Too many ignorants youths borrowing too much money for an increasingly devalued education?
I truly feel that we have way to many ignorant college bound individuals who are aquiring a great deal a debt for college degrees that a drastically losing their value.
The degree system as I like to call it, seems SO very much overcrowded and very poorly instructed. It seems to me, many of the students are unaware of the working environment and have very little practical skills. This is something I have recently noticed because I recently finished a couple classes on campus at UAA, the rest I will finish online.
About me: I’m a first year Journeymen Electrician and I completed a 5 year apprenticeship with the union IBEW. It qualified me for enough credits that I only needed to take a handful of classes to obtain my associates. I never needed loans, as the apprenticeship doesn’t cost anything, I worked most the year and took 2 months off each year for classes. I’ve been able to put money aside in addition to purchasing a small house. (I hate throwing money into rent).
I was speaking with a student at the campus starbucks who was 56,000$ in debt and about to graduate. I was wearing my work carharts and dirty boots to class because I just got off work. It was difficult for him to understand that someone near his age, poorly dressed as myself, with no college education, makes (after my associates) 39$ / hour take-home on top of excellent benefits and retirement, which he claims is more than he could ever hope for. Now he is trying to get into the Union Apprenticeship Program and has been emailing me for advice. He’d start out at 18.50$ an hour take-home on top of benefits and retirement, coming out to be over 30$ an hour if on does the math. He said he was never aware of many of the available options after highschool and college was always pushed upon him because he was a high performer.
Why was this not a strong option pushed at him when he was graduating from highschool? If he goes the apprenticeship route, It seems to me like college was a big scam. He’ll be paying that damn loan off for the duration of his apprenticeship rather than being able to invest in a home.
What is wrong with the youth today? College campus felt like a herd of sheep all trying to jump a fence for greener pastures, all dishing out a bunch of money in mid-flight, then receiving a colored tag stamped into their ear when they landed on the other side. But there is a way to sneak under the fence as well, but not nearly as many do it. I don’t get it.
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A degree in Aerospace Engineering (like mine) is still extremely valuable and makes 50-60k starting easy, and could lead to over 100k in the long run.
For other careers that might be true, but you are placing a monetary value on having a career that you love. I am personally going to go teach abroad (which requires a Bachelors) for about 22k a yr and I would not trade it for your job, no matter how much it pays, it doesnt interest me.
You are also neglecting this. Sure you make a lot, but if it were me, what use is wasting 8 hrs a day 5 times a week, 11 (sometimes more) months a yr for what? to be happy that 1 month vacation I get to actually spend my money? No thanks. I think the real problem is the obsession with putting monetary value on a career you love. If you love what you do, good for you, But I will stick to teaching and making rocket engines.. thanks
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I understand where you are coming from, but you have to see the other side as well =)
First off, people do not get Degrees JUST for the $, they get it for the knowledge and the experience which will be with them a lifetime. (No one can ever take away from them) Secondly, I also think that many of the jobs offered by The Union don’t appeal to most people.
I for one would not want to work @ a job where I would get dirty everyday nor would I want to work @ a place where I would take the risk of being electrocuted 3
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You do have a point that students who don’t have a strong inclination to go on to higher education or don’t know what they want to do (a category your Starbucks pal apparently falls into, since he’s not working a research job or internship or something that might give him a wider range of opportunities when he graduates) should be more aware of the alternatives out there. Skills like yours are valuable, and should be more respected than they are.
That said, given that you’re already doing so well for yourself, why do you need the associates’ to pull down that $39 an hour? Obviously the formal education has some value, even if you don’t plan on using it as a stepping stone to anything else.