50K degree in underwater basket weaving, stuck in low pay job.

[RavenSEAL]

You might have a point. Many jobs nowadays require college degrees, even though most of us know that many of these same jobs don't really make use of anything you gain by getting a degree.

This is exactly what pisses me off about having to spend 17K/year for my school (Includes on-campus housing)... Hell, the first 34K are a wasted in fucking useless FKLs, I don't get to see anything related to major until 2 and half years down the road.

 

[Fayd]

I have a better idea. Stop defining professionals by a piece of paper on a wall. Education is a horribly overvalued. You can learn more reading wikipedia in one week than you'll learn in a semester in college, and it will cost you nothing. I haven't felt like I've learned anything from school since elementary...

yeah, cause those science and math skills just learn themselves, right?

not everyone needs a degree. but some do.

fwiw, i'm one of those who got out of college with a less than marketable degree. (BA economics). i'm going back now, doing the last year and a half picking up math classes.

going for a masters/PhD in statistics. will definitely be more in demand, and should that not work out for me, it sets me into a better track for other things.

 

[Fayd]

This is exactly what pisses me off about having to spend 17K/year for my school (Includes on-campus housing)... Hell, the first 34K are a wasted in fucking useless FKLs, I don't get to see anything related to major until 2 and half years down the road.

that's why intelligent people attend community colleges for their first 2 years. 60 bucks a unit here. same instructors, same books.

 

[Jeff7]

The 27-year-old now makes about $45,000 a year as an administrative assistant for a nonprofit group, a job that didn’t require her advanced degree.

And yet this is more than I'm making with an engineering degree, working as an engineer, at a for-profit company.

 

[shortylickens]

So I hear but I guess everyone already got to it when I went looking. And I looked, a lot. I didn't want any loans (Thankfully I owed less than most people pay for a car).

This "billions of dollars for free" is a load of crap.

Yeah most kids get their college money from loans. All the scholarships and stuff added up wouldnt be close to the debt children are getting themselves into.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

that's why intelligent people attend community colleges for their first 2 years. 60 bucks a unit here. same instructors, same books.

I really think that's a good idea. If I ever have a kid, I'm going to encourage him/her to use that approach or go to a local campus so he/she can live at home to save money on the core courses. No use in paying a premium for those.

 

[krunchykrome]

but what will they go for? what will they do? When I started college, i had no direction or drive. dropped out of that after the second quarter.

College is not for everyone and you dont need a degree for a lot of jobs that you can make ok money in.

that's true, but generally speaking, you're in a better position to have a successful future if you have a useful college degree.

 

[PingSpike]

There's plenty of loans available, not so much "free money". And of course there's plenty of loans available. Why would a bank stop offering them when the only way to default on them is to commit suicide?

My wife got a close to free ride (I think she got out with $4-5K in loans) from an expensive private school, but she also worked her ass of in high school, applied for a ton of scholarships and most importantly...her parents didn't make any fucking money.

 

[Wyndru]

My wife pulled something similar by deciding not to go into psychiatry and instead go for clinical psychology because it didn't require med school.

120k later (doctorate, licensed) she makes less than I do with a 20k bachelors. Some degrees just don't pay off.

 

[OutHouse]

yeah, cause those science and math skills just learn themselves, right?

not everyone needs a degree. but some do.

fwiw, i'm one of those who got out of college with a less than marketable degree. (BA economics). i'm going back now, doing the last year and a half picking up math classes.

going for a masters/PhD in statistics. will definitely be more in demand, and should that not work out for me, it sets me into a better track for other things.

who needs a PhD in stats?

 

[Elbryn]

who needs a PhD in stats?

could always fall back into the actuary realm. i have to believe that type of degree would lend itself well towards taking the actuary tests.

 

[Golgatha]

 

[Golgatha]

I really think that's a good idea. If I ever have a kid, I'm going to encourage him/her to use that approach or go to a local campus so he/she can live at home to save money on the core courses. No use in paying a premium for those.

Yeah, if I wouldn't have gotten an academic scholarship and Pell grant during my undergraduate years, I'd have done an associates degree before going to the 4 year college I graduated from. Thankfully grad school tuition was paid for with my teaching assistant assignment.

 

[vi edit]

I have a better idea. Stop defining professionals by a piece of paper on a wall. Education is a horribly overvalued. You can learn more reading wikipedia in one week than you'll learn in a semester in college, and it will cost you nothing. I haven't felt like I've learned anything from school since elementary...

Given that you've filed for a couple bankrupcy's, isn't it possible that it's more an issue with you than your education? College isn't about what you learn. It's teaching you how to learn. It's about providing you opportunities to network professionally through internships and private job fairs. It's about staying in touch with other people in your class and networking with them socially/professionally. It's also about a 4 year buffett of college girl ass and having fun and walking away with a piece of paper that helps you get a better job when you are done.


There's no question that there are some degrees and people that have no reason pursuing them. The return on investment is simply not there. For many though, they will make more money throughout their career and more than pay for that tuition cost. It's not a guaranteed way to success. You have to leverage some practicality with it as well.

 

[Golgatha]

I also think parents who have the money but refuse to pay for their kids' college tuition are dicks.

I fully plan to help my kids pay for college...once they successfully obtain a degree.

 

[jhu]

Is the topic title a joke? I really thought someone majored in underwater basketweaving. I understand the point of the article but I found the topic title really misleading.

And I thought it was underwater basket weaving at 50K! Although 50K degrees is a particularly redundant way of expressing temperature, not to mention how solid the water would be at that temperature unless it was high pressure 50K underwater basket weaving.

 

[jhu]

My wife pulled something similar by deciding not to go into psychiatry and instead go for clinical psychology because it didn't require med school.

120k later (doctorate, licensed) she makes less than I do with a 20k bachelors. Some degrees just don't pay off.

She should have gone to medical school.

 

[Wyndru]

She should have gone to medical school.

Yup, she definitely regrets it. The problem now is there are a lot of laid off psychologists and when she applies for a position the competition is ridiculous. Oh well, maybe things will get better and clinical psychology will turn around.

 

[vi edit]

I fully plan to help my kids pay for college...once they successfully obtain a degree.

Interesting thought that I hadn't really considered. I'd assume you could still use tax sheltered accounts like a 529/Education IRA to pay off student loans after graduation, right? It's still an "education expense" isn't it? That gives you 4 more years of accruel on your savings accounts. Plus it incentives your kid to follow through.

:hmm:

But who knows what my poor kids will get stuck with when it come FASFA time in another 14 years. Deferring through loans might not be an option.

 

[Capt Caveman]

Before you declare a major you should be forced to do a research project on the job prospects, pay, and overall education costs required to complete that degree.

Compare the cost to the realistic salary/job opportunities you could expect and send a copy of that to your parents, the government (if you are student loans) and any other entity that is financing your ass.

Then let them decide if you can proceed down that path.

In any other loan you take the underwriters require some proof that you'll actually be able to repay that amount.

Pretty silly. Lots of folks are in careers that are very different from their majors. We have CEOs of High Tech companies with Humanities degrees. I know several English majors in technical positions making six figures.

Lots of factors beyond one's major can determine one's career.

 

[vi edit]

Pretty silly. Lots of folks are in careers that are very different from their majors. We have CEOs of High Tech companies with Humanities degrees. I know several English majors in technical positions making six figures.

Lots of factors beyond one's major can determine one's career.

It wasn't a hard line, serious comment. It's more of a reality check for those that have no clue what legititmate prospects they have for employment in relation to the enomous amount of debt they rack up to to get there. Throwing money at a degree hoping for a good job isn't a great way to go about things.

 

[Vic Vega]

So I hear but I guess everyone already got to it when I went looking. And I looked, a lot. I didn't want any loans (Thankfully I owed less than most people pay for a car).

This "billions of dollars for free" is a load of crap.

Everyone has an excuse. Funny how people go for free year after year. I guess they looked harder or wanted it more than you. Probably both.

 

[Fayd]

who needs a PhD in stats?

research statisticians. depending on their research interests and aptitude with programming, big .coms like google.

well, once i have the masters i might be looking at other programs as well. phd policy analysis at rand....