"Is College Worth It?"

[poocrusher]

I really wish I would've taken some business classes in college.

[odp]

go, man, go. don't stop going to school until you're done with your degree. I've stopped so many fucking times, thinking that the "real world" was a better gig. HAH! it is not, by any means. All the traveling and shit that i've done could've been done over school breaks. i've saved no money and watched everyone else who is still around develop horrible heroin habits and do nothing anymore.

don't get me wrong, i've learned a lot about what i DON'T WANT in life, but i've watched all my good buddies who have moved away for school gain solid jobs, live in interesting cities, etc. All due to having stayed in school for 4 or 5 years.

That said, i'm working on my paper work to get back in full time for the fall. I'm not that old at 24, but dude, it's intimidating like your grandmas brassiere free breasts bouncing in the winter wind.

you can go to school, have fun, and get something out of it that will help you continue to have more fun; that being a job where you don't have to work weekends, 2nd or 3rd shift, and make more than $12/hr.

[cigarettedeer]

Become an art school drop out. It worked for Neckface

[Sleazy]

I have a friend who will get his doctorate degree in philosophy soon. This man avoids real life like the plague.

that's exactly the kind of thing that is kind of silly to do on your own dollar unless you are wealthy

just because a lot of people are dumb about college doesn't mean that going to college is dumb. if you are smart about it, it'll work out for you.

[BriDen]

Wow, you Americans sure do get ripped off for post-secondary education!!  20 grand for community college?  WOW!!

If you're getting that from the University of Connecticut statistic, then you should realize that's a university, not a community college. CC's usually hand out certificates and associates degrees, then you can transfer to a University and finish getting a Bachelors degree or what have you. I'm in a CC right now paying about $1,300 per semester, but before this I was at IIT (university) for a semester which would have cost me $17,000 per semester if it weren't for grants/loans. Luckily I walked away only having to pay $2,000 for that.

[just_peysa]

The world is ending in 2 years. Fuck school. Meet me on the dance floor.

haha 

[pugmaster]

I highly recommend getting an education.  You need to separate yourself from the workplace competition.

[Chiguy]

me and all the people who i know who went to school are all doing really well and none regret it. but we were all math\science majors and have all been able to step straight into rewarding, well paying careers. i firmly believe that college is worth it for certain majors if you need to borrow and worth it for any major if you can do it without borrowing (scholarships, working, family, ect...)

and the whole idea that taking classes that aren't job training is a waste of time is absurd and shows that you really don't get what the whole point of an academic education is. the classes in highschool are eqaully "not job training" but don't you think there would be a world of difference between a person who only finished jr high and a person with a high school diploma?

Its just my opinion on the matter, but what is an Academic Education?

Its a useless label for me. Unless you actually are seeking better academic enlightenment(In which case you can't hate that), how does paying for classes that you aren't interested in help you in the least. Sure maybe you'll impress some people with your better than average knowledge of certain subjects, but how is that supposed to help you pay the bills? How is Theater helping me prepare for life as an Architect?

To me, who is not seeking absolute academic enlightenment and just want to get out there and work, what's the purpose of dropping money on these remedial(For me) courses? I don't care about the class so I probably won't remember anything. Its a required course for graduation. So I still have to pay for this class in order to graduate despite it not helping me prepare for life after school.

 ???l

[snickers]

A lot of the kids I know constantly freak out about their major. In the grand scheme of things, your major rarely has any direct impact on your career.

[Sleazy]

chiguy

you own a company and have to hire someone to do some programming for you in an area that is new and rather obscure and there isn't anyone who has a good amount of that kind of experience so you'll just have to hire someone who you think can pick it up quick and run with it. you have two choice to pick from one is a guy that worked his way up from tech support into programming and the other is a degreed person. both people have the same number of years of programming experience because it took both 4 years to get to the point that they were getting paid to program.

without knowing anything else, would you rather spend your money on someone who has been trained only to program in a very limited and specific scope or would you rather someone who not only has taken all the fundamental theory classes but also has a minor in math and took all these classes that in no way directly apply to the job at hand: cal I-III, cal based physics I-III, linear and advanced linear algebra, cal based statistics I-II, nubmer theory, intro to philosophy, ethics, social sciences classes, english lit, ect...

who do you think will be better at learning new technologies (math and science)? assume for a minute that the programming paridigm is drastically different than the one that both candidates have experience in, who do you think has more experience in learning completely different paridigms of thought (math and science)? who do you think will just be smarter? who do you think will be able to document your new product better (english, social science, philosophy, ect...)? who will be better able to train people on this new technology (4 years of being taught by professors)? who do you think will be a better customer facing tech person who can instill confidence in not only the system but the human resources that built and support it (social science, philosophy, psycology, ect...)?

to think that being acedemically well rounded and accomplished is not a useful in the work place is just a bit niave. it's not required, but you'd be kidding yourself to think that those things don't mature your thought process, problem sovling, ability to learn and to communicate. and lets face it, if you are sucessful you will be working with other college educated people, especially managers and it may not seem important to get the "invisible hand" or "pavlov" joke, but it definitely doesn't hurt and a lot people throw those type things out there just to test the waters a bit.

my sister climbed to the top of the corporate ladder with no degree and she definitely regretted not having one and frequently felt awkward when coffee table conversations would start up at her work and she had no idea what people were talking about, which happened frequently enough for it to be an issue for her.

it's kind of like in the military, they make you do a lot of things that you will never need to do in combat, but they get you in the right kind of shape to better handle combat. you're not going to need to do push ups in battle but having done a shit ton of them for years will definitely help you manage better... college is the same thing for your brain.

[H8R part 4]

^
you get all that and you get to slay a bunch of chicks and get wasted with your friends.

[Chiguy]

I get what you're saying as far as broadening your scope.

If you're taking classes that help going to your career, I'm totally cool with tagging those classes on. Logically you'd take the more well rounded guy which is cool. I'm not totally against that. You learn that from any good adviser. Taking a specific course that could only really land you into a specific scope of careers , versus taking many courses that could lead you on any number of paths. Its like an English major versus a Journalism major. The Journalism guy's degree is pretty outlined. The English guy in the end would have more options.

If you're taking classes that help you in a career choice path, I'm totally with that. I myself even did that. That's just the smart thing to do. I have friends that were totally convinced about becoming Game Programming Majors, but have told me that in the end usually the regular old Computer Programming Majors ended up getting their foot into the industry before the Game Majors.

What I'm not cool with is being required to take Astronomy, Music History, Art History, or basically any of these humanity classes, or otherwise that would not help with your Major/Career in the least, but you still have to take them. It makes sense that an architect would take a variety of math, geometry or whatever classes. You shouldn't have to sit through Psychology, Sociology, Philosophy, Greek Philosophy, Comms, to get where you want to be. That's a rip off IMO.

Maybe I should have outlined what I said earlier in a more specific matter.

[FranklinSt4Ever]

I agree with what most everyone is saying except for the girl part. I didn't even lose my virginity until after I graduated from undergrad sooooooo the whole banging thing isn't guaranteed.

[kilgore.]

I agree with what most everyone is saying except for the girl part. I didn't even lose my virginity until after I graduated from undergrad sooooooo the whole banging thing isn't guaranteed.

............................

[FranklinSt4Ever]

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I agree with what most everyone is saying except for the girl part. I didn't even lose my virginity until after I graduated from undergrad sooooooo the whole banging thing isn't guaranteed.

[close]

............................

Hey, sorry I'm not cool like everyone else.

[oyolar]

I just want to know what school faster! went/goes to because I want to visit him for a weekend. My school has parties and shit, but it's pretty well known for not having a stellar social scene. Or very attractive women.

But back to the main point-I'm glad I went to college. Yeah, mine's pretty expensive, but if you're smart about it (both in your high schoo classes and applying for schools and shit), you shouldn't have a problem getting loans and/or grants. Besides that, taking all those classes Chiguy was talking about, and just being at school, has completely changed me. Ignoring the fact that I like to learn things, regardless of their applicability, I have a bunch of new interests, I know a lot more concepts and am able to discuss them articulately, and it's so cliché, but college really does help you grow as a person. Before taking classes, I was very stubborn and closed-minded and I look back at who I was and, at times, I'm embarrassed at how I used to think and act, so at the very least people should keep that in mind when thinking about going to college.

That all being said, four year universities aren't for everyone and people should keep that in mind too.

[Bobbito]

College sucks but that's me being a crybaby. Like everything else in life, you need to hustle to get what you want and college is no different. But at the same time, the meeting of new people, sex, beer, your studies, and always pushing the limits of all these aspects of college make it fucking awesome!

And besides, be thankful you can go to college. 100 years ago, society was a bunch of retards compared to people now so suck it up and barge.

[Sleazy]

What I'm not cool with is being required to take Astronomy, Music History, Art History, or basically any of these humanity classes, or otherwise that would not help with your Major/Career in the least, but you still have to take them. It makes sense that an architect would take a variety of math, geometry or whatever classes. You shouldn't have to sit through Psychology, Sociology, Philosophy, Greek Philosophy, Comms, to get where you want to be. That's a rip off IMO.

so those classes are required for everyone or just for architects? i'd be a little annoyed about music history if i didn't have a choice but art history seems like something that every architect would want to take. and it's probably the nerd in me but astronmy was pretty fucking awesome when i took it.

[grimcity]

When I found out I couldn't get into the Army, I dropped out of high school, took my ACT and GED almost back to back, then left my little country town and went to the University here in Hammond. After three and a half years of English Ed, I realized I was fucktarded and switched over into computer science and some art and design. When I was studying English I was bartending and making money building websites and fixing computers on the side... by the time I switched majors, I was working in IT full time, plus contract jobs. I stayed in school long enough to get what I wanted (roughly another year full time) then left school to focus more on job opportunities and beefing up my references and portfolio.

I couldn't ask for a better career right now, and I still get contract requests that I can turn around quickly for a few extra bucks. That might be pretty unique because it's IT... some shops like degrees, but once place that headhunted me wouldn't hire fresh graduates because they had a tendency to work at a rate slightly slower than breakneck.

Everyone should give it a year or two. I wound up getting interested in so many things that my final full time semester was basically a big collection of classes that I thought would be neat to attend. You never know.

[rawbertson.]

if you make it through high school and you didnt get laid you are probably pretty for sure a loser
but if you make it through college and you still didnt get laid you must really be a loser cause even i got laid in college
if thats the case
you know what to do.

[Sleazy]

When I found out I couldn't get into the Army, I dropped out of high school, took my ACT and GED almost back to back, then left my little country town and went to the University here in Hammond. After three and a half years of English Ed, I realized I was fucktarded and switched over into computer science and some art and design. When I was studying English I was bartending and making money building websites and fixing computers on the side... by the time I switched majors, I was working in IT full time, plus contract jobs. I stayed in school long enough to get what I wanted (roughly another year full time) then left school to focus more on job opportunities and beefing up my references and portfolio.

I couldn't ask for a better career right now, and I still get contract requests that I can turn around quickly for a few extra bucks. That might be pretty unique because it's IT... some shops like degrees, but once place that headhunted me wouldn't hire fresh graduates because they had a tendency to work at a rate slightly slower than breakneck.

Everyone should give it a year or two. I wound up getting interested in so many things that my final full time semester was basically a big collection of classes that I thought would be neat to attend. You never know.

guys without degrees in IT are usually either really good or really unimpressive. and pretty much every one of the guys i've worked with who was really good in IT without a degree went back for something. really it's like someone said about art, if your motivated enough to do all the research and put together a great portfolio without school then you should but for most people it's easier to just go to school. you definitely got that OG, tweak and tinker nerd vibe that all my good non-degreed friends have. but you gotta admidt it takes a special kind of person, kind of like being a goalie, and that kind of person most likely won't have to figure it out anyway because they'll be too busy doing it.

[H8R part 4]

I just want to know what school faster! went/goes to because I want to visit him for a weekend. My school has parties and shit, but it's pretty well known for not having a stellar social scene. Or very attractive women.

i graduated from NC state and i partied at all the universities around NC, chapel hill, duke, central, greensboro.  nothing was too far and at the very least i was going to drink, get buck and have a good time. 
   
if your standards are too high, you'll never get laid.  sometimes you gotta go with whats being thrown at you.  the more you get laid, the more confidence it will build and you'll be able to approach more women in general.  besides that, getting laid by ugly chick is better than not getting laid at all.  i'd rather go home with a chick whos a 5 than go home to my palmela and her 5 sisters, plus thats where the drinking helps.  you know what they say, 'the more i drink the better you look'.         

[grimcity]

Expand Quote

When I found out I couldn't get into the Army, I dropped out of high school, took my ACT and GED almost back to back, then left my little country town and went to the University here in Hammond. After three and a half years of English Ed, I realized I was fucktarded and switched over into computer science and some art and design. When I was studying English I was bartending and making money building websites and fixing computers on the side... by the time I switched majors, I was working in IT full time, plus contract jobs. I stayed in school long enough to get what I wanted (roughly another year full time) then left school to focus more on job opportunities and beefing up my references and portfolio.

I couldn't ask for a better career right now, and I still get contract requests that I can turn around quickly for a few extra bucks. That might be pretty unique because it's IT... some shops like degrees, but once place that headhunted me wouldn't hire fresh graduates because they had a tendency to work at a rate slightly slower than breakneck.

Everyone should give it a year or two. I wound up getting interested in so many things that my final full time semester was basically a big collection of classes that I thought would be neat to attend. You never know.

[close]

guys without degrees in IT are usually either really good or really unimpressive. and pretty much every one of the guys i've worked with who was really good in IT without a degree went back for something. really it's like someone said about art, if your motivated enough to do all the research and put together a great portfolio without school then you should but for most people it's easier to just go to school. you definitely got that OG, tweak and tinker nerd vibe that all my good non-degreed friends have. but you gotta admidt it takes a special kind of person, kind of like being a goalie, and that kind of person most likely won't have to figure it out anyway because they'll be too busy doing it.

I think I lucked out because I'm down for hustling and I know how to bullshit, haha.

[Sleazy]

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I just want to know what school faster! went/goes to because I want to visit him for a weekend. My school has parties and shit, but it's pretty well known for not having a stellar social scene. Or very attractive women.

[close]

i graduated from NC state and i partied at all the universities around NC, chapel hill, duke, central, greensboro.  nothing was too far and at the very least i was going to drink, get buck and have a good time. 
   
if your standards are too high, you'll never get laid.  sometimes you gotta go with whats being thrown at you.  the more you get laid, the more confidence it will build and you'll be able to approach more women in general.  besides that, getting laid by ugly chick is better than not getting laid at all.  i'd rather go home with a chick whos a 5 than go home to my palmela and her 5 sisters, plus thats where the drinking helps.  you know what they say, 'the more i drink the better you look'.         

every bitch gets some random dick in college. keep your standards in check (i was more of a butter face guy than a porker, but one mans skank is anothers princess) and your visibility high and you could easily be a few girls a semesters "mistake." fall semesters the harvest too, so many niave freshmen who are dying to get out there and test out that new found freedom but still didn't get burned yet.

[BabyKillaSeason]

Expand Quote

I just want to know what school faster! went/goes to because I want to visit him for a weekend. My school has parties and shit, but it's pretty well known for not having a stellar social scene. Or very attractive women.

[close]

i graduated from NC state and i partied at all the universities around NC, chapel hill, duke, central, greensboro.  nothing was too far and at the very least i was going to drink, get buck and have a good time. 
   
if your standards are too high, you'll never get laid.  sometimes you gotta go with whats being thrown at you.  the more you get laid, the more confidence it will build and you'll be able to approach more women in general.  besides that, getting laid by ugly chick is better than not getting laid at all.  i'd rather go home with a chick whos a 5 than go home to my palmela and her 5 sisters, plus thats where the drinking helps.  you know what they say, 'the more i drink the better you look'.         

ugly chicks like cologne though right?

[FranklinSt4Ever]

if you make it through high school and you didn't get laid you are probably pretty for sure a loser
but if you make it through college and you still didn't get laid you must really be a loser cause even i got laid in college
if that's the case
you know what to do.

In high school I wasn't allowed to hang out with other kids until I was around 16 (strict religious parents)

During college my life was basically class, skate afterward, and video games after that when I was tired and I didn't really go out because I don't drink/smoke/etc. I ended up meeting someone in one of my classes during my last semester and we dated for a year after I graduated so I got laid a bit after I graduated.

According to roommates I had women interested in me but I didn't see it because lack of experience=being oblivious to signals=not getting any experience/etc. Like I said, I apologize for not being cool.

[grimcity]

I lucked out being a bartender... I had done it right before college and it completely made up for any lack of game or looks. First year and half I was a raging whore.

[Stoeipoes]

It is if :

A) Your parents can support you so you won't get into to much debt and don't have to worry if the only thing you get out of college is a good time.
B) Your not sure what you want to do and if you dont go to college your going to end up in a shitty job you don'y care about.
C) You want to be a doctor, lawyer, philosopher, scientist, historian, policy advisor, engineer, teacher etc any kind of proffesional/academic job.

[H8R part 4]

I lucked out being a bartender... I had done it right before college and it completely made up for any lack of game or looks. First year and half I was a raging whore.

i never tended bar but i would go to random parties and start running the keg.  its the best spot in the house because you're guaranteed to meet every chick there. 
 
he who controls the booze gets the most booty.   

[deluxe_six]

he who controls the booze gets the most booty.   

next to the guy that controls the roofie