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SpeedRacer

Is college a waste of time/money?

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Re: everyone complaining about the cost of college

If you're going into college just out of high school, you have zero excuses for complaining about tuition/attendance costs. If you bust your ass throughout high school, it's easy to get a full ride especially if you stay in state. Every person I know who busted ass in high school (top 10% or so) have gone to college for free (tuition, living expenses, etc) or net a profit doing so. That 10% includes in-state uni (15k/yr), private unis (35k+/yr), a couple ivy leagues (50k+/yr).

It's like how it was so annoying hearing seniors whining about not getting into an ivy league when they didn't start caring about school (4.0 GPA, take the most difficult classes offered, extra curriculars, etc) until sophomore or junior year. If you want to go to college for free or to one of the world's top schools for your field you have to start at the beginning of your freshman year. Why does it start that early? Because your competition is willing to.

As far as grad school goes, I know several companies that will pay tuition regardless of major. Same principle applies - bust ass and you can get anything college related for free or almost nothing. I have a friend who went back to school to become an anesthesiologist when he was in his late 30s, got into a competitive med school for free because he had a 4.0 in undergrad/good MCAT (accepted, scholarships), and worked full time for a company that covered his tuition. It's hard to do but it's there if you're willing to work for it.
A waddling elephant seal is the cutest thing in the entire world.
-TJ

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I never once had the thought "is college worth the money".



I did. Every f-in morning. I hated what I did for a living and where I lived and how miserable it was.

That was my major reason for going to college.

I dreamed of the day that I would have a job that did not involve holding a piece of metal while standing in 95 degree heat. I wanted to be able to get out of a crime-ridden neighborhood.

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I didn't go to college because I had to. I went because I wanted to. I studied what I was passionate about, and what I wanted to focus my mind on. I never once had the thought "is college worth the money". Will this make me rich? If that is your motivation, you surely won't be a History major now will you?

If people would follow their hearts and minds instead of obsessing about money and material posessions, we would be a lot better off as a society.



On one hand, I agree--and I realize it's [what you said] the noble thing to say, but I'll go ahead and be the cold-hearted bitch and say:

A lot of people at 18 don't know what they want to do. They don't go to college because they "have to", and neither because they "want to", but rather because they don't know what they need or want and they're still figuring it out.

I knew what I wanted for as long as I can remember: To help animals, and to have my own house at the beach.

Money isn't always a "bad" motivator. I can work toward my dream house and still help animals because I have the time/money to do both. College certainly helped with that advantage.

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Having said that, it is outrageous how expensive college is right now. Education is traded like a commodity folowing supply and demand principles. This is a big mistake in my opinion. There will come a time in the near future that people cannot afford it.



Again, while I agree, there is SO much opportunity in scholarships. There is probably a scholarship for those whose second toe is longer than their big toe. I mean--all it takes is a little research.

I'm not saying it's that easy.

But, work hard in high-school and you're likely to get some to a LOT of help.

I'm fortunate my father would have paid, but instead I got a full ride. I could have coasted through, but instead I studied a bit "because I wanted to"--It's a little ironic your response started with that but ended with how expensive it [can] be. If you want to work hard, then you'll earn and/or find ways to keep the cost down.
Paint me in a corner, but my color comes back.

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Also, whilst I'm in bitch-mode I have to say--and this is not directed at you DX--college shouldn't be something you can just go to because you "wanted to".

You can go to the library because you want to. Why don't you? Why would you want to go to college vs. a library?

I want things every day. I don't get the majority of them because obviously I didn't want them bad enough to do whatever I needed to (within my morals and the law), to get them.

A lot goes into running a university--who is supposed to fund that? Am I supposed to fund people going just because they woke up one day and wanted to?
Paint me in a corner, but my color comes back.

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In my opinion its a toss up.

I agree with the "dont get a useless degree" part. but myself personally. i Never went to a college. i went to a technical school (automotive) and really all that did for me was put my foot in the door and give me a piece of paperwork that shows that i have been educated after high school. while going to the school was helpful, anyone could graduate. (seriously) all you had to do was show up and put forth 10% effort. there was no homework, or projects. just classroom and shop time. I think i have close to 60 credit hours worth of time from there, and some of it is transferable, (if i were to pursue something else later on in life) but the only real thing that made me stand out was the fact that after graduating i went through a manufactures training program.

While i completed the manufactures (Nissan/Infiniti) program, i just used it to further my education, and then yet another piece of paper. Especially considering the fact that i didnt even goto work for Nissan.

To further the arguement, I started working at an Acura dealership right out of school a little over a year ago making around 30K a year. I learned, went to school through Acura/Honda, and now im on track to make $60,000+ a year. I'm only 21, (just turned 21 in july) and most of my classmates from high school are still in college. and others that were a few years older then me have just gotten out of school and are starting out around 30-40K a year at a desk job, with thousands of dollars in student loans. Granted, Working on cars is not for everyone, it definatly takes alot of time and money to get into it. (tools suck).

so after all that yakking about me, i think that college is a great thing, but as others said, don't get a useless degree.

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I don't totally agree on the IT issue. A 2 year degree in the UK allowed me to obtain a visa for the US and make a decent life for myself.

I guess it depends if you think it will actually teach you something you can apply on day one or get you in the door.

However, nobody other than the INS has ever cared about my education.

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