In your opinion, is finishing college still an accomplishment this day and age?

[Justneedtokno]

Nowadays, people that don’t go to college make more money or the same amount as a person that holds a bachelors to be.

When I was going up, I pushed education so much now everybody’s end it debt. Don’t know what to do with their futures.

And everybody does not want to be an entrepreneur, although that seems to be the trend

[exitseven]

it is not s easy as it was. When I was in college they gave the speech that you look at the people on either side and in the front and at the end of 4 years there will only be one of you left. Everyone saw college as the way to success. Colleges had their pick of applicants. If a student was struggling with a program he really only had the choice to either drop out or wait until he was kicked out. Today, colleges have retention counselors because they need paying customers. Courses are dumbed down and there are tutors available to get students through a course that is troublesome. As long as you keep paying the tuition you will eventually graduate.

[exitseven]

Thanks for the MHO😎

[DrPepper12]

That's simply not true.

Lifetime earnings vary significantly based on educational attainment. Individuals with a bachelor's degree typically earn about $2.8 million over their lifetime, which is approximately $1.2 million more than those with only a high school diploma.

Men with bachelor's degrees can earn around $900,000 more than high school graduates, while women earn about $630,000 more.

Advanced degrees further increase lifetime earnings, with master's degree holders earning about $3.2 million and doctoral degree holders up to $4 million.

I would be very curious to see your source for that.

[AI Opinion]

Yes, finishing college remains an accomplishment. It provides structured learning, critical thinking skills, and a broad knowledge base. While some career paths don't require a degree, many still value it, especially in specialized fields. College can also offer networking opportunities and personal growth experiences. Balancing education with practical skills can be key to navigating today's diverse job market. Consider aligning educational goals with career aspirations and financial realities for the best outcome. Education's role is evolving, and understanding that evolution is crucial to making informed decisions about one's future.

[RavVid]

Reading straight off the IQ bell curve with 60% going to college means the lowest cohort is about 90 IQ points. At 40% going to college the lowest IQ cohort is going to be 105.

So having a college degree no longer automatically means you are smart. It does still mean you can work at things successfully.

An IQ of 105 was judged what you needed for an admin role. You can google typical jobs for various IQ brackets.

Critical question: Does a college degree mean you can perform above what you would have without a college degree? If so a degree might be worthwhile if you earn't sufficiently more to cover the costs. Maybe not worthwhile if that is not the case..

I don't know the answer to that question. It could be IQ is inexorable. And that your IQ is suitable for admin with or without a degree and the degree doesn't help you much.

The logic that college grads got high paying jobs in the past and therefore college grads will in the future could be very flawed. The ticket wasn't the degree but was always IQ and in the past only the high IQ cohort went to college and got a degree.

Dunno but maybe we should know.

[Justneedtokno]

I think at this point it’s quite difficult to see

[RavVid]

It is.

However supply and demand is a pretty strong practical law and the practical consequence of more grads is lower wages. The sales brochure of do a degree and get a high paying job is something of a crock.

Not something HS grads are well placed to be realistic about with parental and teacher pressure to go to college and take on massive debt..

[nolabels]

Entrepreneurism seems to me to be the way to go, as it always has, if one has the chutzpa for it.
I didn't and don't share that particular penchant, but I do know of quite a few successful entrepreneurs among my extended family.
It's fairly amazing to me that they view making money as not much more than a hobby among their other interests.

Skilled trades pay quite well, but they wear hard on the human body.
That was my route in life.

A college education carries the risk of indoctrination into warped thinking but can allow one entry into lucrative professions if one stands out in the crowd.
My adult son is doing fairly well so far in that course in life.

[LiamJHayden]

It depends upon the field. STEM, medicine, law tend to pay well.

Trades can pay well, as can starting a successful business, but a lot of people who do not pursue the aforementioned end up in minimum or near minimum wage jobs.

[msc545]

On average, people with a college degree make 1 million more $ over their lifetime than those without a degree.

People with college degrees get more respect and better jobs than those without a degree.

College courses, particularly those you take in the last two years, are very difficult, and finishing them with decent grades is a major accomplishment.

[DrPepper12]

Amen. Preach! 🙌🏻🙏🏻

[Zack-Bann]

Yes it still is


It’s no longer as popular or trendy


But the reality is without a post grad degree a lot of doors will never open for high end jobs


And it’s great to want to be an entrepreneur but it’s also a wet dream a lot of people have without stopping to work out the logistics


Fact is dead end gigs are still a thing and the less educated you are the higher the chance you end up doing one of them

[AviatorTom]

College is not for everyone. Some people are better off with blue collar technical jobs. For them, finishing college is not important. For others, it still is.

[msc545]

You are not wrong about this. I've spent a very long time in college and encountered fellow students that probably should not have been there because they struggled and were miserable with the very difficult course work. College is really not for everyone. We do let almost anyone attend and try, but unfortunately at least where I went to school there was almost zero support for students that struggled and they were quite miserable. I am of the mind that if you admit somebody to your school you have a duty to support and encourage them as much as reasonably possible and try to help them succeed. The schools that I went to just simply did not do this. Personally, I helped as many other students as I could and some actually did reasonably well.

[genericname85]

i mean certain degrees sure are hard to get. so it would be an accomplishment to get these. but some degrees are just about regurgitating neoliberal ideologies instead of actual science. they're not worh much more than a participation trophy.

[AmeerX]

When I was in school we were taught education is important not because of money and a job. It was important because it gives us a way to distinguish between right and wrong and helps people communicate and make lives better for everyone.
When I was in university this all degraded to the level that education means money.

[ProbablyClueless]

Absolutely. It takes a lot of work to get to that point. People need to take pride in being able to finish things.

[Anonymous]

no despite what society continues to feed us

some of the most celebrated people in the world didn't go to college and even if they did, their college graduation wouldn't rank that high as an accomplishment

[strateguy632]

Some rich even dropped out of college and succeeded without it.

[Opinion Owner]

@strateguy632 outside of STEM, law and finances... college degrees are useless

[Astarlessnightsky]

Sure. Reaching this high education level requires lots of skill and hard work.

[Alex-Snow]

I'm a sophomore in college and so far it has been worth my time, effort and expense. I still have a lot to learn however.

[noohair]

If you picked a degree that has value, it is a benefit. My daughter earned her Psychology degree and has a good job.

[msc545]

I don't think you are wrong about this but it's sort of depends on what you define as the value and how it is measured.

Congratulations to your daughter and to yourself on her success!

[noohair]

@msc545Actually value is determined by people hiring for open positions. If you want to borrow to go to school, and you get a degree that will not allow you to pay back those loans, that is on you and not anyone else. Good luck and take care.

[msc545]

I already have al the degrees I need.

[Fireguy17]

that as well as actually paying for it without whining about it.

[elaphe]

Seeing as not quite half of students who begin college graduate within six years, I would say it is quite an achievement.

[NathanDavis]

highly subjective... and specific

case by case scenario, as well

[Hispanic-Cool-Guy]

No. Unless you're going to be a teacher, lawyer or doctor as those professions demand a college degree then college is a total waste of time and big debt to get into.

[DrPepper12]

False. No empirical evidence supports that

[Hispanic-Cool-Guy]

@DrPepper12: Why even go to college then especially in this era?

[DrPepper12]

You have no evidence for your claim of it not being worth it

[OddBeMe]

Yes. By stats, you will be earning nearly a million bucks more over your life than someone who didn’t graduate.

[Grond21]

It's not universal anymore. Now it's entirely degree dependent. What degree are you getting?

[RedInnocent69]

Yes. Ever better if you can do it two or three times 😂

[Anonymous]

Just slightly over 50% of the cou tries population is college educated.

[Anonymous]

Not much of an accomplishment if you live in a crappy country like me.

[BCRanger10]

Sorry, but I don't think it is.

[strateguy632]

It is a big accomplishment.

[Twalli]

I went to college and did not go into debt.

[Ladsin2]

Everyone does college. It means nothing.

[jahaims]

Definitely not