Is college a necessity or a luxury?

[dusred]

Discuss.

(you can skip this part if you don't want to hear my $0.02)
My opinion is that it is a luxury. Obviously I am biased because chances of me going to college are almost non-existent. Dave Ramsey seems to think it's a luxury and I have to agree. Don't get me wrong, I would LOVE to go to college but I reject this notion that I cannot be successful without college education. I know lots of very successful people who never gone to college. Is what sparked this thread is I was having a conversation with a girl who was going to college who kept throwing out nonsense like "If you don't go to college you are gamb|ing with your future". After that I was watching this video on Fox where this numskull tried saying that it is only the stupid "uneducated" people who disapprove of Obama's Admin (not trying to turn this political but the education part caught my attention - here is the link if you wanna watch: http://video.foxnews.com/v/4283112/obam ... t_id=86858). I went to the local college (Dixie State College) and took a few classes to get my GED and it seems like they were continually telling us that if we have a degree we are guaranteed to make X amount more money a year. They also threw around stuff like "gamb|ing with your future". They also pushed student loans on us like they were going out of style.

[tigersharkdude]

From my experience around here, college is required. If you want a job doing anything other than manual labor or fast food its needed. Even when I worked at Nissan on the line, to be the head person over a certain line ( such as CPM) most had a degree in BS(literally). That was the only must have, a degree, they didnt care what it was in, just some kind of degree. 9 times out of 10, if two people apply for the job, and both have the same background but one has a degree and the other doesnt, the one with the degree will get the job

[ThatGuyRoger]

I believe it depends what field a person decides to go into and if they pursue a masters or higher. It may be a luxury for someone to get into an entry level job as a perk over someone else applying for the same job who doesn't have one or has minimal college credit.

[bigbadberry3]

College is expensive so if you look ahead at your future and think about what you would like to do, you'll most likely see if college is needed or just a money waster. It's relevant to what a person hopes to become.

[Jesda]

All knowledge, all learning, whether through an educational institution or on the job, is a luxury.

You can acquire basic food, shelter, and clothing without a GED or even the ability to speak English.



But if you're talking about personal success, "it depends" on what you measure it with. I like education for the enrichment and because I enjoy the learning process. A quality education backed by liberal arts (ie, not University of Phoenix) will make you a better and more complete human being. Its hard to explain why, but its the truth.

Its like listening to children banging pots and pans your whole life and thinking "Music doesn't get better than this," and suddenly you're introduced to Bach's fugues. You don't realize what you don't know until you know it. The trap is that you'll find yourself constantly yearning for more. Once you get a taste of light, you can't just shut the door and pretend you didn't see what you just saw.

Practically speaking, education won't do jack for your income unless you use it as a direct pathway to a career. Its true that in most professions, you can find an example of someone without a degree that can perform specified duties better than someone with, but the degree itself proves some level of commitment and dedication, the ability to set long term goals and achieve them.

And really, thats what separates the successful from the unsuccessful in our society: putting off short-term pleasure and working hard now for long term benefit.

You should see some of the Chinese guys that come here -- one person works their butt off, sets aside some money, and goes to school. Once he reaches a level of success, his earnings go into a pool, used to bring other family members over from China who work, get educated, and earn a living. The process repeats itself until the entire extended family is in the United States, all successful, all from the support of their extended family.

[dusred]

And really, thats what separates the successful from the unsuccessful in our society: putting off short-term pleasure and working hard now for long term benefit.

Very well put. I guess many people who have college handed to them by their parents don't reap the full benefit of it because they get this idea in their head that this high education will guarantee them an easy life. Anyone who has a longing, yearning desire to go to college and has to work for it themselves will reap the full benefit of college, in my opinion. In reality anyone who is an industrious, hard working person of integrity will eventually be a wealthy person with or without education just like you pointed out with the Chinese family example. By the way there is a small restaurant here in St. George where that exact thing was done but it was from Mongolia. They are all more or less illiterate but they are the hardest working people I know and they are very successful. They are "living the American dream".

Jesda, are you familiar with Dave Ramsey? If not I think you would really like his work.

[poems2beats]

I will be finished with my Cummins training by the end of this year. When I graduate I will have most of my certifications to be considered a journeymen level tech(but no field experience). I'm gunna be looking at about $20/hr to start off. Depending on what area I end up working in. Cummins Master techs can reach 100k + per year. Of course its gunna take me a few years to become a master tech.... However I do plan on being successful.

I didn't go to college but I did peruse a higher education...

[tm1218]

it depends on what you want to do with your life. having a good paying job is not the definition of "successful" to some people. there are endless amounts of career paths that do not require formal education, and a lot of those are good paying as well. just because someone does not pursue further formal education does not mean they will be unsuccessful. that is an ignorant assumption. sure, if you want to be a doctor you need formal education in that field, but not everyone wants your typical 9-5 career path. that is the beauty of this country, there are endless possibilities. you can become anything you want as long as you have the will power and put in effort.

the people who say "you are gamb|ing with your future" are people who settle for less and just take a path that is a guaranteed stable career, because they listened to other people bang that into their head. do not end up like them, or you may find yourself a middle-aged man who feels he could have been something else.
for example... when people say they want to become professional athletes, actors, and other things that may seem like a far stretch, people try to tell them that its gamb|ing and not guaranteed. that is complete nonsense. it is actually 100% guaranteed if you have the will/desire and put in 100% effort. people like to knock others goals that seem far fetched just because they lack the belief in themselves to achieve higher. if you want to be a doctor, go ahead and go to college for that. that is part of the path in becoming a doctor... but if you wish to be something else, follow the path that will lead you there. success is defined by the person alone, there is no one answer. I know people who spent their whole youth playing sports and were almost guaranteed a spot in professional leagues, but they were scared of failure and opted out for a more "guaranteed" career path.

<<< future film producer/stand-up comedian with 100% willpower to achieve my dream. a lot of people give up on their dreams, and I feel sorry for them. there is no reason to settle for less or not give 100% because you only get one chance... one life.

[elwesso]

Getting a college degree is like a toll road.. There is a route you can go that will take more time, and cost you less money... but while you have to pay to go on the toll road, you usually get to your destination faster than by taking the surface streets.

Take into consideration that most bachelors degrees require a masters degree in conjunction to be worthwhile in their specific field.. Business and engineering are one of the only ones I can think off hand that dont require a masters degree to go anywhere in that specific field, and even then MBA's are becoming a lot more main-stream.

For example, if you wanted to have an "engineering" role in a firm without an engineering degree, you'll need probably at least 10-15 years of experience to even be considered...

I think what a lot of people lack in even a foggy vision on what they want to do...

[AppleBonker]

I wish I could have a different opinion, but in my humble experience it is fairly necessary. Granted, I've always been working on the technical side of things, so that might have something to do with it. I've had a number of friends that I worked with over only the last few years that have gotten screwed hard by management because they don't have degrees while watching people who are less productive get promoted because they have degrees. It definitely sucks. With the percentage of the population owning at least one degree increasing, I don't see this trend diminishing. Don't get me wrong, there are plenty of ways to be successful with and without a degree. However, the degree makes you far more marketable, which makes it less likely for you to get trampled on. I hope I just explained that without sounding like a moron...

[drksolest]

necessity

I got a bs in something totally unrelated to my job... but got hired cause I went to college! Very Important!!!!!!!

Now i'm back in college (for work) and my boss is payin my way.

[infinitgkid]

Very well put. I guess many people who have college handed to them by their parents don't reap the full benefit of it because they get this idea in their head that this high education will guarantee them an easy life. Anyone who has a longing, yearning desire to go to college and has to work for it themselves will reap the full benefit of college, in my opinion. In reality anyone who is an industrious, hard working person of integrity will eventually be a wealthy person with or without education just like you pointed out with the Chinese family example.

This might be true, but you cannot assume this for all of the students whose parents pay for their college.

My mom pays for my college every semester and I practically had the whole college experience handed to me (financially wise) so that when I graduate I won't have to pay back any loans for the 4 years (law school is a different story). In addition, I never had a longing or yearning to go to college as I knew it would be 4 more years of writing, reading, late nights, and hours of frustration. Instead I looked at it as another obstacle to get to my next life milestone.

Higher education does make things easier but not on a significant level. It gives you that competitive edge in the job market because as Jesda said, it shows that you can commit to long-term goals. Anything past that, I can't see a degree doing anything more (depending on the profession you choose).

College is not easy street to a career as many people believe/make it out to be, but it is a spring board to a level that makes you better equiped for the job market through the knowlege and skills obtained and the friendships/contacts made during your college experience.

[Encryptshun]

College is the new High School.