy and daddy think it's the done thing.

My contention at this point in my life is that the best bet for most people is to start working full time directly out of high school, get some real world experience under their belt, then go to college after they've had an opportunity to get their feet on the ground and decide what it is they want to do. The aforementioned people I know with more student debt and less work history than me are 100% victims of parental pressure and induced beliefs about college beaten into their brains during high school. Now most of them have economics, philosophy, and sociology degrees and are standing on the same wrung as people like me who worked during the standard college years.

I still don't know exactly what I want my career to be, and I'll be damned if I'm putting up $30,000 before I make up my mind.

[paul jones]

I couldn't wait to leave school so I don't know what any of the things in the poll mean(y)

[na§tee]

My contention at this point in my life is that the best bet for most people is to start working full time directly out of high school, get some real world experience under their belt, then go to college after they've had an opportunity to get their feet on the ground and decide what it is they want to do.
i agree something fundamental has got to change. i was speaking about this with my ex-boyfriend last weekend and he said he actually thought it was a good idea to bring back national service. not military service, just government service - two german friends of ours did their national service as paramedics, another went to israel to work in a special needs school.

trades, too. people turn their noses up at them but sheeeit, if i were a plumber, i'd be sitting on a gold-plated toilet seat by now.

[DipDipDive]

i agree something fundamental has got to change. i was speaking about this with my ex-boyfriend last weekend and he said he actually thought it was a good idea to bring back national service. not military service, just government service - two german friends of ours did their national service as paramedics, another went to israel to work in a special needs school.

trades, too. people turn their noses up at them but sheeeit, if i were a plumber, i'd be sitting on a gold-plated toilet seat by now.

HELL YES.

Plumbing is like the little black dress of careers. People may think the trendy public relations degree is where it's at, but clearing poop out of peoples pipes will never go out of style.

[paul jones]

i agree something fundamental has got to change. i was speaking about this with my ex-boyfriend last weekend and he said he actually thought it was a good idea to bring back national service. not military service, just government service - two german friends of ours did their national service as paramedics, another went to israel to work in a special needs school.

trades, too. people turn their noses up at them but sheeeit, if i were a plumber, i'd be sitting on a gold-plated toilet seat by now.

I'd love to be a plumber with a golden crapper

[Yorkshire~Rose]

I'd love to be a plumber with a golden crapper


Isn't that the plot of that saucy film 'confessions of a plumber' :D

[paul jones]

Isn't that the plot of that saucy film 'confessions of a plumber' :D

probably the greatest motion picture about a randy plumber who says 'Phwoar!!!' a lot at housewives with their boobs out on display(y)

[p-branez]

hey bob, my sister is going to law school and she keeps telling my family that if you graduate and don't practice law, then the school pays you back all tuition.
true?

i think i'll go to grad school sometime - one of my teachers asked us how many of us thought we'd go to grad school and all 20 kids stood up. so maybe that's a bit lofty of a goal.

[HEIRESS]

I find that all a degree shows is that you are capable of starting and finishing something of a large proportion.

alot of my friends are in their masters/pHd phase. I dont envy them at all.

[beastieangel01]

I have my associates thanks to a scholarship. I do want to return to school to get my BFA and perhaps a Masters but due to a lot of unfortunate events and finances that has been a difficult road to get back to. But now I am working for a school and it looks like I may be able to get back on that road by summer :)

[NoFenders]

Highest level of education???? Easy. Fry cook.

:cool:

[taquitos]

bachelor's degree in partying down!

[funk63]

why isnt GED an option.

[trailerprincess]

BA Hons (2:1) French and International Politics. I did have a place for a MA in Migration and Refugee Studies but I turned it down as I was happy with work. I now work in Change and IT management as an analyst. In this job I get to use some of the languages I speak and I suppose my degree had helped. I do think I will go back to study at some point, I am interested in doing a course in Disaster Relief Management or again, something about Migration. But I love my job and it pays really well so I am going to be a corporate whore for a while and then hopefully I'll get a chance to go back and study.

[ToucanSpam]

In process to finishing the BA-------->moving into MA. So I put MA.:D

[DrunkenMantis]

I have my asssociates in arts and sciences and then got a license for Xray technology a few years after. now I do MRI and it is sweet, love my job.!

[Gareth]

one time, when i was 17, i was asked if i wanted to get my fork lift drivers license but i declined and quit the job shortly after.

arts degree - english lit
law degree
admitted as barrister and solicitor
studying to be patent attorney but i won't finish it off since it take 3-5 years depending on how you structure it and i know i'll want to shift overseas before i'll be able to get it done

[camo]

My Masters...a waste of a year (n)

[DipDipDive]

why isnt GED an option.

Woops, sorry. I'd consider a GED the same as a high school diploma for the purposes of this poll, being that they are the equivalent of one another.

[roosta]

I am officially a master of science.

I cannot control time, space or the universe however, but i do have a latin scroll which says i am a master of science.

Masters basically.

[HEIRESS]

I always forget that im "in school" right now
im taking a program via correspondance from a technical school on the coast.
my boss is paying for it thus I never do any of my assignments.
i need to get back on track this summer. feck

http://www.bcit.ca/manufacturing/chemicalsciences/assayertraining.shtml

yes, Ive heard all the jokes involving "ass" you can make.

[Medellia]

See, this is exactly why I started this thread. I wanted to open up the discussion about the necessity of secondary education.

In your case, Bob, obviously it's necessary to go to law school. You can't be a lawyer without a law degree, just like you can't be a doctor without going to med school. Yours is one of the few instances where a post-secondary degree is absolutely necessary to get a job, but I guess I didn't realize that you have the same level of uncertainty about your future as most students in a graduate program. I've thought all this time that law and medical students don't really have cause for concern, but by the sounds of it, that's not true at all.

People of our generation are pumped so full of rhetoric about the correlation between education and success. But with more students come more graduates and more competition for jobs, so are any of them any better off than they would have been if they hadn't gone to school at all?

I guess what I'm getting at is that most people I talk to who are my age and have more education or a higher level degree aren't any better off than I am right now. Sometimes I toy with the notion of going back to school, but in most cases, it doesn't seem to pay off.

I want some of you to prove me wrong, though.

While I agree with the sentiment, a degree is necessary if you want to be considered for almost anything. I was turned down for a fucking retail job because I haven't been to college. I live two blocks from this bookstore, could walk there any time, I already had retail experience, and the owner seemed really impressed with how literate I was. She told me I was great, a perfect fit, but she wasn't going to hire someone with "less than a bachelor's degree". A bachelor's degree, for a $6/hour part time job.

Check out the want ads sometime. It might be a bit different in other areas of the country, but I'm sure there's a ridiculous number of jobs that require a degree. Data entry, bank tellers, receptionists. A degree for answering a fucking phone! There's even a temp agency here that won't take anyone with out a degree!

It really shouldn't be a necessity, but unfortunately it is. I'm applying to a uni in the UK, so hopefully I'll be working on changing the degree situation soon. But if I was looking for a new job now I'd probably be stuck in retail again.

[QueenAdrock]

It's very true. My old job, I didn't NEED my degree for. I was working as a research assistant for a library and everything I learned there was brand new - my bachelors in history didn't help me (aside from the library research experience I had from school). However, they required that you have your bachelors because that helps the weeding process for hiring. They think that if you have your bachelors it at least shows you're able to pick things up quickly and have enough intelligence needed to perform the tasks the job requires. I haven't seen any kind of government job listings that allow you to have just your HS diploma/GED...even secretaries need their degrees! Like Medellia said, it may not be that way everywhere, but I've seen it quite a bit.

Either way, getting my degree wasn't about getting a job when I went after it. It was more to prove to myself that I COULD do it. Since I never graduated from high school (by 3 lousy credits), I told myself I'd prove the non-believers wrong and achieve what I knew what I was capable of, regardless of diploma. There are plenty of good reasons to go back to school other than a jump in salary (which may or may not happen).

[DipDipDive]

While I agree that having a degree helps during a job search, it doesn't automatically qualify or disqualify you from a job, even if the company advertises a degree as a requirement. With the exception of a few professions (the aforementioned government jobs, law, medical, etc.), landing a job is all about being in the right place at the right time. LOL has a job right now that advertises a 4-year degree as a requirement. At my last job, I was the ONLY person on the staff who didn't have a 4-year degree. Just so happens we both interviewed at a convenient time, and displayed enough competence and character to be suitable for the job.

The fact of the matter is, depending on what type of position you're after, a 4-year degree provides only a minimal competitive edge. Most companies hire based on personality and experience. The ONLY time your degree matters is when a company initially reviews your resume. Once you're into the interview process, you're on the same playing field as everyone else, degree or no degree. In many instances, lack of education is just a scapegoat employers use to avoid telling you the truth - you just weren't the right person for the job.

I would never want to work for a company whose management team is retarded enough to believe that only a college graduate could be qualified for a $6/hour job. Get the fuck outta here with that bullshit.

[Kid Presentable]

Haaaaa I was full of hopes and dreams for being a marketing/advertising undergrad with honours. Fuck all that noise. I don't care what anybody says, it seems more sensible to me to have been offered an honours program (in this field) than to undertake it. I could slot into a graduate program at a big four firm in their assurance or advisory departments with these marks, rather than be the person who spent a year cultivating a research report on consumer preferences for rice colours or something equally useless (again, that's only a commentary on this field and how I fit into it).

I'm 27. I don't have time to pretend to want to be a stupid commerce student any longer than necessary. By 32 I'll start a grad-dip. By 35 a Masters. So at the end of this year, I plan on being employed. I've earned fuck-all money for a long time, and there's a people shortage. Plus, I'm capable as all fuck. I'll be right. If all else fails, one of Perth's major marketing firms have asked about me by name. Not bragging. I earned anything I get out of this.

I waited, too. The whole "fuck about and pretend you know better" thing was the best thing I could have done. I'd never be as motivated as I am now. I know what I earn degree-wise will only get me a job interview. But I also know I've done enough living in enough situations to have the skills to capitalise on an interview.

[monkey]

im staying in school forever. literally. My educational goal is to get a ph.d (in biology) to teach (and do research) at the university level. is it going to be financially rewarding? probably not. but for me, the reward of education is the constant learning experience. i never want to stop educating myself.

[DipDipDive]

im staying in school forever. literally. My educational goal is to get a ph.d (in biology) to teach (and do research) at the university level. is it going to be financially rewarding? probably not. but for me, the reward of education is the constant learning experience. i never want to stop educating myself.

Ahhh yes, the age old high level degree obtained to teach people how to teach people how to teach. Thanks for your dedication to contributing to our nation's ever-growing debt. (y)

[monkey]

oh i dont plan on doing it in your nation, dear. i plan on taking it international. :cool:

[ScarySquirrel]

hey bob, my sister is going to law school and she keeps telling my family that if you graduate and don't practice law, then the school pays you back all tuition.
true?
If that were the case, why wouldn't everyone just go to law school whether they wanted to be a lawyer or not? I mean, hey, prolonging the trek into the "real world" while earning further qualifications on someone else's dime with no real risk and only possible reward sounds like a good deal to me.

Anyway, I only have a B.S. degree in advertising/public relations. Or, basically communications. Kind of a nonsense degree since you can land a job doing what I want to do without a degree... but, as was mentioned before, that slip of paper is a foot in the door and it gets you the initial interview.

However, once you move up in the world I think it becomes less and less important. After a while, as you move up the ladder, people care less about your education and more about what you've accomplished and how much experience you have in your field. But, you're probably not moving up if you don't have first crappy job to move up from...

[Medellia]

While I agree that having a degree helps during a job search, it doesn't automatically qualify or disqualify you from a job, even if the company advertises a degree as a requirement. With the exception of a few professions (the aforementioned government jobs, law, medical, etc.), landing a job is all about being in the right place at the right time. LOL has a job right now that advertises a 4-year degree as a requirement. At my last job, I was the ONLY person on the staff who didn't have a 4-year degree. Just so happens we both interviewed at a convenient time, and displayed enough competence and character to be suitable for the job.
A lot of times I think it's just because they're either desperate or you know somebody who can help you get your foot in the door. As I said before though, I'm sure it varies in different areas.
The fact of the matter is, depending on what type of position you're after, a 4-year degree provides only a minimal competitive edge. Most companies hire based on personality and experience. The ONLY time your degree matters is when a company initially reviews your resume. Once you're into the interview process, you're on the same playing field as everyone else, degree or no degree. In many instances, lack of education is just a scapegoat employers use to avoid telling you the truth - you just weren't the right person for the job.
In my experience they just won't consider you if you don't have a degree. The retail job is the only thing I've interviewed for where I was told that. And that bitch was just a new agey snob, so I dunno, could've just been an excuse, could've been her looking down on me for not having a degree.
I would never want to work for a company whose management team is retarded enough to believe that only a college graduate could be qualified for a $6/hour job. Get the fuck outta here with that bullshit.
Well the job there was just some old lady that owned a spa and a couple of stores. One was the aforementioned bookstore, the other was some hippy store filled with crystals and incense and shit. Even though it was advertised as a cashier job at the bookstore, she expected someone to go back and forth between the two stores while setting up appointments for the spa (luckily all three are in the same building, but sheesh). Had I known that, and how little it paid, I would have never applied.

[DipDipDive]

oh i dont plan on doing it in your nation, dear. i plan on taking it international. :cool:

Oh, global debt. Even better.

[kleptomaniac]

i'm still in high school, but i'll graduate in a few months hopefully! :)

[monkey]

what i dont understand in all of this is why everyone is getting into so much debt. ive been in school for 6 years. im gonna be in it for at least 6 more. ive yet to accrue debt, mostly because ive chosen a public school education. i dont believe my education is any worse than a private one. ive had great professors, great opportunities, and, if compared to my peers in a private school, im just as accomplished as they are.

i understand the necessity of debt at the law school/med school level, where your choice of school is more relevant. but especially at the bachelors level, if you let your snootiness go to the side, most people could get their precious BA's with a fraction of the money just simply by opting for public education.

of course, if you're smart enough to go to harvard, they'll pay for it as long as you're relatively poor. that seems fair to me.

[DipDipDive]

Do you have wealthy parents?

[monkey]

not at all. ive paid for more than half of my education on my own, with my summer jobs and part time work during the school year.

[Documad]

I'm curious about how far all of you went in school. Do any of you plan on going back to school at some point in your life? Do you feel you can achieve the level of success you hope to have without getting a secondary/post-secondary degree of some sort?

Please discuss. I'm intrigued.
I needed my degree. There may still be states where you don't need a JD to practice law (Louisiana?) but you need one in every state I'd want to live in.

I am always wanting to go back to school, but I would want to do something completely fun. If I won the lottery, I'd go back to school. I love learning new things.

For me, personally, I needed to go to college and law school. I was super shy for most of my life. I experienced enormous personal growth during school and in my first intern-type job. I can't imagine what sort of horrible job I'd have today if I hadn't been forced to get out of my shell. There are people who don't need college. They were born with different skill sets than I received.

There are also things that some people get out of school besides job skills. I do not mean this to be snobby at all, but I tend to find people who had advanced schooling in any subject to be more interesting than people who never attended college. It's not always the case. You can grow and learn things without school. And there are loads of people who went to school and just got drunk all the time. But in general terms, I'd rather sit next to the college graduate at a dinner party.

On the other hand, I completely agree that everyone shouldn't go to college right after high school without thinking it through. I think it's unwise to go to graduate school without having ever worked a real job. I'd rather hire a new lawyer who had some kind of business or life experience other than in the law. Life experience is valuable too.

[DipDipDive]

not at all. ive paid for more than half of my education on my own, with my summer jobs and part time work during the school year.

And what about the other half?

[monkey]

my parents saved some money for my college education. it wouldn't have paid for more than a year of private school, but it has lasted for a while as my school costs $4,000/year.

[Documad]

what i dont understand in all of this is why everyone is getting into so much debt. ive been in school for 6 years. im gonna be in it for at least 6 more. ive yet to accrue debt, mostly because ive chosen a public school education. i dont believe my education is any worse than a private one. ive had great professors, great opportunities, and, if compared to my peers in a private school, im just as accomplished as they are.

i understand the necessity of debt at the law school/med school level, where your choice of school is more relevant. but especially at the bachelors level, if you let your snootiness go to the side, most people could get their precious BA's with a fraction of the money just simply by opting for public education.

of course, if you're smart enough to go to harvard, they'll pay for it as long as you're relatively poor. that seems fair to me.

I paid for my whole education. I worked full time and went to school at night most of the time. I definitely paid a price because I had less time for fun in college than some of my friends. But I took out fewer loans and paid off that debt within 7 years after I left school. I didn't go to terrific schools. I might have made different choices and gone to better schools full time if I had it to do over again.

I have friends with kids who are going to go to college soon and I honestly don't know what to recommend.

[NoFenders]

I knew at a young age that the school room was not for me. I also knew that I had better find something to do really soon. I did, and I have to say I enjoy just about every day.I'm in sales for myself, selling just about everything you could want. School is very important though. I am a rare example of somebody who found a way without education. Without people getting educated I would be one sick puppy, and probably would be in jail. I do know however, that some people have looked down at me for not "going through what they did" to get where I am. But I can honestly look at those people and say go screw yourself, I worked harder and still do. One thing school can not teach you is people skills. You're either born with it, or it rubs off from close family/friends. That skill alone, just knowing how to be and act around people, has gotten me farther than any diploma ever could. For that, I thank my family, and most of all, myself. So, I'll take a class again some day, I'm sure. But I think it's for a pilot license.

One thing about this country, as much as people love to bash it, it's the the best place on the planet to be. We all pick our jobs. If we really want something, it's there for us to take. Hard work at anything, no matter if it's school, work, or family, will always make you feel good. Keep that feeling rolling, and you'll never think of what you should have done, only what you want to do next.

:cool:

[The Notorious LOL]

last year I was the most "poor" I have been in a while and I maaaaay enroll in school but my concerns are 1). Cost 2). Benefits of getting a degree 3). Time management

I am not entirely convinced that the cost factor is going to benefit me in the end, but I guess I dont know for sure. It may come out in the wash if I qualify for a lot of loans and grants.

[NoFenders]

First you need to know where you want to be. Then you can decide how to get there.

:cool:

[HEIRESS]

I finished school with no debt. my parents are poor and even if they wanted to, would not have been able to pay for my education. what they did give me was a place to stay for free and food on my plate while I was attending school full time for 4 years.
I had to work 1 and sometimes 2 jobs at the same time to ensure that I didnt end up owing money. and sure, I missed out on ALOT of parties but now I look back and figure it was the best move. I had to pick my socializing wisely in order to fit it into my schedule, so I only hung out with people and went to places that were truly important to me, so I figures i was better off because of it.

Ive done ALOT of interviewing at my job and having a degree probably gets you into the "call" pile right off the bat. but it doesnt ensure you the job.
and the sad thing is we put masters/PhD people into the "no thanks" pile right away.
its profiling, but ive found anyone ive tried in the lab with a masters etc to be high maintenace and they waste alot of time with unnecessary questions. we are a commercial lab that needs to make a profit aka there is no exciting research going on here. so keep your fucking questions to yourself and just get the goddamn work out. plus if you consider yourself so above an entry level position (which you knew coming in) that you cant contain your distain when im interviewing you then why are you wasting my fucking time by even showing up for the interview or emailing your resume to begin with you dumb fuck.
I hate interviewee attitude so fucking much. I get alot of it because a) Im a female. b) Im so young, yet in a management position c) yes, yes I am wearing a tuque during our interview, so whatcha gonna do about it.
anyways, I say to potentials all the time when they ask what education we require, what my lab does cant be taught in school because its so specialized. sure school would help with some of the skills one uses in a lab, but its nothing I cant teach someone who is with it and quick on their feet in a week or two. the real world is NOTHING like the pace or atmosphere you find in an academic lab setting. I tell people that im looking for someone who in their previous experiences have learned how to work, and to work fast.
so yeah, I might pick jimmy with only a couple 1st science classes who ended up working at a tire refitting joint since '05 over johnny who has a bachelor of science in chemical engineering but no practical experience of any kind.
oh, and if you are cute that helps out too :o IM ONLY HUMAN DAMMIT

[NoFenders]

Rock and Roll Heiress! You sure have a very sound mind. That's another thing that can't be taught either. :cool:

[QueenAdrock]

what i dont understand in all of this is why everyone is getting into so much debt. ive been in school for 6 years. im gonna be in it for at least 6 more. ive yet to accrue debt, mostly because ive chosen a public school education. i dont believe my education is any worse than a private one. ive had great professors, great opportunities, and, if compared to my peers in a private school, im just as accomplished as they are.

Perhaps because you're lucky enough to live in a state that doesn't rape you with tuition. University of Maryland is $8,000 a year JUST for tuition, for in-state students. I lived at home and commuted (my parents were nice enough to pay for food, shelter, and gas for me), and I worked 25 hour work week during the school year and 45 hour work weeks during the summers to pay for tuition, and STILL had to take out loans. Perhaps it's because I had to pay for a car and cell phone and other expenses when I was living at home, too.

Sadly enough, one of the reasons I finally decided to come back to school in University of Alberta was that I'd save $2,000 a year if I decided to come here rather than Maryland. And U of A charges international students TWICE the amount that they charge people who live in Canada.

[Schmeltz]

After five years of going to school part-time and working full-time to pay for it and support myself, I find myself with no debt and nine-tenths of a degree in History (I have something like five or six classes left to take). I can't afford to go back to school right now, but I know I will someday, and I'll continue to go back even after I get my degree, which I don't think I'll ever use anyway.

This is because education is lots more than just a means to an end or a way to get ahead. Education is a process of self-enrichment, a means of broadening and deepening one's understanding of the world and one's place in it, a way to sharpen the abilities of the mind and develop a more profound appreciation for the beauty and complexity of life. The skills and credentials you earn through education are valuable for their practicality, sure, but their true worth lies in the way the pursuit of knowledge and ability improves the human experience.

Education is more than just a meal ticket, though many people seem to view it only as such. Sure you can get by without education, I know I could - but why would you want to? You don't need music to survive either, but a world without music would be a dead and joyless place. And so would a world without the prospect of continuing and perpetual education.

[ToucanSpam]

Since everyone is talking about debt I will chime in with my bitter comments. I've been anally raped by tuition since my first year. It actually would have been cheaper for me to MOVE AWAY and live somewhere else than live at home like I have been. It's a strange situation but yeah, I'm 15k in debt. I come from a family that is lower-middle SES and I have paid for it all with my loan and money I've earned at jobs. Even though I am heavy in debt because of loans I'm god damned proud of finishing my degree on my terms. Nobody can say 'mommy and daddy paid for it', because they didn't. I did.

Now that I'm moving into an MA the debt is going to get steeper but not by much. My financial standing is a little complicated because I'm technically not an independant but by the beginning of next semester I will be, which means moar raep rom loans.

Whatever, I've done this on my own god damn terms and nobody elses.

[DIGI]

[QUOTE=ToucanSpam;1560576]I've been anally rapedQUOTE]


Knew it.

Anyway, I have a BA in Philosophy and, at the time, was focused on attending law school, but at some point during my junior year, I just got REALLY burnt out. I managed to suffer through college and bounced from Pittsburgh to Philly and back working shit jobs until I got the job I previously had for 2 years as a real estate abstractor. Since October, I've work for an industry leading wireless tower company as a licensing specialist, which is actually creating the agreements between my company and whoever wants on our towers (cell phone companies, police, etc.). It's a legal position, which is sweet, it pays well, and the company is amazing. I guess what I'm getting at is that I put way more stock in work experience than college. If you know what you want to do, or have at least a general idea, get a job in a similar field that possesses some skills that will be deemed valuable by your "dream job" and will allow you to progress naturally into that position you want, get some pertinent experience, and go for it after a few years. My company didnt give a shit about my philosophy degree. It was more that I had experience and was familiar with legal/real estate documents. It didn't hurt that I'm a fucking ace when it comes to job interviews, too. I've always had the hiring managers wanting my fuckin autograph on the way out.

[DipDipDive]

After five years of going to school part-time and working full-time to pay for it and support myself, I find myself with no debt and nine-tenths of a degree in History (I have something like five or six classes left to take). I can't afford to go back to school right now, but I know I will someday, and I'll continue to go back even after I get my degree, which I don't think I'll ever use anyway.

This is because education is lots more than just a means to an end or a way to get ahead. Education is a process of self-enrichment, a means of broadening and deepening one's understanding of the world and one's place in it, a way to sharpen the abilities of the mind and develop a more profound appreciation for the beauty and complexity of life. The skills and credentials you earn through education are valuable for their practicality, sure, but their true worth lies in the way the pursuit of knowledge and ability improves the human experience.

Education is more than just a meal ticket, though many people seem to view it only as such. Sure you can get by without education, I know I could - but why would you want to? You don't need music to survive either, but a world without music would be a dead and joyless place. And so would a world without the prospect of continuing and perpetual education.

I appreciate your sentiment, and I totally agree, but some people choose to continue their perpetual education by working in different fields, meeting new people, volunteering, going to museums, reading, involving themselves in their communities, playing an instrument, having families, on and on and on. None of those things require a classroom or a federal loan.

[kaiser soze]

Close to completing my BA in graph and minor in Art Therapy...already have an Associates, 3 degrees in 3 years not bad (y)

[The Notorious LOL]

It didn't hurt that I'm a fucking ace when it comes to job interviews, too. I've always had the hiring managers wanting my fuckin autograph on the way out.

yeah Im pretty much the same actually. I've never had a bad job interview...which takes me to the argument of is it mostly just being able to talk your way into a good job or does have some kind of post secondary education boost that slightly?

I dont have any sort of "dream job" I could think of. I know what Im good at but what that is now may be completely different in 5-10 years. The only degree I could think to get would be something I actually want to study that will have no real life work experience application (sociology, urban planning, history, etc) but rather just to be able to say "I got a four year degree dickbags".

[Documad]

urban planning

I have been looking at masters degree programs in planning (especially programs in cities I'd like to live in for a year or two :p). I've worked with planners and I think it's interesting stuff, but I don't know whether I have the personal skills to do anything with the degree.

Being good at job interviews is a rare skill. So the only question is whether you have the right sort of education and experience to put on the resume that's going to get you the job interview. As you get older, personal contacts mean more and more, but there is usually some kind of minimum requirement to be considered for a job.

[DIGI]

Urban Planning would be sweet. A friend I went to school with majored in Parks and Recreation, which is easy as hell, and got his Master's in something similar to that and now has a pretty lucrative job as a city planner in Florida.

[Justin]

I have a B.S. in Exercise Phys (although I work in sales now in a business development role)

I'd like to get my MBA later on, but I'm not going to rush that.

[DIGI]

What the fuck, man? You're halfway down easy street to the easiest job in the universe (Phys Ed teacher) and you're workin sales? Insane.

[Documad]

Urban Planning would be sweet. A friend I went to school with majored in Parks and Recreation, which is easy as hell, and got his Master's in something similar to that and now has a pretty lucrative job as a city planner in Florida.
I've worked with city planners, but also with private ones who work for property developers. The private stuff is more interesting to me because it combines legal, business, and engineering issues. But there is also an element of salesmanship and I hate sales with a passion. :o

[Documad]

All of the phy ed majors I know are in clerical/support staff jobs, except for one who is a deputy sheriff.

[russhie]

I just finished a Bachelor's degree last year, and am going back to do another year postgrad.

6 years of uni isn't bad for someone who wanted to drop out or school in year 10.

[Echewta]

Remember: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yRMgptgPHLg

[kleptomaniac]

i just got my high school diploma a few hours ago & i graduated with honors. class of 08 rules, wooOOO!!! :cool:

[afronaut]

I think that a bachelors degree, at least, is important in this day and age; though it all really depends on the type of professional aspiration one has. There are probably worthwhile careers that don't necessarily depend on a college degree.

I'm currently working towards my bachelors. I have every intention of going all the way to my phd, especially considering that I'm probably not going to make dickshit or get a worthwhile job in my field (sociology) until I get my phd.

And thats pretty stupid, now that I think about it. I mean shit, a phd? Thats like 40 years off. I should change my major to radiology or something.

I also heard that this is the first graduating year where the graduates would have been better of if they had joined the workforce after highschool instead of going to college.

[jabumbo]

i have my bachelor of science in civil engineering


i didnt try to do anything with getting a masters because i wasn't quite sure of the specifics i wanted to go into and i would have sort of been pigeonholed into doing the same job for the rest of my life instead of getting a variety of things.

[gbsuey]

I couldn't wait to leave school so I don't know what any of the things in the poll mean(y)

snap-now i'm a cleaner:rolleyes:!!

i actually went to one of the top schools in the country(non fee-paying i gotta add) and they did a good job-i passed most of my gcse's without doing any revision and as little work as possible-but i just couldn't wait to get out into the big, bad world.
i started doing an apprenticeship at a jewellers which was great but they'd taken on too many and some of us got dropped-so i dropped out for a few years and have done various jobs without prospects with the idea that when and if i finally decide what i REALLY want to be when i grow up then i'll go train for it!!
.......so still waiting for the light bulb to light up and while my kids are little it's way more important to me to be around so i do cleaning part-time which basically earns me decent money for not many hours. it's just really fucking boring
i reckon there should be more apprenticeships available-thay pay ok and considering the take-up would be school-leavers it's more than adequate. and we need tradespeople. i may even train to be a plumber myself when my youngest starts school-why the fuck not?

just wanted to add that whilst i don't fully regret the choices i made coz there's just no point-i would have loved to have had some idea of what i wanted to be doing and to have attempted to get there through higher education-i still hope to.

[ToucanSpam]

Sorry for the needless necro-posting, but I am curious how everyone who is still in university is doing. I know a couple of us are kicking around in a Masters degree, just curious of other people's experiences. I'm new to it and thus far it's been a blast.

[Randetica]

i broke up with school, end of carrear.

[P of R]

You Americans and your weird degrees...

[rirv]

I have a BA in American Studies.
Going to study next September for a PGCE (Post Graduate Certificate in Education) which will let me be a teacher.

Shit.

In the meantime I'm going to be taking some diplomas with the Open University and some short courses at the local college to boost my subject knowledge.

[Caribou]

I started my bachelor of English Language and Culture last week at Leiden University. I'm reaaally enjoying it so far. Bit of literature, bit of grammar, bit of pronunciation, bit of middle-english etc.
It's still easy peasy lemon squeezy, but as this is only week 2 I don't know if it'll stay that way. I'm having a great time anyway, my classmates are cool and so are the teachers, so... yay! :D

But I still can't really believe I'm at 'Uni'. omg!

[DroppinScience]

I have (in chronological order):

A diploma in Journalism (which I haven't used a lot lately, and in retrospect should probably not have taken since the program was sort of a joke with people who had no idea what they were doing... but regardless, I did enjoy it and got to enrich my writing skills and got to write for newspapers)

A BA in Spanish with Psychology minor

And now I'm in Week 3 of my Master's degree in Library & Information Studies. Which will definitely put me on a good career path and there's certainly a lot of directions you can go with it (i.e. public library, academic, medical, law, government libraries, archives, records management, etc.). I'm really enjoying it so far and no doubt I'll be able to forge contacts and network and crap like that.

As for pursuing further education, I do have to side with Schmeltz. Sure, there's the aspect of being more employable, but no matter what I've enjoyed post-secondary education (particularly the humanities) because you really do get to learn a lot and overall you become a better citizen with critical thinking skills. Maybe it's not practical all the time, but things would be quite dull without it. Having said that, it is nice to be in a "practical" program after spending a few years in an "impractical" field.

[ToucanSpam]

Where are you doing your degree Brett? Also, Masters in Library and Information Studies is awesome.(y)

[DroppinScience]

Where are you doing your degree Brett? Also, Masters in Library and Information Studies is awesome.(y)

Same as my undergrad, University of Alberta.

[hitmonlee]

i finished high school and enrolled in a uni course i did not give 2 shits about, i spent most of the year raving and attending the occasional class, pretended to my parents i was at uni when really i was out doing whatever and i never turned up to any of my exams.

i often feel like i'd rather die, before writing another essay or making a public speech.

i wish i knew at a younger age that i had options besides high school > uni
i may have done an apprenticeship or something
it's not that i can't get a degree, i just don't have the urge to learn.

[milleson]

I've got a BS in Geology, and I'm working on my PhD. It was/is all free. No debt for me. (y)

[hellojello]

I should have done accounting. Accountants always get jobs after their bachelors. And lawyers, doctors, teachers, social workers, nurses pretty much anyone with a vocational based degree. Too bad I did social science. You don't hear about many social scientists in the ol' workforce do you.

When I was brought up I was told that all you have to do is get an education and everything will be peachy-creamy. Too bad by the time I'd finished my education I didn't even want to be a social scienctist anyways, and even if I did the idea that my bachelors would get me a job? lies. Everything I applied for in those first few months asked for experience not damn education. I was pretty disappointed to discover I should have started fresh, impressionable and most importantly able to work (legally) for junior/trainee wages in the workforce at 17 and slowly but surely worked my way up the colloquial corporate ladder.

It's taken me a few years to swallow that bitter pill, but now I've finally come to terms with it I've realized, more studies is the answer.

[abbott]

BS, Radio Television & Film, West Texas A&M U.

Program is now called Mass Comunication

[Kid Presentable]

I start a Grad Diploma in Project Management today. Fucking nervous about it.

[MC Moot]

BSW and a leap of Poly Sci...

[camo]

The best of luck to you mate (y)

[hpdrifter]

I guess people pursuing Ph.D.s have better things to do than post here.

[cj hood]

just finished 60 creds beyond Masters...don't hate!

[Helvete]

Bollocks to all you and your educations. I've got loads of money now and I'll go on to earn shit loads more, no degree needed. You know that nice big debt you got from all those years at college? Well I have that in the bank.

[Kid Presentable]

Bollocks to all you and your educations. I've got loads of money now and I'll go on to earn shit loads more, no degree needed. You know that nice big debt you got from all those years at college? Well I have that in the bank.

Yeah any idiot can make money nowadays, it's funny.

I liked it when only clever and interesting people could do so, but more power to you for blazing a trail. (y)

Oh yeah, my employer's paying for this degree.

[Guy Incognito]

i failed at a degree twice, once because of too many drugs and being young and stupid and once because of circumstances beyond my control when i was doing really well. It is my biggest regret in life that i didnt succeed although the first time i wasnt doing something i wanted to do, just felt like i had to. If i was safe financially i'd go back and do what i was doing the second time in a heartbeat. I know its all part of my life and it shaped it and i am happy now, i just wish i'd finished.

[Kid Presentable]

Fuck it, it's not the be-all and end-all, though is it?

[Guy Incognito]

Fuck it, it's not the be-all and end-all, though is it?

no but i think the sense of doing it, being together enough to sort out decent work and being into a subject would have been something that would have improved me, in confidence if nothing else

i did learn a lot at college but not what i was supposed to!

[Helvete]

Yeah any idiot can make money nowadays, it's funny.

I liked it when only clever and interesting people could do so, but more power to you for blazing a trail. (y)

Oh yeah, my employer's paying for this degree.

You just called me an idiot. I have an IQ of 130 and a job in Military Intelligence, I'm not a fucking idiot.

[Kid Presentable]

You just called me an idiot. I have an IQ of 130 and a job in Military Intelligence, I'm not a fucking idiot.

Maybe someday a man will tell you to invade my country and you can tell me all about it.

[Freebasser]

Money isn't the be all and end all anyway. If I'd wanted to earn shit loads of money I certainly wouldn't have gone into graphic design.

Street cleaners probably earn more than me, but at least I enjoy what I do.

Sometimes :/


P.S. I actually learned fuck all about design whilst studying for my bachelors. I learned more in 3 weeks on the job than in 3 years of education.

[Kid Presentable]

P.S. I actually learned fuck all about design whilst studying for my bachelors. I learned more in 3 weeks on the job than in 3 years of education.

This is true.

[Bob]

P.S. I actually learned fuck all about design whilst studying for my bachelors. I learned more in 3 weeks on the job than in 3 years of education.

law works the same way. it's amazing how little you learn about being a lawyer from law school. like if a friend came up to me and said "hey, i just got hit by a car and i wanna sue, can you help?" i wouldn't know what to do. i mean, i'd have an idea about what claims to bring (though i'd have to do some research to make sure i didn't miss anything) but as for the actual filing complaints and filling forms and serving notice and filing and defending motions and scheduling hearings and taking depositions and, you know, the bureaucracy and paperwork that lawsuits are built off of i wouldn't have a clue, i'd have to google it or ask someone. the idea is that you're supposed to learn those things from your job but oops there aren't any good luck out there

i wish it worked more like med school, where you aren't allowed to get your medical license unless you've actually spent time working in a hospital or whatever it is that doctors do

[hpdrifter]

I did my undergrad in the impractical and now I'm back in school working on something practical (Nursing). I just hope I can stay in the job I'm in long enough to make it through the end of my prerequisites.

[Freebasser]

law works the same way. it's amazing how little you learn about being a lawyer from law school. like if a friend came up to me and said "hey, i just got hit by a car and i wanna sue, can you help?" i wouldn't know what to do. i mean, i'd have an idea about what claims to bring (though i'd have to do some research to make sure i didn't miss anything) but as for the actual filing complaints and filling forms and serving notice and filing and defending motions and scheduling hearings and taking depositions and, you know, the bureaucracy and paperwork that lawsuits are built off of i wouldn't have a clue, i'd have to google it or ask someone. the idea is that you're supposed to learn those things from your job but oops there aren't any good luck out there

i wish it worked more like med school, where you aren't allowed to get your medical license unless you've actually spent time working in a hospital or whatever it is that doctors do

I had the same problems. I'd applied for so many design jobs to get experience, only to be told that they were looking for somebody with experience, and that they'd 'keep me on file'. How does that work?

When I actually landed a job (more through accident than for trying) I was bombarded with all kinds of obscure design terminology. I was expected to know different paper weights and finishes, how to do things in Photoshop I'd never even dreamed of being able to acheive (it would help if I'd been taught Photoshop even once at Uni), and how to deal face to face with clients - not easy when I'd never even done a live job. I loved uni for the life experience, but I think I could've just applied for work experience at a studio instead and saved myself £20,000 debt. When we get kids from uni coming in for work experience I can't help but stifle my laughter when I see the tripe they've been producing under the 'expert' guidance of their flower-child lecturers who went into teaching straight out of uni in the 70s.