Do you think college/university degrees are necessary?

[ShawnD1]

what he said. i wish my sister would realize this while thinking about her children's futures. her oldest is 15 and not only doesn't know what she wants to do with her life (understandable), she has no ambition and no interests and no dreams. and yet it's a foregone conclusion that she'll go to college, where i guess she'll figure it out there at the cost of tens of thousands of dollars. or she won't, and she'll languish just like the rest of the graduates. it's crazy.

At least get her a science degree. Even though I'm not using my chem degree anymore, I still think it was worth the time and effort. I learned all kinds of useful things
-what an octane rating is and why you should or should not care
-how oil from the ground and oil from animals and oil from plants differ
-how to destroy plant and animal oils (saponification)
-what that black shit is when you burn food in the stove (organic acids)
-how to get that black shit off your pots and pans (ammonia dissolves organic acids a million times faster than soap and a wire brush will)
-how to make moonshine
-how to make hash oil
-how to remove organic impurities from moonshine (charcoal)
-how to remove inorganic impurities from moonshine (ion exchange)
-how to find a vein that can be used for injecting
-how to inject alcohol into your veldffsdasdyfoulkrwerlkj ;lrksdaf ad
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[roguerower]

My degree was very useful in that it gave me the basic tools to understanding my industry and the creative thinking to come up with solutions quickly and effectively while seeing the possible ramifications down the road.

A lot of the tradesmen that I work with on a daily basis are really smart and can do their job very well. The electricians are by far the smartest but even they still don't see the big picture sometimes. They get wrapped up in their world and their work and they fail to see how doing A will affect B. That's where I step in to coordinate the trades and make sure that no one gets fucked over too badly.

My superintendent worked his way up from the trades as a carpenter. He's really good at his job but there are still times where I can "out-think" him because I had a similar scenario pop up during school or the solution pops out at me while going through it in my head.

The majority of college was a joke. My "core" classes were full of BS and I learned what I needed too. My in-major classes were where I actually got what I was paying for, even if I didn't know it at the time.

 

[Saint Nick]

I'm guessing we'll start seeing a huge rush to become the most educated. Master's degrees are showing up on job descriptions, sometimes even with 2-3 years experience. Soon, the Master's degree will be the "minimum requirement" for personal education.

 

[mcmilljb]

At least get her a science degree. Even though I'm not using my chem degree anymore, I still think it was worth the time and effort. I learned all kinds of useful things

What do you do now? You might help some people considering that.

 

[mcmilljb]

My degree was very useful in that it gave me the basic tools to understanding my industry and the creative thinking to come up with solutions quickly and effectively while seeing the possible ramifications down the road.

A lot of the tradesmen that I work with on a daily basis are really smart and can do their job very well. The electricians are by far the smartest but even they still don't see the big picture sometimes. They get wrapped up in their world and their work and they fail to see how doing A will affect B. That's where I step in to coordinate the trades and make sure that no one gets fucked over too badly.

My superintendent worked his way up from the trades as a carpenter. He's really good at his job but there are still times where I can "out-think" him because I had a similar scenario pop up during school or the solution pops out at me while going through it in my head.

The majority of college was a joke. My "core" classes were full of BS and I learned what I needed too. My in-major classes were where I actually got what I was paying for, even if I didn't know it at the time.

What's your degree in? I have an idea, but I rather not guess lol. I think people should be able to test/exempt out of core classes. My college considered them "general education" requirements. Nothing like needing to take only the first semester of general chemistry for my degree in computer engineering. Hell I took 2 years of chemistry in high school.

 

[Triumph]

What's your degree in? I have an idea, but I rather not guess lol. I think people should be able to test/exempt out of core classes. My college considered them "general education" requirements. Nothing like needing to take only the first semester of general chemistry for my degree in computer engineering. Hell I took 2 years of chemistry in high school.

The majority of college was a joke. My "core" classes were full of BS and I learned what I needed too. My in-major classes were where I actually got what I was paying for, even if I didn't know it at the time.

I know I learned more about development planning, configuration management and their applications at my internship than I learned while in college. It makes me think the important aspects of my college career could have been squeezed into a year long intensive study program. Especially if you cut out the fairly worthless humanities junk I had to take... although they me a "better rounded student" . I'm sure knowing the aspects of theater will really help with my job.

As was previously stated, the original purpose of going to university was to LEARN. Not to specifically learn how to be a computer scientist, or a chemist, or whatever. That's what trade schools are (or were) for. People like you guys are exactly why universities need to have core curriculum, because you apparently need to be forced to look at the world outside of your sphere of interest and, god forbid! get exposed to something new that you wouldn't have otherwise. The most uninteresting people to talk to are people who do ONE thing and don't care about anything else.

You guys honestly couldn't find anything interesting to learn about in a field outside of your degree? You have no interest in music history, or art, or film, or ancient history, anthropology, physiology, nothing? Yet more proof that someone needs to force you to do it.

 

[polarmystery]

My degree is valid (BSEE), but what I do now uses 0% of the skills I learned. So while I think they are important (degrees in general), I don't think they are necessary. But how else do you test for competence when interviewing without some initial certificate showing a possible future employer what you might have learned over a few years?

 

[TecHNooB]

no its not necessary. plz stop earning degrees PLZ

 

[Wyndru]

Of course they are necessary. Textbooks companies need the money.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

As was previously stated, the original purpose of going to university was to LEARN.

Times have changed. With the expense involved in getting a degree, you have to look at it from a business perspective to get an idea of ROI. And when you look at that, you have to consider it from a couple of different angles: 1) where you get the degree and 2) the degree itself. Too many people don't analyze the situation correctly and find themselves in huge debt with little in the way of marketable skills to help them quickly reduce the debt.

When I was an undergrad, I managed to take some electives I was interested in (economics). Conversely, I took several Spanish classes for the other part of my social science/liberal arts electives. I didn't particularly enjoy them and I'll be completely honest on why I took them -- I was very, very good in Spanish in high school and with my engineering class load, wanted classes which would be very little work and would result in easy As. There were definitely history classes I would've preferred, but the particular classes I wanted didn't count towards my degree.

Not to specifically learn how to be a computer scientist, or a chemist, or whatever. That's what trade schools are (or were) for. People like you guys are exactly why universities need to have core curriculum, because you apparently need to be forced to look at the world outside of your sphere of interest and, god forbid! get exposed to something new that you wouldn't have otherwise. The most uninteresting people to talk to are people who do ONE thing and don't care about anything else.

I took two sets of electives: several econ courses and several Spanish courses. I don't think either set caused me to "look at the world outside" any more than my engineering courses did, to be honest.

You guys honestly couldn't find anything interesting to learn about in a field outside of your degree? You have no interest in music history, or art, or film, or ancient history, anthropology, physiology, nothing? Yet more proof that someone needs to force you to do it.

There are tons of interesting things to learn about, but if I am in school getting my degree, my degree is the goal -- I am not likely going to enroll in classes that interest me if they don't count towards my degree because of the expense and the potential for them to delay my graduation.

 

[PrinceofWands]

Often not particularly useful to jobs, but then that's not the point of real education so there's no surprise there. Both the employment paradigm, and the education paradigm are in drastic need of overhaul.

 

[Miramonti]

It wasn't necessary for me, but after all these years, if I fail at my business, I'm probably up sh!t creek.

 

[Harrod]

I think employers like to see them because it's shows an ability to learn stuff or at least jump through hoops that are required to graduate.

In my job they require a bs in computer science, but working for a networking company I would say that I use 1% of the stuff I learned, which is mostly subnetting. One thing that I do notice about a few of the people who don't have degrees, is a complex that they don't need to go to college, or the need to get certified, these people seem to piss off management regularly, and also seem to break the network more often without realizing the scope of their actions.

IMO it's one of the only ways to discriminate against age and get away with it. If there is one thing that I learned from college, it would be how to follow directions, and how to work as a team on things.

 

[ShawnD1]

Times have changed. With the expense involved in getting a degree, you have to look at it from a business perspective to get an idea of ROI.

University has not been about learning for shits and giggles for a very long time. If it was just for the learning experience, they wouldn't grade students or care if students had passed certain classes first.

Community college is where one goes to learn things just to learn things. If you want to learn how to cook, they can show you. They might not give you any certification, but that's not the point of the class. It's just to learn.

 

[Farmer]

In total ignorance of the previous posts, I will claim that college education is unimaginably worthless and a total waste of my time. I am enrolling in Hamburger University instead. It will provide me with valuable tools that can be applied directly to my future workplace.

 

[IndyColtsFan]

University has not been about learning for shits and giggles for a very long time. If it was just for the learning experience, they wouldn't grade students or care if students had passed certain classes first.

Community college is where one goes to learn things just to learn things. If you want to learn how to cook, they can show you. They might not give you any certification, but that's not the point of the class. It's just to learn.

I have to agree. If college were free and I had tons of free time, I'd study many different subjects that interest me, such as history. However, it isn't free and time is a finite resouce. If I'm investing tens of thousands of dollars, I'm not doing it "to learn something for the heck of it." I need a return on my investment. I can't afford to waste money or time studying something that won't pay dividends down the road. Once you graduate and get into a comfortable position, THEN you can afford to learn things for the sake of learning them especially if you have a company that will pay tuition.

 

[ShawnD1]

In total ignorance of the previous posts, I will claim that college education is unimaginably worthless and a total waste of my time. I am enrolling in Hamburger University instead. It will provide me with valuable tools that can be applied directly to my future workplace.

Or you could stop being a bitch and get a real job.

heavy equipment mechanic - $52.50 per hour, 40 hours per week
5 vacancies (they are hiring 5 people)
Experience: 2 years to less than 3 years

 

[Farmer]

Or you could stop being a bitch and get a real job.

heavy equipment mechanic - $52.50 per hour, 40 hours per week
5 vacancies (they are hiring 5 people)
Experience: 2 years to less than 3 years

No!

 

[roguerower]

What's your degree in? I have an idea, but I rather not guess lol. I think people should be able to test/exempt out of core classes. My college considered them "general education" requirements. Nothing like needing to take only the first semester of general chemistry for my degree in computer engineering. Hell I took 2 years of chemistry in high school.

B.S. in Building Construction a.k.a Construction Management

As was previously stated, the original purpose of going to university was to LEARN. Not to specifically learn how to be a computer scientist, or a chemist, or whatever. That's what trade schools are (or were) for. People like you guys are exactly why universities need to have core curriculum, because you apparently need to be forced to look at the world outside of your sphere of interest and, god forbid! get exposed to something new that you wouldn't have otherwise. The most uninteresting people to talk to are people who do ONE thing and don't care about anything else.

You guys honestly couldn't find anything interesting to learn about in a field outside of your degree? You have no interest in music history, or art, or film, or ancient history, anthropology, physiology, nothing? Yet more proof that someone needs to force you to do it.

The thread quoted below is perfect for this:

I have to agree. If college were free and I had tons of free time, I'd study many different subjects that interest me, such as history. However, it isn't free and time is a finite resouce. If I'm investing tens of thousands of dollars, I'm not doing it "to learn something for the heck of it." I need a return on my investment. I can't afford to waste money or time studying something that won't pay dividends down the road. Once you graduate and get into a comfortable position, THEN you can afford to learn things for the sake of learning them especially if you have a company that will pay tuition.

This, 100%. Why should I be forced to learn about something which I have absolutely no interest in, nor do I ever plan on pursuing? Learning for learnings sake is great if it doesn't cost me a shit ton of money OR distract me from the classes that I'm supposed to be spending the majority of my time on. Why the hell should I give a shit about Philosophy when Mechanics of Deformable Bodies is kicking my ass and the latter is the course I am REQUIRED to pass?

I graduated with a BS and two minors, one in leadership & one in real estate. The first one was earned through being a member of the Corps of Cadets, the second was a requirement for my major. I graduated in 5 years with almost 160 credits. Why should I be forced to take some dumb stupid class on trying to understand my feelings? Leave that to the hippies.

 

[TechAZ]

I don't think it's worthless. I do not have a degree, make 48k/year, but if I lose my job (very specific/rare job) I am SOL. I would have to move to another state most likely to get another.

I wish I took college seriously when I was young, now I have no safety net...no piece of paper to get me in the door anywhere that isn't for the exact job that I do now.

I do agree that there is too much useless crap involved in getting a bachelors degree, but it is what it is and won't be changing anytime soon.

 

[roguerower]

I don't think it's worthless. I do not have a degree, make 48k/year, but if I lose my job (very specific/rare job) I am SOL. I would have to move to another state most likely to get another.

I wish I took college seriously when I was young, now I have no safety net...no piece of paper to get me in the door anywhere that isn't for the exact job that I do now.

I do agree that there is too much useless crap involved in getting a bachelors degree, but it is what it is and won't be changing anytime soon.

What I bolded is very important, especially for people graduating these days. I graduated and within two weeks I'd moved 1500mi to southeast Texas for my job. In another month and a half I'll move again, and as of right now I don't know where. Graduates need to be willing to move to find work, otherwise your selection is very limited.

 

[Gigantopithecus]

I don't think it's worthless. I do not have a degree, make 48k/year, but if I lose my job (very specific/rare job) I am SOL. I would have to move to another state most likely to get another.

I wish I took college seriously when I was young, now I have no safety net...no piece of paper to get me in the door anywhere that isn't for the exact job that I do now.

I do agree that there is too much useless crap involved in getting a bachelors degree, but it is what it is and won't be changing anytime soon.

Out of curiosity, what do you do?

 

[Farmer]

When most people move to another state to go to college, they don't really mind moving again to start work or keep doing school.

The best schools or your best job is probably not in your current state.

 

[ShawnD1]

What I bolded is very important, especially for people graduating these days. I graduated and within two weeks I'd moved 1500mi to southeast Texas for my job. In another month and a half I'll move again, and as of right now I don't know where. Graduates need to be willing to move to find work, otherwise your selection is very limited.

This always fascinates me. How do you find jobs in other states/provinces/countries?

I applied to everything I could find online and I would never get as much as a callback from remote places. The local places would at least give an interview.

 

[Gigantopithecus]

This always fascinates me. How do you find jobs in other states/provinces/countries?

In small enough fields, word of mouth counts for a lot.