Why college? Why Bother?

[Skeleon]

To me, jobs are about fulfillment primarily and money secondarily.
Remember, you'll do this work for the better part of your life, so you'd better find something you like, not just something to pay the bills with.
And many of the more interesting careers (depends on your personal taste, of course) are only accessible with university-education or similar.
I get what you're saying.
It's sad when people attend college or university not because it interests them but because they want to earn a lot of money later on.
They'll lead hollow lives.
So, if the dream job/career you're aiming for doesn't require college or university, go right ahead.

 

[Aunel]

to do what you want to of course

but hey, my dads rich, so I'll just inherit my fortune.

Same here brother, but I'm still thinking about going to school, just for something to do at least, maybe leran some new things. I should have went right after high school, now I'm 24 and afraid I'll look weird on a campus as a freshman when the rest of the class will be like 18.

I have the opposite, I am the youngest in my entire school, it sucks.

 

[Doktor Merkwurdigliebe]

to do what you want to of course

but hey, my dads rich, so I'll just inherit my fortune.

Same here brother, but I'm still thinking about going to school, just for something to do at least, maybe leran some new things. I should have went right after high school, now I'm 24 and afraid I'll look weird on a campus as a freshman when the rest of the class will be like 18.

I have the opposite, I am the youngest in my entire school, it sucks.

As I mentioned before, I'm on a Games Dev course. I've got one 36 yo guy, and one 29 in my group. They don't feel awkward, why should you?

 

[The Kangaroo]

I wanna study Medicine so I may need to go to medical school but who knows, maybe I go in for the final exam and luck out. If I can do that then I don't have to get 600 points (6 A1s (95%-100%)) on my Leaving Cert

 

[Nmil-ek]

OK, so I've been working at blue collar jobs since I was 16. And the job I'm at now, come to find out, pays just as much as some jobs that require degrees to get into. With so many jobs out there that need little or if anything a GED to get,the question is why bother with post-high school education when theres jobs out there that pay just as well?

Look I don't mean to be skeptical or whatever to those looking to pursue college for a better education. But these days, unless the career you're going into pays well its not going to be worth it in the long run. Take for instance a career in medicine. Everyone I met who is in school for medicine is in it for the money, not because they like it. They know if they get into a field that they like it will never be able to pay the bills. Same as for me, I went to college got an associates in construction technology only to find out places like the tire making plant and the dog food plant make more annually than any job I could get with my education and the people who work there don't even have a high school diploma! I realize I just went through two years of school (no make it 14 counting all school), thousands of dollars in debt to school loans, and the only real chance I had to learn what I wanted to learn in college, but no I was stupid and wasted the chance and money, time on a bad career choice.

Now I work in a warehouse finding out this job pays me more than anyone else in my family and most of them have Bacholar degrees!

Bottom line: Go to school for what you want to learn, not What pays more. Because your probably going to work at a job like mine to pay the bills and use your education for a hobby.

P.S. sorry for making it kinda long, I ramble on sometimes. Comments?

Finaly someone I can relate to, moraless in the same boat OP I was pretty much an average student nothing outsanding education wise but decided to try and accomplish something spent 3 years studying computing/hardware maintenance and frankly it has gotten me nowhere I have the qualifications to pursue a degree but why bother? Been working since I was 16 and able kitchen porter, mailrooms, administration assistant, cleaner and my last job before I was laid off was a nightshift position moving stacks of magazines, shifitng bins shitty work but the pay was utterly oustanding. But the point was while my mates went off to study one of them desperatley trying to get into law they are utterly fucking peniless and even if they did make it into a respective field I'm now packing 4 and a half years of work experiance, a broad skillset and several referances I will never have a problem securing work or earning a living in a decent economic downturn them, not a chance. Not to mention skilled labour generaly does pay more my uncle makes an absolute killing as a plumber *and hes shite*

 

[Raven's Nest]

I left higher education twice, after studying music technology. It just doesn't matter what you know. It's all about who you know, to make that career a success.

So I worked jobs for 6 years. Then became a manager, I fucking hated it. So I quit.

Now I have no job, but I feel better. Now I want to get back into education. I'd like to take an apprenticeship in carpentry. Then, I can get on with my life... Being in limbo sucks...

 

[faceless chick]

You can't get a job here unless you have college.
Everyone has it, and if you don't, the only jobs left are cleaning lady, garbageman, stand salesman and the likes, which nobody wants.

In the end, it doesn't really matter much since what you're taught in school rarely applies for the job, but you need the degree.

Still, I like college, it's much better than high-school.

 

[thiosk]

you don't have to go to college.

in fact, most people aren't well suited to work with their minds, and would be better off working vocations. I'd really like to see vocational schools make a substantial comeback.

Problem is, our highschool system is so bad that the first half of college is generally remedial anyway.

 

[Aunel]

to do what you want to of course

but hey, my dads rich, so I'll just inherit my fortune.

Same here brother, but I'm still thinking about going to school, just for something to do at least, maybe leran some new things. I should have went right after high school, now I'm 24 and afraid I'll look weird on a campus as a freshman when the rest of the class will be like 18.

I have the opposite, I am the youngest in my entire school, it sucks.

As I mentioned before, I'm on a Games Dev course. I've got one 36 yo guy, and one 29 in my group. They don't feel awkward, why should you?

I don't feel really "awkward" it's more "let the 15 year old do it" but I have enough attitude for at least 21.

 

[cikame]

Everyone i know who went to college aiming for a certain job, didn't get it, child psychologist turned into child minder, physical education turned into supermarket work, photographer turned into bar maid, plumber turned into supermarket work.

I've been a supermarket guy and a computer maintenance guy and i didn't go to college or uni, the people i mentioned above have debts to pay and low bank accounts, i don't.... i really don't see an advantage.

 

[antipunt]

I went to college and liked it, but I still generally agree with the OP. Honestly, going to college just to get an 'easy out' degree is a complete waste of time. Occupational school is so much more worth it, both financially, and well..., time-wise.

 

[Hallow'sEve]

My parents TOLD ME I was going to college. No argument. So now, I am at college : P

 

[RetiarySword]

Spoiler: NSFW

Sorry you were saying?

 

[Mookie_Magnus]

One of the best-paying jobs you can get down here is becoming a Heating and Air Conditioning specialist. You'll make shit-tons of money, more than any of your friends, and you don't need a college-degree. Sure, you have to have an HVAC license, but you'll make a mint in it.

However, it is only for the mechanically inclined. Also, I'm not gonna do that. I plan on going to college, and being successful.

 

[matrix3509]

OK, so I've been working at blue collar jobs since I was 16. And the job I'm at now, come to find out, pays just as much as some jobs that require degrees to get into. With so many jobs out there that need little or if anything a GED to get,the question is why bother with post-high school education when theres jobs out there that pay just as well?

Look I don't mean to be skeptical or whatever to those looking to pursue college for a better education. But these days, unless the career you're going into pays well its not going to be worth it in the long run. Take for instance a career in medicine. Everyone I met who is in school for medicine is in it for the money, not because they like it. They know if they get into a field that they like it will never be able to pay the bills. Same as for me, I went to college got an associates in construction technology only to find out places like the tire making plant and the dog food plant make more annually than any job I could get with my education and the people who work there don't even have a high school diploma! I realize I just went through two years of school (no make it 14 counting all school), thousands of dollars in debt to school loans, and the only real chance I had to learn what I wanted to learn in college, but no I was stupid and wasted the chance and money, time on a bad career choice.

Now I work in a warehouse finding out this job pays me more than anyone else in my family and most of them have Bacholar degrees!

Bottom line: Go to school for what you want to learn, not What pays more. Because your probably going to work at a job like mine to pay the bills and use your education for a hobby.

P.S. sorry for making it kinda long, I ramble on sometimes. Comments?

I empathize with you completely. One of my friends works in IT for an insurance company. He never had a day's college education in his life. He started on the bottom rung, and is now the head of the IT department and is earning $80,000+ a year. I wasted two years of my life in college also before I found this out.

 

[llewgriff]

ummmmmm......

"you could have convinced an Urgal to become a farmer tonight."?

success!

exactly

Now cookies to those get the reference.....

Is it when that black woman in the eragon series gives a speach?

 

[Multi-Hobbyist]

Theres currently no way i'd be able to pay off college unless I won the god damn lottery, and I don't even play that.

Im 18, graduated earlier in the year, and struggling to gain hours with both my jobs to pay off whatever debts I got left so I can pursue, (hopefully) my own career in the Electro House music. It's really the only thing I got goin for me, that or I can pick up the drums again and make a wish on a falling star for some metal band.

Point for me is - If you can afford that over-priced day care center, do it, IF your serious about whatever you WANT to go for, not what you HAVE to go for i.e. the Medicine comment.

 

[Smudge91]

I have to have a degree to get to the top of the my chosen career path and i'm an absolute geek who gets incredibly excited about politics, IR, philosophy and history.
edit: Oh another idea...
Money isn't really anything, my sister works for churchill insurance and does the most mind blowingly boring job in the planet and get paids alot however i'm incredibly poor but doing something i love, i'd drather be poor and be happy than rich and stuck in a boring job. Also without a degree you choice's are limited unless you're talented or have connections. Education is extremely important and people do't always go in to if for the money even though the debt i'm going to be in is going to be horrible, thanks student finance.

 

[NoNameMcgee]

I think in your case you've just been lucky. Though I see where you're coming from.

I have no idea what I want to do that I would enjoy more than anything else, and nothing I'm particularly good at or care enough to get better at, to get me a unique job. Nor do I care about having some amazing career that would make people look up to me and go 'gosh, he's so lucky' because I don't completely sum my life up by what job I have, and don't care much if people judge me for not having career goals.

As for money; I like money, money is cool. A lot of it would be nice, but I would be perfectly content with an average wage. I don't plan on starting a family in the future (though its not something I'm fully decided on, to be fair, and I could change my mind anyway when I'm older) so I wouldn't need buckets of money to support kids, I don't need a huge house or an expensive car either and never feel like I will need those things.

Bottom line is, having all those nice little extra goodies a well-paid job would allow me to have would be good; but the effort it takes to go through years and years of education, especially when I'm not a very academic person and don't really have any major skills to motivate and help me... Well, its not worth it for me.

When I finish high school I would like to go to TAFE (for those who don't live in Australia, it's further education a little bit like college but for people who are not academic geniuses to begin with.) but I have no idea what I want to do there or if I'd really achieve at anything and I'm wondering if it's better to just go straight into work. Maybe I could get into an apprenticeship, but then I feel like I'm faced with the exact same issues.

Any advice peeps?

Really I think I'm just content with being average (reference to username, hardy harr) and I'm not convinced it's a bad thing at all.

 

[RobCoxxy]

College = degree = higher paid jobs = more games before bankruptcy/inevitable death