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- Apr 3, 2004
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is there a point when it isn't worth going? nowadays, even 4 yrs of basic college can easily add up to $100K.
yep,i known few of those people too. all about timing,luck,right place at the right time...lbbaber|1302893114|2897070 said:It all depends on what you plan on doing for a living. I wish I had thought more about $$ BEFORE I picked a major!!
Getting a degree doesn't always guarantee more $$, here is a perfect example:
I have B.S and a B.A. and I have almost completed my masters but I only make (or made before I became a SAHM last year) between 60-70k/yr, my SO makes 3x as much without a degree!!! Ironically, he is getting a degree now (just got his associates) bc he felt self-conscious about not having one. I wish I could have made his kind of $$ without spending all those years studying!
Dancing Fire|1302894069|2897091 said:yep,i known few of those people too. all about timing,luck,right place at the right time...lbbaber|1302893114|2897070 said:It all depends on what you plan on doing for a living. I wish I had thought more about $$ BEFORE I picked a major!!
Getting a degree doesn't always guarantee more $$, here is a perfect example:
I have B.S and a B.A. and I have almost completed my masters but I only make (or made before I became a SAHM last year) between 60-70k/yr, my SO makes 3x as much without a degree!!! Ironically, he is getting a degree now (just got his associates) bc he felt self-conscious about not having one. I wish I could have made his kind of $$ without spending all those years studying!
iLander|1302902382|2897216 said:What you're talking about is return on investment.
I have to tell you, after reading several articles on this subject, most college educations offer a VERY poor ROI. My neighbor's kid wants to go to a fancy private art college, to the tune of $40K per year. After $160K he will be eligible for a $35K job, in a field that is already crowded and jobs are scarce. So, no, I don't think his education would be a good ROI.
Here's an article in BusinessWeek; http://www.businessweek.com/bschools/special_reports/20110407college_return_on_investment.htm
I think this is a good discussion to have. The way college costs are rising, I think parents deserve some answers and accountability. I think the old days of "learning for the sake of learning" have been killed by the realities of the economy. Parents can't be expected to foot the bill for four years of finding yourself.
I think a lot depends on the major choice, though. I've always been amazed at one of my BF's who majored in Spanish; what did she think she was going to do with THAT? Ultimately, she had to go back to school and get an MBA (she had to really scramble to get accepted to a grad program).
ETA: But I DO think a degree is necessary in the vast majority of fields. If you look on monster.com or careerbuilder.com, almost every office-type job listed requires a college degree. When in doubt, get a business degree at a cheap state college.
fiery|1302963465|2897674 said:College is, and always will be, worth the investment in my eyes. No one can convince me otherwise.
ksinger|1302966307|2897724 said:fiery|1302963465|2897674 said:College is, and always will be, worth the investment in my eyes. No one can convince me otherwise.
But if it saddles a person with crushing debt that can't be discharged with the job you "trained" for (say Karl's social worker for example - the cost of that masters is the same as the cost of the masters in a field that might be more lucrative), I'm at a loss as to how anyone could call that a good "investment", at least from a purely economic standpoint.
yep, doesn't make any sence.ksinger|1302966307|2897724 said:fiery|1302963465|2897674 said:College is, and always will be, worth the investment in my eyes. No one can convince me otherwise.
But if it saddles a person with crushing debt that can't be discharged with the job you "trained" for (say Karl's social worker for example - the cost of that masters is the same as the cost of the masters in a field that might be more lucrative), I'm at a loss as to how anyone could call that a good "investment", at least from a purely economic standpoint.
that is good money compared to my wife's niece whom only makes about $50k while in training.rosetta|1302968844|2897758 said:Depends on what you study.
FI and I both went to medical school. We are both still training so we only earn about $80k each we hope to be earning a lot more in a few more years (ok, 3 years for me, 14 months for him where's the jealous icon?)