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> For many people, developing a trade is a much better and faster path to financial security than pausing your income for four years, loading up with debt, and

by dolni 5y ago

> For many people, developing a trade is a much better and faster path to financial security than pausing your income for four years, loading up with debt, and entering the market with dubiously useful degrees. You're absolutely spot on about this. Not everyone is cut out for college. Tradespeople do honest work and make a decent living. > I'm a millennial, got my undergrad paid for via the military, and I feel like most of my high school classmates that didn't do that are just straight up screwed. This is definitely a route that isn't touted enough. If you have the aptitude, you can get a degree paid for. You'll bust your ass for it though (at least in ROTC, which I dipped my toe into and nope-d out of when I found out it wasn't for me). Going to college is one of the biggest decisions a person can make and it's not a decision to be made lightly. You need to make a serious effort to set yourself up for success by: * pursuing financial aid and scholarships * not getting a shit degree with no job market * working hard to ensure your degree is finished in four years (or less, if you can manage) * going to a cheaper school - consider in-state universities or community college and transfer credits

bwb 5y ago
The stats show that going to university is a massive increase in long term earnings. That means it is good for the individual financially (as well as for the country). It should be an option for everyone regardless of cost, it might not be a fit for some people, and we also need technical schools that are low cost and can teach skills/trade. From my POV college/university is great for teaching people how to think and getting a better understanding of the world. I think we could improve that in high school by mandating philosophy/ethics, financial literacy, critical thinking from 9th to 12th grade as well. You should also check out the stats on degrees, you will find that a lot of humanities majors actually have super high payoffs. I don't think there are any shit degrees. University can be about improving your ability to think critically and improving your overall education. That can be generally applied to just about anything (for example, I've got a history/political-science/international-relations degree and it has helped me in so many ways in my professional career).
- dolni 5y ago
  > The stats show that going to university is a massive increase in long term earnings. That means it is good for the individual financially (as well as for the country). If that is the case, why was there so much drama about canceling student loan debt? The earnings of these people allegedly increased but not enough for them to pay their loans off? > From my POV college/university is great for teaching people how to think and getting a better understanding of the world. I think we could improve that in high school by mandating philosophy/ethics, financial literacy, critical thinking from 9th to 12th grade as well. Woke-ism has captured most of higher education and stifled free debate in a number of ways. You effectively can't challenge certain ideas without being ostracized (e.g a debate about whether affirmative action is good policy). > You should also check out the stats on degrees, you will find that a lot of humanities majors actually have super high payoffs. I don't think there are any shit degrees I didn't say all humanities are bad. But I would tell anybody getting a degree in psychology or philosophy that it is money wasted. If you want to study those things because you like them, by all means do. But don't expect it to be the thing that assures your future financial success.
  - bwb 5y ago
    >If that is the case, why was there so much drama about canceling student loan debt? The earnings of these people allegedly increased but not enough for them to pay their loans off? Drama? I think I missed that, I don't watch the news much, got a link? The problem is the entire university system is broken from a cost basis, and the school loans are part of many things hurting the economy. The idea is you give some debt relief to the people most affected by the high loans and that helps the entire economy. I don't really like this idea because it doesn't fix the problem creating high debt. >Woke-ism has captured most of higher education and stifled free debate in a number of ways. You effectively can't challenge certain ideas without being ostracized (e.g a debate about whether affirmative action is good policy). You watch the news too much, university is where you learn and is working great, stop listening to Fox news and the NY Times :) >I didn't say all humanities are bad. But I would tell anybody getting a degree in psychology or philosophy that it is money wasted. If you want to study those things because you like them, by all means do. But don't expect it to be the thing that assures your future financial success. Go check the data, def not money wasted. Philosophy majors are some of the highest earners :)

by dolni 5y ago

bwb 5y ago

The stats show that going to university is a massive increase in long term earnings. That means it is good for the individual financially (as well as for the country). It should be an option for everyone regardless of cost, it might not be a fit for some people, and we also need technical schools that are low cost and can teach skills/trade. From my POV college/university is great for teaching people how to think and getting a better understanding of the world. I think we could improve that in high school by mandating philosophy/ethics, financial literacy, critical thinking from 9th to 12th grade as well. You should also check out the stats on degrees, you will find that a lot of humanities majors actually have super high payoffs. I don't think there are any shit degrees. University can be about improving your ability to think critically and improving your overall education. That can be generally applied to just about anything (for example, I've got a history/political-science/international-relations degree and it has helped me in so many ways in my professional career).

dolni 5y ago
> The stats show that going to university is a massive increase in long term earnings. That means it is good for the individual financially (as well as for the country). If that is the case, why was there so much drama about canceling student loan debt? The earnings of these people allegedly increased but not enough for them to pay their loans off? > From my POV college/university is great for teaching people how to think and getting a better understanding of the world. I think we could improve that in high school by mandating philosophy/ethics, financial literacy, critical thinking from 9th to 12th grade as well. Woke-ism has captured most of higher education and stifled free debate in a number of ways. You effectively can't challenge certain ideas without being ostracized (e.g a debate about whether affirmative action is good policy). > You should also check out the stats on degrees, you will find that a lot of humanities majors actually have super high payoffs. I don't think there are any shit degrees I didn't say all humanities are bad. But I would tell anybody getting a degree in psychology or philosophy that it is money wasted. If you want to study those things because you like them, by all means do. But don't expect it to be the thing that assures your future financial success.
- bwb 5y ago
  >If that is the case, why was there so much drama about canceling student loan debt? The earnings of these people allegedly increased but not enough for them to pay their loans off? Drama? I think I missed that, I don't watch the news much, got a link? The problem is the entire university system is broken from a cost basis, and the school loans are part of many things hurting the economy. The idea is you give some debt relief to the people most affected by the high loans and that helps the entire economy. I don't really like this idea because it doesn't fix the problem creating high debt. >Woke-ism has captured most of higher education and stifled free debate in a number of ways. You effectively can't challenge certain ideas without being ostracized (e.g a debate about whether affirmative action is good policy). You watch the news too much, university is where you learn and is working great, stop listening to Fox news and the NY Times :) >I didn't say all humanities are bad. But I would tell anybody getting a degree in psychology or philosophy that it is money wasted. If you want to study those things because you like them, by all means do. But don't expect it to be the thing that assures your future financial success. Go check the data, def not money wasted. Philosophy majors are some of the highest earners :)