Hello!

I want to know what you all think about this topic....

College: Is it a waste of time?


Think about it... College now, all it does is give you a piece of paper with your name on it and a pile of debt.

Imagine what else you could do in that four years?

Instead of spending my time at a place that only wants money, I could go and travel the world. I could learn what the value of a dollar is... I could learn another way of life... I could volunteer and help the homeless or the elderly... I could do so much more for the world and the people in it... Imagine what helping a homeless family could do? Imagine what learning about a new culture could do?


Just think of everything else you could accomplish in those 4 years. You could start a business, write a book, draw art... You could do things so much more beneficial to you and the world around you..



Honestly, you could do so much more...

What do you all think?

 

College is the means to an end for many professions.
If one aspires to be a doctor, lawyer, architect, engineer, etc., it is the only viable method of achieving that goal.
College can be valuable to talented people who aren't quite sure what they want to do with their talents. It provides an opportunity to explore areas of study that the individual may not have been aware of.
That said, college is not for everybody, nor is it at all necessary in order to have a rewarding career. Most of the trades require no college education. Most of the trades are jobs that cannot be "off-shored".
But, nearly all careers, whether they be "white collar" or "blue collar" require at least some education beyond that which one obtains in high school.
If you have some intelligence, but aren't sure what to do with it, the US military offers some options worth considering. You can learn a trade that will serve you well upon discharge (electronics, computer work, mechanics of all kinds, nuclear science, electrical skills, welding, on and on) and if you play your cards right you might get to see some of the more interesting parts of the world as well.
I am NOT a military recruiter.
If one can afford to kick around the country and experience life until he/she figures out what to do, that certainly is an option.
I am not saying any one of these options is better than the other for you. Only YOU can decide what direction you want to take.
I do think it unwise to categorically say that college is a waste of time and money. It certainly is for directionless people that go to college on someone else's dime and thus have no personal investment, but for folks with specific goals, going to college is a critical step to attaining those goals.
I am way too old to be considered "the next generation", but I do stick my nose in here once in a while to see if I can contribute.
No offense meant by my providing my $.02.

 

College is one option is finding a way to be able to learn something where you can make enough money to support yourself. If you can go to college and learn a marketable skill where you can earn a living than it is a good investment.

If college isnt for you, go to a trade school to learn a skill. Become a welder, truckdriver, mechanic, jet engine technician, ect ect.

 

I went to college, even hung around two year's extra and got a Master's Degree.... but I spent more time teaching myself to weld and wrench, and running around Texas trying to be a rodeo cowboy than I spent in a classroom. I got a bunch of scars and had all kinds of "real life experiences" like you sound like you want while I was there.

College isn't for everyone, but before you decide it's not for you figure what you CAN do while you're in college. It's not like you have to be a book nerd hanging out in the library 24/7 to be successful at the school part of it, I knew several guys who ran their own side businesses to pay their way through, or got degrees aimed at helping them supplement professional skills they either had or learned while they were in school (my buddy got a mechanical engineering degree so he could move up from fitting pipe to designing projects he used to build). Just pay the money as long as you're getting learned up on something you care about and you think it's worth what you're spending, and don't worry about the piece of paper you get when it's over.

 

from the 23 year old with an associates degree;

if you waste time and energy in college then thats what it is. if your there for you expanding your mind or skills. it will be fun relaxing and rewarding. if money is the issue talk to a recruter i hear they have programs to help with college and experience.

 

College is not necessarily about what you learn but rather it teaches you how to think. I don't remember everything I learned in my classes but I do remember the concepts they taught.

 

These guys are right on the money with their advice. A few more things:
1). Don't confuse college with vocational training.
2). You don't need to spend big bucks to get a college degree. There is no need to spend $30-60k a year when there are many state supported schools you can attend at a fraction of the cost.
3). Not everything is an either/or. Some of the humanitarian items you mentioned can be accomplished while pursuing higher education. No reason you can't combine many of the things you mentioned to create your own education experience that also includes a college degree.
4). Learning is a lifelong experience. You don't have to knock out college in 8 consecutive semesters. Create your own experience that still produces a college degree. Recruiters will take notice.

Good Luck.

 

Whether you are looking at public or private colleges, look at each as a used car dealer.....find out which one is really producing what they say and then negotiate your best deal!

Some colleges are just mass producing college degrees - meaning they have students write a whole bunch of paper reports where they really are not learning how to think, analize, etc.......These "graduates" enter the workplace and either fail or cause a failure as a result of the lack of knowledge. Knowledge btw IMHO, is nothing more than a library of facts that one can go back and reference to find a path for a solution----nothing more, nothing less.

 

College is more than just a piece of paper saying what you studied there. It is a time of mental expansion where you will be influenced by ideals and people that you would otherwise not be exposed to. It is all about the college experience and I would never dream of depriving anyone from that. Enjoy the 4 years because they are some of the wildest ones you will have.

 

I can speak for a few viewpoints.

I went to a community college for auto tech, got the associates, not just the certificate. I was out on my own, rent, utilities, food and all. I worked manufacturing to pay for it all, including most of the tuition.

got a job at the local gm-chrysler dealership (of all places) when the reccession hit both the dealership closed down, and I had my fiance cheat on me. I got my cdl and spent almost two years moving around doing random labor/driving jobs. lived out of my pickup alot. met alot of people and seen alot of country.

about a year and a half ago I joined the national guard, spent almost a year doing basic and learning my MOS (94F, I work on all the cool electronics). right now I am on the other side of the world in Afghanistan.

do I regret any of it? nope. going to CSU for mechanical engineering when i get back, doing a couple of electives while I'm here.

thing is that I didn't know what i wanted to be all along, it was something i had to figure it out along the way.

I had a great time at college, irregardless of hardly any cash and a girl that would cause my world to turn upside down. the experience and the knowledge, from both studies and indirectly, were worth it.

same goes for running around the country. lot of experiences, but it is also something that I could have done during the summer or right after school. and depending on what you study it is possible to go oversea's as an exchange student. which would be alot more of an oversea's experience than what the army could offer. im trying to figure out if i could do something in italy as far as internship or something for engineering. improve my italian some.

to be completely honest the military depends on the person. I have a tough time with it, people act alot like they did in high school and the training that you get is taught at the 10th grade level. all of the technical stuff goes to private contractors. and if no matter how wrong they are there is hardly ever any correcting someone that has more rank, only if it is very morally wrong (like sexual abuse) or if it is life threatening. don't get me wrong, i love being a soldier, but the army isn't for someone that has gone out and seen what life has to offer.

remember that it is easier to get a job under your schooling, than it is to get one above. i have plenty of friends that are struggling with just high school degrees.

I really recommend that you at least take a few online classes. take something interesting. if you go to a campus get to know the professor, mine was odd, but really cool when you got to know him. do the exploring and adventure during the summer, you will have plenty of time after you graduate

 

Google "Scholarships", there are THOUSANDS of obscure ones that go unrewarded, and if you do decide to go with student loans, pay more than just the interest.

Like everyone else said, it all depends on what you want to do.

Up until a certain point, you can change your major, so don't stress on that freshman year.

And don't pick a major and tailor your courses based on how much money you expect to earn or expect to have lifelong job security. True, Doctors make a lot of money after taxes. But malpractice insurance is their single biggest expense. The Cold War kept a lot of people gainfully employed - people thought it would last forever, and very soon after many of those people were out of work.

Follow your bliss, even if you make squat.

 

also to add another to the military thought, in order to gain rank these days, you need the college to get the points. and if you don't get so much rank in so many years. you can't stay in. no real way to retire anymore without being at least an e6 or e7. and yes, they will tell you that the college is a requirement.

if nothing else go do an associates in aviation and learn to fly a plane.

 

I think you could do all that while in college if you applied yourself. As far as the military, I think it is a good experience for everyone. Learn a trade and get paid to see the world.

 

Quote:

Just think of everything else you could accomplish in those 4 years. You could start a business, write a book, draw art... You could do things so much more beneficial to you and the world around you..

Been there, done that. To think college is a waste right off the bat should be thought over thoroughly. Depending on your goals depends on how you are as a person and how much food you place on your plate that you have to eat! If you are hungry for what you have set, your plate will be clean when you retire.



ANYONE who is ready to choose their career read the comment just above that I have in quotations again and again until it clicks. Education is only sought out

I am 25 years old, will be 26 this coming fall so I better voice it before I am not allowed in here anymore lol. I knew what I wanted early, by 13 I knew I was going to wrench for a living and build things with an engine etc. My father taught me quality over quantity regardless of the profession. Being that timeis money since everything has been improved to allow faster production, quality has taken a back seat to quite a few. What does this relate to as far as education? Read the sentence I underlined. Education is very similar, you breeze through your courses, what do you learn? how to page through a text book without reading, think about that for a moment. ANyone could have spent 1000 dollars on one 5 week (or whatever length) class just to flip pages!

I have 4 years worth of technical training in both heavy duty truck and automotive repair. I worked with a relative restoring cars before then and did part time parts counter while I was in tech school. I was the tech college's auto club temporary president for just over a year, being a member for a year prior to that along with setting up other things that have helped the club that I am an Alumni of now. I not only represented a part of the student body I also seeked more knowledge that what the college offered in the courses I took. I had my nose in racing mags, books and in the garage because I wanted to succeed. I participated on a pit crew for a racing team on the ASA circuit during my tech school days, I was the pit chief for my sisters racing team as well. I worked summer doing concrete, fence building etc to pay the bills at that point in time. Why did I do this stuff? because I wanted to not only learn skills, but to accelerate my mechnical knowledge and skills.

Right now I write newsletters and manage for the car club myself and my buddy started in highschool, my studying hasn't stopped nor will it. I work as a full time truck and trailer parts counterman in NE Ohio area and enjoy it. My goal is to establish a automotive/truck/marine/small engine and racing shop at some point. The choices that I made in the past at tech school have changed my determination level from moderate to through the roof on getting my own deal rolling in the future.

Its like anything else you do in the world, you get out what you put in! To the people who sit and wonder too much are in a sense, sitting still, compared to the people who go out and grab the bull by the *****.

Not stimulating the brain is boring to me, but relaxation is needed for the brain to relax, your muscles to relax etc so YOU can learn efficiently and properly, you don't have to attend school wether be a tech or academic, but learning will always happen throughout the days you walk through proceeding down your own path.

This all comes back to my comment of your hunger and the amount of food you place on your plate. I placed a lot on mine, sometimes I think too much, albeit, if I didn't accept the responsibility of the car club at school I don't think I would be in the place I am now as far as my career choice in concerned.

You can always go back to or attend school at a later time in life if you feel you don't need to at the present moment, REMEMBER THAT!

If you know the path you want to go, let the passion show you want to and enjoy your choice. I did, tell you the truth my passion started off from reading HOT ROD

I made my decision and haven't looked back, no reason to when you have control of the bull chasing your dreams and letting the timid watch. I love doing what I do and will be unexplainable once I get to my business goal.

When you get a chance to do something you might like, think about it for a moment first before you choose. It could open a door you won't regret!

Hope my view sheds some light on what others think.

 

i wish i knew what to do next, high school now what its not like i could talk to someone about it.