Was a lot easier 25 years ago!

[nemesis]

It depends. On another thread they were talking about some college now offering a Bachelor's in "Hip Hop." Many degrees are worthless. My brother in law is pursuing his BA in history. He knows it will be meaningless in the job market and the closer he gets to graduation, the more "antsy" he gets.

A college diploma is only worth something if the curriculum is worth something.

 

[RETOKSQUID]

It depends. On another thread they were talking about some college now offering a Bachelor's in "Hip Hop." Many degrees are worthless. My brother in law is pursuing his BA in history. He knows it will be meaningless in the job market and the closer he gets to graduation, the more "antsy" he gets.

A college diploma is only worth something if the curriculum is worth something.

This ^^^^^^^^^^

 

[SoonerATC]

Actually the mindset these days is to go after Certificates of completion, that have to do with the job you are looking for.

College seems to be a money pit that usually doesnt give you the experience(certificate) that you need these days, Certifications.....Google the mindset of what employers are looking for....Certificates in certain fields.
Education is a good thing , contempory College just doesnt give you that edge!


.Look it up

Agree. Vo-Techs are probably more likely to help you find a job than college.

Agreed. Doing well, but it is a good thing I am retired, because there is no way I could keep up with the amount of classwork and hold a job at the same time.

I hear you. I'm working full time and working on my pilot ratings (my first degree was absolutely worthless)...wish I'd have done this the first time through college, when I didn't have a mortgage, wife and bills.

 

[-Pjackso]

When it comes to schooling, I always recommend the students ask the following:

1) Go to your respective college and ask for the average starting income for your degree.
....When you finish the degree - can you live on the income?

2) Then ask for the 'Job-Placement' for all graduates for the last few years.
....Whats the probability of getting a job in your degree?


I agree with the OP. If possible, get started with your school - and get it done ASAP. No breaks.
...and get it done the earlier the better. I'm working on furthering my degree (10 yr break) - and it's a pain.

 

[nemesis]

1) Go to your respective college and ask for the average starting income for your degree.
....When you finish the degree - can you live on the income?

2) Then ask for the 'Job-Placement' for all graduates for the last few years.
....Whats the probability of getting a job in your degree?

College education is big business. They've lost sight of the objective of educating students and now are in the business to make money. One's "college" is the wrong place to go for such information. Besides, the first place students go for such information is their adviser and, after having received three college degrees (the most recent last year), I've observed that most of these people really don't know much .... about .... anything.

Also, colleges lie about such things. Research the lawsuit currently against the University of California and how they lied to students about job opportunities and income.

If you really want to know what a particular field pays, openings, etc, find the people in that field. Then actually search for job openings. It can be an eye opener.

 

[dowmace]

College is a large waste of money, I have a degree and you know what it's worth absolutely dick. There are a million other people out there who also went to college and got their fancy piece of paper. Employers need people to actually do stuff not sit at a desk and screw off being fat dumb and happy about their "education"

I make more doing something that has nothing to do with my field than I would as an electrical engineer.

 

[Ipeka]

Like anything, college is what you make it. You can choose to learn or just go through the motions for the degree. A wise man once told me, a degree only shows an employer that will you 1) finish what you start and 2) can put up with someone else's crap. I'd stipulate that grad degrees are the same, with the understanding you can figure things out for yourself.

 

[flatwins]

My hat's off to anyone working on a degree while having a career and a family. I finished mine while I was still young and stupid but pretty much just went through the motions while getting it. I don't directly use my degree but am glad I have it.

These days it's almost a toss-up on college; it's not for everyone. OSU offers a degree in sculpting. Seriously.

 

[Cedar Creek]

The college experience is pretty much like everything else - results will vary.

One reason getting a degree may seem harder after a 25 hiatus is the push for greater accountability and academic rigor in Oklahoma's public institutions, especially at the regional level like Northeastern, Southwestern, etc. About 15 or 20 years ago the work load in general education classes was increased to include more research papers, projects, portfolios, etc.

Good Luck in your endeavor - education and a mean-ass, ugly wife are the only two things that nobody will take away from you.

Cedar Creek

 

[Blinocac200sx]

Gonna go in the other direction and encourage kids to drop out of college. Learn something useful and make yourself a living instead of going into debt for a chance to make a smaller amount of money. Skilled labor is needed in this country, and trade school is a much better investment than college.