Is college worth it?

[castletonsnob]

Is college really worth going to? 

[arrogantmodel]

I went longer than I should have and didn't graduate. It eats at me, and it feels like it holds me back. But I never had money, it was just my mom and I. Taking out loans.

I had a lot of family issues come up, and my mom was having a hard time. I thought if I came home, they would stop. At least maybe take a break. Well, that break is going on ten years, and I am paying my loans off very slowly.

I would say to really be ready. I would have waited if I knew then what I know now. It can be depressing and very difficult. I think of going back now and then, but as long as I have a decent job and pay my bills, I'm comfortable.

Sorry if this is ranting, but college is nothing like on tv or movies. I even got screwed over by having to wait to take classes I needed because the school couldn't find anyone to teach them.

So really do your research. And I believe a college degree isn't worth as much as it used to be. Experience seems to be more valued these days.

Hope I helped a bit.

[StuntGranny®]

If you major in the right thing, yes.

[xCompackx]

It's tough to say whether college is or isn't worth it as there's a lot of different factors to consider, but I will say if you do decide to go, don't assume that you have to go to a university. Look at some community colleges near you and see what they have to offer first because it can save you thousands and thousands of dollars.

[castletonsnob]

Feb 19, 2017 19:34:33 GMT -5 xCompackx said:

It's tough to say whether college is or isn't worth it as there's a lot of different factors to consider, but I will say if you do decide to go, don't assume that you have to go to a university. Look at some community colleges near you and see what they have to offer first because it can save you thousands and thousands of dollars.

I'm taking online courses at my local community college.

I'm getting my associates in general ed. My mom says it'll show that I'm well-rounded.

[thecrusherwi]

I would say yes, but it depends on your goals. I have a degree at a two year technical school and a four year university. A two year trade school/technical college is the fastest track to a job, usually pretty affordable and is really good if you want to be a skilled tradesman (and if you go into an engineering, manufacturing, IT, automation, or health care field, you can make REALLY good money with a two year degree). The trade off is, at most two year schools, you won't get the traditional "college" atmosphere. Some don't even have residence on campus. A four year school is great for the college atmosphere and is a better option if you want to go into a humanities, law, lab science, or business type field (or if you don't know what you want to do). Your earning potential on average will be higher, but it will cost more (sometimes A LOT more if you go to a private school), and depending on the degree, it can be hard to get a job in your field.

From personal experience, most of the skills I use at my job I learned in a two year tech school, but two years in the dorms and two years in student appartments at a four year university molded me from a shy kid who was very insecure into an more outgoing sociable person who is more comfortable meeting new people. So there are tremendous benefits to each in my opinion. The sense of accomplishment I have from getting my two degrees is more than I aver would've expected prior to starting school.

EDIT- I will add, if you decide to go, make a plan before you enroll. It can turn into a money pit if you just take classes with no end goal in mind (trust me- I know personally). If you make a plan, it can make things much easier and can help make your path to completion more clear - and that will come in handy when you get burned out, which happens to every student at some point.

(I work at an American college so what I said mainly applies there)

[castletonsnob]

But no one will hire me with a degree from my local CC.

Especially if I took my courses online.

[Ultimo Gallos]

It all depends on many factors. It was worth it for me. But then the Army paid for my college. Got a buddy that was gonna do two years at a local CC then head off to either MSU or Southern. After his first year he applied for a job at the local power company. Figured out pretty fast that if he worked there full time he would make more than he would after getting his degree. So he quit college and lives a pretty nice life.

[Big Poppa Pumpkin]

Feb 19, 2017 19:51:49 GMT -5 castletonsnob said:

But no one will hire me with a degree from my local CC.

Especially if I took my courses online.

are you working right now? 

[castletonsnob]

Feb 19, 2017 19:54:49 GMT -5 Big Poppa Pumpkin said:

Feb 19, 2017 19:51:49 GMT -5 castletonsnob said:

But no one will hire me with a degree from my local CC.

Especially if I took my courses online.

are you working right now? 

No.

[Big Poppa Pumpkin]

Feb 19, 2017 19:55:25 GMT -5 castletonsnob said:

Feb 19, 2017 19:54:49 GMT -5 Big Poppa Pumpkin said:

are you working right now? 

No.

Well I would say it is better to be taking online classes than not, at this time. You can point to that on your resume and say "I was doing this" instead of having a gap there, at least.

[castletonsnob]

I'm gonna learn about computer programming.

That should open up job opportunities.

[Push R Truth]

College is whatever you put into it ... for the most part.


Like anything in life, it's hard to paint with broad strokes. "Is college worth it" isn't a bad question, it's just impossible for people to answer. You, yourself, will only know the answer. And you'll only know it later in life.

I know people that hated college and complained about it for years, then 30 years later they understood what it did for them. I know people that loved college and it gave them great opportunities... then 10 years later hated it.

As for me? I went to college, didn't invest enough of myself into it. Worked hard for a while after college, saw the "real world", I woke the F up after seeing friends fall to common life pitfalls like bills and piss poor financial planning. Then I applied myself, changed jobs and went from a grunt pushing brooms to a civil engineering firm.

Couldn't have done it without college. I didn't appreciate it until it was nearly too late. But that's the great thing about life, it's never too late until it is.

[Evil Homer]

I have been working in the same industry for the last 9 years . I am losing out on new job opportunities and promotions because of my lack of degree. When I started, a degree was not needed for this profession - now it is . Even a low end entry level customer service job requires a four year degree in some companies . Is a degree worth it ? IMO - hell yes it is

[castletonsnob]

What if you don't have a 4 year degree?

[Baldobomb-22-OH-MAN!!!]

for me yes. I didn't go in with any expectation of a degree getting me a job at the time and just took subjects I wanted to and majored in what I loved. I didn't really know what I wanted to do with my life at the time so I just enjoyed it. and it while I ever worked in English lit, it always helped on the resume regardless. guy with a degree and guy without a degree applying for the same job heavily skews things in my favor, even if it was something like cleaning dishes.

[castletonsnob]

Feb 19, 2017 20:01:43 GMT -5 Big Poppa Pumpkin said:

Feb 19, 2017 19:55:25 GMT -5 castletonsnob said:

No.

Well I would say it is better to be taking online classes than not, at this time. You can point to that on your resume and say "I was doing this" instead of having a gap there, at least.

But what if I can't find a job because I took my courses online?

[Red Impact]

Depends, there's no one answer.

Many majors, particularly those geared towards specific professions, can be worth it, and it's in your benefit to research it. A lot of jobs require that you just have a college degree, and don't really specify which one. A lot of college majors don't really have a practical application beyond getting a piece of paper, and are more a barrier for the employer. If you a plan there, it can be worth it.

On the other side, there are still a lot of ways to make money and have a career that don't require a college degree, or at least beyond a technical degree. Union labor, where it still exists, and jobs like oilfield work can be solid careers with relatively minimal classroom time, and can even pay more than a lot of job that do require college degrees.

So do your research, look into jobs that you are willing to do and compare that with classroom time needed to reach it. It won't help if you if you just randomly go in though.

[Big Poppa Pumpkin]

Feb 19, 2017 20:30:32 GMT -5 castletonsnob said:

Feb 19, 2017 20:01:43 GMT -5 Big Poppa Pumpkin said:

Well I would say it is better to be taking online classes than not, at this time. You can point to that on your resume and say "I was doing this" instead of having a gap there, at least.

But what if I can't find a job because I took my courses online?

Online courses aren't looked down on, if that's what you're worried about. You might be asked why you chose to study online rather than on campus in interviews but its not like that will affect your chances of getting a job. 

[Ryback on a Pole!]

I went to university and although my degree helped me get a job (zookeeper). I could have done the job just as well without one tbf.

I'd say it's worth getting one because lots of companies still place value on them so a degree opens more opportunities.