Are all people with degrees closed minded?

[ManSnake]

Only fools go to college. If you have a brain you would bet everything you have on black.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

Not all of them, but the people who have to ask such a question certainly are.

 

[91TTZ]

Originally posted by: AyashiKaibutsu
Not all of them, but the people who have to ask such a question certainly are.

That made no sense at all. That wasn't in any way clever or even offend the OP.

 

[ProfJohn]

There was a study that tried to take on the "myth" that people with college degrees earn more money cause of the degree.

The conclusion they came to is that the people who have degrees were more likely to succeed anyway because of personal drive and ambition. And that getting the degree was just a manifestation of that drive. Essentially, if you are smart enough to get a degree you are going to succeed anyway.

Bill Gates, Steve Jobs, Michael Dell etc are all examples of this, I don't think any of them finished college and yet they are some of the richest and most successful people of the last 20-30 years.

 

[doze]

College shows that you were able to complete a difficult voluntary task at a young age. A degree indicates self discipline and dedication.

 

[shortylickens]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn
It's a way to validate themselves

That is my opinion.
I'm only working on a degree to get more money. I know it doesnt make me smarter or even more useful, but it does make me more competitive because companies see me as such.

 

[Orsorum]

I agree with Red.

 

[ProfJohn]

With the exception of "professional" degrees (Lawyer, Doctor, engineers) most degrees just open doors for you. If I had a degree (even a BA in Art History) I could get a job with the company I am working for now (very large retailer) making $10,000 more a year. However, since I don't have a degree I am not even considered for higher level management positions. Instead they will hire a 22 year old college grad whose retail experience is working at Starbucks over me and my 5 years management experience and 10 more years customer service experience.

As far as the liberal arts degree vs. non-liberal arts degree, unless you work in a field where a degree is needed to get a job I don't see the difference.

Most "professional" degrees are essentially a form of on the job training. In law school you practice being a lawyer, as a medical student you "practice" being a doctor etc etc.

However, if you work in a field that doesn't require a degree I don't see how having one degree makes you better than someone else. I.e. Your BA in math isn't going to make you a better manager than my BA in history.

If you want closed minded, go talk to a department head with a Ph.D and call them by their first name and watch how fast you get a "It's Doctor" reply.

 

[veggz]

Originally posted by: 91TTZ

Originally posted by: veggz

Where your degree is from does not necessarily corrolate to your job ability.

It is spelled "correlate". I learned this on my own, but you can learn it in college.

Also, you're trying way too hard to sound intelligent. While you may think that you're impressing people, those more intelligent than you can see right through it.

I am not trying to project any image of myself, I am simply trying to get a point across. This is how I normally speak, and since I don't spend too much time on these posts there will inevitably be typos (look carefully buddy there are several more for you to exploit). But you really got me with that one; clearly my college education has failed.

I will say again: I am not trying to impress anybody; this is a topic that I feel strongly about, and attacks on my intelligence (or thinly veiled assertions of your mental superiority) are meaningless given I know nothing of you or your educational background, and you mine. However I would like to meet some of these people that you claim to be more intelligent than me so we can hold an actual discussion instead of baseless flaming.

 

[shadow9d9]

Originally posted by: doze
College shows that you were able to complete a difficult voluntary task at a young age. A degree indicates self discipline and dedication.

Sorry but passing through college isn't difficult.

 

[veggz]

Originally posted by: 91TTZ

Originally posted by: veggz
I would say that my useless degree in liberal arts (economics and math with a minor in English literature/composition) is my greatest asset and if given the choice I would do the exact same thing over again.

Oh boy.

We have someone with a liberal arts degree preaching the importance of a college degree and claiming that it shows direction in life.

Get a medical degree if you want to be a doctor.

Get an engineering degree if you want to be an engineer.

But with a liberal arts degree, you'll have a hard time distinguishing yourself from the average hippy working at Starbucks.

I'm not sure if you are saying anything, or even if you intend to do so, with this post. A college degree in itself does not necessarily show direction, that is the job of the individual. Aside from the obvious technical specialty occupations (i.e. engineering, etc.) there are infinite possibilities for those with liberal arts degrees, if one possesses this aforementioned direction. The ignorance of your post suggests that you have not met many people of these majors, and I would advise you to do a little research before making such bold accusations.

English and philosohy majors are among the top medical school matriculants and also enter law in large proportions. I have been fortunate enough to land a job outside of Starbucks with my "hippy" degree, and how lucky I am indeed. I am currently a first year analyst at Goldman Sachs earning $145k, but I can see how that occupation could be easily confused with being a Starbucks barista.

 

[IAteYourMother]

It doesn't matter if you have a degree, it matters how well and how hard you worked getting the degree

 

[veggz]

Originally posted by: shadow9d9

Originally posted by: doze
College shows that you were able to complete a difficult voluntary task at a young age. A degree indicates self discipline and dedication.

Sorry but passing through college isn't difficult.

Try telling that to someone at Cal Tech or UofC

It really depends a lot on the school.

 

[AyashiKaibutsu]

Originally posted by: 91TTZ

Originally posted by: AyashiKaibutsu
Not all of them, but the people who have to ask such a question certainly are.

That made no sense at all. That wasn't in any way clever or even offend the OP.

Clearly, because there exists two people who look down on those without degrees, all people with degrees are close minded :disgust: and that's not the least bit closed minded. Thanks for showing it was clever enough for you not to notice its point.

 

[yllus]

Originally posted by: Staples
I met some people yesterday. We were at some restaurant. If you met me in person, I'd appear no different than any other smart professional person. Anyway, the conversation came to the topic of, what is your degree in? I told them I don't have one. I stopped going to college after a few years. Now the tone has change and I am somehow lesser and even dumber than them because they have degrees and I don't.

Some guy told me he worked with people who have never gone to college and that you can tell who went and who did because there was a big gap in the intellegence and work ethics. I told him that idiots are idiots, it isn't because they skipped college. They just are not interested in learning anything and that is why they are dumb. He still believed that college is the only way to get "smart" and if you have not gone, then you must be a dumb ass.

Hah, I've seen another manifestation of this. At a dinner gathering with a girl I was friendly with and her medical sciences friends, all doing their masters and heading into their PhD's, I instantly dropped a couple of pegs when I stated that I was merely finishing up with my undergrad degree in comp sci and moving on into the field.

What can you do? Some people have a need to feel better than others.

 

[her209]

A college degree means diddly squat. I know plenty of people who have only a high school degree and are very smart and successful. Then there are those who have a degree but can't explain the basics learned from any [insert class] 101.

 

[Scarpozzi]

On average, the people who complete college are goal oriented and complete their goals. It's not closed mindedness about how smart you are. You can learn any job on the fly. Unless you're doing something like engineering, math, or computer science (possibly accounting), your degree is somewhat worthless anyhow. The skills you will learn in those help you pass exams to be certified in the field and give you a lot of background info that will help....but once again, it's not necessary. Degrees as simple hoops that show that you have what it takes to follow through.

 

[6000SUX]

It depends heavily on the industry and the specific environment, and of course on luck. For instance, try getting a job (legally) as a doctor without any sort of degree. On the other end of the spectrum you have people who are successful without degrees. I'm one of the latter; I first started earning six figures without even a high-school diploma. I'm not bragging, just saying that it's possible. (Did Bill Gates have a college degree when he earned his first million? Not having the discipline of a regular college grad, I'm too lazy to look.)

I don't remember dealing with any open prejudice, because I was better than people with advanced degrees getting laid off at the time. The aforementioned probably had some prejudice.

 

[ManSnake]

I will only hire high school grads to work for me. This way I can pay them $5/hr to get things done instead of $10/hr for college grads. :thumbsup:

 

[her209]

Originally posted by: ManSnake
I will only hire high school grads to work for me. This way I can pay them $5/hr to get things done instead of $10/hr for college grads. :thumbsup:

Isn't minimum wage more than $5/hr now?

 

[ProfJohn]

Originally posted by: shadow9d9

Originally posted by: doze
College shows that you were able to complete a difficult voluntary task at a young age. A degree indicates self discipline and dedication.

Sorry but passing through college isn't difficult.

Tell that to someone who doesn't have the momey or the chance to go to college at age 18. When you are in your 30's going to college becomes a royal pain in the ass, not because school is hard, but because trying to 'fit' college into an already crowded life is hard.

 

[6000SUX]

Originally posted by: Scarpozzi
On average, the people who complete college are goal oriented and complete their goals.

Exactly, and this is why I don't think it's inherently unfair to want someone without a degree to prove themselves. Of course you realize, as indicated by your use of "average", that it's not always true. Case in point: my ex-wife's stepfather graduated with a master's degree in psychology, but had trouble reading sentences with more than a few words in them. He was a Vietnam vet who wound up the product of affirmative action.

 

[Pacfanweb]

Originally posted by: Red Dawn
It's a way to validate themselves

Pretty much. My uncle and his wife are this way. They think that people with degrees are somehow a step above because they had a "formal education".

Never mind that my uncle's degree is from ECU, back in the early 70's when that was a joke of a college (still is in some aspects) and it took him 5 years and academic probation to finally scrape by with a degree.

And his wife's degree is from UNCG when it was an all-women's school....not that there's anthing wrong with that, but it's not like they went to really big or good schools.

Yet they are better than anyone who doesn't have a degree.

 

[fLum0x]

Originally posted by: Staples
I met some people yesterday. We were at some restaurant. If you met me in person, I'd appear no different than any other smart professional person. Anyway, the conversation came to the topic of, what is your degree in? I told them I don't have one. I stopped going to college after a few years. Now the tone has change and I am somehow lesser and even dumber than them because they have degrees and I don't.

Some guy told me he worked with people who have never gone to college and that you can tell who went and who did because there was a big gap in the intellegence and work ethics. I told him that idiots are idiots, it isn't because they skipped college. They just are not interested in learning anything and that is why they are dumb. He still believed that college is the only way to get "smart" and if you have not gone, then you must be a dumb ass.

a piece of paper = genius!

 

[doze]

Originally posted by: shadow9d9

Originally posted by: doze
College shows that you were able to complete a difficult voluntary task at a young age. A degree indicates self discipline and dedication.

Sorry but passing through college isn't difficult.

Maybe not difficult if your mommy and daddy pay all your bills and you don't like to party or have any fun.

For those who have to support themself by working while going to school full time, and going out to party several nights a week the difficult part is applying yourself to schoolwork. Completing a degree program from a university is an accomplishment.

And graduates make more money too

proof = http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=77