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Cynthetiq · 07-01-2011, 02:05 AM

I posted something right after you posted the OP and I deleted it.

Mostly because I don't want to come off as so negative and turn this into a college/university thread.

I didn't graduate. I did go to college for 4 years, and during those 4 years each year someone kept offering me more money to work than go to class. Soon it became as simple as, "Do I go make $1,000 for a couple hours consulting? or go to class?"

I make a good living as a corporate drone some might call me. Being a corporate drone allows me to do the things that I want to do, like travel the world, eat out and go to the theater, and own my own home. I make a very good salary and when my wife was also working (she isn't now by choice), we had a very large income. I don't think too much about what I want to buy, I usually just buy it when I've decided that I want it more than I want to keep the money or don't want to use the money for something else instead.

I don't get why one would want to spend $75,000 in student loans to get a $30,000/year job. It doesn't make any sense to me. Even my friends and colleagues now spending money to retool or retrain doesn't make sense if they will not recover that money for many many years. There are not many places that so require you to have a degree that you cannot succeed. By the time they paid off the loan they would have been able to make the salary just by experience alone.

I'm not saying that education is all bunk. I'm not saying gaining new skills to stay competitive is a bad thing. I'm saying paying exorbitant fees for it is.

Look at the graph and see just how much Median Earnings by Major and Subject Area - Home - The Chronicle of Higher Education. They say they've adjusted for lost income and other variables, but I'm skeptical because I know many people who's college degree didn't do much for them. Understand that this is at the lower levels of the job ladder and structure. They didn't want to go higher than just above entry level. Nothing wrong with that, I never went higher that First Class in Boy Scouts.

Now that I'm in upper management with no degree, it's a bit more challenging for me to navigate. There are jobs that I could probably do and be great at but no one would give me a first look because I don't have an undergrad or an MBA. I really don't care that much most of the time, only when I'm in between jobs and I think I won't get hired when competing on paper against someone with the same skills.

Now, back when before TFP was born, I was working in a job that I loved and woke up every morning looking forward to what I was doing. I worked with a great team of people who worked and played together until late nights.

Eventually that changed, people got married, had kids, company grew and merged with other companies, and soon that job that I loved became just a job. Eventually it became something that I hated.

What has always gotten me through that is making sure that during my own personal time I was able to do what I loved. This meant that I had to have the financial means to pay for those things I loved.

My mother in law is an artist. She loves being an artist. But when it comes to paying her bills and doing things that cost money, it causes her great stress. Because of some good luck and previous dealings she has home that has no mortgage, but that's doesn't mean she has no monthly costs. Besides electric, cable, and the incidentals of life, there's still property taxes and maintenance costs.

Results Not Typical. YMMV. etc.

07-01-2011, 02:05 AM	#20 (permalink)
Cynthetiq Tilted Cat Head Administrator Location: Manhattan, NY	I posted something right after you posted the OP and I deleted it. Mostly because I don't want to come off as so negative and turn this into a college/university thread. I didn't graduate. I did go to college for 4 years, and during those 4 years each year someone kept offering me more money to work than go to class. Soon it became as simple as, "Do I go make $1,000 for a couple hours consulting? or go to class?" I make a good living as a corporate drone some might call me. Being a corporate drone allows me to do the things that I want to do, like travel the world, eat out and go to the theater, and own my own home. I make a very good salary and when my wife was also working (she isn't now by choice), we had a very large income. I don't think too much about what I want to buy, I usually just buy it when I've decided that I want it more than I want to keep the money or don't want to use the money for something else instead. I don't get why one would want to spend $75,000 in student loans to get a $30,000/year job. It doesn't make any sense to me. Even my friends and colleagues now spending money to retool or retrain doesn't make sense if they will not recover that money for many many years. There are not many places that so require you to have a degree that you cannot succeed. By the time they paid off the loan they would have been able to make the salary just by experience alone. I'm not saying that education is all bunk. I'm not saying gaining new skills to stay competitive is a bad thing. I'm saying paying exorbitant fees for it is. Look at the graph and see just how much Median Earnings by Major and Subject Area - Home - The Chronicle of Higher Education. They say they've adjusted for lost income and other variables, but I'm skeptical because I know many people who's college degree didn't do much for them. Understand that this is at the lower levels of the job ladder and structure. They didn't want to go higher than just above entry level. Nothing wrong with that, I never went higher that First Class in Boy Scouts. Now that I'm in upper management with no degree, it's a bit more challenging for me to navigate. There are jobs that I could probably do and be great at but no one would give me a first look because I don't have an undergrad or an MBA. I really don't care that much most of the time, only when I'm in between jobs and I think I won't get hired when competing on paper against someone with the same skills. Now, back when before TFP was born, I was working in a job that I loved and woke up every morning looking forward to what I was doing. I worked with a great team of people who worked and played together until late nights. Eventually that changed, people got married, had kids, company grew and merged with other companies, and soon that job that I loved became just a job. Eventually it became something that I hated. What has always gotten me through that is making sure that during my own personal time I was able to do what I loved. This meant that I had to have the financial means to pay for those things I loved. My mother in law is an artist. She loves being an artist. But when it comes to paying her bills and doing things that cost money, it causes her great stress. Because of some good luck and previous dealings she has home that has no mortgage, but that's doesn't mean she has no monthly costs. Besides electric, cable, and the incidentals of life, there's still property taxes and maintenance costs. Results Not Typical. YMMV. etc. __________________ I don't care if you are black, white, purple, green, Chinese, Japanese, Korean, hippie, cop, bum, admin, user, English, Irish, French, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, Buddhist, Muslim, indian, cowboy, tall, short, fat, skinny, emo, punk, mod, rocker, straight, gay, lesbian, jock, nerd, geek, Democrat, Republican, Libertarian, Independent, driver, pedestrian, or bicyclist, either you're an asshole or you're not. What's the best nation in the world? DO-NATION!