College: Is it worth it?

[Litos]

Originally Posted by Seminole

Go make the poll for the photo contents you slacker.

oh crap - forgot about that !!!!

[schoy]

Originally Posted by P1et

Remember that one can choose to go to college (or seek other forms for higher education) not necessarily for eventual monetary benefit, but for self-fulfillment. There are quite a few things I'd like to eventually be educated on, and they will not result in something I could monetarily gain from. Yet it will result in a certain level of satisfaction. As an example, learning about the arts could enable me to express myself creatively, yet it would do nothing for me in my professional career.

I don't disagree that self-fulfillment is one of many reasons to go to college, but I don't think it's, for the vast majority of people, the primary reason for going to college. Otherwise, why stop going to college once you get your degree? Why not just keep taking classes until you're "self-fulfilled"? (I know there are professional students that can afford to stay in college for years upon years, just learning, but they are very small part of the student population).

I get it that college offers an unparalleled opportunity to educate oneself in other pursuits in an immersive environment; that's what electives are for. But in the end, for the vast majority of people, we leave college once we get that degree because that was the primary reason we were there. Again, primary.

[MrPrena]

Again..... my tuition was dirt cheap compare to now. It was worth it for the $ i spent. I even wanted to save $ to graduate early on my under degree.

Was my education worth it? For the $$ I spent? HELL YES.
I don't know I can speak for the current tuition relative to crap they learn.

Even I got C- on Physical Chemistry II without taking any Ochem, Analytical Chem, or P Chem I, and it was worth it. Without taking Cosmology or Atmospheric Planetary Sci and Astronomy, and took Astrophysics II. Got a fair grade, but it was well worth it.

Yes, I got sh1tty grades on those classes which I went crazy, but my purpose was to learn the damn stuff. I really didn't care about GPA, i can just ace GRE/GMAT/LSAT. (ended up getting shitty score on those as well)

Thanks to those specific classes, I ended up w/ a job at a chemical field about 10 years ago. So, again. It was well worth it.

[128Convertibleguy]

I'm so old my experience may not be relevant. But I still think my bottom line is.

I was fortunate enough to do this when, if you were good at the school business (and I was), you could get someone to pay for it. I absolutely loved school. So I went all the way. 20 years of schooling, and they put you on the day shift.

Thing is, the fairly impressive paper that I earned while doing what I loved, paid off. Not McMansion type pay off, which I wasn't interested in. But wheel to wheel racing with SCCA. Nice motorcycles. Travel. It never hurt with women. Etc. Some of the jobs I needed the paper for. But most of them I didn't, officially. Still, I got jobs based simply on the respect those pieces of paper gave me. I also learned a lot of neat stuff. And, by seeing the lessons of history, both on a large scale, and of individuals, I think I probably make better decisions about most everything.

My bottom line. This thread asked if college was worth it, in a financial sense. Do what you love. If you love making money, great. But don't let the culture push you into chasing that, and making all your decisions based on money. Especially today, if you hate college, there's probably a better way for you. If you love it, it will enrich your life in ways you simply can't envision now.

And that's what will make it worth whatever it costs.

[Lups]

Originally Posted by 128Convertibleguy

I'm so old my experience may not be relevant. But I still think my bottom line is.

I was fortunate enough to do this when, if you were good at the school business (and I was), you could get someone to pay for it. I absolutely loved school. So I went all the way. 20 years of schooling, and they put you on the day shift.

Thing is, the fairly impressive paper that I earned while doing what I loved, paid off. Not McMansion type pay off, which I wasn't interested in. But wheel to wheel racing with SCCA. Nice motorcycles. Travel. It never hurt with women. Etc. Some of the jobs I needed the paper for. But most of them I didn't, officially. Still, I got jobs based simply on the respect those pieces of paper gave me. I also learned a lot of neat stuff. And, by seeing the lessons of history, both on a large scale, and of individuals, I think I probably make better decisions about most everything.

My bottom line. This thread asked if college was worth it, in a financial sense. Do what you love. If you love making money, great. But don't let the culture push you into chasing that, and making all your decisions based on money. Especially today, if you hate college, there's probably a better way for you. If you love it, it will enrich your life in ways you simply can't envision now.

And that's what will make it worth whatever it costs.

Well written sir.

[BrokenVert]

As someone who just finished a masters program and doesn't have a real job... Nope. Not yet anyway

[PSUSMU]

Originally Posted by BrokenVert

As someone who just finished a masters program and doesn't have a real job... Nope. Not yet anyway

I think it's dumb to go straight from Bachelor's to Master's. Get a job first, get some experience, and get an employer to assist with Master's tuition while working full-time. I got my M.S. free (~$36k), thanks to employer.

[bloppitybloop]

Originally Posted by PSUSMU

I think it's dumb to go straight from Bachelor's to Master's. Get a job first, get some experience, and get an employer to assist with Master's tuition while working full-time. I got my M.S. free (~$36k), thanks to employer.

That's my plan right now. I'm about to take the GMAT. My employer will pay the majority of my tuition so it'd be stupid not to get my masters degree.

What did you get yours in?

[PSUSMU]

Originally Posted by reckedhim

That's my plan right now. I'm about to take the GMAT. My employer will pay the majority of my tuition so it'd be stupid not to get my masters degree.

What did you get yours in?

M.S. in Systems Engineering from SMU

[BrokenVert]

Originally Posted by PSUSMU

I think it's dumb to go straight from Bachelor's to Master's. Get a job first, get some experience, and get an employer to assist with Master's tuition while working full-time. I got my M.S. free (~$36k), thanks to employer.

I worked in a research lab while doing my masters, which I did in a year. Full tuition coverage.
So you should hold the judgment before you understand the situation.

[Uber V8]

Originally Posted by PSUSMU

M.S. in Systems Engineering from SMU

Great choice

[E90Alex]

IMO you cannot simply think of a bachelor's degree with only money in mind(cost of degree+opportunity cost).

The experiences you gain in college are worth the cost. They should be the best years of your life.

[Uber V8]

Originally Posted by E90Alex

IMO you cannot simply think of a bachelor's degree with only money in mind(cost of degree+opportunity cost).

The experiences you gain in college are worth the cost. They should be the best years of your life.

Who are you referring to?

[E90Alex]

Originally Posted by FwdFtl

Who are you referring to?

Just a general "you." I know that the majority of the posts in the thread were directed towards a masters degree.

I, personally, would actually love to even go back for a masters degree (waiting for a couple of more years before applying to MBA programs). Working in the corporate world makes it difficult to meet new people, etc...

[Uber V8]

Originally Posted by E90Alex

Just a general "you." I know that the majority of the posts in the thread were directed towards a masters degree.

I, personally, would actually love to even go back for a masters degree (waiting for a couple of more years before applying to MBA programs). Working in the corporate world makes it difficult to meet new people, etc...

Ah, I see. May I ask you why you want to pursue a masters degree?

[E90Alex]

Originally Posted by FwdFtl

Ah, I see. May I ask you why you want to pursue a masters degree?

Well i would pursue an MBA to slightly change my career path within finance. (I currently work in finance; however, am interested in other areas and this would allow me to do internships and full-time recruitment once again).

The social aspect and having a life is an added benefit which I feel like I lost once I started working full-time in finance/consulting.

[Myrder]

Originally Posted by PSUSMU

I think it's dumb to go straight from Bachelor's to Master's. Get a job first, get some experience, and get an employer to assist with Master's tuition while working full-time. I got my M.S. free (~$36k), thanks to employer.

Call me dumb I guess... lol I'm doing alright though.

[Uber V8]

Originally Posted by E90Alex

Well i would pursue an MBA to slightly change my career path within finance. (I currently work in finance; however, am interested in other areas and this would allow me to do internships and full-time recruitment once again).

The social aspect and having a life is an added benefit which I feel like I lost once I started working full-time in finance/consulting.

Does all this mean, monetary gain or nah?

[E90Alex]

Originally Posted by FwdFtl

Does all this mean, monetary gain or nah?

Yeah

[Uber V8]

Originally Posted by E90Alex

Yeah

My nixxa

[E90Alex]

Originally Posted by PSUSMU

I think it's dumb to go straight from Bachelor's to Master's. Get a job first, get some experience, and get an employer to assist with Master's tuition while working full-time. I got my M.S. free (~$36k), thanks to employer.

It would depend on the master's degree ofcourse; however, my opinion of strictly MBA programs is that its purpose is to allow you to slightly switch fields of practice/careers.

I personally think that an MBA does not have as much value if you are obtaining it simply to stay with your current employer (which is the case if they are assisting you with tuition).

You want to be able to intern as an MBA student and recruit for full-time opportunities. This may allow you to get the 6 figure salary with a 25-30k+ signing bonus (this example is from consulting firms i.e. Bain, Mckinsey, Accenture, etc...) instead of getting a slight salary bump with the employer that you were with before you decided to obtain the MBA.

[MrPrena]

I should have learned the "The Art of Brown Nosing" before I even went to business school. Without that skill, it was somewhat waste for me.

I even worked at a retail box stores on weekends to learn the art of brown nosing. It didn't help.