Quote: Cathy Goessman

A college degree is not a guarantee for a job anymore. Especially if you're paying for the loan yourself it can become nothing more than an expensive burden.

Well you should learn something, there are no guarantees of anything in life, absolutely nothing. And I never said it was a guarantee for a job did I? I said it was an insurance policy, and it definitely is. Some think college is so expensive, it's not. Community college is inexpensive, and many grants/scholarships are available. So many of them go year after year unused. So if one were to start on a 4 year track, financially, it's much cheaper to go there the first 2 years as all the hours will transfer if you do your homework. My first 2 years I never paid for a class, no college loans, no debt, and earned my associates degree. That associates degree opened up a door to a decent job, $40k a year, which I thought was a fortune at the time. I worked full time for them, and guess what? They had tuition reimbursement so for my entire 4 year degree didn't cost me a red cent. It's all in how hard you'll work for it. Nobody is going to give you anything.

My degrees, are simply pieces of paper to me, nothing more. They mean absolutely nothing to me personally. They were achieved so I could have 2 little lines on my resume that state as much. And like someone else pointed out, a degree opens up doors. The overwhelming majority of jobs I've had, without a 4 year degree, I wouldn't have made it to the interview. The degree opens the door, and then it's up to you to sell yourself and your skill set. What it does do, especially if you don't have any experience, is open up the door for you. I've competed for positions before where we both had the same amount of experience, but I won out because I had the degree. And as far as compensation goes, I'm paid more than my colleagues that hold the same job title but don't have a degree.

When I was in college, I had to do research for a presentation. I did my presentation on income, degreed professionals vs no degree. There are always exceptions to rules, but my data, and my research reflected degree > no degree in regards to income over a working lifetime.

Next up for me is a MBA. Once I add that line to my resume, $20k more per annum. YMMV.

Not trying to pick a fight with you or anyone but I won't listen to anyone shoot down education. It being expensive is some sound byte on CNN you listened to or some news article you read. I didn't pay a cent for my education, but I hustled for it, I worked hard for it. The same opportunity is available for anyone here if they are willing to get off their butt and hustle.

 Quote: Tommy DeVito

... My degrees, are simply pieces of paper to me, nothing more. They mean absolutely nothing to me personally. They were achieved so I could have 2 little lines on my resume that state as much. And like someone else pointed out, a degree opens up doors. The overwhelming majority of jobs I've had, without a 4 year degree, I wouldn't have made it to the interview. The degree opens the door, and then it's up to you to sell yourself and your skill set.

Bingo!

And it started with my very first lil piece of paper, too: an associate's degree from a very cheap-to-residents community college got me a job that had a tuition-reimbursement program.

A degree is a huge plus on the resume when you are up against competition (and most people are, after all ).

And as Rich points out, just do something! Military, college ... as long as you remember that this is no dress rehearsal. This is it! I believe that the universe rewards action. But waiting for life to start -- not so much. So bravo that you are making real plans while you are still in high school.

I agree with Connie and Tommy, the degree gives you many more options. More doors are opened for you. I got my BS at a time when New York Ciy's CUNY schools were free to residents. My MBA was courtesy of several firms' tuition re-imbursement programs.

You don't have to take on humongeous debt to get an education and it does make life easier in the sense that there are more avenues to pursue a living.

FYI...I have seen individuals turned down for well-deserved positions, etc., because they didn't have that piece of paper. Is that fair ? No, but that's the way life is and it's easier to get the degree than fight the system.

One thing I have to add - travel is an experience that is valuable beyond your wildest dreams. I got to see vast areas of the world that I would have never seen had I gone straight to college instead of the military . I got to interact with people from many different cultures and those experiences have given me wisdom that you can't learn in books.
And just for the record, I earned an A.A. while on active duty and a B.S. during a three year service break...and I got my MBA immediately on my retirement, so you can do the military and still get those valuable "pieces of paper".......and during a job interview you'll have both the education and experience that an employer looks for ( not to mention training in leadership and organization skills that civilians will never get ).

And when you look back on your life if you went to college right away, what will you see? Your life experiences will be pretty much like everyone else in your social group.
Or .....you can remember your first parachute jump, or seeing the largest desert in the world in all its glory from the turret of a tank......strange and unusual things, things that most people never see. If you have a sense of wonder for the new things in life, the military can be a real learning experience.
I know that when I get together with people my age, my travels and experiences are usually a lot more varied then the average Joe - and I have the military to thank for that.

No one ever lays on their deathbed thinking "Man.....I wish I'd spent more time in the office". That's a good statement to live your life by.

 Quote: will rambeau

One thing I have to add - travel is an experience that is valuable beyond your wildest dreams. ... No one ever lays on their deathbed thinking "Man.....I wish I'd spent more time in the office". That's a good statement to live your life by.

What a great point! (And it kinda reminds me of no parent ever lying on the deathbed wishing that s/he had spent more time dusting and sweeping. A tad off topic, but who remembers their mother's excellent ironing? Now, excellent COOKING -- that's a whole 'nother thing. )

Travel -- what a broadening experience!

 Quote: Connie Sutherland

A tad off topic, but who remembers their mother's excellent ironing?

Umm. Well. I do.

 Quote: Will Rambeau

Or .....you can remember your first parachute jump,

also off-topic, but we were just watching kona 2008 (ironman world championships), and the navy seals were sponsors, and all the seal competitors parachuted into the bay where the swim start was. it was kick-ass. ....plus dave goggins, a seal who does ultras to raise money for families of seals who have died, is just amazing, and he did the ironman as well. ....but i am totally off-topic.

 Quote: rich pallechio

 Quote: connie sutherland

A tad off topic, but who remembers their mother's excellent ironing?

Umm. Well. I do.

Not you. I meant "anyone but Rich."

Lucky you Rich, from the third grade on I had to iron my own clothes if I wanted them to be unwrinkled.

Tim,
I'm not going to ever denigrate an education, be it college or the military. It's no secret that one must continue beyond high school these days. And there is nothing, no career, now or in the future that you won't need to keep on learning and relearning as long as you're in that space trading for a livelihood.

Here's my view on college; four more years of high school.
Here's my view of the military; Four years of 'this is for real'.

You can make the best of either world or muddle through either.
Which ever one you choose make up your mind to make the very best of it.
It'll count for the rest of your life.
Randy

Edited by randy allen (12/19/2008 09:00 PM)
Edit reason: only my usual lameness

 Quote: Will Rambeau

I know that when I get together with people my age, my travels and experiences are usually a lot more varied then the average Joe - and I have the military to thank for that.

Any of you ex-military going to explain that one could get a degree and then go in as an officer?