Higher education is just putting hindrance to achieve realistic dreams.

[Anonymous]

Doing bachelors is totally understood.

Even doing masters unless you want to super specialize, have a passion for research or wanna become a college professor, is understandable.

But,

What is the trend to keep pushing everyone to go for masters or PhD after they finish their respective degrees?

(Unless they're aspiring doctors, lawyers, engineers or similar jobs).

Fields like media, marketing, arts, business, etc. DO NOT require a masters. Maximum, it might need a bachelors.

Even if you end up doing masters, it's most likely that you will be paid less because you will be 'overqualified'. It happened with my friends.

Underemployment is also a real issue.

Instead of wasting few more years on a research paper and being a hardcore nerd, you would have learned real life skills and gained experiences.

Experience is still valued more than masters.

I've seen people progress quickly without needing masters.

What's your take?

[Cherry234]

Yeah I honestly think a master's isn't worth it unless you're going for something you really want to do or to advance in your career. You shouldn't go to grad school just for the sake of going. You get yourself into more debt for no reason. That's not wise. I honestly think a bachelor's degree is enough. Even people who don't have bachelor's degrees still turn out okay.

[myTake Owner]

Also it's gonna be still hard to advance in your career, with or without masters. For me masters will be more difficult because I don't tolerate the structure of education system. Mug up mug up, attend many lectures, research something known but paraphrase everything for entire 2 years.

[Cherry234]

Yeah, grad school is more intense and harder than college. You have to write so many papers.

[myTake Owner]

Thank you for reminding me. I'll rather get real experience because I learn best from observing and applying. I have no patience for this system anymore.

[Anonymous]

Yes, true. There are three types of people in Ph. D. One who wants to do a Ph. D. for a job, two who love the subject actually and wants to research, and three people who are just passing time. One and three are always miserable during P. hD and they end up hating it and gonna be an average/bad doctor, professor, scientist in the future.

[myTake Owner]

Yeah soon the masters won't be enough either because half of the population is getting it. Better to get myself out this rat wheel. If this continues then everyone will start eating real money at the age of 28-30.

[horatiohornblower]

It depends a lot on the field. While it may not be necessary now for lower level jobs. How about senior positions?

Ten, Fifteen, even twenty years down the line. You'll be facing against other experienced people and they might have a masters degree. Unlike entry level positions. There are far fewer senior level positions. So, having the degree may help by that point.

Another factor is computers. More specifically AI. Automation is continuously advancing and making inroads into a widening range of professions. This will reduce the number of people necessary in fields. More advanced degrees will help when added to your experience. When competing for a dwindling supply of jobs.

Also most of those degrees you mentioned not needing a masters degree. Are also horribly super saturated with graduates and a waste of time for any degree. Better to go for something in the STEM field or just skip a degree and go for a trade. The trades are desperate for fresh blood as the workforce is getting old. They already pay well for smart, hard workers. That'll get better as the older people retire.

If you want an existential crisis about the future of jobs. Watch the following videos.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/WSKi8HfcxEkhttps://www.youtube.com/embed/7Pq-S557XQU

[ShadezMcgee]

I feel higher education is only necessary for fields that have growth opportunities and need it to advance further in it, otherwise it is just a scam.

Only specific fields really need it. The idea that you will be paid more is there, but only for specific fields otherwise you have another piece of paper that does you no good because you are either overqualified or aren't working in that field. All you have is accumulated debt that takes forever to pay off.

Trades would be more useful and that would be my choice if I did it all over again.

[Aerissa_Jade]

Trades are in extremely high demand around here, better pay than most college grads, now if only I could bring myself to be a plumber, carpenter, welder, electrician or some other sort, but I can't seem to do it.

I do agree with the quote "Experience is still valued more than masters." as at my work, we'll take experience over degree any day. Ideally having both is best, but fresh out of college with zero experience is kind of bad and requires a lot of training. I fit that bill perfectly as I was hired with zero experience and almost two years later still being trained and self training.

[Neosporin]

I agree after experiencing the industry for a few years. I was pursuing a masters and got a job at the same time. The job was interesting and stimulating and accepted me even when I didn’t finish my masters yet. So why finish the masters? I dropped it and saved myself 14,000 dollars.

[myTake Owner]

Soon they'll declare, PhD is the new masters and is a must if you want a good playing job.

[myTake Owner]

*paying

[MTC29]

Doctorates are for research or a professorship.

Rather than a Master of Science in engineering, I chose a Master of Engineering degree. A Master of Engineering is professional graduate degree in the field of engineering with no path to a PhD. That was fine, because I intended to work and not to teach.

For myself, the first benefit to having a graduate degree was reducing the time spent as an Engineer in Training (EIT) from two year to one year. This gave me a leg up on other newly hired "Junior Engineers" from which they never recovered. I was out in front of my group, and I never looked back.

If you feel that a bachelor's degree is adequate, you are welcome to your opinion. in my opinion, a bachelor's degree these days is like having a high school diploma. You'll need a graduate degree- at least, in order to advance.

[Lionman95]

I think you might be right but the point making higher degrees is that they feel they encrease their chances for a job that way.
While higher degrees can be done in 2 to 3 years experience or life skills have no measurable amount.
So they do what they know best and spend more time at the university in the hope that with higher university degree they can compensate their lack of experience while encreasing their chances with a university that not many people have.

[exitseven]

I looked into getting a PhD in Computer Science (I have a Masters Degree in it) and I looked at a program at a local college and found it was just an advanced version of my Masters Degree with a thesis tacked onto the end. I opted to get a second Masters Degree in Technology Management.

[Citizenkirk]

Higher education shouldn't be cost prohibitive, but it is, and that needs to change. If you are paying off your student loans when other people are retiring, than your paying 2 much for your education.

[bamesjond0069]

I wouldn't even send my kids to get any degree these days. Huge waste of time and money.

[myTake Owner]

Bachelors is feeling waste too because it's a media field. Here we can self teach anytime. All college do is give us end semester exams where we are supposed to mug up every page to clear it. Only internal projects are a bit worth it.

[myTake Owner]

You can be a blogger, YouTuber, Television anchor, without even needing college. But for RJ, TV show host, graphic designer, content writer, you need internships and most internships want at least bachelors.

[bamesjond0069]

I dont believe in jobs. I aquire investments. If my kid wants to be poor they can do whatever they want on their own. Degrees are a huge waste of time and money. Better to use the money to buy an investment.

[Neosporin]

College was good for me at least it helped me to mature into a thinking individual because that’s what the environment of college is for. I don’t think advanced degrees are worth it though.

[BillyBalls]

I have a B. S in Econimis.

If I got a masters I could do more with the education I currently have.

[BillyBalls]

Sorry for the Typos

[Anonymous]

college is a waste of time. better to put that money to investing then worthless useless school

[BillyBalls]

Most college degrees are useless.

The USA economy need more trades people like electricians and plumbers. People who can actually produce things.

But education for the sake of knowledge is still a good thing. Unfortunately, higher education now a days does not teach people "how to think".

[Neosporin]

College is an investment too dude @Opinion owner

[Opinion Owner]

@Neosporin ah ha keep deluding yourself into believing that just like fairies unicorns santa and the Easter bunny and tooth fairy are all real. and maybe if you click your heals 3x times and say there's no place like home you'll get swept away. and maybe if you wish really hard upon a star you'll become a real boy

[Neosporin]

It’s the facts buddy. You pay for college to increase your earning potential later on in life. It’s an investment just like any other. You probably can’t understand it because you’re not educated.

[Opinion Owner]

@Neosporin wow you really are a dumb delusional fuck aren't you. i got a BA dumbass that's how i know college is a waste of time

[Neosporin]

Wow you’re really dense for someone your age. What a waste of life.

College being a waste of time doesn’t stop it from being classified as an investment moron. Every investment looks like a waste of money to at least SOMEONE. For someone who seems interested in investing you really are clueless about your own field.

Also some random BA fuckster like you doesn’t impress me moron. Must have been a BA in communications or something idiotic just like many other minions going through the motions of their parents hahahaha

[Neosporin]

Sorry for insulting you I was just trying to make the point that college tis cynically counts as an investment itself but I feel that insulting you was overboard. I apologize.