College

[Order]

What do you think about college?
Did you go? Will you go?
Majors?
Minors?

If you're not ready for college yet, I especially want to know what you think about it. I know people beat it with a dead horse, but how important do you think it is?

Also, a four year degree means you will get an interview. It also means you will probably get hired over someone without. I dont think it nessicarily means you will be good at the job.

Personally, I have almost no college. I have 5 years of expirience in my feild and a solid background. I had no problem getting hired on for my current job and fit into the environment seamlessly.
I do plan on attending a four year school soon, but Im mostly going to brush up on calculus and physics. Other than that, its just a diploma.

[Quistis]

I did go to College, major in Computer Science.

Yes, it's just a diploma but for someone without prior work experience (esp someone who wants to work on a specialized field), that's what your potential first employer would look for and it will give you an advantage. It at least shows that you have the discipline and dedication to complete a task/project.

Eventually your work experience will be looked into more but if you have none of that, a diploma will give you an edge to get you started and get through that first step of being hired.

[Yoko]

I am in college atm. I love my college and what it has done for me. I am in a 3 year co-op program. This means I get two years of school and a year at a job, or three different jobs if it allows me. The courses/job placements are split up in sections. I have 2 semesters of school in the beginning, one co-op placement, another semester of school, another co-op, One semester, Another co-op, then two more semesters of school at the end. I do not get a break for the summer or anything. The works terms are often considered 'breaks' but I can honestly say I haven't gotten a break since I started. That could be because I am a workoholic and need to work in order to live. I like the fast paced kind of thing anyway. It makes you feel as if you're actually getting somewhere in such a small time frame. The experience I learn from the co-op is really helpful as well.

If you're not ready for college, don't feel bad about it. College and University is for all ages and is there for you when you have the time and money to be able to attend. If you find you don't have the time, there are cheeper alternatives such as online courses which offer the same amount of knowledge, it just lacks the face to face contact with an instructor.

From my course, I will be getting a diploma. After that I do plan on getting my degree/masters. Having college under your belt can often help you and you can fast track/transfer courses if that is available for what you're studying. With what I'm doing, I can fast track and get my degree in 1-2 years, and my masters in a year. That's pretty fantastic if you ask me.

The choice is yours though. College/uni can be really expensive, but it's worth it if you want the big jobs. I'm in a management program. Even with College under my belt, I can get a decent job with my diploma.

[Order]

That co-op sounds pretty awesome. Theory and practice at the same time is rare to find.

Quistis, when you started working was it different from what you expected?
Did you end up being well prepaired for the job or did you have to some OJT?

[Quistis]

Quistis, when you started working was it different from what you expected?
Did you end up being well prepaired for the job or did you have to some OJT?

Hmm, my first job was 'IT Researcher' so it wasn't really programming. I pretty much just had to take instructions from my boss and just go from there.

My next job though was for a programmer trainee position so we had some classroom instructor for a month then we had to take a certification and pass it.

For the most part, I rarely use anything I studied from college at work since in the IT field, by the time you're hired, the technology has also changed. Like I mentioned in my first post, the most important thing you'll learn from college is self-discipline and completing tasks that were assigned to you.

[Order]

For the most part, I rarely use anything I studied from college at work since in the IT field, by the time you're hired, the technology has also changed. Like I mentioned in my first post, the most important thing you'll learn from college is self-discipline and completing tasks that were assigned to you.

That's about the way I see it.
I would call it a waste of time, but it does provide leverage for promotion, more responsability and *bigger salary*.
Honestly, I'm making more money right now than if I had gone to college for a bachelors in my feild. However, eventually I'll reach that ceiling which is looming over me.

[Josh_R]

I went to a two year school and majored in Information Technology. I paid for my college with a little help from the Marine Corps. Once I finished school, and my year of active duty was up I started working at McDonald's. I was immediately hired on as management, and easily made my way to salary. Without my degree I would have had to go through crew, and all the shit. Because I had some kind of degree they saw that I had actual goals, and ambitions. I used McDonald's though as a way to get management on my resume. With that, and my degree I got a good job as a Tech. It is pretty laid back. Most of the time I just browse on my computer. Played Minecraft all day today haha.

the fact is whether you except it or not college is critical. Everyone today is like ahh its just a piece of paper like a high school diploma that is gonna collect dust. True but that dust is your chance to not work at a shit hole like McDonald's your whole life.

[Maridia]

I haven't done any college. But it all depends on what you want to do. I know people who have made careers out of a life without it. And then some who would have needed it to get to where they are.

I know a kid who's gonna be a history professor. He's been in college since right after high school which is...8 years? He's got 2 masters but still doesn't have a doctorate yet. He absolutely loves it though, he thrives on that life style. I guess he'll start making something like 80 grand min. Plus you get a bonus usually? Which alot of that is going to his massive student debt. That he said would be paid off in the first 5 though.
Another person I know was a young punk, ended up going to jail for a few months, Got his shit together and busted his ass at community college. Now he's got a free ride to Cornell. Not so bad then. Funny thing is he didn't even get on it til he was 30.
Then my grandfather ended up going to night courses at MIT back in the day. Which he then became the main consultant for some nuclear plant, or company. He's half retired and still makes around 100 grand a year. From what I can tell he gets paid to fly around the world, go to meetings, see different cultures (For better or worse). And that's it.

Then the other side of the spectrum. My fathers friend who was a complete **** up at school was good with his hands. So he got into being a carpenter/ fix it sort of guy. He now runs his own company, has his own team. Takes 1 month off every summer, owns 3 houses and has 4 kids to take care. Obviously he's rolling in dough.
My cousin similar thing, and funnily enough he doesn't even own a company he works with 1 other guy. But is still able to takes care of a wife and kid with plenty to spare.
Lastly is my buddy who's in the restaurant industry. At 19 he was renting out a house and bought himself a Dodge Challenger just cause he could?

In the end if you don't know a craft like plumbing, heating, working with your hands in that sort, or you're not in the restaurant business. I'd say yes it's in your benefit to go. Those are the 2 fields that seem to make a killing. There's more I'm sure but from all the people I know it seems to be the common jobs they have when it works. If you do a whatever job, like being a clerk then you'd be crazy not to go. Even as a manage you'll never make it past what 15 bucks an hour? It's not for the long run.

[Order]

Josh,
Ugh, IT?
I want you to know that I hate your profession. One day, companies will realize what ITs actually do and that'll be the end of that. No offense. I got nothing against you personally.
But I *hate* ITs.


Aaaaanyway,
Yeah, Maridia, I think what it comes down to is you have to at least have either a diploma or a skill. Clearly, it's best to have both.

What I'm thinking now is that maybe most people think of service-industry jobs when they think of work.
I think of factory, production, manufacturing, fabricating, etc... stuff that doesn't cater to consumers, but to other corporations.
Blue-collar is where the money is at for us un-degreed types.

[Halie]

I'm currently taking a course in college, but I think it's different in the UK to the US. My course is only two years long and I don't have to pay for it. Then afterwards if I get into University I'll have to pay a crippling £9000 per year.

I think it's very daunting to think about paying so much money for college/uni, whichever you decide to do and then realise that it could potentially be a waste of time, but I think you should just try to weigh up all the benefits against it. Firstly, some people just go for the experience. College/uni is supposed to be one of the most fun experiences ever and you meet lots of great new people. It'll look better to your future employers obviously. If they've got a choice between two applicants and one of them went to college and did so and so courses, and another who didn't, who do you think they're gonna pick? Regardless of who would actually be better for the job, chances are they're likely to pick the first guy. Also, depending on what course you do, it'll give you an insight into whatever field you want to go into.

I don't really know what else to say because I haven't been through it yet, but personally I'm really looking forward to going to Uni.

[Order]

To translate, thats about $14,000 USD a year.
You know, thats another issue I want touch on; is the cost of college justified?
I mean, it is possible to complete a degree in one shot, land a job straight out of school making $50k+ a year and pay off student loans in, what, ten or fifteen years.

Thats what the education system is about from my prospective.
The average american between 25 and 35 is $35,000 in debt with student loans (if I remember the statistic correctly). Why?
What does a professor or a desk or a chalkboard or a test bench give you that you couldnt get from apprenticeship or OJT?
Shelter?

Also,
What about those individuals who take a mess of unrelated classes such as lit, psychology, religion, theater...
I can only think those people are afraid of math and work.
I have a few friends who have spent too long in college and are on their way out of the system. I've actually heard them state that $50,000 a year is reasonable for someone who is 24. That amount is way too low for me, personally and I can imagine how it would be enough for someone who owes ~$35,000.

I can only feel embarassed for someone who is happily feeding the system like that. How can you expect to get off the ground when you're already burried up to your neck?

[Xithor]

Sometimes I feel like I'm not going to use the things that I learned in college but I know that really it was a stepping stone for me to get to what I really want to be. I did go to college, graduated in 4 years with a B.S. in Biology. I've taken my MCAT twice now and will be applying to Med School for the next go around.

I am currently working in an Emergency Department at a local hospital getting to see a lot of the things that I hope to be a part of some day down the road. Gotta make my application as appealing as I can right?

Order, I do agree with you on one point. The people that major in something that you're gonna have an awful time finding any employment in (i.e. Psychology) or take classes outside of your major just for the fun of it. Yea at the moment you may not literally be paying for your classes but when those loans come calling its not joke. I started getting calls 2 months after I graduated, 2 months!!! If you're going to take classes take one for your major and dont linger in college for no reason.

[Clint]

I went to college. I hated it. All that money for a slip of paper telling other people what knowledge I already knew I had. I learned absolutely nothing in college. I already know everything in the world, so it was a waste of time.

I majored in culinary arts, because I wanted to eat pizza. I minored in culinary arts as well, because I wanted to eat more pizza. I never got to make pizza. I was so pissed that I went into a different field after college, and became an actor.

[Order]

Clint,
Hahahaha!
Pizza does kick ass, though.