Do you guys have college degrees?

[skorb]

Re: Do you guys have college degrees?

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I just think it is 987459852734897234 times worse starting off college career at a community college instead of being on my own and away from the same routine/rut as highschool.

I'm kicking myself now for not going away as a freshman.

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you are likely correct in that being an error. but many people who do go away get caught up in the whole campus drinking scene and fuck themselves that way. there are distractions anywhere, it's up to the person to deal with them, and they can either do so productively or destructively.

college is about proving you have staying power and can handle the work. some can, some can't. and some of the ones who dropped out ended up starting businesses and they are now multimillionaires.

I got a degree from a prestigous eastern university, and I do very well in a six figure executive career, but I would trade it all for having had the nuts to start a business when I was younger. because by now I'd be independently wealthy if I had, instead of just pretty well off.

oh well, there's still time... [img]/images/graemlins/tongue.gif[/img]

[mwm70]

Re: Do you guys have college degrees?

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My parents will be behind me whatever I choose to do, hell if I wanted to be a plumber they would be supportive 100%, so there's no pressure that i HAVE to do this, but I'm just trying to justify getting a 4year degree.

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Do not discount trade work. Most journeymen make way more money than college grads with non-specific degrees. In my neck of the woods union tradesmen make 20-35 dollars an hour, overtime after 8, time and a half for Sat and double time for Sunday and holidays. Along with that their benefits are paid for by the contractors they work for. The work is hard and dangerous but many of the guys make in the six digits with overtime.
I have a 4 year liberal arts degree which is essentially worthless. I work for a major industrial manufacture managing construction projects. My 4 year degree got me the job not based on what I learned but on the fact that I was able to learn.
Get the degree it will pay off in the long run. It is a necessity in most environments today. It is almost like what a highschool dipolma was 30 years ago, a minimum requirement.

[neilli]

Re: Do you guys have college degrees?

Having a degree is unlikely to ever be regarded as a bad thing, just don't treat it like a meal ticket....

I'm 32, have a degree and earn around $55K, but in contrast my wife started work at 18, has no degree and 11 years later is earning around $70K with a jump to $85K coming in January.

However, in both our cases, there are plenty of uncertainties around longevity of the situation, whereas as mentioned above, in many cases a trade skill is much more dependable - that's the route I'd pursue if I was starting again.....

[Newc]

Re: Do you guys have college degrees?

I've got a B.S. in BS, and am working on my PhD in posthole digging [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Get a degree in something that they'll never run out of work for. IT jobs are being shipped overseas like crazy, so pretty soon America's gonna be divided into two distinct classes - executive types who are rich from raking in the profits gleaned from putting everyone out of work, and the people who will bury the unemployed when they starve to death.

Take foreign language courses. Become a master of as many languages as you can (Japanese, Chinese, Philipino, Hindi, etc etc), because there's going to be a need for translators as well as those who can supervise ethnically-diverse groups.

Get a degree in Consulting. If you're not part of the solution, there's big money to be made prolonging the problem.

However, be very careful not to fall into the trap of turning down paying jobs simply because you've been told that your degreed profession pays x amount. Money is money, and a little money is better than no money.
Think about the end of the Cold War - all those Physicists and Biochemists and such with specialized knowledge that were part of Government agencies had no other job prospects. Some went into medical research and technology, some went to work for China and Russia in their Nuclear facilities, because the only other alternatives were low-paying College Professor jobs (and with those skills no longer needed to maintain the Cold War, those courses were phased out) or Burger King.

It doesn't matter if it's not something you totally love, as long as it's not something you totally hate.

Or you could get a degree to do one thing for a number of years, then go back to school to do something else for a few more years, then get another degree and do something else. Be a Doctor, then be a Lawyer, then be an Engineer, then a Computer Hero, then an Artist, an Art Critic, a Recording Engineer, a Train Engineer, an airline pilot, a Tugboat Pilot, a dancer, and a hooker. See life from all possible angles.

Then write songs about it all and make some real money [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

[Inazone]

Re: Do you guys have college degrees?

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So you're doing good with 'just' an associate's degree?

I'm worried if I do get an Associates in something I am somewhat interested in instead of a bachelors with somehting I'm not interested at all in, I won't be as well off.

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Keeping in mind that I graduated from tech college in May 1995, just before Windows 95 hit and brought with it a new wave of computer users, I had no trouble finding a job. Microsoft wasn't the only flavor at the time, and I focused my classes around Novell networks, with a lot of DOS knowledge. I had several offers based only on my resume and degree (no interview required), as there were very few degree programs specializing in networking at the time. I took a somewhat low-paying job as a field tech installing small LANs, but it was cool because I was working on bizarre equipment and operating systems that nobody would recognize now - XENIX, PC-MOS, MUC-DOS and other absurdity. I learned to write documentation and make obscure old applications work on then-new systems. Then I realized that I was making $9 an hour but being whored out for $90 and hour.

I got a better offer from the company that I'm at now, which cut my "commute" to five blocks. Although I could still make more money elsewhere, I'm close to $50K working for a very cool boss in a relaxed atmosphere, working on things I enjoy. I don't have some of the "luxuries" that other people in my position have, but that's by choice - I pour most of my spending money into my musical pursuits. The same is true of my wife, also a musician.

[bombtek]

Re: Do you guys have college degrees?

I am also a high school dropout. I shifted around from job to job from 1988 until 1995 when I joined the army (at 25 years old LOL).

Without having a degree I could not find a decent job anywhere. Most of it was carpentry, line cook, ski instructor yadayadayada.

Don't get me wrong ...I had a lot of fun back then and don't regret it. The only way I got the job I have now is from my training in the Army. In a way, I still work for them.

I make close to 6 figures a year depending upon how much time I want to put in. It is a good job.

If I had the choice to go back and stay in school, go to college and get a degree, would I?.....yes I would. I feel like I let something slip by in life by not affording myself that opportunity.

Finish school. It's not all that long in the grand scheme of things. Apply yourself now to further your education.

I got lucky.....don't rely on luck yourself....go with a guarantee.

[shredmonster]

Re: Do you guys have college degrees?

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Get a degree (4year) in anything....but get one ! You will find that not having a degree is one of the ways that HR "discounts" you and your abilities and takes you out of the "mix" for any position ! Here's a fun idea, go to Las Vegas U and get a degree in "hotel management"....YOu will be working for the rest of your live....and get paid well for it!.....Or go into "health care" and become a nurse (not my idea of a good time), but nurses will always work...always be paid relatively well! Both jobs will never be "out sourced"! ! !
But by all means...stick with it...jump through the hoops and get the degrees....you will never regret it ! Don't...and you will always regret it!

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Yep. Get one and worry about a job later. You will look back and thank yourself for making a smart decision.

Plus its the most fun you will ever have if you go to a major university. You miss a lot of social stuff by attending a community college. The social aspect of college is the best thing about it. I never wanted to leave!

[Bert]

Re: Do you guys have college degrees?

Unless you really know what you want to do, and you feel you can pursue it without getting a degree, I'd suggest you get the degree. Attending school will give you time to sort things out. And remember that many jobs you may get stuck in suck a lot more than attending college!

[shreddermon]

Re: Do you guys have college degrees?

Got to college. Get the 4 year degree. And then get a Masters, too.

Do you need a college degree to be successful and make decent money? No. Lots of guys/gals are successful without that. But it sure as hell increases your chances a lot. And, over time the differences in average income become wider and wider. By the time you're 30/40-ish, they're pretty huge.

[MarshallAbuser]

Re: Do you guys have college degrees?

Read all of the replies, everyone was really helpful getting a lot of points of view, thanks everyone.

Still have absolutely no idea what to study, but for now I am going to stay in school.

Not too worried about scoial scene/partying, I've got a great social life, and most of the initial partying was done with by the time senior year of highschool rolled around, but yeah I would definitely like to try to attend a University, for the experience.

I'd feel cheated if I didn't go away from home for school [img]/images/graemlins/laugh.gif[/img]

Thanks again everyone, feel free to keep posting, I like hearing about what people did when they were my age (19) with regards to school/work.

[Top Jimmy B]

Re: Do you guys have college degrees?

I have two degrees and a job that pays me well to perform my required duties. I also sign paychecks for two finance managers, with high school diplomas, that average $20k per month each. These guys have been on their jobs for more than a decade and have what schools do not teach - practical experience and sales ability.

Having said that, a higher education is what gets people in front of a decision maker, more often than not.

Go to school and get some practical experience in whatever interests you. Being able to jump in to a new job with a minimum of training and down time is a big plus to an employer.

[guitarsjb]

Re: Do you guys have college degrees?

I graduated high school. After several different jobs, I fell into the hotel business. I worked my way up to General Manager (took me about 6 years) and now I have a great boss, and great pay. He put an apartment here, so I have no rent or utilities. A college degree in my situation would not have helped one bit. I feel I have a better understanding of the operations side because I did work in every department before becoming a manager.

[Venomboy]

Re: Do you guys have college degrees?

Find out what you want to do, then do the necessary training it takes to be the best at it. If that means school, then great! School isn't for everyone. However, everyone I know who has a degree or training in a trade makes more money than those whol don't have some sort of formal training. Saying you're bored or easily distracted sounds like whining to me. Even if you decided to be a professional musician you'd still be bored and whining.

I have a BS Degree in Graphic Design and I make an insane amount of money at my job. My wife has a nursing degree and she also makes great money. For us, it's not all about the money though. We love what we do and we both firmly believe that if you are great at what you do, you will find a way to make lots of money doing it. I have friends with the same degree as me and that are probably better designers than me. However, I continue to attend conferences, take classes, read books/magazines outside of my field to have an edge over the competition. Ongoing education can only help you. I've been told repeatedly that one of the main reasons I get hired is that I know about business, not just design.

[ChickenScratch]

Re: Do you guys have college degrees?

I've got two degrees, Journalism and English Liturature. Tomorrow's my birthday, I'll be 25 and have two degrees, two jobs, decent amount of money and all the time to write and play guitar.

I was lucky enough to be a smart kid, early on I discovered a passion for writing, philosophy and music. I was most gifted in writing though and after graduating high school in my junior year I got the idea that I was gonna write the great American novel but ended up wasteing a year.

In the end I started up my college career at a local Community College where some of my friends from high school went. I again lost focus and spent two years drinking and doing drugs with friends.

After realizing I've spent 3 years of my life getting nowhere I got serious, studied hard, made friends with the music teachers at school so instead of going somewhere and getting high between classes I would go study music or help out in some way in the music department.

So yeah, I made it to college and did pretty well. Don't be like me and not take the oppertunity, I wasted 3 years. Just go to school, take a couple classes from dierent departments and see what you like.

[aldog1330]

Re: Do you guys have college degrees?

I'm 25, and have both a BS and an MS. I originally finished my BS in Computer Science in December of '01, when the job market was not good at all in my area. Career fairs at my college were an alltime low. Based on what I picked up while working as an intern the summer before I graduated, I decided to give grad work a try and went back to school for what I interned for, which is Telecommunications. I know they are similiar, but still far enough apart to warrant getting a degree in. I finished my degree in May of '04, and happily am doing better than all of the friends I had while back in college, and most of the kids I went to high school with. Am I earning a 6 figure salary? No, but I'm living quite comfortably for where I am and how long I've been in the workforce. Would I do it again? Even if the market was better when I finished my BS, I would.

Keep in mind too that many times in any industry, its almost more "who" you know, not "what" you know.