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What do you think about college?


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Im in need to make a decision on whether or not I want to complete college. Ive been going to school for 7 years. The first two I flunked out of most of the classes, so the last 5 years ive been going part time, making up those classes and taking a lot of other ones. If I went full time I would be done in another 2 years, but that would leave me in extra 10000-20000 debt.

 

I dont know what to do. Does a college degree really matter? I dont want to end of up working for "the man", like some cog in a big machine all the while paying off a debt for something I never wanted to learn anyways.

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I think only you can answer that. If you have talents in other areas and a clear cut objective to where you want to go, then no, school doesn't matter unless it is required for what you are interested in. If you are just not sure what you want to do, then I would say college is very important, because at least while you are sorting things out you can have a management job or administration type job rather than getting locked into a deadend job. I really think it is the individual though.

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I know its a decision I must make for myself. But its a hard one too make.

 

I didnt go to school this semester, because I wanted to take a break. During that time, I have written a novel, I have studied on everything Ive been wanting to study on, and basically did with what I want to do with my life.

 

The thought of going to college next semester depresses me. No more free time again, no writing in my second novel (except for the brief glimpses of free time I would have).

 

We will see ~shrugs~. I dont have to make up my mind right now as long as I still want to continue at my community college. But I do have to make up my mind right now if I want to go to a larger, real college.

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What is your passion? If going to college enables you to work in the career that you will enjoy and feel you were meant to do, then I say go for it. If you can do what you really want to do without college, don't bother. My only advice is don't go to college just to get a "good" job that you will be miserable doing.

 

My real passion is music, but I enjoy writing almost as much and enjoy it enough to make a career out of it. So, I got an AA with an emphasis in music theory, a BS (fitting) in Professional Writing and am working on an MBA so I can figure out how to tie it all together in a successful manner. In my case, college has been worth the time/effort/cost.

 

Good luck with your decision. If you trust your intuition, follow it and you'll be alright.

 

Mike

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I've done both paths.

 

You can succeed without a college degree, but that is the exception, for exceptional people, not the rule.

 

Ordinary people have a lot easier time getting a decent and a well paying job with a college degree ___ **** IF ****____ they choose a lucrative field to study.

 

However, even having said that, even having a liberal arts degree will make it possible to work you way up into a better job based on your merits. No matter how much some companies like you they will not let you go above a certain point without the degree. Doesn't matter what it is in, they just want you to have one.

 

If you are borrowing money the best thing to do is to stop and only continue with school if your major will lead to a well paying job.

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If you don't feel highly motivated to be in school you shouldn't go. All you will do is spend large amounts of money, get mediocre grades, and permanently damage your GPA.

 

You should do what you need to do to get extremely motivated and finish it off as fast as you can. Letting it linger will just kill your motivation.

 

Once you get motivated again, go back full time, take the debt, get it over with so you can completely move on.

Edited by beforewisdom
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Im going into English / Writing. I thought about exactly what that degree would get me in the world, and all I could think of a teaching job. Which wouldnt be bad, as I am not opposed to it, but its something I would rather not do.

 

I have definite solid goals in my life. I wrote them down somewhere, and they havent changed. Maybe I should go back and look at them and spend some time whether or not college enter's into the equation.

 

Money does enter into the equation to accomplish it though.

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It's cool that you've written your goals out. Many people have said that has greatly contributed to their succes in life. If it isn't too personal, maybe you could post some of those goals, so everyone can offer their advice based on what you want to achieve. (Just keep in mind that it is only advice and not the ultimate answer on how you should live your own life.)

 

Based on what I've learned about you in this thread, it seems that writing is your passion. I think getting an English/Writing degree would not only help you get a better day job, but it will make your writing even better. Also, being a good writer is a huge advantage in any line of work. You don't have to be a teacher. With a writing degree, you could work in journalism, PR, fund development, and numerous other fields, while you work on your novels. It seems that there are fewer and fewer decent writers in any industry, so anyone who can write well is very much appreciated. I work in marketing, but my writing background has been a huge assett to me.

 

Regarding money, have you considered distance education? It's a lot more affordable and seems to work well with writing degrees.

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Yes. It is my passion. Although I do have other things I like to study, writing has always been a part of my life.

 

I'll tell you my main goal in life. Its a dream/hope/goal all wrapped into one.

 

I want to have my own farm, paid off, with a couple friends living on it with me. We basically work out on the farm for all our food, and only work enough elsewhere (like a real job) to afford land taxes. That way everyone has all the free time in the world (besides the few hours you would need to work on the farm a week) to accomplish whatever they want to accomplish but never had time for.

 

Almost like an art/farm commune. ~shrugs~ Thats where I want to end up. I have many other goals I want to accomplish that leads to that, and are seperate from that. But thats the big one.

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I am working on my BA in English right now. Once I have it, I am going on to get my MFA in creative writing. I plan on teaching college while writing on the side and possibly working on a PhD. My passion is poetry. I think teaching lends itself incredibly well to doing something such as writing on the side. Also, it keeps your mind sharp. If you wouldn't mind teaching, it is something that, like has been said, in the training for, you will become a better writer due to the English classes you would be taking. It will allow you to train for your passion and your job at the same time. You could always do the journalism thing or whatever else, just as long as you find a career path that will allow you to pursue your passion. Good luck.

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Yes. It is my passion. Although I do have other things I like to study, writing has always been a part of my life.

 

I'll tell you my main goal in life. Its a dream/hope/goal all wrapped into one.

 

I want to have my own farm, paid off, with a couple friends living on it with me. We basically work out on the farm for all our food, and only work enough elsewhere (like a real job) to afford land taxes. That way everyone has all the free time in the world (besides the few hours you would need to work on the farm a week) to accomplish whatever they want to accomplish but never had time for.

 

Almost like an art/farm commune. ~shrugs~ Thats where I want to end up. I have many other goals I want to accomplish that leads to that, and are seperate from that. But thats the big one.

 

That. Would. Be. AWESOME! You would have more time for your writing, and the profits from book sales could go toward your land tax. Maybe you could also sell some stuff at local farmer's markets. It would be cool if other creative people were there with you to increase the collective creative energy. Very cool!

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I think that college can be a good, and a bad experience for people. A lot of it does depend on what you want to do. To do certain professions you will need a degree. For myself I am getting a certification for what I want. Actually if I went to college to obtain a degree in exercise physiology I would most likely be subjected to dissection in biology, so I figured the cert would be a better path for me. When I am in a somewhat bewtter place financially I wouldn't mind taking some liberal arts classes, and learning some languages, and getting my AA.

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College in it's simplest essence is important for many reasons. One is the most obvious. Increasing intelligence and intellectuality. Universities have been around for thousands of years. In fact they take back to around 300 B.C Greece. One of the very first Universities was founded there. That is why most sororities and fraternities have a Greek essence to it. Back then it was encouraged to obtain excess knowledge and to further oneself through philosophy and mathematics. And I like to think that in a way the tradition of learning is still as important today as it was back then. That is exactly why I intend to pursue a college career. If not to cherish a long held tradition but for the simple reason. MYSELF.

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I voted an overwhelming "you can succeed without college", but like beforewisdom said, it's not the path for everyone and can be quite difficult.

 

I myself am a twice-over tech-school dropout, both schools for computer programming. I found that while I loved computers and had at one time enjoyed programming, I couldn't see myself doing it for years as a living, and that caused me to jump ship both times. If your heart ain't in it, then don't force yourself to do something simply because of pressure, expectations or fear of the unknown. Yeah, I floundered for a few years working odd jobs managing warehouses, then getting into database design/admin for a bit, but neither of those held a lot of promise OR was interesting, but they were just steps to keep things going. I always knew that I wanted to do my own thing, and eventually I got my chance with our businesses. But, do I regret not going to college and working through it to have a degree? Sometimes, but more for the experiences of being there and the exposure to new things than to what a degree would mean to me, and honestly, I wouldn't pay $10+k/year just for that kind of experience

 

The #1 rule if you want to avoid college is, have a plan (which it surely sounds like you do), and be willing to work TWICE as hard to acheive that plan as you would if you simply worked for someone else. I would NEVER devote the time and energy I do to anyone else's business - life's too short for that, but when you have your own plan designed and your own mission, be ready to bust your ass for it with little thanks for a long time. If it truly is your passion, you WILL find a way to succeed at it and make it pay off for you down the line, be it financially, for your personal satisfaction, or both. When you chase your own dream where you're in charge, it doesn't matter if you have a G.E.D. or a PhD - your own drive and will are the factors that determine your success, simple as that.

 

Since you've got the idea of a farm on your mind, I'd say first thing is, if you don't got back to school ASAP (or, if you do go back but can work it in), get to know people who are doing what you want to do and LEARN EVERYTHING YOU CAN about it, volunteering some time if necessary just for the experience. You may find that it sounds even better when you're in the know, you may find that it sounds like more of a headache, but it's better to get in there and get your feet wet through learning it now before you let too much time pass. There are plenty of people who have gotten degrees, had good jobs, saved up a LOT of money and decided to pursue their dream of their own thing later on, only to either realize the concept was more fun than the work, or, that they simply weren't ready for how much it really entails to do your own operation. Read about your desired dream, study those who do it, ask a LOT of questions, shadow anyone who will let you do it, plan your entry into the field sensibly, and work with a plan in mind.

 

If you don't do college and decide to just join the working world, you're going to have to work TWICE as hard to prove your worth if you end up pursuing things in a field that's college-education dominated. Again, your dreams should dictate your path, and as long as you know the risks and the effort needed to get there, then you've got all you need to get started on the path that's really going to make you happy, degree or no degree.

 

I wish you nothing but success in acheiving your goal - if that's what you want to do and are willing to devote yourself to it (there are a LOT of sacrifices that will come with such a big undertaking, trust me), then I don't see any reason you can't make it happen, regardless of whether you get a degree or decide to just work something else to finance your mission.

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Yes you can succeed without a degree. Outside of a select few my good friends that didn't go to college are actually making more money than my friends with degrees(myself included).

 

If you don't want to go to school then don't. If you want to go to school then go. You'll be fine either way. You may need to work harder at first if you don't go to college but if you're not a slacker you'll be fine in the end. When it comes to debt I wouldn't worry too much. The govt. screwed up and will have bail out programs. I'm 90K in the whole but $300 a month aint so bad all things considered. $300 sucks now but $300 will be nothing in 10 years.

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I think it depends on the particular subject / career more than anything, and what experience you have already. If you already have like 5 years experience and a good reference, then I would say, why would you need to go to university? Or if it's a subject which you can learn without going to university, or one which employers look at a what you're capable of doing, rather than what you're qualified for, again, I'd say university is not necessary. But if you don't have the experience, and if it's the kind of work where your qualifications will put you ahead, then I'd say that's where university will greatly help you.

 

I wish I had considered this before I went to university, since my degree hasn't done anything for me, given the line of work.

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I think that people that go to college should definitely know what they want to get out of it, and what they want hteir degree to be in, and make sure that the profession you're going after is something that youreally want. I have an aunt that went to college, got her teaching degree, and then after one year,or less of teaching decided that she didn't like it. So in this instance college ended up being a complete waste of money. She has since, just worked at a dentists office, which she did not need a degree for.

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I also voted that you can suceed without a college degree. Yes, it can help in job placement and looks 'good' to prospective employers but it isn't necessary for everything.

 

I had no clue what my passions were when I graduated HS and I just chose finance because I saw dollar signs and i'm excellent at math and numbers. Granted I always had a high interest in the stock market so I suppose it wasn't a completely blind choice.

 

Out of graduating, the year after 9/11, there was zero job placement and I became a personal trainer which also helped me live out my dream of competing. After doing that for two years I tried becoming a broker dealer.

 

They told me alot of them did not even finish hs and that education was a bunch of bs. They were making loot also. All you needed to do was to study to get a series 7 license to trade. I was there for awhile but it seemed shady and i was right, they were a boiler room ops and got shut down.

 

My next profession was day trading. They also gave me the same line. Education means nothing to us. All I needed was my series 7, which I got through them. Their main concern was if I was quick on the draw and if I play alot of video games. They said if you have fast fingers and guts you'll make it. Too bad the job is no longer as lucrative as it was. Pink TJK, this would've been a great choice!

 

That being said the best time to day trade were the years when I was in school. The people I worked for made MILLIONS. Serious serious cash. Enough to retire for life. They did not make much by the time I got there and then no one was able to make anything. Most got out by that time because they made their boatload. I thought about it so many times; what if I never went to college and I was trading at an earlier age. I could've been retired because I was good at it. O well.

 

Now I still have $14,000 left in debt from loans and am jobless because the market sucks and i'm in a rut doing part time catering until something works out for me and I get hired. I kind of want to find a job in california or somewhere west and relocate. I'm tired of NYC.

 

So I guess it all depends. And self employement, like Veganessentials, doesn't require a degree, you just need to be a hard worker and determined. Job placement to work for a firm in the financial world, though, is usually required and it is favorable to have an MBA. With the exception of brokers and traders.

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I clicked yes too. Here's a depressing story.

 

Having always loved animals I decided to become a veterinary assistant. I went to a college that cost about $10,000 and had to borrow from the government. I did awesome in class and pulled straight As. I was the top of the class. Then I did my practicum and the clinic seemed to like me a lot. I asked about getting a job and they said they wanted me to continue volunteering for a few months just to learn the ropes. A few months turned into 6, and then I was finally hired. I got to work for ONE WEEK until a new volunteer came (Straight out of high school, no previous experience with animals, no college diploma) and they suddenly "didn't need me anymore." and I was layed off.

 

I tried looking for work in other clinics and they all said "We're not hiring right now" but left my resume/cover letters anyways. I even tried pet stores. Nothing.

I was jobless for 6 months until yesterday when I got a job working at a gym as a club rep.

I have never worked in a gym before (besides working OUT that is ) never had any training, nothing. They hired me because of my vast knowledge of fitness ( I thank you guys because I learned tons just by reading your posts) and because I'm nice and professional looking.

I think I'll like working at a gym more. Working in a clinic is fun, but not when you have to clean 20 litter boxes and clean kennels after a parvo case has come in.. It can be a happy place or a sad place to work. I've seen lots of animals die.. I have seen abused animals too. I may never go back to that.. Who knows?

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The reason why I picked being a personal trainer is because that is where my passion lies. I see trainers at the gym and for the most part they all love their chosen profession. In the end it won't matter which trainer got their college degree, and which trainer just got a certification. What matters is the basic knowledge, and wanting to help people change for the better,which is I think the main reason for becoming a personal trainer. Some trainers talk about basic muscle groups, and others go into more detail, but it all pretty much means the same thing. When you're grunting from lifting heavy weights you're only half listening anyway lol. So back to my main reason for this post. I believe that if you truly love doing something that's where the joy, passion, and drive comes in, so do whatever it takes to get to that point, whether it's a degree, certification, or just hard work. And enjoy life!

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For degree or certicication, it all depends on who/how you want to train people to make a difference.

 

I have met guys who are trainers that never took more than the overly-simple ACE test who have done very well for themselves. I also know a few guys who have excercise science and physiology degrees who are working for a good training facility but are worked to the bone and only make around $12/hour for their efforts.

 

If you want to train the average man/woman and do it because you want to genuinely help people look/feel better, I wouldn't recommend the whole college route unless you absolutely want to learn the most and have the best qualifications (which unfortunately don't equate to being the best off in the field). If you want to train serious athletes or work doing coaching type things, then definitely go get a degree for it, because it's the only way you'll be taken seriously. One guy I know who has gone the college route has been pretty bummed out, because after applying to athletic departments across the country, the only offer he's had was being a coach for a middle-school football team in northern Michigan. Then, there are the guys I've met who make full-time money training just a few clients per day, and they love what they do. It can go either way, but don't overly-invest unless you really KNOW you want to make it your life's work and know every technical aspect.

 

Over on another site I frequent, there are no less than 2 dozen guys there who are trainers, some who have degrees and work with elite athletes, some who just do training in their free time in their garage/basement, and all of them pretty well say that if you're just doing it for the love of training, go with a simple certification, then learn all you can independently and study under trainers who have a lot of knowledge and who are getting great results from their clients.

 

You can have all the book-smarts in the world, but if you can't motivate and train your clients the way that suits them best, you won't have any business

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