Ok, ZIT, I would love to hear your argument. Please understand I am NOT recommending that HS grads shouldn't go to college, but it absolutely can be be considered a scam if you choose the wrong degree. I have a bachelors in business mgmt. I learned information, but I didn't learn any skills.
I didn't go to college because it was the thing to do. I did it because I thought it would help me get a better job and overall improve my quality of life. My very first day of college, we learned in Sociology that children are most likely earn the same amount as their parents (including the difference of inflation). This reaffirmed my reasoning for taking out loans for college. I was excited at the opportunity to break this trend.
I choose Business Management because everyone told me it would open doors. I could do anything I wanted. I wanted to be an entrepreneur. I did whatever I could in HS to make money (legally obviously). So Business Management seemed like the perfect choice/ Thats what I heard everytime I talked to some one when I was looking for advice. And I am not talking about just my mother. I talked to the owner of the local business I worked for at that time. I talked to my neighborhood Edwards Jones guy because Fortune Magazine at the time had Edwards Jones as the number one company to work for. I talked to anyone I respected and not person told me it was a bad choice. I wanted to make the right decision.
The Truth is a Business Management was a terrible choice and getting that degree HURT me more than it helped! I now have about $800 a month in student loans. $800 a month is $10,000 a year. Beside the money I must pay every month because I choose to go to college, I believe I lost an opportunity. I ended up quitting that local business job. It took me 5 years to finish college, and if in those 5 years, if I stayed at that company, I would of moved up. I would probably make more than I do now.
I could of choose a degree like Sports Management or one of those other completely pointless degree but I thought I was getting a life changer.The point is that college can be a bad choice for some. In fact, I say MOST majors are a waste. Engineering and Nursing are the only 4 year degrees that jump out to me that give you a great chance of success. At least in my area. There may be a couple more, but there are more that are waste than helpful.
On top of it, it's almost impossible to go to college and not get stuck with student loans. Student loan companies basically do what they want. $19k loan and pay back $104k. Not an exaggeration. That's all apart of the scam.
When I was in HS, graduated in 03, we were "sold" that if you graduated college that your life will be better. That's a lie!
College is an open door, no one is forced to stay in a certain major, or to choose a certain major. Students need to be continuously evaluating why they
are studying what they are, and where they are headed once they graduate. There is no shame in changing majors.
I managed to get three college degrees and never had a student loan, never had any help either. How? I worked my ass off, I worked 20-30 hours per week
during school. It took me an extra 1.5 years to get my BS, but it was worth it to me to not have to take out loans. Once I got my BS, I
joined a company that would pay for further education.
I just think the statement that "college is a scam" is extremely ignorant. You get out of it what you are willing to put into it. You can't blame the colleges
on the existing job market.
I don't blame the job market. I blame the marketing of college... I didn't learn much of anything. Theres no way I could of known. I just kept hoping there was more to that business degree. Maybe once I get these gen eds out of the way, then Ill start to learn something that will help me. Nope. Then it was just got to get through these core business classes, and I would get to some skills that I could only get by going to college Nope.
It was a waste. I've talked people out of getting a business mgmt degree because it is BULLSHIT. I would of been better getting a job at Job X working until they offer to pay for an education. But I thought I could speed up the process by getting loans. In my mind, It would work out because I would make more faster. I am just saying that business management is a waste and I would of never known that if I didn't go or someone told me...
My mom just finished her Bachelors in pysc. A degree that was paid for by her company, but she still had some expenses that needed student loans. You cannot get a job in Pysc without a Masters. Again, a waste.
What you did was INCREDIBLE. You should be very proud and I understand why you may take offense to the statement. I am glad you don't feel that way, but I can tell you many will agree with me. We were mislead. College is marketed as a life changing move, and unforunately for me, it was a move for the worse.
I am not saying I didn't make mistakes along the way. I am not saying I didn't enjoy the college experience. I could of studied a little more, but in the end I don't think it makes a difference. Even if I did get a job because I got a degree I can honestly say I am not smarter than I would of been at this time without College.
In today's world a college degree is equal to a HS dipoma. It's overhyped, too expensive and you are going to tell me a text book has to cost $200. SCAM.
Zit, your are the idiot. Watch and learn.
http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=/&gl=US#/watch?v=VpZtX32sKVE
http://m.youtube.com/index?desktop_uri=/&gl=US#/watch?v=VpZtX32sKVE
You make some valid points. I can see how those that market certain degrees can be misleading. What did your mom think she was going to do with a BA in Psychology?
I think there is a whole litany of degrees that are fairly useless in making money: psychology, sociology, political science, education (most liberal arts degrees). I think they
can be a good basis for further education, like law school - but a BA in sociology isn't going to get you much money coming out of school - that's something that
kids I would think would know going in at 17?
"In today's world a college degree is equal to a HS dipoma. It's overhyped, too expensive and you are going to tell me a text book has to cost $200. "
Any BS degree in engineering, math or most sciences is not equal to a high school diploma.
Graduated with a Bachelor's in Advertising and a Bachelor's in Creative Writing. Landed a 40K a year adv job a few weeks ago and I'll take it as a 24 year old considering how hard it is to break into a new job. The goal, though, is to get into an MFA program in a top 10 program for creative writing.
Isn't that also true of the workforce, where they pay you instead of you paying them?
It's not a matter of blaming colleges on the current job market, it is a matter of weather college is the correct path. From a money in / money out standpoint, more often than not, it isn't the most efficient way to go. Very few teenagers have the experience in both life and in spending hundreds of thousands of dollars to see why that is true
In some ways nothing anyone spends there money on is a scam. If you don't value whatever it is you're buying more than what it costs, you won't spend your money on it. The nature of college could very well make it one of the few exceptions
But what if it isn't all about making money? For example, if the extensive work that I got with my writing professors gets me into a top 10 creative writing program and helps in a career path of being a well-regarded novelist, is the 90K in debt not worth it even if I only make 40K for a book but I'm truly happy?
