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unversity degrees worth the $?
| Message Board > General Chitchat > unversity degrees worth the $? |
| some girl... User Info... | Just wondering, who is actually using their degree? Is university actually worth it? I'm doing nothing with my Bach. of Fine Arts. ... I find careers are all about being agressive and an opportunist. ??? oh- It I spelt "university" wrong... how ironic! - Mon, 30 Jun 2003 2:25pm | ||
| Anonymous User Info... | Depends on the degree. Some people never use it directly. Like if you get your PHD in History or physics you can get very high paying jobs totally unrelated to you degree be cause of the displine it takes. Higher education is never a waste reguardless if you think you'll never use it, it's burned in your brain. - Mon, 30 Jun 2003 2:45pm | ||
| RSBF User Info... | my brother has been going to UVIC on and off (mostly on) for over 10 years and he has a few different degrees now and he still works at Safeway in the produce department making $25/hour. - Mon, 30 Jun 2003 2:49pm | ||
| matt t User Info... | If you dont die during or right after its not, otherwise yeah. - Mon, 30 Jun 2003 3:22pm | ||
| The Ref User Info... | Education is a great thing. Even if you don't use your dipl! Like Some Girl, I have a BFA and it means sqwatt! But I had the greatest time learning, creating and finding myself. Higher education is the way to go for sure! Never a waste! The people and experiences are worth it alone! - Mon, 30 Jun 2003 3:27pm | ||
| Pooetry User Info... | What I don't get is why the hell people get certain degrees in the first place. Like English degrees... what is someone going to do with that? Everyone and his/her dog has a degree in English. Teach? More than likely not. More than likely the english grad will be packing bags at a grocery store. It's a good idea to research what you're going into before you sign up and go $40k+++ into debt. There's a lot of bogus degrees to be had out there. If someone jumps into one of those degrees, then I don't really feel sorry for them when they don't have a degree in the end. I don't really want to hear them complain, either. I know, I sound like a cow. Tee hee. When I'm finished my degree I'll have a job right after graduation anywhere in the world that I want to go. I'll be mega into debt (already am), but at least I'll have the means to pay it back. I'm guaranteed to make a lot of money, too. Picking an area to get educated in is like going to buy a car. You go into the dealership with a bank loan or something to buy a car. Say you're looking to buy a car in the range of $30k. You don't buy a car that sounds neat, right? You buy one that you know you'll get a lot out of, one that'll suit your needs. If a person buys a Hyundai when s/he wants something reliable in the long-run, s/he shouldn't complain because they shoulda done their freakin homework before they blew all their loot on a hunk of shit. That is all. Have a nice day. :D - Mon, 30 Jun 2003 3:29pm | ||
| some girl... User Info... | Before WWII the major purpose of university was to mature one's character (since the majority of students were from well off families etc). Do we still see it that way? What degrees/certificates does everyone here have? What are you doing with it? - Mon, 30 Jun 2003 3:42pm | ||
| El Rey User Info... | University is great and all, but not enough focus is put on obtaining a building trade. I know too many friends who got themselves tens of thousands of dollars in debt to get a degree thats not worth the paper it's written on. With a building trade you get 4 years of on the job training, no debt that will take 15 years to pay off,and if you're smart about it and play your cards right,the pontential to earn more income than many jobs that require a university education.Most studies show that in the next ten to twenty years there will be an extreme shortage of skilled labour and trades people in this country, making the potential to earn a high income even greater than it already is today.Again, I'm not knocking university, if you find something good and it works out for ya,that's great. I just think that in Highschool they should try to steer more people in the direction of a trade of some sort, especially those who may not be the highest achievers in the classroom. When I was in school there was almost no mention of these types of jobs, I just feel this needs to change. - Mon, 30 Jun 2003 3:56pm | ||
| RSBF User Info... | Christer and i both work in careers that we earned through experience (not formal education) and it has paid off big time. it depends on what type of personality and natural skills you have. you could have all the degrees money could buy but if you don't have what it takes to apply it all, you'll go nowhere. i know many very successful people who don't even have their Grade 10 education. their personalities, natural skills, and work ethic earned them success. - Mon, 30 Jun 2003 4:08pm | ||
| Mica User Info... | Just do what YOU want and not what anyone else wants you to do...even if it means being a hemroid surgeon or a carpet salesman or a big fat zero. - Mon, 30 Jun 2003 4:12pm | ||
| Holly User Info... | whats wrong with carpet salesmen???? - Mon, 30 Jun 2003 4:59pm | ||
| Pooetry User Info... | Doing what you want to do is the main thing. As long as you're happy, that's all that matters. That's really cliche, but it's true. My boyfriend has his grade 12. He doesn't plan on going to college or anything. He wants to make it in the trades field without college. He's a bright person and I have all the faith in what he plans on doing. He's more educated than I am. The shit that comes out of his mouth about mechanics to music to literature to history dwarfs my little pea brain time and time again. - Mon, 30 Jun 2003 5:17pm | ||
| der User Info... | I have an English degree and I'm making more than 60 grand a year. In a related field.... and wankers like pooetry were always telling me an English degree is a waste of time. Education isn't a waste of time, whether it translates directly into cash or not. - Mon, 30 Jun 2003 8:18pm | ||
| Pooetry User Info... | Name calling, hey? Eat poo, dicklick. I know a lot of people with English degrees that couldn't find work after graduation. Good for you for finding a job *clap*clap*. You're a dying breed. In my program I'd say 30% of people have degrees in biology, biochem, psychology, ENGLISH, linguistics and everything else. None of them have done much of anything with their degrees. As far as I know ALL of these people did jobs unrelated to their degrees. Hey, if a person wants to learn something, all the power to 'em... study away. If a person wants to work after graduation, they ought to pick something that is actually needed. Is that such bad advice? - Mon, 30 Jun 2003 8:23pm | ||
| Virge User Info... | my degree was well worth the $100 i sent for it. i am now working at McDicks making 6 dollars an hour which is JUST enough to get me and my Hundai to where i want to go and get fucked up on the weekend. I AM SO HAPPY! actually none of that is true. high school is just a place to keep kids off the street for a few years and teach people how to comply. it takes a genuine teacher who CARES about their students to teach something well. I know a lot of people who are taking post secondary education just because "that's what you do". fucking sheep. someone up there had it right. do what makes you happy. really happy. you will learn well if you're taught well and if the subject is something that actually interests you. nothing learned is wasted, but you can easily waste a lot of time and money in school. i guess you just gotta do what feels right. i don't know where the fuck i'll be in 10 years, but i am going to go to colege damnit and i'm going to learn about things that interest me and it will become part of who i am and I WILL be worth the money it costs. - Mon, 30 Jun 2003 9:19pm | ||
| Trailer Park Boy Julian User Info... | Heeeey relax... what's with the 'tude? I agree with alot of the sentiments posted so far. The original Q was "(are)university degrees worth the $?". My answer is it depends - on the person. If there is one thing I know in life, it is that what works for one person doesn't necessarily work for another. Would an university education be worth the $ for you would depend upon what your expectations of it are. Some people here seem to be taking the popular view that education is ALL about enhancing careers and making $ - which is valid. If that's the case, then yes, a university education might not be worth it for you. However, if you think that an education, PARTICULARLY in the humanities, is more about developing your mind and developing a more sophisticated view of the world etc (which is valid in my opinion), then it is probably worth the $. For example, historically higher education has played a crucial role in developing not only the "elite" and leaders in societies, but also in developing strong citizens. In fact, an educated and sophisticated citizenry is crucial to a well functioning democracy. That our democracy seems to be functioning poorly may be a reflection of the general decline in level and quality of education for the average person. I have a degree in Economics and Sociology (and a Diploma in Computers). Although it hasn't really been much of a benefit economically so far in my life, it has definitely helped me develop a deeper appreciation and understanding of the world I live in. Further, it has given me the abilities to communicate effectively in this world, to think critically, and given me the confidence that I ain't just talkin' outta my ass when I bullshit with my friends etc. As far as degrees go today - I don't think there are any that can guarantee you anything $ wise. Fuck, it's tough times out there right now. Anybody who thinks otherwise might be listening too much to the propaganda of their school's marketing program. Of course, I'd like to hear of some SURE bet's when it comes to education and $. If you think something like Computer Science (which used to be a sure thing) is a sure thing - think again. The job market stinks for comp. sci. grads right now. Bottomline line: the ability to communicate and effectively understand information is never going to go outta style (hence, probably, the success of "der"). I'm curious what $ making, sure thing you're in Pooetry? Do tell............ - Mon, 30 Jun 2003 9:31pm | ||
| Virge User Info... | i'm glad to see people who arent all about going to school so they can make the big bucks cause ironically, that's the kind of attitude that's ruining our education system. - Mon, 30 Jun 2003 9:38pm | ||
| Trailer Park Boy Julian User Info... | "...that's the kind of attitude that's ruining our education system" I agree - well said. - Mon, 30 Jun 2003 9:50pm | ||
| Manimal User Info... | To answer the original question, to say whether it's worth it or not based on how much money you are making at the end of the day defeats the purpose of going to university. If that is the reason for going to university, then why not just bribe someone into hiring you for a union job somewhere? I bet that's cost you less than tenth of the cost of a degree. You'd save yourself a bunch of money, maybe even end up like Pooetry. Ignorance is bliss. I think getting a job with any 4 year degree is hard enough, regardless of whether its in english or commerce. I know people with either who cant find work--these days you need to have more than one degree. And to think you used to be able to teach schoolkids with just a BA... even most of my teachers at Camosun were only MA grads. I'd say jobs totally depends on supply and demand, and generally right now the former outweighs the latter. I've found contract work in my field as an MA history student without much problem but I doubt I could have done much with my BA alone. Who knows what the job market will be like when I am finally done. - Mon, 30 Jun 2003 10:09pm | ||
| wronskian User Info... | my degree will definitely be worth the money. already, i'm getting job opportunities that i would never have had otherwise. and, for the record, my degree will guarantee that i will always be able to make decent money. - Mon, 30 Jun 2003 10:21pm | ||
| Pooetry User Info... | It's not that I have a problem with people going to school because they want to be educated, or that they have some personal meaning to wanting to get a particular degree or get educated in whatever. I really don't care. All the power to ya! I'm not trying to come off as an asshole, it's just my view. But then again, I am the "wanker". I've heard a lot of people complain about areas that they decided to study in, and how they wished that they hadn't studied in that area because they can't do anything with it. What I'm saying is I don't really want to hear about how someone decided to get a degree in something that is hard to get a career out of, then is surprised at how s/he can't find a job related to that field after graduation. As I'm redundantly saying again, education is an investment. Research what you go into to make sure you get what you want out of it... an education, something to do, a job, to become much more enlightned than the rest of us, or whatever the reason may be. I don't think me saying that is ignorant in the slightest. Please educate me, if you think it is. For the question of what am I going to be.... well, a rocket scientist.... or maybe a brain surgeon... - Tue, 1 Jul 2003 12:46am | ||
| der User Info... | "Eat poo, dicklick"? Hmmmm. You see, if you had an English degree, you might have come up with something a little more imaginative and literate than that. Hey, you were the person who came out like Mike Tyson demanding to know "why the hell" people get English degrees and so forth. And you were the one who suggested we all pack bags at grocery stores. Your idea of education is a Reform party, businessman's point of view. (What's that philosophy degree gonna get ya, sonny? Ya can't eat it.) The assumption is that education has no intrinsic worth, that it's just a direct means to getting a job. Sure it's a drag to hear people complain about not getting jobs with a liberal arts degree. And maybe it's true that these people have to be realistic, and take other training or whatever after they get a general degree. But comparing education to buying a car and making sure you don't buy a "hunk of shit" is just plain ignorant and deluded. And Pooetry, weren't you the person that started that thread about how much you hate poetry? Maybe you should start another about how much you hate novels, and oh yeah, music. Stupid music. Boy, anyone who studies and takes interest in music must be really dumb, eh? - Tue, 1 Jul 2003 10:30am | ||
| The Ref User Info... | I agree with Pooetry in what she is trying to say "buyer beware". Although there is nothing wrong with studying something that may translate into no high paying job. Education is a privilege and a right. It's up to the individual. I have no regrets about my BFA and had a great time learning about music, music history etc... There are no guarantees with most fields of study! Even if you were the best in your class, you might be anti-social and prospective employers usually want to see more than just a good education. The person that said that high school was just a place of propaganda to get kids out of the house or off the street obviously took nothing from it! Even if you weren't good in high school, it still acquired you an education in socializing, learning how to deal with others etc... I had many dreary teachers in high school, I learned because I wanted to, not because I had to. That's the point that this poster missed. It's a right and a privilege. If you don't want to take clear advantage of it, that's your decision. You are sentient at that age and should be able to make decisions for yourself when it comes to schooling and how to take advantage of it. If you are planning to further your education, high school is a great place to prepare. There you are expected to complete your work. In College or University, it's completely up to you whether or not you fail or pass! They get your money regardless. It's up to you as to how you're going to use that money spent! - Tue, 1 Jul 2003 10:46am | ||
| Virge User Info... | Hey Reffie, you missed the other half of what i said. But with schools closing down left right and center and the fact that if a school board's trustees have to go over the alloted budget (which is tiny) they risk getting canned, please don't tell me that the public education system is about kids. I took what i needed from high school. I met some great friends, i met some total pricks. I met some teachers who cared, and lots that didn't (or didn't appear to) and my conclusion leaving the place was that my school cared more about it's prestigeous reputation than about it's students. - Tue, 1 Jul 2003 11:51am | ||
| The Ref User Info... | I guess that it depends on the school. My high school had no prestige to save so...LOL! - Tue, 1 Jul 2003 12:37pm | ||
| Pooetry User Info... | der- My extreme intellectual abilities and wit obviously flew over your pilgrim head. I am the best ever. I am the champion. I am the smartest and most educated person in the world... That's right! You're the ignorant one. If you believe my views on education is reformist, you've proven yourself to be the dumb fuck. Good on ya, bucko. I don't understand what exactly is so right wing about my view. AGAIN I must repeat myself, my view is that someone should get an education for whatever reason they feel fit: career, to become "worldly", personal meaning, what-the-fuck-ever, but if they expect to get a job out of just any degree, they should expect another thing coming. Like I said, again and again, research before you throw thousands of dollars into an institution for an education. Ohhh..... how fucking right wing of me. Get bent, ignoranus. PS der, can't you think of anything else than "wanker" to call me? Show us all how educated you are. Sorry, I ain't gettin' no degree in English, so you'll have to deal with my groundling talk. What do you do for $60k/year? Edit Tom Clancy novels? - Tue, 1 Jul 2003 5:46pm | ||
| The Ref User Info... | Had me on the floor with that post!!! Very funny stuff! - Tue, 1 Jul 2003 6:41pm | ||
| der User Info... | Yes, Pooetry is very amusing. Of course, it's not intentional.... Poo-bag, here's where you are right-wing. Your notion (on one of your previous posts) equates the value of education with dollars. Your central concern seems to be what kind of bang you're getting for your buck. Liberal arts degrees seem a waste of time to right wing dildos like you, because they don't translate literally into a job. If this seems difficult to understand, go to college and get a poli-sci degree. You dumb, dumb wanker. - Tue, 1 Jul 2003 11:04pm | ||
| einstein User Info... | Well said, Der. Poo-bag, you suck. Go work as a Liberal party campaigner or something. - Tue, 1 Jul 2003 11:17pm | ||
| KnifeGhost User Info... | Now, part of the reason why people can have BA or BSc and still not get access to good jobs in their fields is that it's easy enough to get a degree and be completely useless.... That is, to lack critical thinking skills, to have little ability to work with other people, whatever, whatever, whatever.... And some degrees are more jobby than others.... I'm starting the last year of my BA in Sociology this fall.... I have no idea what I'll be doing in three or four years, but I have no reason to beleive it'll be directly related to Sociology.... That said, I don't regret for a second having gone to university... It's been great, I've learned so much in and out of class that I'm a much better person for it..... If you want to buy yourself into a job, you better go to Grad school.... You'll be better off trying that, but no guarantees.... High school is a joke.... It's just there to keep kids off the street and out of the job market for an extra few years.... for the most part, the bachelor degrees are the same thing.... You agree to stay out of the (long term) job market for another 4-6 years, and you get access to wite collar jobs.... No guarantee that they'll have anything to do with your field, no guarantee that you'll even get them, but good luck getting them without a BA or BSc.... It's not until Grad school that you really get to the good stuff..... I intend to go to Grad school eventually, but I figure I'll take a few years off to play music and work an average day job for a while.... - Tue, 1 Jul 2003 11:26pm | ||
| twit User Info... | Pooetry does come off as not really understanding anything. I think you had a good intention but missed the boat. Let me guess, in your world you are always right? Did you fall out of the ugly tree and hit every branch on the way down? - Tue, 1 Jul 2003 11:30pm | ||
| Pooetry User Info... | I love how when one of the regulars doesn't agree with something every twit in town gangs up and disagrees as well. I'm entitled to my own opinion. I think it's valid, even if you don't. I don't really understand what's so right wing about it... again, repeating myself. Personally, I am getting a bachelor of science in a specific area to get a job in the end. I know, sheesh, fucking ignorant of me, hey? I have to take electives, which so far, I get high grades in. That makes me a more "rounded person". I don't imagine I'll go back to school for any other bachelor. I don't enjoy being a student and jumping through hoops. Never have. I just see it as a means to an end. One day I might go back and get my masters so I can teach. Heaven forbid!!! ME TEACH! Muahahaha. From what I've heard, some people actually like going to school. Hey, fine and dandy. Honestly, I don't really get it [slag here, guys]. I've said it before and I'll say it again: all the power to ya! Der- It sounds as if you have some resentment issues towards me. Maybe we can sit down with a mediator and work through these issues. Anyhow, so long all. I'm outta here for a few weeks, so slag me all ya want for my views. Happy trails! :D - Tue, 1 Jul 2003 11:33pm | ||
| JJ User Info... | Hey "TWIT" Are you 12? The only good comeback you can come up with on a discussion about education is "you must have fallen out of the ugly tree"? You are an idiot! Oh and I know know Pooetry and she definately isn't ugly. Pretty hot and you'd never have a chance! - Wed, 2 Jul 2003 4:27am | ||
| The Ref User Info... | Twit is an appropriate handle! - Wed, 2 Jul 2003 10:08am | ||
| some girl... User Info... | Okay, I'm very nosey: what jobs do you guys all have and what degree/paper do you have? I'm sure you all know, I have a BFA and I'm a secretary. I'm learning accounting via a tutor that my dad's supplying. My extended education is doing crosswords... I'm learning really great words and my spelling is improving! - Wed, 2 Jul 2003 10:33am | ||
| ticklefish User Info... | Education is what you make of it. I think I agree with everyone (sort of). You can't go to school and expect someone to offer you a job as you walk off the stage after accepting your degree, but a lot of people don't expect that anyway. The ones who do are sorely mistaken. Education is like anything else in this world, if you work your ass off, and set goals, a degree will take you further than no degree, but if you expect things to be handed to you, then someone with no degree but a strong work ethic is going to leave you in the dust. I took 12 years to get a BSc. Straight to university out of high school, totally bombed after 1st year because I had no work ethic. Took 3 years off, went back, did two more years (all of this time in English and Philosophy), decided it wasn't getting me anywhere. Fuck, I wasn't getting myself anywhere in those days degree or no degree. took a few more years off. Finally in my late 20's I decided to go for a BSc in Biology, and did 2 years at Camosun, then 2 years at UVic, and somewhere in that time I realized I really liked what I was learning and started to work hard at it. Went straight to grad school after getting my BSc, and got a Masters in Forestry, and now work for the Feds doing research on forest disturbance ecology anbd love it. I would rather be a pro musician, and would drop my "career" for it, but I also know that my current job keeps me content and earns me what I need to keep playing. Haven't been playing live in a few years, but am getting set to get back out onto the gigging circuit by the fall, and whether it pays or not, it will be fun and I have a great day job. But in my late teens and early 20's, i would have to say my attitude totally stank, but did I learn from the first three years of heavy drinking and writing foo-foo english essays and philosophy papers? Damn right, it got me started on critical thinking and the power of words. Even though those years of school have nothing directly to do with my job now, they helped me immensely and make me more "rounded" than a lot of scientists in my field, and that makes me more successful in what I do. But hey, I'm just another guy with a career who plays music for the love of it, and who knows where it will take me? - Wed, 2 Jul 2003 1:26pm | ||
| The Ref User Info... | Right on Ticklefish! Sounds like yur happy? And with the newbie (Christopher isn't it) too! - Wed, 2 Jul 2003 2:02pm | ||
| Wreaker of Havoc User Info... | All federal money that gets tranferred into bc awaits my wise approval. I have my grade 9 - Wed, 2 Jul 2003 2:13pm | ||
| The Ref User Info... | Wreaker, we gonna start callin you jethro?? Gotta love higher edumacation! LOL! WREAKER FOR PREMIER!!! - Wed, 2 Jul 2003 2:32pm | ||
| Wreaker of Havoc User Info... | Still paying off a fat student loan I would definitly advise looking long and hard at what you want to do before heading to college. If youre parents are loaded then great go take some classes. If your pars arent loaded then killing time by going to college = bad idea. Travel, work shitty jobs instead for a few years. Youll learn more on the road than in any text books and youll learn quickly to appreciate the value of a dollar. Oh crap I sound like my dad...... - Wed, 2 Jul 2003 2:35pm | ||
| ticklefish User Info... | the little guy is Quinn (his photo is in my "user info" link), .. but student loans? Holy shit, I will vouch for that. I am in deep to have got where i did, but at the same time it was calculated. I look at it as an investment in a career, and there is no way i would be doing waht I do now if i hadn't borrowed all that dough. But to go $40K in the hole on a philosophy degree? That is insane, well in my opinion it is. It would be like buying stock in Enron. - Wed, 2 Jul 2003 2:51pm | ||
| Wreaker of Havoc User Info... | Ya theres no way I would be makin 80k a year if I didnt rack up some student loans....Oh wait delete "if I didnt rack up some student loans" Oh and do Co-op whenever possible!!!!!!! - Wed, 2 Jul 2003 2:56pm | ||
| some girl... User Info... | Why is it that it's near impossible to get a degree w/out being in debt? The universities don't really help out either, since most of the scholarships they offer are limited to people who have taken out student loans. Why is it, (I find), that people who have jobs/work to pay rent/food etc are the ones basically getting penalized? It's as if the school expects people to be living at home or something?? Also, it'd help if the university offered more late/night classes and (here's my pet peeve) they weren't so anal about participation. I believe that if I paid for the class then it's my choice to go or not. Yah, some classes really benefit from student's input... but I don't owe the school anything but my tuition fees. I needed to skip classes/leave early so that I can work!!! uh-oh, I'm venting! Sorry guys. I watch too much Fight Club. ps. why is it that enrolling in ITT Tec seems the most beneficial option for me now? (ha ha). I knew a girl who went $30 000 in debt so she could learn how to opperate an X-ray machine (some fancy one). After 2 years of being an "X-rayer" she had to quit her job b/c of some wrist problem it gave her. What did she do next? Went back to UVic to get a biology and history degree... hmmm, even more debt!! Why not just put that money to opening up your own business? - Wed, 2 Jul 2003 4:55pm | ||
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