4 ms·

>Picking a career path isn’t that simple. Who can really predict what will be oversupplied 4 (college), 6(college + masters) or 8/10 (college + PhD) years from

>Picking a career path isn’t that simple. Who can really predict what will be oversupplied 4 (college), 6(college + masters) or 8/10 (college + PhD) years from now? Seriously? In the late 1990s, I was in middle school. My grand parents sat me down and told me to work towards a degree that makes a lot of money. They had lists of "typical starting salaries, by college degrees". We picked the top 3, and I started working towards those. I later reassessed and picked the top 1 - Electrical Engineering. In 2010, I got my BSEE, and my starting salary was more than the average US salary. Looking back, it was a hard road, but I get paid enough to provide for my wife and kids, and our life is good.

Mezzie 4y ago
> Seriously? In the late 1990s, I was in middle school. My grand parents sat me down and told me to work towards a degree that makes a lot of money. They had lists of "typical starting salaries, by college degrees". We picked the top 3, and I started working towards those. I later reassessed and picked the top 1 - Electrical Engineering. And people from poor and/or rural backgrounds? I only got those discussions because I tested well enough that my future potential was considered a societal matter and educators unrelated to me were brought in to inform both me AND my parents. None of my classmates, siblings, or cousins had that benefit.
- geoduck14 4y ago
  I grew up poor. I was raised by my grandparents part of the time, and my single mom part of the time. I also spent part my my childhood in "rural" America. And I'm mentally disabled. Educators told my family that I would end up in prison by the time I turned 18.
  - Mezzie 4y ago
    I'd be curious about your grandparents' socio-economic statuses throughout their life and their ages (particularly whether their socio matched their economic). Also which part of your childhood was rural, because lacking resources at 6-7 is going to have very different results than lacking them in high school. My point is that whether or not something is 'simple' depends very much on what resources you (and your group/family) have at hand. For example, I was coding in elementary school, so from my experience the idea that coding could be difficult to learn doesn't make sense. But it obviously is/can be difficult depending on background. And never mind if somebody is from an abusive home (like I also was): If mom's passed out drunk and depressed on the couch and middle school you is running after your younger sibling (me again), mom and dad aren't giving you college or earnings talks. It's not a kid's fault for not knowing these things, although at least now bright kids with no adults can use the Web to help and look up this information.
- deleted 4y ago
  [deleted]

Mezzie 4y ago

> Seriously? In the late 1990s, I was in middle school. My grand parents sat me down and told me to work towards a degree that makes a lot of money. They had lists of "typical starting salaries, by college degrees". We picked the top 3, and I started working towards those. I later reassessed and picked the top 1 - Electrical Engineering. And people from poor and/or rural backgrounds? I only got those discussions because I tested well enough that my future potential was considered a societal matter and educators unrelated to me were brought in to inform both me AND my parents. None of my classmates, siblings, or cousins had that benefit.

geoduck14 4y ago
I grew up poor. I was raised by my grandparents part of the time, and my single mom part of the time. I also spent part my my childhood in "rural" America. And I'm mentally disabled. Educators told my family that I would end up in prison by the time I turned 18.
- Mezzie 4y ago
  I'd be curious about your grandparents' socio-economic statuses throughout their life and their ages (particularly whether their socio matched their economic). Also which part of your childhood was rural, because lacking resources at 6-7 is going to have very different results than lacking them in high school. My point is that whether or not something is 'simple' depends very much on what resources you (and your group/family) have at hand. For example, I was coding in elementary school, so from my experience the idea that coding could be difficult to learn doesn't make sense. But it obviously is/can be difficult depending on background. And never mind if somebody is from an abusive home (like I also was): If mom's passed out drunk and depressed on the couch and middle school you is running after your younger sibling (me again), mom and dad aren't giving you college or earnings talks. It's not a kid's fault for not knowing these things, although at least now bright kids with no adults can use the Web to help and look up this information.
deleted 4y ago
[deleted]