Is a College Degree/Advanced Education Expense Worth the Price?

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1

17Bees

Senior Member
#101
Oct 14, 2016
1,380
813
113
#101
To me, going to the right college is kind of subjective when trying to determine if it's worth the money. If you're going to Brown or Yale, Harvard I think it's a no brainer to spend upwards of $100k a year for a full time residential student. You'll make it back in probably 2 to 3 years then it's all gravy. Where I think it gets sketchy is when a private college that has local clout, good reputation, excellent education and charges $75k a year. Then the student likely will spent 10 years paying the loan. Maybe longer. That's not a good return on your investment. It could be, but it's not the same odds of big success as the Ivy League colleges.

In my own case I had to look at the investment, my odds of finishing, and the return of the kind of work I was seeking and most importantly, the financial shape I was in while going to school. It didn't make sense to go to a 4 year college or to get a generic 2 year associates, It made better sense to go to a 2 year trade school, then buy into certifications. The right certification from the right groups can be just a lucrative as the right college. They're not cheap, the average cost can run about $10k on up, but they're gold if you have a string of letters by your business name. i have 3 letters now, but the total for me was less because I was going through a company and had the financial help of the associations. Bottom line now I don't have loans to pay.

So I have to ask. Is it better to have a degree from a great college and paying a $100k loan and a job with a salary of $75k or $75K job with no loan. Who's making more? Who's going to make more? Like I said, it's kind of subjective. Think what mom and dad's think when they send they kid to Brown and when he graduates he decides to devote his life to medieval renaissance. The ole retirement they looked forward to takes wings!

Have an idea of what you wanna do, figure out how to get there , then put the numbers together. That'd be my advice.
 
seoulsearch

seoulsearch

OutWrite Trouble
#102
May 23, 2009
16,683
5,601
113
#102
17Bees said:
i have 3 letters now, but the total for me was less because I was going through a company and had the financial help of the associations. Bottom line now I don't have loans to pay.

So I have to ask. Is it better to have a degree from a great college and paying a $100k loan and a job with a salary of $75k or $75K job with no loan. Who's making more? Who's going to make more? Like I said, it's kind of subjective. Think what mom and dad's think when they send they kid to Brown and when he graduates he decides to devote his life to medieval renaissance. The ole retirement they looked forward to takes wings!

Have an idea of what you wanna do, figure out how to get there , then put the numbers together. That'd be my advice.
Click to expand...
This is such a great point, Bees. Thank you for sharing. It reminds me of when I was working at a particular store and one of my jobs was at the bill-paying service desk. People would come in with a stack of monthly bills and pay them all at the same time.

There was a young doctor (we knew this because of the papers, ID, and documents he submitted each month to pay his bills,) who was probably in his 30's -- and every single bill he would bring in was stamped "OVERDUE."

Some of them were utility bills for say $30. I always wondered about this. Was it because he wasn't really making any money yet? Was he just incredibly gifted medically but only beginning to learn about money? Was it all going to student loans instead? And I wondered what the future would hold for him. It just seemed so ironic that we think a doctor is one of the highest-paying positions one can get -- and yet, he was never on time with his payments. I readily admit it was none of my business either, and I always felt a bit sad for him.

I realize some people don't really have a choice -- if God has called to them to a field that's going to cost a lot, I'm sure He will also provide, but it very well may be through loans that take 25 years to pay back (I remember one of my college profs was celebrating the day she paid off her last student loan -- at age 46.)

But as for me, I have to agree with you, Bees. I was always happier being someone who had a job that would never impress anyone, but it still allowed me to pay my bills on time.
 
Lanolin

Lanolin

Well-known member
#103
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,188
113
#103
Depends on what kind of payroll a doctor is on, if they are paid fortnightly or once a month, some people cant handle or dont know how to save I reckon. Also doctors can work all hours not just 9-5 so, being overdue on things is not surprising.

When people are sick and need help, they dont just get sick for 8 hours of the day monday to friday. If you after a regular job just to pay the bills, dont be a doctor.
 
TheNarrowPath

TheNarrowPath

Well-known member
#104
Jul 17, 2022
1,012
548
113
#104
Hmm I think CC could do with a forum called Seoulsearch's threads :)
I will try and answer your 5 questions.
* Did you get an advanced education, and do you believe it was worth the cost? Did you make up for the price of your education with a better-paying job? Yes I have an advanced ed. I have to say yes because the pay isnt that bad personally but across the board it is debatable in my line of work but I think that is where the union, council etc has failed.

* Have you been able to pay back your student loans, if you had any? (Here in the USA, you can apply for loans from the government to pay for your schooling, but there are strict rules about paying them back.) I have a student loan that would make you cry. I wish I had financial advice before I applied because a lot of miscellaneous spending really isnt worth it.

* If you could go back in time, would you have still earned and paid for your degree, or do you feel you would have been better without one? Would you have chosen to study another field (which one?)In hindsight it would have been better to work, save up for the degree. I would have chosen the same field because nothing else interested me back then.

* Do you have children or grandchildren (or other friends or relatives) who earned college degrees? Was it worth it to them or do they wish they'd taken another path? In my immediate family my parents had similar qualifications and my siblings also in ed and social work and theology. They love/d the work they did/do.

* What would you advise other to do? Should they "go back to school," or what other means would you suggest in order to get better jobs and higher pay? Even though Ive had a long break from doing what I love, Im starting to question is this what God wants me to do? I had colleagues after the last lockdown, that did not return to work. There was just a feeling of discontentment and it was the first time that I started to consider other options. I dont know if I would recommend university. I do wish there were more apprenticeships because we will always need those types of hands on learning jobs. On the job training is a good option.
 
Lanolin

Lanolin

Well-known member
#105
Dec 15, 2018
23,460
7,188
113
#105
I wondered how teacher training worked, sometimes we get student teachers in on their practicums but since I never did the offical teacher training and not a registered teacher (I did ESOL, which is different) I cant say whther they get enough practical on the job training at the coal face before being thrown in the deep end.

I can definitely tell the experienced teachers from the newbies. and EVERYONE will make mistakes in their first year or so of teaching. I do think its a gift though, some people seem to be natural at it.

When you teach you deifnitely need ongoing PD or professional development as things change and you need to learn new ways all the time. But the foundations need to be there otherwise, you are just be a glorified babysitter pretty much. I think in some schools. thats what teachers end up being, and they may get badly paid for it.

The thing people dont realise is, education can be expensive, so the poor will always have a deficit in not being able to afford those fees up front, so wil, have to work twice as hard to make up for it while the rich can sail in with no worries about tuition fees at all, so they already have that advantage.

Less financial stress means that they only need to worry or concentrate about the time they put in. The rich can then, in their priveliged position say "oh we dont REALLY need an education cos we already rich' and then open up a boutique or whatever just cos they can.
 
I_am_Canadian

I_am_Canadian

Senior Member
#106
Dec 8, 2014
2,468
835
113
#106
Tatanyan said:
It's a valid question to consider whether the cost of a college degree or advanced education is worth it. The value of education often depends on individual goals, career aspirations, and personal circumstances. While formal teacher training programs can provide valuable practical experience, it's also true that many successful educators have unique paths to their careers.
Click to expand...
And some people became highly successful businessmen after dropping out of school.
 
JohnDB

JohnDB

Well-known member
#107
Jan 16, 2021
6,280
2,559
113
#107
I_am_Canadian said:
And some people became highly successful businessmen after dropping out of school.
Click to expand...
Yeah....if little William Gates had actually finished his college education he might have learned that some of the things he did to grow his company were illegal.
 
Stan_the_Man

Stan_the_Man

Banned
#108
Dec 29, 2023
1,327
238
63
#108
seoulsearch said:
Is a College Degree/Advanced Education Expense Worth the Price?
Click to expand...

NO!

All they seek to do in today's colleges and universities is to indoctrinate you and make you in to a good communist comrade.

One can watch the liberal news networks and get indoctrinated to be a communist for FREE
 
Stan_the_Man

Stan_the_Man

Banned
#109
Dec 29, 2023
1,327
238
63
#109
JohnDB said:
Yeah....if little William Gates had actually finished his college education he might have learned that some of the things he did to grow his company were illegal.
Click to expand...

Instead, he learned it's only illegal if you get caught!
 
Lynx

Lynx

Folksy yet erudite
#110
Aug 13, 2014
27,704
9,636
113
#110
Stan_the_Man said:
NO!

All they seek to do in today's colleges and universities is to indoctrinate you and make you in to a good communist comrade.

One can watch the liberal news networks and get indoctrinated to be a communist for FREE
Click to expand...
Really? You have to pee on THIS thread too?

Do you just sit at your computer ALL DAY LONG and remain vigilant for forum threads where you can rant? I mean... Someone as holy as you, surely there are some doors you could be knocking on.
 
JohnDB

JohnDB

Well-known member
#111
Jan 16, 2021
6,280
2,559
113
#111
Stan_the_Man said:
Instead, he learned it's only illegal if you get caught!
Click to expand...
Yeah....they came to an agreement because he got bored showing up to court....it literally wasn't the money. He could outspend the government in legal fees and lawyers. The Government was literally sorry they picked up the case.

So they made a deal....and Bill learned the joys of being a philanthropist. (He actually does enjoy it as he spends all his time doing it as someone else runs his company)
 
Bob-Carabbio

Bob-Carabbio

Well-known member
#113
Jun 24, 2020
1,618
810
113
#113
seoulsearch said:
Hey Everyone,

I was talking with a friend who is contemplating going back to school to earn a degree in the hopes of finding a higher-paying job.

This led to a conversation about whether or not the high cost of a a college degree actually pays off in real dollars and cents, and whether it's actually worth the sacrifices and high cost or not. I have known many people who didn't get the chance to use their degrees and it just wound up being a very expensive certificate on their wall (which they are still paying off.) But of course, every person's experience is unique, especially since there are some fields (medicine, etc.) in which a degree is absolutely necessary.

When I was growing up, it was almost a given at the time that in order to get a "good" job here in the USA, you had to obtain a 4-year college degree. I'm not sure how it works in other countries, so please feel free to share what the expectations are where you live and what people do in your own country and culture.

I have worked in retail my entire life and often met people who wound up there too because they couldn't find jobs in the profession they had studied. For example, one of my managers had a degree in engineering. When someone asked what he was doing working in a store, he said he and his wife had moved to the area to take care of his mother-in-law, and he couldn't find work in his field. He explained that the area was filled with retired engineers who were fine just working part-time, so no one was offering full-time. Instead, he took a full-time job in retail management because at least it provided health insurance for him and his wife.

The most extreme story I've heard so far was of a co-worker's son and his fiancee. They had both studied to be pilots, but graduated at a time when airlines were cutting back, and so now were looking at getting married with over a quarter of a million dollar's worth of educational debt -- and couldn't find jobs in their field. This was many years ago and I'm not sure what happened, but I know at the time, my co-worker said they were taking any kind of job they could find.

I have heard many stories like this and am wondering what you all have seen and experienced. I have heard people speak of apprenticeships as an alternative, but are they very common anymore? It seemed, in my area at least, that such opportunities were non-existent, or at least very rare.

I would like to know:

* Did you get an advanced education, and do you believe it was worth the cost? Did you make up for the price of your education with a better-paying job?

* Have you been able to pay back your student loans, if you had any? (Here in the USA, you can apply for loans from the government to pay for your schooling, but there are strict rules about paying them back.)

* If you could go back in time, would you have still earned and paid for your degree, or do you feel you would have been better without one? Would you have chosen to study another field (which one?)

* Do you have children or grandchildren (or other friends or relatives) who earned college degrees? Was it worth it to them or do they wish they'd taken another path?

* What would you advise other to do? Should they "go back to school," or what other means would you suggest in order to get better jobs and higher pay?

I'm dropping this thread in the Singles forum because my conversation was with a guy who is doing just fine for himself as a single, but is concerned he wouldn't earn enough to support a wife and family if God allows, and he wants to be prepared.

And please note that I am most definitely NOT trying to downplay or criticize the important of higher education -- I've had people in my own life who have told me I "wasted my degree," but I know my life turned out the way it did for a reason.

I'm just interested in what other people have done as far as college goes, and how their own story has turned out because of it.
Click to expand...
 
Stan_the_Man

Stan_the_Man

Banned
#115
Dec 29, 2023
1,327
238
63
#115
JohnDB said:
So they made a deal....
Click to expand...

Yeah, the deal was that their operating system have a back door built in to it so government can get in to people's home computers and see what they're up to.

This started with Windows 8 and it's why most serious computer nerds have switched to Linus which is more secure and Windows of Mac
 
2ndTimeIsTheCharm

2ndTimeIsTheCharm

Well-known member
#116
Feb 17, 2023
1,936
1,133
113
#116
seoulsearch said:
* What would you advise other to do? Should they "go back to school," or what other means would you suggest in order to get better jobs and higher pay?
Click to expand...

It's been a while since you've first posted this thread. How is your friend doing with his/her career goals? Did he/she go back to school? If so, what major did he/she take? When will he/she graduate? If he/she didn't go to college, did he/she go to a technical school? What kind of job did he/she get as a result? Is he/she happy?


🏄🏻‍♀️
 
I_am_Canadian

I_am_Canadian

Senior Member
#117
Dec 8, 2014
2,468
835
113
#117
Stan_the_Man said:
Yeah, the deal was that their operating system have a back door built in to it so government can get in to people's home computers and see what they're up to.

This started with Windows 8 and it's why most serious computer nerds have switched to Linus which is more secure and Windows of Mac
Click to expand...
INteresting
 
K

Karlon

Well-known member
#118
Mar 8, 2023
2,700
1,234
113
#118
seoulsearch said:
Hey Everyone,

I was talking with a friend who is contemplating going back to school to earn a degree in the hopes of finding a higher-paying job.

This led to a conversation about whether or not the high cost of a a college degree actually pays off in real dollars and cents, and whether it's actually worth the sacrifices and high cost or not. I have known many people who didn't get the chance to use their degrees and it just wound up being a very expensive certificate on their wall (which they are still paying off.) But of course, every person's experience is unique, especially since there are some fields (medicine, etc.) in which a degree is absolutely necessary.

When I was growing up, it was almost a given at the time that in order to get a "good" job here in the USA, you had to obtain a 4-year college degree. I'm not sure how it works in other countries, so please feel free to share what the expectations are where you live and what people do in your own country and culture.

I have worked in retail my entire life and often met people who wound up there too because they couldn't find jobs in the profession they had studied. For example, one of my managers had a degree in engineering. When someone asked what he was doing working in a store, he said he and his wife had moved to the area to take care of his mother-in-law, and he couldn't find work in his field. He explained that the area was filled with retired engineers who were fine just working part-time, so no one was offering full-time. Instead, he took a full-time job in retail management because at least it provided health insurance for him and his wife.

The most extreme story I've heard so far was of a co-worker's son and his fiancee. They had both studied to be pilots, but graduated at a time when airlines were cutting back, and so now were looking at getting married with over a quarter of a million dollar's worth of educational debt -- and couldn't find jobs in their field. This was many years ago and I'm not sure what happened, but I know at the time, my co-worker said they were taking any kind of job they could find.

I have heard many stories like this and am wondering what you all have seen and experienced. I have heard people speak of apprenticeships as an alternative, but are they very common anymore? It seemed, in my area at least, that such opportunities were non-existent, or at least very rare.

I would like to know:

* Did you get an advanced education, and do you believe it was worth the cost? Did you make up for the price of your education with a better-paying job?

* Have you been able to pay back your student loans, if you had any? (Here in the USA, you can apply for loans from the government to pay for your schooling, but there are strict rules about paying them back.)

* If you could go back in time, would you have still earned and paid for your degree, or do you feel you would have been better without one? Would you have chosen to study another field (which one?)

* Do you have children or grandchildren (or other friends or relatives) who earned college degrees? Was it worth it to them or do they wish they'd taken another path?

* What would you advise other to do? Should they "go back to school," or what other means would you suggest in order to get better jobs and higher pay?

I'm dropping this thread in the Singles forum because my conversation was with a guy who is doing just fine for himself as a single, but is concerned he wouldn't earn enough to support a wife and family if God allows, and he wants to be prepared.

And please note that I am most definitely NOT trying to downplay or criticize the important of higher education -- I've had people in my own life who have told me I "wasted my degree," but I know my life turned out the way it did for a reason.

I'm just interested in what other people have done as far as college goes, and how their own story has turned out because of it.
Click to expand...
an advanced education is very much worth it. almost all careers will pay more for that reason. it also, easily leads to future advancements in your occupation. & note that when a job transfer exists, potential employers will gravitate to your application 1st. fortunately for me, i didn't have to attend college because i bought books, pamphlets & took notes & learned my job that way. i even would drive to construction sites & sit for a half day watching what they did. i own a landscape company. i would read & study during down time which is winter so i was prepared for summer work. i also learned my hobby incomes the same way, (coins & antiques). but for drumming, i started out early at 12 years of age so no schooling there either.
 
seoulsearch

seoulsearch

OutWrite Trouble
#119
May 23, 2009
16,683
5,601
113
#119
2ndTimeIsTheCharm said:
It's been a while since you've first posted this thread. How is your friend doing with his/her career goals? Did he/she go back to school? If so, what major did he/she take? When will he/she graduate? If he/she didn't go to college, did he/she go to a technical school? What kind of job did he/she get as a result? Is he/she happy?


🏄🏻‍♀️
Click to expand...
Nothing has changed, but my friend is doing well. Thanks for your inquiry! Just not much to report. 😊
 
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