do you think a degree/ education is ever a waste?

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If you get a degree in something and then decide to change careers and get into something else, or if you decide to do something else with your degree is it ever a waste?

For the mind, an education is a good thing, especially if the degree taught you critical thinking or a new way of seeing the world.

A degree is not always a good return on investment.

The term "waste" is ambiguous. Money can be wasted. Students who are in college with no intention of putting in the work, drop out after a year or two not having gained a degree or really anything else have wasted time and money and not gained intellectually.

My sister and I say that we have gained a whole lot more financially from our community college degrees than we ever did with our 4 year liberal arts degrees. Not that our Art and Sociology degrees are meaningless, but the skills from community college pay the bills. I guess we are practical that way.

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Specializes in ICU.

I think education is valuable in and of itself. However, if you rack up a ton and a half of student loans, and don't even get a job in the field you majored in, I think it's a waste of your time and money. If you are independently wealthy and dropping $60k here and there doesn't affect you, it's not a waste.

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Specializes in orthopedic/trauma, Informatics, diabetes.
You were a school teacher? At what grade level?
5th grade math and science
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hell no, a 4-year liberal arts degree is not a waste. i make more money per hour with my liberal arts degree than nursing.

What do you do now if I may ask? So you had a nursing degree became a nurse, went back and got a liberal arts degree and now do something else?

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5th grade math and science

Oh that's cool, what made you decide to get into nursing from teaching. I originally was going for teaching myself but quickly realized it was not for me.

Was nursing or teaching more stressful?

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Specializes in Corrections, Psych, Public Health.

Not at all, I have a BS and MS in another field before and worked and an Engineer before I changed and went to nursing school. I teach Math (any level) at a local community college part time and have a nursing job full time. Education opens a lot of doors in multiple places, you just have to learn how to use it and choose where you are going to go with it.

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Specializes in Hospital Education Coordinator.

not a waste, any more than have life experiences is a waste. We learn from everything we do.

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Do I think my BA from a "public Ivy" was a waste? No, it gave me valuable intellectual development.

Do I think the BSN I'm working on now is a waste of my time and money? Absolutely.

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Do I think my BA from a "public Ivy" was a waste? No, it gave me valuable intellectual development.

Do I think the BSN I'm working on now is a waste of my time and money? Absolutely.

Are you thinking nursing is not for you anymore?

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Are you thinking nursing is not for you anymore?

Had I been fully aware of nursing culture before I got involved - I probably would have found something else. I'm in too deep now.

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A *complete* waste, no, I suppose no education is ever a complete waste. Education for education's sake, and all that.

But, for your average person, taking out student loans, getting a four year degree in Russian Literature or Classical Philosophy, only to wind with a job as a cashier at Barnes and Noble is a very poor and impractical life choice.

Such degrees are for ennui and angst filled rich kids who can afford to be career students. I mean, what can you do with majors like that? Hope to get accepted into law school?

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Specializes in CVICU.

9th grade high school drop out here! (Until approx. 5 years ago)

Education is not a waste and I have educated myself since I became a drop-out so many years ago.

Now is the formal education to get a degree a waste?….for the most part yes! I spent more time doing busy work than learning since starting college. Now if you are child with no life experience, then I can see some principles that apply. But as a business owner for most of my life I am not impressed with the money I have spent to receive my degrees.

I see the ratio as 20% new knowledge/ 80% information I already knew much better than my professors. (Yet, I had to learn what "nursing education" re-named key terms so they may claim it as their own)

I graduated with high honors in all my degrees, salutatorian in my ASN, so I don't feel that way simply because I wasn't a good student.

But in our society most people have to be forced to learn and will not do it on their own. And so we really do have to have standards to guide the masses. And I will continue on towards an advanced degree, knowing I could learn at work and self education and advance my knowledge, but I have to meet the standards of our laws.

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