What do people think of this statement? Agree; Disagree?

I'm wondering if I should pursue further education.

Disagree.

It all depends on what you are aiming to do. Myself, I realized rather quickly that with my degree and working in the field my degree was going to be in I would be making about half of what I was making after highschool.

Now... if you think long term, I could have got up into higher pay brackets. But the way I look at it is what is the point? I was planning on going back to doing a similar job anywawy where the degree wouldn't mean jack shit. So yet again, I'm not in college anymore.

Am thinking about getting some kind of a degree further down the road, but we'll see how things go here in the next six months.

Going to college was the biggest mistake of my life.

Eh, I'm just thinking about it in terms of making 6 (or maybe even 7) figure income.

I also was curious because everyone tells me that Bachelors are a dime a dozen and everyone has one nowadays and that I should go to grad school. I don't know if they are just nudging me to do it on heresay or what though.

Bachelors equivalent to a HS degree?? BS. College teaches you to think....
Go for the masters, make more money.

Time is also an issue so I'm thinking of doing a fully online Program from an accredited institution.

:roll::roll::roll::roll::roll:

Go for the masters, make more money.
Experience >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Any degree.


I could have hit the 6 figure range if I wanted to stay on with the new owners, but am now just "part time" employee trying to find a better job somewhere in the great white north.

95pep is correct. I wanted to add that you need a goal and a vison of your life. College fails only when you dont set goals.

Experience >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Any degree.


I could have hit the 6 figure range if I wanted to stay on with the new owners, but am now just "part time" employee trying to find a better job somewhere in the great white north.

I would agree, I've learned more on the job then I did while I was in school.

Bachelors equivalent to a HS degree?? BS. College teaches you to think....


+1

A Bachelors is the equivalent of a highschool diploma if you are unfocused and have no idea what you want to do. Either way, a Masters is the only way to go if you want to make money. Sure you can make 6 figures with a Bachelor's, but it's either going to take you 10-15+ years to work up to that point, or you are going to be doing something shitty that you hate. Get a Masters and you get to boss people around immediately.

A Bachelors is the equivalent of a highschool diploma if you are unfocused and have no idea what you want to do. Either way, a Masters is the only way to go if you want to make money. Sure you can make 6 figures with a Bachelor's, but it's either going to take you 10-15+ years to work up to that point, or you are going to be doing something shitty that you hate. Get a Masters and you get to boss people around immediately.
man, I love it when people have ideas like that. My sister had that idea, and she got a huge reality check when she found out otherwise. She went in thinking she would be hired as a boss because of her masters degree, but was placed at the bottom of the ladder as a result of her lack of experience. Her boss was a guy that barely got his bachelors and had 2 years more experience then her.

2 years of experience in your field of choice is much more valuable then any masters degree.

It depends on the field, and it depends on the person.. although I myself am a fan of raging generalizations, this really isn't the place

man, I love it when people have ideas like that. My sister had that idea, and she got a huge reality check when she found out otherwise. She went in thinking she would be hired as a boss because of her masters degree, but was placed at the bottom of the ladder as a result of her lack of experience. Her boss was a guy that barely got his bachelors and had 2 years more experience then her.

2 years of experience in your field of choice is much more valuable then any masters degree.

Well, your sister went into the wrong field. 2 years of experience in my field would not have tripled my salary and got me a VP title at age 25. 2 years of a masters program did however.

man, I love it when people have ideas like that. My sister had that idea, and she got a huge reality check when she found out otherwise. She went in thinking she would be hired as a boss because of her masters degree, but was placed at the bottom of the ladder as a result of her lack of experience. Her boss was a guy that barely got his bachelors and had 2 years more experience then her.

2 years of experience in your field of choice is much more valuable then any masters degree.

And really, that is a ridiculous claim. What do you think management looks for in new leaders? Among other things, advanced education is a real biggie. So your sister started out below the guy with 2 years of experience, big deal. 2 years from now when she is gunning for the same job as the guy who now has 4 years of experience, she is likely going to get it because she has her masters. Thus setting her in a better position for advancement, creating a positive return on her investment, and proving that getting an advanced degree takes the ceiling off of your earning potential.

yupp, there really is no arguing about it. Long term potential is greater with advanced education.

am I now allowed to ask why you want to go to grad school to become a state trooper?

to make a 7 figure salary and get hot babes... duh

yep, that's definitely what draws us

a state trooper making 7 figures?

at least 7 figures, maybe even 9

:drool::drool::drool:

I agree with some of you said in previous posts. Having an undergrad degree is only like a HSD if you have no idea what you want to do.

Experience and good political skills still outweigh education alone. The job market being flooded with Bachelor Degrees is slowly changing this.

If you really want to excel in your career...

1. Good Political Skills
2. Education
3. Experience

In that order IMO.

am I now allowed to ask why you want to go to grad school to become a state trooper?

Sure you are allowed. I'd like to work in law enforcement but the state police around here are a pretty elite bunch. 85% on the civil service exam gets you a 4 year wait just to be canvased for an academy class. Same in most areas that pay as well as the state police (68k a year here base). I could easily work in a shithole like NYC for 32k, but I don't feel like getting shot over a 5 dollar vile of crack. I generally like to think I'm a realist and like to keep many options on the table. :bigthumb:

It really depends on the field. I only have an AAS (all that was available for mechanics) but I've got 4 ASE certs under my belt and I can walk into most any shop and get hired on the spot.

On the other hand I don’t get paid much right now and am tired of working on ungrateful people's shitbox's so I'm going for a new career. Maybe even go back to college while I still get paid to do it :bigthumb:

ASE? Ask Someone Else? :roll:

ASE? Ask Someone Else? :roll:
American Society of Engineers IIRC.


And 2ndgen, yet again it just proves how different the worlds are between back east where you live and out west where I live. Lets just say I've seen first hand how a college degree doesn't yield any higher returns in the long run :peace:

American Society of Engineers IIRC.


And 2ndgen, yet again it just proves how different the worlds are between back east where you live and out west where I live. Lets just say I've seen first hand how a college degree doesn't yield any higher returns in the long run :peace:

Generally speaking, you need a degree, period. The numbers don't lie,a college degree ALWAYS returns a higher degree in the long run.

Generally speaking
yeah, we've been over that.

What I am saying is that you don't have to have one if you know the field you are going into, especially if its a career that puts more emphasis on in-career training then a college degree. I realized quite a while ago that even if I do finish my engineering degree I will never be able to make as much as I can right now if I go back into what I was doing before. Especially since most engineers anymore don't do any of the engineering, they usually just get put into managerial positions. Wooptyfuckingdo.

Now that I know he is planning on going into law enforcement, I suggest getting a degree. Most cop shops out here (state, city, county) won't hire you unless you have a degree. They prefer a degree in Criminal Justice but will take just about any degree.


edit: just to put this into perspective for some of you that still don't understand what I'm saying I'll add this. I'm planning on taking a week long course this summer to pick up another Certification for the inspection field. For one week of course time it is going to cost me around $3,000. But, unlike college I can almost triple my earning potential in that one week course instead of doing 4 years of class. It is like a condensed course of Mechanics of Materials (For you engineer types).

Hell, if a person in my field chose to go to the 4 week set of courses and max out their certs they could walk into any firm in the US and get hired on the spot with a starting wage higher then anything most college graduates could even dream of.

Most here want a 2 year degree for a uniformed officer, but a 4 year for a detective.

Most here want a 2 year degree for a uniformed officer, but a 4 year for a detective.
I guess thats what it probably is here, most of the cops I've talked to about it are detectives or trying to become detectives.

Yeah. It's so much cooler to be a detective. You might even be able to do some drugs when your undercover and get away with it.

yeah, we've been over that.

What I am saying is that you don't have to have one if you know the field you are going into, especially if its a career that puts more emphasis on in-career training then a college degree. I realized quite a while ago that even if I do finish my engineering degree I will never be able to make as much as I can right now if I go back into what I was doing before. Especially since most engineers anymore don't do any of the engineering, they usually just get put into managerial positions. Wooptyfuckingdo.

Now that I know he is planning on going into law enforcement, I suggest getting a degree. Most cop shops out here (state, city, county) won't hire you unless you have a degree. They prefer a degree in Criminal Justice but will take just about any degree.


edit: just to put this into perspective for some of you that still don't understand what I'm saying I'll add this. I'm planning on taking a week long course this summer to pick up another Certification for the inspection field. For one week of course time it is going to cost me around $3,000. But, unlike college I can almost triple my earning potential in that one week course instead of doing 4 years of class. It is like a condensed course of Mechanics of Materials (For you engineer types).

Hell, if a person in my field chose to go to the 4 week set of courses and max out their certs they could walk into any firm in the US and get hired on the spot with a starting wage higher then anything most college graduates could even dream of.

Here's a couple of questions for you...

If it were THAT easy, wouldn't everyone be doing just that? Hell if someone told me right now "Mr. Spartan, we will sign u up for 165k a year if you take this $3,000 class for one week. Hell sign me up!

I hate to get into your finances, but if you can nearly triple your earning potential by taking a $3,000 class, how much are you making now? Honestly, I make about 55k a year and I'm turning 24 soon. If you can get me into a 6 figure income in a week, then I'm on the first flight out.:bigthumb:

How much do you think college grads are getting paid for starting salaries?

Here's the ultimate question, what's your plan when you're competing for a job and your opponent has all the certs + a degree?

Honestly, I make about 55k a year and I'm turning 24 soon.wooooo, i was turning about that when I was 21.

Here's the ultimate question, what's your plan when you're competing for a job and your opponent has all the certs + a degree?I do believe my 12+ years experience will sure as shit help me get that job. I'm telling you, what I am talking about is a completely different world then anything you've ever exprerienced before. A world where real world experience and on the job training far outweighs college education.

It also comes down to location, I probably couldn't make near this money with this job back east, but I also have no plans to ever move east of the mississippi. Where you guys live it probably does take a college degree to even get by, let alone make a living.

wooooo, i was turning about that when I was 21.



I was in college when I was 21 ;)


I do believe my 12+ years experience will sure as shit help me get that job. I'm telling you, what I am talking about is a completely different world then anything you've ever exprerienced before. A world where real world experience and on the job training far outweighs college education.


What exactly do you do? Sounds like you're either in a highly specialized field, or pushin weight ;)


It also comes down to location, I probably couldn't make near this money with this job back east, but I also have no plans to ever move east of the mississippi. Where you guys live it probably does take a college degree to even get by, let alone make a living.

Money can be made back east, with an MBA or a professional degree (pharmacy, law, MD, etc). Or if you have your own company. I plan on going for my MBA in either this Fall or January 09. Not only because it'll help me advance, but a B.S. alone just doesn't cut it anymore.

Sounds like you're either in a highly specialized field;)

Money can be made back east, with an MBA or a professional degree (pharmacy, law, MD, etc). Or if you have your own company. I plan on going for my MBA in either this Fall or January 09. Not only because it'll help me advance, but a B.S. alone just doesn't cut it anymore.
pretty much what I was getting at.

The upside is that I will be working in a nice air conditioned office instead of an oil field. The other upside is that there is no cap on my earning potential. While you could get a certification and make the $150k that I make now, I don't have a cap on earning potential with a masters degree. In 2 years I will be at Senior VP level and making a quarter mil a year. The opportunities increase exponentially with a masters degree.

I should stress the point that it has to be a meaningful masters degree, in the right field. We're both right in this situation, specialization is really the key. And a degree that is actually worthwhile. If I went and got a masters degree in psychology I wouldn't be making jackshit.

If I went and got a masters degree in psychology I wouldn't be making jackshit.

And Sociology. Those are both majors that don't do shit for you unless you go all the way for a PhD. I'm thinking of getting my Masters in health and human services with a focus in homeland security if that makes any sense whatsoever.

lol @ sociology. I'm taking a sociology course as an elective right now and it's a fucking joke. Good thing about it though is that the girl to guy ratio is something like 15:1 :)

2ndGen, you must be in finance/banking industry?

Mergers and Acquisitions more specifically, but yeah

murders and executions

Top 5 favorite movies of all time.

have you read the book?

Oh yes, after the movie of course.

Me too. The book makes the film seem so tame, hard to believe that he got away with writing some of that stuff.

Bret Easton Ellis is actually one of my favorite authors, along with Pahliniuk. I liked Rules of Attraction a lot as well.

Weird thing that 2 of my favorite authors are gay guys.

Agreed. He's a great writer. His style isn't always easy to read but it is definately worth it.

Weird thing that 2 of my favorite authors are gay guys.

Elton John is a pretty good musician.

College teaches you how to bullshit and lie. Period.

I start my new classes in two weeks, bitches!

what are you taking?

Sociology :-X

he's just looking to get laid

probably. I heard so many chicks at school say they wanted to be social workers but from what I hear now that shit is civil service and pays like 30k a year to start with a bachelors.

Depends on the field, but my short answer is "yes".

Some grad degrees easily pay for themselves (law, MBA) and others almost certainly do not (English, Philosophy, etc).

I'm going back to get my MBA in the Fall of this year (either Georgetown or GWU) and I have no doubt that it'll pay for itself. I can realistically expect to triple my compensation just by virtue of having the degree, so it'd be silly not to do it.



I didn't catch what your field was, but if you want a decent chance of making serious money, there are really only 3 or 4 places you should be looking. That isn't to say that people don't make it big elsewhere, but that doesn't make it likely.

My field is Criminal Justice/Law

If you motherfuckers start any more pissing contests in this thread you're going to drown us all

It's not a pissing contest if people ask you what you are doing/making.

no, the self-righteous boasting is way more than is ever necessary

:piss:

no, the self-righteous boasting is way more than is ever necessary

Are you referring to the "sociology is a joke" comment?

I stand firm on my comment saying sociology is a joke.

That was my comment! Get your own!

Actually if you look back, I was clearly the original 'sociology sucks' person. Bandwagoner.

no, soc and psych are both complete fucking jokes.. that's why I'm minoring in psych :D

You're a bio major right? That's some tough shit right there.

yup and yup, sometimes

I had to take 8 credits of bio. 2 3 credit classes and 2 1 credit labs. Not too easy. High School Bio is all fun and dandy, but College Bio...Meh.

eh, it's not that it's usually that tough, it just takes work

what are you taking?

Mechanical engineering... again.

I'm doing it for me, though. And even with a bachelor's, I'll be able to get into a firm and learn more and get my masters and make some dollars.

Damn, mechanical engineering is pretty tough. Good luck.

eh, it's not that it's usually that tough, it just takes work

Actually one of those classes you have to study 3 hours for every hour in class eh?

Who in their right mind would every do that?

Mechanical engineering... again.

I'm doing it for me, though. And even with a bachelor's, I'll be able to get into a firm and learn more and get my masters and make some dollars.

I wanted to do Engineering as of recently, Chemical to be exact. What scares me is the amount of Math I would have to deal with, not to mention I suck at it.

I recently had a pre-midterm exam for my Pharmacology Lab, and I missed 25 out of 100 total points just because I made a few small errors in my dosing calculation of a Pyretic-inducing drug for a mouse. The damn mouse died before the Aspirin I injected kicked in. Not going to mention that I got a diseased mouse that was going to die just from me poking him with a syringe. Fucking mouse made me fail the exam, haha.

And my opinion on the matter...

I grew up in a family of college graduates. I wouldn't know what to do if I didn't go to school. If I wasn't doing pharmacy right now, I would probably do nursing. I feel that I have to go to school to succeed in life.

Overall, this comes from the fact that I feel good knowing that I will have stability in the future with my job.

Plus, work is work. I'm not doing pharmacy because I love drugs (haha), but cause I feel good doing it. I've had 2 years experience in the work field and I feel like I'm looked up to by customers looking to get a prescription filled, even when I was just a pharmacy technician. But come on, pharmacy is kinda boring. Stand most of the day, filling bottles. But it is gratifying to me, and after all, its just a job. A job gets you places/things/security/stability.

I'd love to find a job that can bring me happiness, but the only thing I can think of is being a motorcycle driver in MotoGP... Far fetched and unrealistic. But a good paying job can get me a porsche, GSX-R, and a LS1-FD project... thats happiness to me.

So anyways. BS degree or not, do what makes you happy and stable in life. Some may take the route of education which is safe, but expensive and timely, whereas some go straight to working, slowly going up the ladder, and the rare few who find 6-7 digits in a short time. Everyone has their path, its just a matter of making green, being happy, both, either, or just failing because you blow.

Actually one of those classes you have to study 3 hours for every hour in class eh?

those classes don't exist unless you have the attention span of a goldfish

Who in their right mind would every do that?

not I

I normally didn't, except when it came to lit classes. I'm a slow reader and I normally have to read things several times to understand it. Bad combo.

those classes don't exist unless you have the attention span of a goldfish


Engineering classes FTL. I remember many long study sessions with my teammates on everything. We'd have two six hour meetings a week, and that was the norm for every other student in that class. Fucking nuts.

I'd love to find a job that can bring me happiness, but the only thing I can think of is being a motorcycle driver in MotoGP... Far fetched and unrealistic. But a good paying job can get me a porsche, GSX-R, and a LS1-FD project... thats happiness to me.

So anyways. BS degree or not, do what makes you happy and stable in life. Some may take the route of education which is safe, but expensive and timely, whereas some go straight to working, slowly going up the ladder, and the rare few who find 6-7 digits in a short time. Everyone has their path, its just a matter of making green, being happy, both, either, or just failing because you blow.
I have a friend who thinks the opposite. Doing what he loves, which is working on cars. He said after 5 years of being a mechanic at Pep Boys he was tired of the idiots who don't know how a car works. He transferred to a company which sells car parts. He mentioned that he now only works on his cars and friend's, not strangers/customer. So I guess it's have a job that you enjoy doing, but it can be repetitive and eventually wear off. Every facet needs to be compromised. As for me, I haven't found a job that I enjoy going to and being enthusiastic. For now, work is work, to support myself. But the reinforcements of the desired amount of pay will make me say damn right! I'll go back in for next week. I STILL haven't got a slight clue on my likes, and I can't even figure what I want to do as a career. Choices, choices.

I work for a company that gradually lays people off at a rate of about 30 a week. I hate my job. The pay is decent, but not enough to fully compensate for the high cost of living where I live. I applied for a job as an Insurance Investigator with a big company today though.

no, soc and psych are both complete fucking jokes.. that's why I'm minoring in psych :D

lol Psychology is pretty interesting. If I ever wanted to pursue a Ph.D., I'd get one in Psychology.

I work for a company that gradually lays people off at a rate of about 30 a week. I hate my job. The pay is decent, but not enough to fully compensate for the high cost of living where I live. I applied for a job as an Insurance Investigator with a big company today though.

You should start a fight club.

You should start a fight club.

A helluva lot better than working for an insurance company. I despise insurance companies with a passion...

In Response to Ark2:

That actually made me chuckle a little bit. I hope that the place calls me back, because I am dying to get out of here. I'm involved in a huge project now and it's a lot of stress.

A helluva lot better than working for an insurance company. I despise insurance companies with a passion...

And I agree with you 110% However, I wouldn't be selling insurance at least. It's UnitedHealth Group Inc. I would be investigating people defrauding the system and depending upon how good of a job I do, I could wind up saving you some cash on your premiums. :peace:

And I agree with you 110% However, I wouldn't be selling insurance at least. It's UnitedHealth Group Inc. I would be investigating people defrauding the system and depending upon how good of a job I do, I could wind up saving you some cash on your premiums. :peace:

If you're going to work for United Health, I hope you have thick skin. If you ever move up, you'll be making decisions whether people live or die...

Good luck, although I doubt you'll be saving me 15% or more on my health insurance premiums ;)

I don't knock you for going to work for them, because I work for a company that nets big profits from insurance companies & the government. Good stuff, and it keeps my profit sharing in the green.

I don't plan on moving up with them. lol. I usually work someplace 2 years then leave. ADD FTW!

And I agree with you 110% However, I wouldn't be selling insurance at least. It's UnitedHealth Group Inc. I would be investigating people defrauding the system and depending upon how good of a job I do, I could wind up saving you some cash on your premiums. :peace:

Fraud investigation is a lot of fun. I did it for a financial services company for a couple years, and would also have to go personally confront people about some of the shit. I found myself in quite a few interesting situations, and definitely didn't get bored. I did get bored with my salary however.

As long as I make more than I make now it's no biggie to me. Preferably like 8k more a year.

I want my next job to quadruple my salary.

lol. That would be nice.

I want my next job to quadruple my salary.

You could whore out your RX-7 to a bunch of fat chicks