Educational Background of PS'ers

[armywife13]

I have an Associates Degree in Health Information Technology and an RHIT certification. As of October 2013 I will have my Bachelors in Health Information Management and an RHIA certification.

Working in the HIT/HIM field was never my dream, but I have reached a point in life(married, baby, another child on the way) where I needed to get something and set myself up to have a successful career. Working in this field will allow me to have continuous employment and job opportunities while the Army sends our family all over the country, especially since I can work at home. Eventually, when my kids are in school, I will probably go back to school for a degree that will help me work towards my dream job, once I figure out what that is!

 

[madelise]

another child on the way

WHAT!?!?!
OMG CONGRATULATIONS, ARMY!!!!! *HUGS HUGS HUGS*!!!
I'M SO HAPPY FOR YOU THAT IT APPEARS MY CAPS LOCK IS STUCK
EEK!!!!!

 

[armywife13]

another child on the way

WHAT!?!?!
OMG CONGRATULATIONS, ARMY!!!!! *HUGS HUGS HUGS*!!!
I'M SO HAPPY FOR YOU THAT IT APPEARS MY CAPS LOCK IS STUCK
EEK!!!!!

Awww thanks, Madelise!

We just told family and friends over Thanksgiving, we are almost 9 weeks now. The timing isn't the greatest since DH got orders for a year long unaccompanied tour to Korea two days before we found out, but it will all work out and we are excited!

 

[AGBF]

I have an Associates Degree in Health Information Technology and an RHIT certification. As of October 2013 I will have my Bachelors in Health Information Management and an RHIA certification.

Working in the HIT/HIM field was never my dream, but I have reached a point in life (married, baby, another child on the way) where I needed to get something and set myself up to have a successful career. Working in this field will allow me to have continuous employment and job opportunities while the Army sends our family all over the country, especially since I can work at home. Eventually, when my kids are in school, I will probably go back to school for a degree that will help me work towards my dream job, once I figure out what that is!

Becoming a mother was the most educational experience of my life, armywife! Congratulations on your new baby that is coming and good luck with your husband's upcoming deployment as well as your ongoing academic education!

Big hugs,
Deb/AGBF


PS-On Thanksgiving Day I learned that my godson and his wife, who were married in September of 2011, are expecting their first child. I think that their baby may be due at the same time as yours!

 

[Dancing Fire]

[quote="madelise|

That's why I made a poll, though, so people don't have to rat themselves out.
I barely made it out of HS-- I failed most of my junior and senior years, and it took me 5-6 years to complete my AA.
I'm not smart at all.[/quote]


yeah,i had to bribe my english teacher so i can gratulate from HS.. hmmm,I wonder are there any HS drop out PSer?...

 

[Dancing Fire]

[quote="madelise|



I remember reading an article written in response to Occupy. It was discouraging HS kids to go to college "just because". Degrees don't mean you get high pay; lack of degrees don't mean you don't get high pay. Unless your degree is necessary, IE for a specific niche of a job that requires a degree, the overall attitude in response to all the people who have crazy student debt and no employment is for kids to skip college.

I get that this isn't 100% that people can be successful without a degree, but it also isn't 100% that people will be when they do have one. I hate that the social attitude is that people HAVE TO go to school to make money. I hate that, while I was in charge of hiring, I saw a bunch of resumes come through with BAs in fields that don't really do anything for the person.. and here they are applying for a $9/hr job, with a student loan that will take years or even decades to pay off. I hate it when I hear people talk about their 18 year old children, and how they're enrolled in such&such expensive school without a major. Why not let these kids take time off academia to work? To figure out what they want to do before they end up with a BA for a field they can care less about?



Ooops. Here Madelise goes with another rant. I talk a bit much [/quote]


yep, how are they gonna pay off their student loans with no job?

 

[madelise]

another child on the way

WHAT!?!?!
OMG CONGRATULATIONS, ARMY!!!!! *HUGS HUGS HUGS*!!!
I'M SO HAPPY FOR YOU THAT IT APPEARS MY CAPS LOCK IS STUCK
EEK!!!!!

Awww thanks, Madelise!

We just told family and friends over Thanksgiving, we are almost 9 weeks now. The timing isn't the greatest since DH got orders for a year long unaccompanied tour to Korea two days before we found out, but it will all work out and we are excited!

That is SO exciting, Army!! How's your daughter taking it? Is she super excited to be a big sis?

 

[AprilBaby]

I have AS in Dental hygiene. Anything higher does nothing for me unless I want to teach and I don't.

 

[madelise]

[quote="madelise|



I remember reading an article written in response to Occupy. It was discouraging HS kids to go to college "just because". Degrees don't mean you get high pay; lack of degrees don't mean you don't get high pay. Unless your degree is necessary, IE for a specific niche of a job that requires a degree, the overall attitude in response to all the people who have crazy student debt and no employment is for kids to skip college.

I get that this isn't 100% that people can be successful without a degree, but it also isn't 100% that people will be when they do have one. I hate that the social attitude is that people HAVE TO go to school to make money. I hate that, while I was in charge of hiring, I saw a bunch of resumes come through with BAs in fields that don't really do anything for the person.. and here they are applying for a $9/hr job, with a student loan that will take years or even decades to pay off. I hate it when I hear people talk about their 18 year old children, and how they're enrolled in such&such expensive school without a major. Why not let these kids take time off academia to work? To figure out what they want to do before they end up with a BA for a field they can care less about?



Ooops. Here Madelise goes with another rant. I talk a bit much

yep, how are they gonna pay off their student loans with no job?[/quote]


One of my old hires had a double major in biology and in psychology. We paid her $9/hr. One day, she was using our work computer to check on her student loans, while I was sitting next to her. She had been paying hundreds of dollars every month, and it had only been paying off the interest. She still owed the whole amount of loans. She was only keeping the job so she can pay off the interest, and she was actively seeking employment elsewhere. I hired a lot of people who were college grads without jobs. One was a nurse. We were paying a nurse $9/hr to do entry level work, so she can afford the gas money to go on interviews elsewhere. It was very sad. I wonder how they're doing now

 

[Missy]

Congratulations armywife!!!!!! Such happy exciting news!!
And a big congrats to your family too Deb!! Lots of happy news today!!

I find that college graduates are not assured of a job/career these days at all. In general (my opinion only) you need advanced degrees to increase the odds. Specializing is the best way to increase your chance of getting a good career (IMO). College degrees aren't what they used to be in terms of what they signify. The job market is way more competitive these days. And of course, during this economic climate having advanced degrees doesn't guarantee anything either anymore but it's a start. At least for higher paying professional jobs. Advanced degrees could hurt you if you are applying for entry level positions- you could be overqualified that's true. But in general you are better off getting the advanced degrees you need to excel in your chosen career. Not just a job if that makes sense. It is important though not to just collect degrees but to choose them in a mindful way so they help you in your chosen field.

Good luck to all those in the market today- it is difficult but PSers are a talented and unique bunch and can do anything they set their minds to!!

And I agree, being book smart is by no means inclusive of intelligence overall and you are a very very smart young lady Madelise!!!

 

[armywife13]

Becoming a mother was the most educational experience of my life, armywife! Congratulations on your new baby that is coming and good luck with your husband's upcoming deployment as well as your ongoing academic education!

Big hugs,
Deb/AGBF


PS-On Thanksgiving Day I learned that my godson and his wife, who were married in September of 2011, are expecting their first child. I think that their baby may be due at the same time as yours!

Thank you for the congratulations, Deb! And congratulations to your godson, his wife, and you/your family! I am due 7/5/13, when are they due?
I agree, motherhood is quite a learning experience! I absolutely love it. Even though I love being a stay at home mom right now, I am also definitely looking forward to finishing up my bachelors, contributing financially, and having something of my own that I am doing outside of the home. When I was doing my clinicals for my associates, being away from home a few hours a day made me appreciate my daughter, husband, and downtime at the house so much more!

That is SO exciting, Army!! How's your daughter taking it? Is she super excited to be a big sis?

I think she is going to be any amazing big sis, she is going to love having someone to play with! I don't think she completely grasps everything that is going on and how things will be changing, since she is 2. She must have known something was up though, since I tested a few days early because she pointed at my belly and said "baby". When she said that to me, I thought to myself, "hmmm I shouldn't be, but I better be if she is saying that because otherwise she's saying my stomach looks big enough to be holding a baby-which is a little insulting!"

Congratulations armywife!!!!!! Such happy exciting news!!

Thanks, Missy!!!

 

[Sparklelu]

I have my Masters in Ed leadership and I am 1/2 way through my Ed.S. with a major in Brain-Based Teaching and a concentration in Teacher Leadership. I am facinated wth how the brain works and how changing the way we teach we can dramatically change how and how well students learn. Plus,after 30 years, I am beginning to think I want out of the classroom and to start bossing adults around!

 

[smitcompton]

Hi.

I have a B.A. in Political Science and economics. While I worked in business, I have always enjoyed the topics of my degree.

Annette

 

[zoebartlett]

Rubybeth, I don't know if you remember, but you and I have talked about library science degrees before. If I was going to go for another degree, that would probably be the one. The only negative (as far as I can tell) is finding a job afterwards. I'm an elementary teacher and it seems as though many technology teachers' and school librarians' (library/media specialists) jobs are being combined into one position. Is that the trend you're seeing, too?

 

[diamondringlover]

Ok I will be one of the 3 that voted for just a HS graduate...I had really good grades in school I was in the top 10 in my class, I was going to go to college, but fell in love with a jerk in the Navy, thought it was true love needless to say it wasnt, we broke up before we got married and then I just partied and worked a dead end job till I met hubby, got married had kids and here I am, HS graduate living paycheck to paycheck and working a different dead end job lol...I really wish I had done things differently..but such as life, now I just look forward to retirement.

 

[Dreamer_D]

I have a PhD in psychology and I am a professor at a university.

Regarding the association between education and income, although people can obviously think of exceptions to the rule, the Canadian national census statistics from a few years ago suggest a BA/BSc is worth about $30k per year on average accross the lifetime. An MA or other equivalent degree is worth another $10k, and a PhD another $15k per annum. The importance of a degree likely does not matter as much at 25 when salaries are all at the lowest they will be in one's working life. But fast forward 20 years and its another story: certain careers "max out" at a much lower salary than others, and the latter category usually requires a higher education level.

And I agree with ksinger -- living at home and having a fancy car and nice "kicks"? Lame. I am not a fan of prolonged adolescence.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Thanks MC

Ruby, I will have my MA in clinical mental health counseling with a certificate in substance abuse counseling. Between those two degrees, MCSW or LMFT, I would pick LMFT. Social work is a much different field than counseling. More case management. If that's what he is interested in than great. If he likes the clinical side, I think the LMFT would be a better fit.

 

[princesss]

I have a PhD in psychology and I am a professor at a university.

Regarding the association between education and income, although people can obviously think of exceptions to the rule, the Canadian national census statistics from a few years ago suggest a BA/BSc is worth about $30k per year on average accross the lifetime. An MA or other equivalent degree is worth another $10k, and a PhD another $15k per annum. The importance of a degree likely does not matter as much at 25 when salaries are all at the lowest they will be in one's working life. But fast forward 20 years and its another story: certain careers "max out" at a much lower salary than others, and the latter category usually requires a higher education level.

And I agree with ksinger -- living at home and having a fancy car and nice "kicks"? Lame. I am not a fan of prolonged adolescence.

Yeah, I will say the comment about living at home to have nice things, and wasting money on rent that could be better spent elsewhere always puzzles me. It's not throwing away money. It's buying independence. (Now, I will say that I am currently living in my parents house - but were they living here, I would not be.) It's buying all of the things you learn by living on your own, and how to function. Personally, I value that far more than fun stuff.

 

[Clairitek]

I have a PhD.

And once you graduate your earning potential would be that much greater, no?

I would encourage anyone interested in a PhD to seriously research this question within their field of study. IMO it is important to balance your real world experience with your book smarts. Just this month I met a young woman who has taken her PhD *off* of her resume because the field she is in just doesn't expect it or appreciate it... everyone with a PhD goes into academia. She doesn't want academia and has had very poor feedback on her job applications. I've heard stories of this happening, but this was the first case of meeting someone personally.

With that being said, I'm like Phoenix. I just love school! I'm considering law school... that would put me at 1 undergrad, 5 graduate degrees.

I completely agree with the first bolded statement.

However I completely disagree with the second bolded statement. Maybe everyone in *her* field goes into academia? I have a PhD and I work in industry. A lot of people that have graduated from the same school I attended (actually the VAST VAST VAST majority) all either work for national labs (ARL, ONR, LLL, Sandia, etc) or are in industry. It's about a 50/50 split between those two options.

Then within my own PS circle I can think of 2 other women with PhDs who do not work in academia.

The divide between industry and non-academia work and academia seems to lie along the lines of your field of study. Every person I know who has received a PhD in english, history, social sciences, bio/chem/math seems to go to academia while the others (applied science, engineering) seem to go towards industry and non-academic work. I would say my sample size is in the several dozen at this point having spent 5 years in graduate school getting to know people across many disciplines.

 

[natascha]

Jealous of all the people that enjoy school . I loath studying and am really not looking forward to my next thesis. Next term is not gonna be fun and I am kinda dreading it .

Anyhow, I will hopefully soon be finished. Then I will have a BSc (double major), a MSc in Accounting and Financial Management and another Master in International Management. Due to regulation changes and the fact that a day apparently only has 24h and you can't buy those nifty harry potter time thingies, I also have an incomplete Law degree .

Regarding PhD's I believe it differs widely between countries and disciplines. I would be wary of paying for one. My fiends that are doing their's (in Sweden and in France, in different fields) all get paid a living wage for it (roughly 25K to 45K base, more if they teach).

 

[swimmer]

Ditto Clairitek,
I might be one of those friends but I finished my doctorate this spring and have no plans to jump into academia. Oddly enough, DH has a PhD and isn't in academia. Every professor on my dissertation committee earns half of what I do teaching public high school; they joked that when they retire I can have their jobs (which was sweet as they are tenured at very prestigious universities) but most humanities profs earn way less than people think. I've seen lots of people on here talking about how they want to teach at the university level. I suggest doing a bit of research into various positions that are open in your field pay before getting into it. I've never paid a cent for any of my degrees and don't know anyone who was paying for grad degrees, but studies and research take time and lost earnings are something to think about. I love teaching high school; the added degrees mean more advanced classes and a much higher salary. To me, the difference between teaching 18yr olds and 19yr olds is over 40k and excellent benefits. I'm not typing this to brag, I just grow weary of so many people who have a very idealized concept of what being a professor means. If you go that path, good luck! Of course if you just love learning, a library card will take you everywhere and open courseware at MIT among others, is amazing.

 

[Logan Sapphire]

I have a BA and an MA in Sociology and work for the US federal government. I've worked for 2 different agencies, as have my husband and sister. We have people with all sorts of educational backgrounds- from high school graduates to PhDs, lawyers, MDs, etc.

 

[Snicklefritz]

BA English
MSW, LMSW

 

[iheartscience]

Ditto Clairitek,
I might be one of those friends but I finished my doctorate this spring and have no plans to jump into academia. Oddly enough, DH has a PhD and isn't in academia. Every professor on my dissertation committee earns half of what I do teaching public high school; they joked that when they retire I can have their jobs (which was sweet as they are tenured at very prestigious universities) but most humanities profs earn way less than people think. I've seen lots of people on here talking about how they want to teach at the university level. I suggest doing a bit of research into various positions that are open in your field pay before getting into it. I've never paid a cent for any of my degrees and don't know anyone who was paying for grad degrees, but studies and research take time and lost earnings are something to think about. I love teaching high school; the added degrees mean more advanced classes and a much higher salary. To me, the difference between teaching 18yr olds and 19yr olds is over 40k and excellent benefits. I'm not typing this to brag, I just grow weary of so many people who have a very idealized concept of what being a professor means. If you go that path, good luck! Of course if you just love learning, a library card will take you everywhere and open courseware at MIT among others, is amazing.

Ditto both of you. I know a 32 year old adjunct professor with a PhD in a very esoteric field who lives in a house with 5 other roommates, because they make next to nothing. That's not an exaggeration: FIVE roommates.

Although I suppose that's better than living with your parents. Seriously, I can't imagine living with your parents so you can buy fancy cars. I'd rather not have a car than live with my parents. I haven't lived with them since the summer after my freshman year of college-that was painful enough for me!

 

[manderz]

I have a BSW and an MSW (Bachelor and Master of Social Work) and am an LCSW (Licensed Clinical Social Worker). I also have an Associate's Degree in Recording Arts. I loved school!

If you don't mind me asking, what are you doing with your degree? I've been considering my MSW, but am not sure I can justify it. I loved school, but I took several years off before I went to college. I'm now working full time and completing my BS (also full time), and at this point, I'm really ready to be done.

Hi Manderz, I also have an MSW, as well as a BA in Psychology and a Multiple Subject Teaching Credential. Since graduating from my MSW program I have worked in Human Resources, taught second grade, and I currently work in Professional Development at a law firm. My advice and personal opinion would be to only pursue the MSW if you want to be a social worker. I went straight from undergrad and really didn't know what I was getting into, so while I feel I have been able to use the skills I learned while receiving my MSW, I would have rather spent my time in grad school for something I truly knew I wanted to do when it was over. I think having it on my résumé has helped, but it probably has more to do with the school I went to (Columbia) rather than the degree itself. Happy to answer any other questions you may have!

Thank you!!

Overall, I don't want to be a social worker forever. I want to work as a counselor for a while, (possibly earn my CASAC, as I can and have started to earn hours towards it for free while on the job), and eventually I'd like to become a college professor. I really want to get my master's, and the only reasonably priced school within reason doesn't offer much of anything worthwhile for me besides an MSW. I'm just so confused by the whole process, as I'm the first in my family to go beyond a HS diploma, and MANY in my family don't even have that.

 

[Haven]

Ditto Clairitek,
I might be one of those friends but I finished my doctorate this spring and have no plans to jump into academia. Oddly enough, DH has a PhD and isn't in academia. Every professor on my dissertation committee earns half of what I do teaching public high school; they joked that when they retire I can have their jobs (which was sweet as they are tenured at very prestigious universities) but most humanities profs earn way less than people think. I've seen lots of people on here talking about how they want to teach at the university level. I suggest doing a bit of research into various positions that are open in your field pay before getting into it. I've never paid a cent for any of my degrees and don't know anyone who was paying for grad degrees, but studies and research take time and lost earnings are something to think about. I love teaching high school; the added degrees mean more advanced classes and a much higher salary. To me, the difference between teaching 18yr olds and 19yr olds is over 40k and excellent benefits. I'm not typing this to brag, I just grow weary of so many people who have a very idealized concept of what being a professor means. If you go that path, good luck! Of course if you just love learning, a library card will take you everywhere and open courseware at MIT among others, is amazing.

Ditto both of you. I know a 32 year old adjunct professor with a PhD in a very esoteric field who lives in a house with 5 other roommates, because they make next to nothing. That's not an exaggeration: FIVE roommates.

Although I suppose that's better than living with your parents. Seriously, I can't imagine living with your parents so you can buy fancy cars. I'd rather not have a car than live with my parents. I haven't lived with them since the summer after my freshman year of college-that was painful enough for me!

Sadly, I'm not surprised. Adjuncts make next to nothing for all of the work they do. There is no comparing what adjuncts earn to what FT profs earn. It's a sad reality, and I'm not proud to be part of a system that basically exploits adjuncts. I was lucky to only adjunct while I had a FT job teaching HS, so I didn't have to live on an adjunct's earnings.

I'm a full-time tenure-track English professor at a community college and I earn a decent living. I left a FT HS teaching job to take this one, and while I initially took a significant pay cut to make the move, over time I will earn more money, and have a far better work/life balance than I would had I stayed at the HS. My high school teaching contract was excellent, we had a stipulation that we must have one of the top five salary scales in the county, but even still my CC position pays more in the long run. Our salary scale is heavily weighted on the right, so it favors profs who stick around rather than recent hires, while the HS salary scale was more evenly distributed.

ETA: I have no idea how university salaries compare to CC salaries, but based on what Swimmer wrote it sounds like we earn more at the CC level. What I do know is that adjuncts are grossly underpaid everywhere!

I also know there's no comparing a CC professorship to a university professorship. Half of my time at the CC is devoted to teaching, whereas university profs do not teach nearly as many classes, and more of their time is devoted to research in the field.

 

[stargurl78]

I have a BA in Accounting and I'm going for my MPA now... I am like natascha though, I don't love school and I'm ready to be DONE.

 

[AGBF]

Thank you for the congratulations, Deb! And congratulations to your godson, his wife, and you/your family! I am due 7/5/13, when are they due?

Thank you for the good wishes, armywife! I believe the due date is June 20, 2013. I am sure it is June, but I could be off about it being the 20th. It will be interesting to see which of you actually delivers first, however! First babies are often slow, and Christy's will be a first baby. So maybe hers will wait for yours. How does the 4th of July sound for a birthday?

Deb

 

[madelise]

For those of you that LOVE learning, ie. AME, have you checked out khan academy? And MIT? They offer free online courses. You don't get credits for them, but if you love learning for the sake of learning, it's a good idea since you can move at your own pace, and you don't pay anything.

For you teachers, I had no idea adjunct faculty make peanuts! I feel so badly. My favorites are adjunct faculty. What makes a person a tenure? # of years served? Or just an opening for a FT position?


ETA: For those of you commenting on living with parents and driving fancy cars.. I realized something. The people I am referring to are all of a certain culture that values multigenerational households. You don't move out. You just expand. Some cultures do this with just the oldest son.. others do it with the whole family. Males stay with their parents, females move out only upon marriage. It's shameful to the family if you move out of the house before marrying. So.. I don't just live in an area with TOTAL a$$hats It's a culturally influenced thing, as well as a generational thing. By generational, I mean our generation is getting more and more competitive with "the Joneses". Everyone posts their expensive purchases on FB, Instagram, forums like this… whatever. If your BFF posts a picture of her next to her new Mercedes 250, you better make sure you top her with a 350 next month! It's a whole new form of competition. Our generation also LOVES to spend money on things that we can see. A vehicle is the best "sight" purchase, since you go with it everywhere, and everyone sees you with it. My ex's dad lived in a small apartment in a not-so-good side of town, but spent his money on a new BMW. His reasoning was, "people see my BMW, no one sees where I live." I currently live in a condo/apartment building with my family, and many of the neighbors drive luxury cars. One guy has a new BMW every year. He trades it in, and gets a higher model.. or passes the older one to another family member. This competition for the "best stuff" has gotten so bad that people even splurge on their CHILDREN. I see the HS kids driving cars better than the one I have. Sorry for the total tangent, haha, we went from talking about education to splurge spending.




On the note of kids spending too much money.. have ya'll seen the blog, Rich Kids of Instagram? http://richkidsofinstagram.tumblr.com/

 

[Skippy123]

Thank you for the congratulations, Deb! And congratulations to your godson, his wife, and you/your family! I am due 7/5/13, when are they due?

Thank you for the good wishes, armywife! I believe the due date is June 20, 2013. I am sure it is June, but I could be off about it being the 20th. It will be interesting to see which of you actually delivers first, however! First babies are often slow, and Christy's will be a first baby. So maybe hers will wait for yours. How does the 4th of July sound for a birthday?

Deb

Congrats Armywife!!!!!