My degree is not worth the debt! - Page 12

Computer science not worth anything? When I graduated with a CS degree in the late 90s, I started at $50k/year and that is because I took a 'safe' position. Some of my counterparts were making $60k+ right out of college. And most of us had jobs up to a year prior to graduating. I don't know the state of CS programs right now but I work in the computing industry and people are generally well paid.

I have said it before, Universities aren't designed to get you a job, they are designed to get you an education. Now sometimes that education may be required for a specific job but that isn't their goal. PhD programs are designed to turn you into a professor at a University although even that seems to be in trouble these days. So yes people should do some career planning but for some jobs, it doesn't really matter what your degree was in, just as long as you have a degree. I know someone who became a tech writer and majored in French and gets paid very well. I've also known many other people who had similar experiences.

And also yes we may have people with low end jobs and college degrees but why not? I think we should strive to have free college education for people and if someone wants it, they should get it. Unfortunately, the system isn't built for it. An education is a valuable thing and it isn't always just a means to a specific career.

eriksoln
You have said a monthful!

Nursing in New Zealand may be good thing to know about, but it still has nothing to do with the way it is done here in the USA, so this "experience" will be totally useless for the job search purposes.

Remember when students in the U.S. dropped "computer programming/science" like the plague? Why was obvious to even the dullest student- because the major wasn't paying anything was why. Remember when you couldn't get a med student to 'match' "general practitioner" to save his or her life? Why... because the pay was relatively awful.

I understand where you are coming from and, on an altruistic level, agree with you. Unfortunately, life has changed my opinion on this matter. It is simply foolish to deny the writing on the wall and to dismiss personally witnessed flaws in the name of idealism. Thats where I am at with it, the reality of the situation outweighs my idea of the desired outcome.

I think for the most part, we have seen what will happen with free education. You see people bashing it here already, and its not even free yet. Students get caught up in "living the college life" or gaining "the college experience" (w/e that is), and get caught up in chasing "a well rounded education". People get so caught up in the storm of "getting educated" that they lose touch with reality. All of a sudden, life is not worth living unless they can work part time instead of full time in order to squeeze that extra philosophy class into their schedule. Once someone is headed down this road, they can take a great deal of time satisfying their misguided urges for "knowledge" while they pursue a career in...........being a professional student.

Consider my first post in this thread. A student went to arms against much wiser folk defending their "right" to take full advantage of their opportunity for education. They go to school full time, need extra loan funding for housing and eating, must have the best of everything that has the least, most remote connection to school (computers, supplies, clothes to wear to class etc etc).............all the while, no job to pay any of the expenses and in the end, no chance at all to pay the loans that funded this pink cloud existence. Debt debt debt, that's all they are accomplishing. Professional student contribute nothing more than a nice paycheck for those who run w/e establishment they attend.

I do believe a more utilitarian approach to education is needed. If, after being granted student aid and grants......you are unable to contribute anything back to the community........then that money could have been spent much wiser.

I do applaud those who want more knowledge and to be "well rounded", but you have to get that on your own dollar bill. If its not important enough for you to work for and fund on your own, is it really that important to you?

The part of the equation professional students are not getting is the part the comes after the (=) sign. Student+desire+financial aid=educated student able to contribute to the community. It does not (=) a well rounded individual, a happier person who got to experience "the college years" nor should it be, as you put it, someone in a low end job with a college degree. If the community does not get its return on the investment, then, again, the money is better spent elsewhere.

I gladly pay my taxes each pay period hoping some of my dollars will go towards creating a great engineer when the person would have otherwise been a pawn shop salesman. I want to see the next great teacher, not another gas station cashier. With community money invested, it goes without say........we are seeking a business major who creates jobs for the less fortunate...........not a burger flipper with a college education.

Any attempt to make education free must be well directed and well intentioned enough to weed out "professional students" and achieve this goal. Right now we don't have that part figured out, so, unfortunately, the next best thing is to go with a utilitarian approach to funding education. Funding people who simply leave a wake of debt is foolish.

Any attempt to make education free must be well directed and well intentioned enough to weed out "professional students" and achieve this goal. Right now we don't have that part figured out, so, unfortunately, the next best thing is to go with a utilitarian approach to funding education. Funding people who simply leave a wake of debt is foolish.