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Skateboarding => USELESS WOODEN TOY BANTER => Topic started by: HATE! on June 25, 2015, 09:52:46 AM
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http://www.jenkemmag.com/home/2015/06/25/college-a-perspective-from-pro-skateboarders/ (http://www.jenkemmag.com/home/2015/06/25/college-a-perspective-from-pro-skateboarders/)
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No suciu or rattray? yeah, both have been interviewed on the subject before, but coulda gained some new insight from rattray or found out if suciu is taking any easy "A" courses to BOOST (adidas pun intended) his GPA.
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No suciu or rattray? yeah, both have been interviewed on the subject before, but coulda gained some new insight from rattray or found out if suciu is taking any easy "A" courses to BOOST (adidas pun intended) his GPA.
Suciu starring in "Easy 'A' 2, Scholastic Boogaloo", confirmed.
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i basically read dan murphys section as stay in school and dedicated to skating because nike payed off my student loan debt.
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College? I thought the formula was to drop out of high school and only skate.
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Stay in school and strive for higher learning. The skateboarding world is overflowing with high school dropout local heroes that have a harder time stringing together an 8 word sentence, than they do an 8 trick line. You're 98% certain to never make it as a professional, and if you were, you probably have about a 1-2% chance to live comfortably from it and be able to retire with some form of savings, investments, etc. So yeah, skate for fun, don't try and get sponsored, and don't be a complete skateboard person cliche'.
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College initially was a great way to prove to a prospective employer in any field that you were responsible enough to show up to the same place for four years consistently and handle increasingly difficult tasks and assignments in a satisfactory manner. That was the main appeal.
Things like, "oh I did psychology, kinesiology, business etc" were supposed to provide the base entry level education requires to start in a menial role in those fields. Now, due to laws of supply and demand, the general accreditation a college degree confers is basically useless unless it's from an artificially constrained point in the supply demand continuum (ie, yes I went to college, but it was Stanford / Yale / Harvard).
Which is why you find a lot of grads out of work. They simply will not subject themselves to a 32k a yr 9-5 after the freedom they've tasted or they are just ... trying to enter the art / history / non-existent professions by and large. Never too late to be a barista, and who can blame them, offices suck. Then you are in the catch-22 cycle - you have to go back and get a masters, and likely a professional accreditation to not be a shit-slurper screwing on caps of toothpaste at the factory.
Anyway, interesting read -- appreciate the drawing of Hammeke (Bobby Hill) doing the 360 flip in full academic regalia.
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^Yo I hear what you're saying but it's not so cut and dry. I hear people who graduated before the recession constantly saying how college grads today aren't willing to put in the work and, speaking from experience, that's not true. It's that these days a college degree is equivalent to a high school diploma and the shit just doesn't do what it used to. That "non-existent art job" is my best bet for a job right now, having graduated with a BFA in Design (a growing industry, at least where I'm at), because it's a niche job. Yea being a dancer/journalist probably won't pay the bills, but the competition to work at a coffee joint here is ridiculous and sometimes the best bet is to get an entry-level position that falls in line with your degree.
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^^ agree. Kudos to your work ethic and best of luck on getting that art job of yours.
Just like the 2 plus years it took me to master the kickflip at age 11, my initial out of college work sucked but the destination was the reward, as now I am in a great field with a lot of upside (corporate finance).
Also, as an aside, it's why all kids should skate -- really teaches you stick-to-itiveness and drive
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The perspective in which college is viewed within skateboarding is really misguided. From all the things I've read about it via skate mags and interviews, its been made out to be scary, incredibly difficult, and almost unattainable. Pros with degrees seem lauded for their "amazing" achievement as if they did the impossible. Yet, the contrary is true. College, for the most part, is not difficult to get into, and while being much more demanding than high school, is actually fairly easy. Even grad school is pretty easy.
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You're 98% certain to never make it as a professional, and if you were, you probably have about a 1-2% chance to live comfortably from it and be able to retire with some form of savings, investments, etc.�
No one said it was rational to chase dreams
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College, for the most part, is not difficult to get into, and while being much more demanding than high school, is actually fairly easy. Even grad school is pretty easy.
Agreed. It is the base minimum of scholastic requirement to show anyone who is giving you a steady paycheck in some vocation you have the base level of skill needed to get an entry level position.
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It's a weird double-edged sword, for sure. But it's always about instant vs delayed gratification, isn't it?
On the one hand, you lose a bunch of freedom when you're young, but you set yourself up (potentially) for the rest of your life. And honestly, the odds of you going pro are slim to none. The odds of a BA helping you to land a better job than without the BA are way higher. And sure, there are lots of great jobs for which you don't need a degree, but you'll need some sort of apprenticeship or trade school.
My own experience was this: I was sponsored for years. I got to travel and see the world via skating and I thought I was the luckiest dude in the world. I even started college before that happened and then dropped out to skate. But then, one day when I was pushing 26 or 27, it became painfully obvious that I was never going to get my name on a board. And even if I had? I would've been B or C-level at best and never in my life have made enough money to live off of, let alone retire on. Even if I had stuck it out and maybe (maybe?) turned pro at 30 (like some people have, and fucking A good for them), I would certainly have had to do a second act in life when that ride ended. But trying to figure out your second act at 35 or 38 or 40 is a hell of a lot more difficult than at 26. So I kept skating and came up with a contingency plan: go back to college, get an artsy fartsy degree and see what happens. Then I went to grad school and somehow was lucky enough to get a job that I love and still leaves me time to skate while still contributing to a 401K and not constantly worrying about blowing out a knee in my twilight years.
Not turning pro was the best thing that ever happened to me, in hindsight. I talk to a lot of my friends who are pro (but, like, B or C-level, whose shoe money is gone, who are barely holding onto those boards) and have no clue what's going to happen when the gravy train comes to a stop. Team managing? Maybe? Repping? Sales? Sure. All in the skateboard industry, and none of them with a real long term prospect.
I know they're smart dudes who are going to somehow land on their feet, but being 37 without a resume or marketable skills? That's fucking tough.
But again, the double edged sword: fuck man, they got to live, see the world on a board, briefly become "skateboard famous," and do it all on someone else's dime with smiles on their faces.
Who's to say if the trade-off is worth it?
Fuck, I love skating.
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^^ well said
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It's a weird double-edged sword, for sure. But it's always about instant vs delayed gratification, isn't it?
On the one hand, you lose a bunch of freedom when you're young, but you set yourself up (potentially) for the rest of your life. And honestly, the odds of you going pro are slim to none. The odds of a BA helping you to land a better job than without the BA are way higher. And sure, there are lots of great jobs for which you don't need a degree, but you'll need some sort of apprenticeship or trade school.
My own experience was this: I was sponsored for years. I got to travel and see the world via skating and I thought I was the luckiest dude in the world. I even started college before that happened and then dropped out to skate. But then, one day when I was pushing 26 or 27, it became painfully obvious that I was never going to get my name on a board. And even if I had? I would've been B or C-level at best and never in my life have made enough money to live off of, let alone retire on. Even if I had stuck it out and maybe (maybe?) turned pro at 30 (like some people have, and fucking A good for them), I would certainly have had to do a second act in life when that ride ended. But trying to figure out your second act at 35 or 38 or 40 is a hell of a lot more difficult than at 26. So I kept skating and came up with a contingency plan: go back to college, get an artsy fartsy degree and see what happens. Then I went to grad school and somehow was lucky enough to get a job that I love and still leaves me time to skate while still contributing to a 401K and not constantly worrying about blowing out a knee in my twilight years.
Not turning pro was the best thing that ever happened to me, in hindsight. I talk to a lot of my friends who are pro (but, like, B or C-level, whose shoe money is gone, who are barely holding onto those boards) and have no clue what's going to happen when the gravy train comes to a stop. Team managing? Maybe? Repping? Sales? Sure. All in the skateboard industry, and none of them with a real long term prospect.
I know they're smart dudes who are going to somehow land on their feet, but being 37 without a resume or marketable skills? That's fucking tough.
But again, the double edged sword: fuck man, they got to live, see the world on a board, briefly become "skateboard famous," and do it all on someone else's dime with smiles on their faces.
Who's to say if the trade-off is worth it?
Fuck, I love skating.
who are you?
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It's a weird double-edged sword, for sure. But it's always about instant vs delayed gratification, isn't it?
On the one hand, you lose a bunch of freedom when you're young, but you set yourself up (potentially) for the rest of your life. And honestly, the odds of you going pro are slim to none. The odds of a BA helping you to land a better job than without the BA are way higher. And sure, there are lots of great jobs for which you don't need a degree, but you'll need some sort of apprenticeship or trade school.
My own experience was this: I was sponsored for years. I got to travel and see the world via skating and I thought I was the luckiest dude in the world. I even started college before that happened and then dropped out to skate. But then, one day when I was pushing 26 or 27, it became painfully obvious that I was never going to get my name on a board. And even if I had? I would've been B or C-level at best and never in my life have made enough money to live off of, let alone retire on. Even if I had stuck it out and maybe (maybe?) turned pro at 30 (like some people have, and fucking A good for them), I would certainly have had to do a second act in life when that ride ended. But trying to figure out your second act at 35 or 38 or 40 is a hell of a lot more difficult than at 26. So I kept skating and came up with a contingency plan: go back to college, get an artsy fartsy degree and see what happens. Then I went to grad school and somehow was lucky enough to get a job that I love and still leaves me time to skate while still contributing to a 401K and not constantly worrying about blowing out a knee in my twilight years.
Not turning pro was the best thing that ever happened to me, in hindsight. I talk to a lot of my friends who are pro (but, like, B or C-level, whose shoe money is gone, who are barely holding onto those boards) and have no clue what's going to happen when the gravy train comes to a stop. Team managing? Maybe? Repping? Sales? Sure. All in the skateboard industry, and none of them with a real long term prospect.
I know they're smart dudes who are going to somehow land on their feet, but being 37 without a resume or marketable skills? That's fucking tough.
But again, the double edged sword: fuck man, they got to live, see the world on a board, briefly become "skateboard famous," and do it all on someone else's dime with smiles on their faces.
Who's to say if the trade-off is worth it?
Fuck, I love skating.
who are you?
Tell you? And compromise my ability to bother people by insisting on the correctness of "frontside half-cab flips?" NEVER!
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how is a way i can go to college for free
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wellllllll, since you started it, it's a fakie frontside flip.
Unless you are of the "nollie cab" or "frontside indy" ilk. Ugh.
The "cab" pronoun can only mean one thing -- fakie and backside. Half-cab, Full-cab. Half-cab flip? Caballerial heelflip. Etc.
Would you ever be caught dead saying frontside half-cab heelflip? I would remove a man's mustache, chin, and jaw with a clean punch if I heard suchness.
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I personally went the college route which enabled me to begin my career and I don't regret that. However, I do believe there is a negative connotation associated with choosing to not go to college that is engrained in kids even in middle school and high school. "You have to do this so you can get into college" "What college are you going to?" "This will be great prep for college." Ever hear any of that when you were younger? It's like if you decide to not go to college, you failed. And you're a sack of shite.
I think it's okay to choose not to go to college. There a lots of things you can do without a college degree, provided you'll need some vocational or apprenticeship training. College isn't for everyone, period. Some of us would really enjoy hands-on labor or manufacturing or something like that. As long as you're happy with what you're doing, who cares. Who is to say making more money is the definition of success. As long as you're not sitting on the couch eating pizza and smoking weed all day, and actually contribute to something you believe in or care about in some way, I think that's great.
I see people every day that I work with, that make much more money than I do, and they are fucking miserable. They have failed relationships.. romantic and friendships, they have nothing they're truly passionate about and don't have any time for anyone but themselves. I see that as a failure, not success.
Determine what your priorities are, then take the necessary steps to achieve those priorities. Whether that's going to college or not.
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wellllllll, since you started it, it's a fakie frontside flip.
Unless you are of the "nollie cab" or "frontside indy" ilk. Ugh.
The "cab" pronoun can only mean one thing -- fakie and backside. Half-cab, Full-cab. Half-cab flip? Caballerial heelflip. Etc.
Would you ever be caught dead saying frontside half-cab heelflip? I would remove a man's mustache, chin, and jaw with a clean punch if I heard suchness.
Fuck, you're late to the party on this one. Please read the entire BATB 8 thread and then post a coherent response.
Thx.
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It's a tradeoff either way. In the end, you will always wonder what if I had taken the other path. If you gave up on the dream of becoming a pro skater, you will wonder "What if I had just gone for it?" If you become a successful skater, you might wonder "Would I have been better off trying something less dependent on physicality?" All athletes have to deal with these issues.
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^Yo I hear what you're saying but it's not so cut and dry. I hear people who graduated before the recession constantly saying how college grads today aren't willing to put in the work and, speaking from experience, that's not true. It's that these days a college degree is equivalent to a high school diploma and the shit just doesn't do what it used to. That "non-existent art job" is my best bet for a job right now, having graduated with a BFA in Design (a growing industry, at least where I'm at), because it's a niche job. Yea being a dancer/journalist probably won't pay the bills, but the competition to work at a coffee joint here is ridiculous and sometimes the best bet is to get an entry-level position that falls in line with your degree.
this is the best point. sometimes people think they are entitled to a certain amount of money just because they have a degree. when in all honesty, they have a degree, but ZERO work experience. And no company is going to pay you top dollar with no experience. that's just the way it is. having a college degree isn't the end-all, be-all it used to be. BUT, it's foot in the door and THAT is how careers start. a company that hires an employee is making an investment and when you can prove you bring something good to the table for the company, you will be compensated accordingly (hopefully).
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wellllllll, since you started it, it's a fakie frontside flip.
Unless you are of the "nollie cab" or "frontside indy" ilk. Ugh.
The "cab" pronoun can only mean one thing -- fakie and backside. Half-cab, Full-cab. Half-cab flip? Caballerial heelflip. Etc.
Would you ever be caught dead saying frontside half-cab heelflip? I would remove a man's mustache, chin, and jaw with a clean punch if I heard suchness.
what do you call a frontside half cab noseslide then?
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It's a weird double-edged sword, for sure. But it's always about instant vs delayed gratification, isn't it?
On the one hand, you lose a bunch of freedom when you're young, but you set yourself up (potentially) for the rest of your life. And honestly, the odds of you going pro are slim to none. The odds of a BA helping you to land a better job than without the BA are way higher. And sure, there are lots of great jobs for which you don't need a degree, but you'll need some sort of apprenticeship or trade school.
My own experience was this: I was sponsored for years. I got to travel and see the world via skating and I thought I was the luckiest dude in the world. I even started college before that happened and then dropped out to skate. But then, one day when I was pushing 26 or 27, it became painfully obvious that I was never going to get my name on a board. And even if I had? I would've been B or C-level at best and never in my life have made enough money to live off of, let alone retire on. Even if I had stuck it out and maybe (maybe?) turned pro at 30 (like some people have, and fucking A good for them), I would certainly have had to do a second act in life when that ride ended. But trying to figure out your second act at 35 or 38 or 40 is a hell of a lot more difficult than at 26. So I kept skating and came up with a contingency plan: go back to college, get an artsy fartsy degree and see what happens. Then I went to grad school and somehow was lucky enough to get a job that I love and still leaves me time to skate while still contributing to a 401K and not constantly worrying about blowing out a knee in my twilight years.
Not turning pro was the best thing that ever happened to me, in hindsight. I talk to a lot of my friends who are pro (but, like, B or C-level, whose shoe money is gone, who are barely holding onto those boards) and have no clue what's going to happen when the gravy train comes to a stop. Team managing? Maybe? Repping? Sales? Sure. All in the skateboard industry, and none of them with a real long term prospect.
I know they're smart dudes who are going to somehow land on their feet, but being 37 without a resume or marketable skills? That's fucking tough.
But again, the double edged sword: fuck man, they got to live, see the world on a board, briefly become "skateboard famous," and do it all on someone else's dime with smiles on their faces.
Who's to say if the trade-off is worth it?
Fuck, I love skating.
who are you?
Yeah, spill the beans.
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Fuck, you're late to the party on this one. Please read the entire BATB 8 thread and then post a coherent response.
Thx.
I did already. Not going to join that hornet's nest of ill-informed fuckery.
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what do you call a frontside half cab noseslide then?
Fakie frontside noseslide
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plus, I want to know, seriously, would you ever say frontside half-cab heelflip?
Also, to Abudabi, rather than edit my post, you would say fakie frontside blunt, not frontside halfcab blunt (as another analogy to your question about fakie frontside noseslide).
I'm not calling into question your knowledge of the nomenclature, I'm just saying. Now if I accused you of calling frontside nosegrinds on round bars that lock in frontside overcrooks, well, then we'd have fighting words, haha.
I'm just asserting the truth handed down from on high that "cab" prefix is fakie and backside only.
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how is a way i can go to college for free
Are you American? 2 years in the military.
Go to college, I'm a 32 year old junior. Go to college. Making $15 an hour, physically busting your ass or dealing with customers is all you're going to get otherwise.
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It's definitely not a fakie frontside anything. By that logic, a nollie backside 180 would be called a switch fakie frontside 180.
BY THAT LOGIC :D :D
To think, all these years I've been calling 'em tailslides, when, by all apparent logic, they are ollie late 90 switch noseslides. Boy, am I embarrassed.
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Yeah, spill the beans.
I'm guessing Tom Krauser of Media Skateboards
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i was pro too attention me
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i was pro too attention me
Sir, I have idolized your every utterance since I found out the secret story of your historic past.
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plus, I want to know, seriously, would you ever say frontside half-cab heelflip?
Also, to Abudabi, rather than edit my post, you would say fakie frontside blunt, not frontside halfcab blunt (as another analogy to your question about fakie frontside noseslide).
I'm not calling into question your knowledge of the nomenclature, I'm just saying. Now if I accused you of calling frontside nosegrinds on round bars that lock in frontside overcrooks, well, then we'd have fighting words, haha.
I'm just asserting the truth handed down from on high that "cab" prefix is fakie and backside only.
to me, it seems super weird to call the bs version a halfcab noseslide, and then call the frontside one a fakie front nose.
youre right that i do say fakie front blunt though, so i guess im weird too. damnit.
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Do you want to study abroad?
I am down for some weird beaver…
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If you ride a skateboard and can't see the value in working for something you want, pushing through the pain and misery, even if everyone else thinks it's a waste of time, even when your peers say it's never going to happen- you havent been paying attention.
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I highly recommend taking the route that I did - start selling weed, drop out of college, stay ambitious with the weed, make a ton of money that you don't pay any taxes on, employ people, create your own hours and travel anytime you want....then one day get popped, spend a year in jail and get out to no $, no car, no skill set, and no degree. and not having skated for an entire year.
...but seriously, not to be too negative but- how many of you know people who have degrees and are working jobs that don't require a degree? does the mantra 'you can't put a price on your education' really hold true when college is so expensive?
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For what it is worth......A college education can be incredibly important, especially if you want to make difference. But there are a lot of paths. For me, skateboarding represents a fucking amazing interaction between the dejected and the larger community. We were all idiot skate rats at some point who didn't have a pot to piss in. Either that, or we got involved in skateboarding because it represented something beyond the normal. Regardless, I would like to think that what we are discussing here, is "how do I translate my love of skateboarding to money"?
Well, I would argue that the love of skateboarding inherently involves the a) engagement of the social and physical landscape of a community b) the cultural involvement of disaffected people c) desire to improve the opportunity of others in your community to engage in physical activity
That said, I would argue that you should pursue something that would allow you to a) give back to your community b) influence politics or policies of your community c) improve the lives of those around you.
Sure, you could make a lot of money working some bullshit job for a company you hate and that would be rad. But it wouldn't help you sleep at night.
For what it is worth. I have a BA in Education, and an MSW plus a growing inability to accurately ride my skateboard. Whatever, I have started homeless shelters for youth, operated community service centers, traveled the world. I make no significant money, but I sleep well at night and I give all the credit to skateboarding.
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plus, I want to know, seriously, would you ever say frontside half-cab heelflip?
Also, to Abudabi, rather than edit my post, you would say fakie frontside blunt, not frontside halfcab blunt (as another analogy to your question about fakie frontside noseslide).
I'm not calling into question your knowledge of the nomenclature, I'm just saying. Now if I accused you of calling frontside nosegrinds on round bars that lock in frontside overcrooks, well, then we'd have fighting words, haha.
I'm just asserting the truth handed down from on high that "cab" prefix is fakie and backside only.
youre right that i do say fakie front blunt though, so i guess im weird too. damnit.
it's ok to be weird
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I highly recommend taking the route that I did - start selling weed, drop out of college, stay ambitious with the weed, make a ton of money that you don't pay any taxes on, employ people, create your own hours and travel anytime you want....then one day get popped, spend a year in jail and get out to no $, no car, no skill set, and no degree. and not having skated for an entire year.
...but seriously, not to be too negative but- how many of you know people who have degrees and are working jobs that don't require a degree? does the mantra 'you can't put a price on your education' really hold true when college is so expensive?
Quite a few foreign friends I knew were using fake degrees to work (as a BA was a requirement). This can work for a while, but if you are found out you can be out of a job and possibly have your visa knocked back...
I wonder though, university fees have just recently tripled in the UK. If I was 20 now, would I want to get into 50 grand of debt? Its crazy.
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how is a way i can go to college for free
Go to college, I'm a 32 year old junior. Go to college. Making $15 an hour, physically busting your ass or dealing with customers is all you're going to get otherwise.
nah im straight on the military, not for me boss. i make well more than that now and i do stuff I love. I just want someone to teach me photoshop really thoroughly for free. and pro tools.
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Even though I hated and still hate the university I was, I have to say that it was the greatest thing that happened in my life. University taught me how to teach myslef stuff, however when I learnt that (half-way through the program) the university was just a drag because I felt like it was slowing me down, because you have to deal with the bullshit of professors and not only with getting knowledge. However, things around the university are pretty important too. Living alone for the first time alone in a different city allows you to grow up but also develop your own personality. Meeting people is also very important. When I was at school I considered myself the smartest kid but when I went to the university I met smarter people and differently smart people and they really gave me much. I am still friend with some of them and I also have some of the best memories with them.
Regarding skating things were mixed. Getting to skate a bigger city with lots of very good and very different skaters really helped my skating. My hometown is very small and didnt have many good skaters and most people had very similar styles of skating. I also met different people from those at university and they certainly affected me in a different way. I was friends with many skaters and I have the rest of the best memories with them. On the other hand engineering school was too demanding and sometimes I had to slow down on skating, like skating one time per week, in order to pass the exams or do assignments.
In my opinion university/college is a good thing and everyone should experience it even simple workers for technical education. Disappointingly it is connected with career though it shouldnt. Education makes you a better person and citizen, career is another thing that has to do with how to make money.
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Dan Murphy was the most honest about the whole thing. if you have the chance to get an education while skating, I give you props.
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I skated as much, if not more, during college as/than high school... plus, the only friends from college (who are good enough friends I don't refer to them as "friends from college" but simply, "friends") I'm still in contact with are the ones who skated...in fact, we still skate together when the planets align.
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how is a way i can go to college for free
Go to college, I'm a 32 year old junior. Go to college. Making $15 an hour, physically busting your ass or dealing with customers is all you're going to get otherwise.
nah im straight on the military, not for me boss. i make well more than that now and i do stuff I love. I just want someone to teach me photoshop really thoroughly for free. and pro tools.
A lot of schools will have continuing ed classes that you can take at night that don't require you to enroll, just pay for the course. It's not free, but it's much cheaper than actual college.
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Skating is one of the 3 or 4 things that has kept me sane while being in college
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Skating is one of the 3 or 4 things that has kept me sane while being in college
What were the other three? Pussy, weed and alcohol? Hard life.
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how is a way i can go to college for free
Go to college, I'm a 32 year old junior. Go to college. Making $15 an hour, physically busting your ass or dealing with customers is all you're going to get otherwise.
nah im straight on the military, not for me boss. i make well more than that now and i do stuff I love. I just want someone to teach me photoshop really thoroughly for free. and pro tools.
you can learn pretty much any software on your own. just buy a couple books and watch some online videos and mess around with the programs.
I think these days you can learn basically anything without going to school. books and Internet are all you need. a formal education is mostly valuable for supposedly teaching social skills and giving you that official credential on your resume. I went to college and, while it helped me get a job, the learning itself was not that useful. I would rather have been out there traveling and skating. I suppose I shouldn't look a gift horse in the mouth but I really think college is complete bullshit, at least the way the system is now. college courses should be a blend of practice and theory but it's mostly all theoretical nonsense. vocational and technical schools teach you more actual, practical skills but are probably not as reputable.
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how is a way i can go to college for free
Go to college, I'm a 32 year old junior. Go to college. Making $15 an hour, physically busting your ass or dealing with customers is all you're going to get otherwise.
nah im straight on the military, not for me boss. i make well more than that now and i do stuff I love. I just want someone to teach me photoshop really thoroughly for free. and pro tools.
these videos are really helpful for learning photo shop....
[edit: better link] https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD19BCF9D57320E03 (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD19BCF9D57320E03)
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Good topic. I think there's a big misconception of college within skateboarding. Neither of my parents were college grads and with skateboarding as my only reference for the 'real world' there was only one thing I knew for certain growing up - college wasn't for me. Sparing you a long story, as I grew up and grew more intellectually curious (largely spurred by things I was discovering through skateboarding) I ended up going to college and I'm glad I did. Not just for the benefits it gives one re a job and security, etc but also because I learned a lot of interesting stuff and became a more well-rounded person. I think skateboarding generally associates college with the jock mentality or 'mainstream lifestyle' and for that reason many skaters steer away from it. But skaters are genuinely, for the most part, the most interesting and adaptable/resilient people I've ever encountered and I suspect we could be a damn successful lot if we were able to get over the stigma associated with college within our community.
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Can somebody clarify the american education system for me?
Because all those degrees would've been university degrees in Denmark (except for a Major in Art - and not Art History - that would have been at the Art Academy). The reason why I'm asking this, is because it seems like this article sort of says that an education is the same as an university degree.
But - in Denmark at least - there are way other educations like being a chef, physiotherapist, nurse, mechanic, elementary school teacher and many more educations which arent university degrees.
My point is I think education is important, but you shouldn't say education is the same as getting an university degree - universities aren't for everybody, but learning a craft is very good for both you and the general society.
There must be some people in the skateboarding industry that have other educations (unless your system works different from the Danish - in that case I am sorry for mixing things up)
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what do you call a frontside half cab noseslide then?
Fakie frontside noseslide
You're delusional. If I posted any further replies, I'd only be validating your delusions. Carry on.
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Can somebody clarify the american education system for me?
Because all those degrees would've been university degrees in Denmark (except for a Major in Art - and not Art History - that would have been at the Art Academy). The reason why I'm asking this, is because it seems like this article sort of says that an education is the same as an university degree.
But - in Denmark at least - there are way other educations like being a chef, physiotherapist, nurse, mechanic, elementary school teacher and many more educations which arent university degrees.
My point is I think education is important, but you shouldn't say education is the same as getting an university degree - universities aren't for everybody, but learning a craft is very good for both you and the general society.
There must be some people in the skateboarding industry that have other educations (unless your system works different from the Danish - in that case I am sorry for mixing things up)
where i grew up, it was pretty much expected of you to go to college or university after you graduated high school if planned on being "successful" and landing a job that pays well. but the thing is that most kids that i knew who were entering college right out of high school, myself included, didnt give it much more thought than that. you could go to a trade school, or enter some kind of job training that didnt envolve going to a traditional university, but that has always been looked at as a lesser path than the university path, which is totally stupid but thats the way it is.
the thing is this, most kids who are 18-19 years old and entering universities have no idea what they want to do with the rest of their life, but have this sort of expectation that they need to go to college in order to get a career. i have many friends who have gotten degrees in many different fields and by the time theyre finished, what theyve really learned is that they want nothing to do with whatever they just spent the past 4 or 5 years studying. i have one friend who got a political science degree, then spent the next few years working basically for free on farms because he enjoyed agriculture a whole lot more than politics. my advice to any young people who are planning their next move after high school would be to not necessarily jump straight into a university and get yourself into debt. dont just follow your friends to whatever state school everyone is going to and major in business because you dont know what you want to do with your life yet. i have friends who did exactly that and now work office jobs they hate, but are scared to go back and get a degree in something they actually do want to do because they'll never be able to pay off their loans. just like you said, there are plenty of decent careers that dont require a university degree, but are still great paths if thats what you want to do. its just that in america, the university route is a pretty traditional one and many people still believe that a college degree guarantees them the prefect career and theyll be successful for the rest of their lives.
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just wanna say that brian clarke part is one of my favorite parts ever. i didnt go to college.
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Your Mom went to college.
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Go to college or work at the huf warehouse and dj a dive bar every thursday ??? ??? ???
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Go to college or work at the huf warehouse and dj a dive bar every thursday ??? ??? ???
Yea but once you hit 30 that's pretty sad...
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these videos are really helpful for learning photo shop....
[edit: better link] https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD19BCF9D57320E03 (https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLD19BCF9D57320E03)
thanks for those, im gonna check em out tonight. i know i could teach myself it cuz i learned adobe premiere without classes, but its such an expansive program its hard to know where to start, plus im busy AND lazy so thats kind of a weird combo.
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The fact that an article like this could be written on such a subject is proof that my parents were right. Skateboarders are losers. Seriously though, how could anyone NOT consider going to some sort of college / career training / trade school in 2015?
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College ain't for everybody...trade school is an option. Do SOMETHING.
i went to school for film, worked at MTV and an Animation studio at 22 (they moved to vancouver) and now I teach film/video.
and have access to soooo many cameras and cranes to film skateboarding.
Do it for fun, get some clips, watch them when you're 80.
after high school, get some form of education...even 8 months online for a tech cert...something.
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The fact that an article like this could be written on such a subject is proof that my parents were right. Skateboarders are losers. Seriously though, how could anyone NOT consider going to some sort of college / career training / trade school in 2015?
the skaters who are too contemptuous of the rest of society are a little annoying and could probably be called losers. skateboarding is recreation. the only reason some people can do it as their "lifestyle" choice is because of society. without society, there is no skateboarding.
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(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/db/2d/92/db2d92b99b85aba2290d4d0b5917feef.gif)
Not too complicated. If you have interest and motivation, college can help you out. If you're aimless at 30 and hoping college will magically pair you with a career you think you deserve, have fun at the Occupy Protests praying someone nulls the debt you signed up for.
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If you have interest and motivation, college can help you out. If you're aimless at 30 and hoping college will magically pair you with a career you think you deserve, have fun at the Occupy Protests praying someone nulls the debt you signed up for.
Do people go to college on a lark in their 30s? That's what you do straight out of high school - or rather, you are going because someone expects you to or you have nothing better to do. Most people I know who went to college later in life did so with a focus on learning a specific, marketable skill and have done well for themselves.
The exception to this would be people who get snookered into some shitty online or for-profit school. Those are pretty much garbage.
I was one of those kids who went to college because it seemed expected of me after high school. I will say that it broadened my mind, made me a more critical thinker, and by the end (too late to help my GPA) I did learn to do work well and grow up a bit. I enjoyed the time and I will reiterate what others have said about there never being another place easier to meet girls. That said, I would probably do shit differently if given a do-over.
I went to a middling school and had a bullshit major. My degree has not helped me acquire work in any way besides allowing me to check the box that says B.A. on the application.
My sister went to an Ivy League school, got a bullshit degree and now works in Manhattan for hedge funds making bank. So there's your best option if you haven't fucked up high school yet (and let's face it, if you are on here you probably already did).
My wife went to a state school in her late 20s and got a degree in a specialized field for which her university had a strong job placement program.
Were I to do it over, I would try to take one of the latter routes. Hopefully try to work in some travel (study abroad, etc.) because once you get responsibilities that shit just ain't happening. I guess one last tip would be to get a serious internship and do it well because in a lot of fields that can be the easiest entrance to future real work.
I'm not saying college is unequivocally better than some other stuff like learning a trade but I do concur that one should avoid the I'm gonna totally fuck off throughout my twenties because it puts you in a shitty spot by your late thirties and beyond.
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(https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/db/2d/92/db2d92b99b85aba2290d4d0b5917feef.gif)
Not too complicated. If you have interest and motivation, college can help you out. If you're aimless at 30 and hoping college will magically pair you with a career you think you deserve, have fun at the Occupy Protests praying someone nulls the debt you signed up for.
^Pretty much.
I dropped out of art school, but I just kept doing all the shit I would have been doing if I had stayed. Its working out, but the amount of work I have to do is just as gnarly. Also, when it comes to art, I can't be as delusional about what I am doing out here in the real world as I was while in School. I think this may also apply to skateboarding as a career.
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how is a way i can go to college for free
1. Be really smart and go to a not so great school on academic full ride
2. Be pretty smart but also a poor minority and go to school with an academic scholarship and diversity related scholarships
3. Be really good at sports and go to state school on sports full ride
4. Have rich parents
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The perspective in which college is viewed within skateboarding is really misguided. From all the things I've read about it via skate mags and interviews, its been made out to be scary, incredibly difficult, and almost unattainable. Pros with degrees seem lauded for their "amazing" achievement as if they did the impossible. Yet, the contrary is true. College, for the most part, is not difficult to get into, and while being much more demanding than high school, is actually fairly easy. Even grad school is pretty easy.
Ain't that the truth. I'd make an exception for STEM, law, and medical degrees cause those can be real time consuming, especially at good schools, but most (if not all) pro skaters don't get those degrees. They get sociology and psychology and general business degrees at lower tier schools, which are a fucking cake walk.
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You're delusional. If I posted any further replies, I'd only be validating your delusions. Carry on.
Don't worry he folded once we found out he was a previous poster who came back to troll ;)
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I agree that college is not for everyone. It's not even for me, even though I'm a grad student at the moment.
The biggest reason I have been going to college is to avoid a "real job." I understand that that sounds lazy and spoiled or whatever to a lot of people, but what I mean is that I'm going to try my darndest to avoid doing things I don't want to do. I don't understand why people pride themselves by having shitty jobs and paying dues. Fuck that. If I have to get a "real job," I want it to at least be something I support, i.e., a local shop.
I probably differ from most people, but I feel like having a stable career and house w/family is awful. I don't understand the appeal of that sort of lifestyle, especially when one has a house loan that will stay with them for 20 years. I know several married dudes that are bummed that they can't be independent. I also know some dudes that really enjoy that - good for them.
I'm lucky enough to be gay and opposed to having a family anytime soon, if ever. I strongly believe in living up to my ideals as closely as possible, regardless of how much opposition comes my way.
I'm doing my MFA in Art. Though it's practically useless for anything other than teaching art, it's the best possible thing for myself. Instead of making art that nobody will buy or even care about, I'm going to try to use my final year here to help me survive after I graduate. Thank fucking Dog that I got a full ride.
P.S. The best way to avoid massive debt is to research which universities offer funding. Those with lower tuition are less likely to provide support.
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Get a trade you fucking lot off cement heads
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going to college is dumb...
but so is riding a skateboard lol
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I'm guessing Tom Krauser of Media Skateboards
Lenny rivas
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Anybody recall that 917 article that talked a bit upon a few of the main guys at the time being college educated ?
I think it was around the time of that 917 X Nike sb drop.
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Really Jenkem, you could only find one dude with a Bachelors of Science degree...
C’mon now. Do some legwork.
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Anybody recall that 917 article that talked a bit upon a few of the main guys at the time being college educated ?
I think it was around the time of that 917 X Nike sb drop.
http://www.jenkemmag.com/home/2019/05/31/a-skateboarders-guide-to-colleges/
Nik Stain went to Temple for math/mathematical economics or something I think. Max Palmer and Cyrus went to Pratt for industrial design related things.
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This article was cool and all, but if Reese Salken says “Fuck School” you can bet your ass I’m going with his advice on the matter.
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I once went to the University of Michigan worst is choice in my life
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People talk about college line it’s an either/or situation— either you go (4 year degree right after high school) or you don’t. But there are a lot of other options. You can chip away at some kind of useful qualification thru community or state college for pretty cheap, and you can probably do it online these days if you want to. Do it when you’re young or old, doesn’t matter. I know people who make big bucks doing computer programming and never even finished their associates degrees. They just took enough of the right cheap classes to get the skills and build a portfolio. And if you’re not technically inclined there are still plenty of things to learn like healthcare work or real estate or some shit.
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College? NEVER!!
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Really Jenkem, you could only find one dude with a Bachelors of Science degree...
C’mon now. Do some legwork.
Nothing sensible is coming up when I Google, but there was a story of a pro skater who is currently a PI in neurobiology.
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I miss HATE!
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It took me 9 years to get a bachelors degree, starting at a 4 year school for a semester, failing out, then a 4 year stint in community college while working/partying, then a fat break followed by 2 years at a state school earning a BS in English. Because I waited it out like that and stayed steady poor, it never really cost me much and I had a good time for most of it. Still, I've done nothing related to the major but it, combined with passing the state test to get a preliminary educators license, enabled me to get jobs in public schools. I'm working on a masters in social work right now, which again, because the state says I'm broke, is costing me very, very little in the way of funds. And still, I don't know that I'm going to do anything with it. I'm probably going to go back to CC and learn how to install solar panels and keep working for myself.
I will say that taking a fuck ton of liberal arts type courses helped me learn to thing and not be a chud who loves America and all that malarky. Was it necessary or worth the $40k or more debt most kids take on? Not at all. Many, however, don't see any other options for getting out of the suburb- college is sold as the only means to leave and grow up, which is pretty wack. I don't know. It's complicated lol
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(https://i.imgur.com/kMFiwFm.jpg)
Lol I got this one one the wall and college is free for me cuz I’m a vet. The homies have been trying to pressure me into going back to school but my little sister calls me like 4 times a week to vent about how shit her studies are going. She’s going for an architecture engineering degree or some shit at some college in philly, so it’s definitely harder than anything I would want to study.
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School just wasnt my cup o tea. Some of my profs were nice tho
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i have no formal education higher than 10th grade and up until la pandemic was working for a unicorn startup. in my experience getting a “real job” is more in who you know and i was able to transition from being out on the street working into an office. it’s wack though, 9-5’s are soul sucking.
i would like to go to school but none of the things i’m interested in would pay well enough to justify the cost- esp since i’m paying out of pocket.
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I once went to the University of Michigan worst is choice in my life
I had fun and now I have a career, worst part was freezing my ass off walking to classes in the winter.
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P.S. The best way to avoid massive debt is to research which universities offer funding. Those with lower tuition are less likely to provide support.
This. There are scholarships and supportive programs out there, you just gotta find them.
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i have no formal education higher than 10th grade and up until la pandemic was working for a unicorn startup. in my experience getting a “real job” is more in who you know and i was able to transition from being out on the street working into an office. it’s wack though, 9-5’s are soul sucking.
i would like to go to school but none of the things i’m interested in would pay well enough to justify the cost- esp since i’m paying out of pocket.
i didn't realize this til i started looking for a real job. i think i only have one friend who got hired without the help of friends/family members.
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Wax on wax off
Paint fence
Sand the floor
I think that’s pretty much all
You need to know in life.
School is overrated.
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I dropped out of high school, got me a GED immediately and thought I wouldn’t ever go to college because it wasn’t for me. Then reality hit me at 24 and figured out that hella people dumber than myself get to survive in Silicon Valley because they have degrees and there’s no room here anymore for dead end jobs. Did CC for 3 years and got 100% of my tuition paid for and even got to pocket around $1800 per quarter. Transferred to a state university and still get 100% of my tuition paid for through grants because I’m a broke ass over the age of 24. Now I’m graduating next December with a degree in business/accounting and a 3.7 GPA with no student loans taken out. Feels pretty good for a high school dropout. It’s never too late for college even if you did horribly in K-12
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Nice one. And yeah, there's several paths to higher education. No should be bummed they didn't go right after high school.
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how is a way i can go to college for free
its called go to europe
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It sucks, but the reality is data demonstrates that despite debt, higher education is still a better/safer investment than just about anything else as it relates to your income.
Happiness though, that's another question.
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I didn’t go to college, and I’ve worked a lot of shit jobs. I’m making really good money now doing construction but I’m over it. I travel 2-3 weeks out of the month and work 80-90 hours those weeks, which I a big part of why I make so much. I kinda wish I went to college, but at the same time I’m glad I didn’t because I would have probably gotten a useless degree at the time and racked up a ton of debt. I’m considering either taking some classes or maybe just going to college in Mexico. My wife is Mexican and we’re planning to move there in a year or two and college is super cheap, especially compared to the US.
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I didn’t go to college, and I’ve worked a lot of shit jobs. I’m making really good money now doing construction but I’m over it. I travel 2-3 weeks out of the month and work 80-90 hours those weeks, which I a big part of why I make so much. I kinda wish I went to college, but at the same time I’m glad I didn’t because I would have probably gotten a useless degree at the time and racked up a ton of debt. I’m considering either taking some classes or maybe just going to college in Mexico. My wife is Mexican and we’re planning to move there in a year or two and college is super cheap, especially compared to the US.
Maybe I'm reading this wrong, and have heard this before frequently, but every time it is mentioned I see it as self deprecation. My brain interprets it as:
"I am not not proficient at financial planning, and my self interests scholastically are not aligned with lucrative degrees"
A liberal arts degree in psychology, studied anywhere in the world, will probably have a low chance to earn high end wages statistically.
An engineering degree, studied anywhere in the world, may potentially have a high ability to earn high end wages.
A degree degrades, regardless of study, when it is not employed appropriately after being earned.
Edit: for grammar and shit, I'm kinda buzzed. I'm too lazy to look into statistics post graduation right now too. TLDR Get a science degree ya fucks.
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Yeah I went to college. I paid off all my debt with a job I don’t like, now I kind of want to do something I don’t hate. The problem is, I don’t know what I want to do because 99% of life is being forced to do things you don’t want to do. How the fuck am I supposed to have this epiphany
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I sucked as a high school student but excelled as a college student because the professors were usually pretty passionate about what they talked about and that energy rubbed off on me.
I didn’t skate much the first half as I was trying a bunch of different shit at the time. I then skated heavily during the second half of college when mindfield came out. The feeling was similar to when an artist studies abroad then returns home and becomes way more into their native style.
Edit: fwiw, I also went to grad school which I wasn’t expecting to be as intense as it turned out being and it ruined my social life. But I make pretty good money for a 32 year old so whatever.
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I didn’t go to college, and I’ve worked a lot of shit jobs. I’m making really good money now doing construction but I’m over it. I travel 2-3 weeks out of the month and work 80-90 hours those weeks, which I a big part of why I make so much. I kinda wish I went to college, but at the same time I’m glad I didn’t because I would have probably gotten a useless degree at the time and racked up a ton of debt. I’m considering either taking some classes or maybe just going to college in Mexico. My wife is Mexican and we’re planning to move there in a year or two and college is super cheap, especially compared to the US.
Maybe I'm reading this wrong, and have heard this before frequently, but every time it is mentioned I see it as self deprecation. My brain interprets it as:
"I am not not proficient at financial planning, and my self interests scholastically are not aligned with lucrative degrees"
A liberal arts degree in psychology, studied anywhere in the world, will probably have a low chance to earn high end wages statistically.
An engineering degree, studied anywhere in the world, may potentially have a high ability to earn high end wages.
A degree degrades, regardless of study, when it is not employed appropriately after being earned.
Edit: for grammar and shit, I'm kinda buzzed. I'm too lazy to look into statistics post graduation right now too. TLDR Get a science degree ya fucks.
my take on this is 2 fold, outside the US, a liberal arts degree is going to leave you buried in a 20 to life debt, so the pursuit of a degree that doesn't revolve around a lucrative career isn't such a big deal. Also, as for earning a science degree, if that wasn't an area you excelled in during high school, the chances of being prepared to pursue such a degree in college/university are slim.
I'm not bagging on you, just speaking from the place of someone who went to low income schools and worked with students as a teacher and school social worker in low income and incredibly wealthy districts. Disparities abound.
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I didn’t go to college, and I’ve worked a lot of shit jobs. I’m making really good money now doing construction but I’m over it. I travel 2-3 weeks out of the month and work 80-90 hours those weeks, which I a big part of why I make so much. I kinda wish I went to college, but at the same time I’m glad I didn’t because I would have probably gotten a useless degree at the time and racked up a ton of debt. I’m considering either taking some classes or maybe just going to college in Mexico. My wife is Mexican and we’re planning to move there in a year or two and college is super cheap, especially compared to the US.
Maybe I'm reading this wrong, and have heard this before frequently, but every time it is mentioned I see it as self deprecation. My brain interprets it as:
"I am not not proficient at financial planning, and my self interests scholastically are not aligned with lucrative degrees"
A liberal arts degree in psychology, studied anywhere in the world, will probably have a low chance to earn high end wages statistically.
An engineering degree, studied anywhere in the world, may potentially have a high ability to earn high end wages.
A degree degrades, regardless of study, when it is not employed appropriately after being earned.
Edit: for grammar and shit, I'm kinda buzzed. I'm too lazy to look into statistics post graduation right now too. TLDR Get a science degree ya fucks.
my take on this is 2 fold, outside the US, a liberal arts degree is going to leave you buried in a 20 to life debt, so the pursuit of a degree that doesn't revolve around a lucrative career isn't such a big deal. Also, as for earning a science degree, if that wasn't an area you excelled in during high school, the chances of being prepared to pursue such a degree in college/university are slim.
I'm not bagging on you, just speaking from the place of someone who went to low income schools and worked with students as a teacher and school social worker in low income and incredibly wealthy districts. Disparities abound.
I maintain that if you're passionate and have an opportunity to follow a science degree then you can have a rewarding career. Academia is still an old boys club across many institutions, but there are amazing opportunities to integrate and gain experience the world over.
I went to a really crumby university as an undergrad but worked hard and now have a permanent position in a top 20 uni. One of the permanent guys on our floor was a plumber in a different life- the right attitude is vital.
If anyone reading this is thinking about following a science degree, then don't be afraid to email a few people in fields you're keen on to work out what a career would look like.
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As someone currently in the middle of a post graduate arts program, I would say that my undergraduate degree was the most valuable thing I’ve ever done in my life. It exposed me to people, theories and creative work that I would never have found on my own, and I always considered myself a good autodidact. There’s also no way I would have had the opportunities I’ve had to work in my field without a tertiary education.
I’m not a believer in elitism; trades, professionals, academics and creatives are all equally as important.
I am also lucky that I live in Australia where degrees are relatively cheap and there’s no rush to pay them off.
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I have a handful of cents I could add to the college discussion, but I’m stuck trying to figure out what that one guy would call a f/s half cab since he felt that cab variations can only be backside.
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I have a handful of cents I could add to the college discussion, but I’m stuck trying to figure out what that one guy would call a f/s half cab since he felt that cab variations can only be backside.
Probably fakie fs 180. But thats way not how my brain works.
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I got a BA and while I’m not working in the field I initially wanted to, I have a great career and actually love my job despite how stressful it can be. I don’t have all the time in the world for my hobbies, but I earn enough to let me splurge on different stuff. I wouldn’t have my current gig without the college degree. Do I think it’s necessary for people to succeed in life? Nope. College isn’t for everyone and I wish teachers put a greater emphasis on trade schools, etc.
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I didn’t go to college, and I’ve worked a lot of shit jobs. I’m making really good money now doing construction but I’m over it. I travel 2-3 weeks out of the month and work 80-90 hours those weeks, which I a big part of why I make so much. I kinda wish I went to college, but at the same time I’m glad I didn’t because I would have probably gotten a useless degree at the time and racked up a ton of debt. I’m considering either taking some classes or maybe just going to college in Mexico. My wife is Mexican and we’re planning to move there in a year or two and college is super cheap, especially compared to the US.
Maybe I'm reading this wrong, and have heard this before frequently, but every time it is mentioned I see it as self deprecation. My brain interprets it as:
"I am not not proficient at financial planning, and my self interests scholastically are not aligned with lucrative degrees"
A liberal arts degree in psychology, studied anywhere in the world, will probably have a low chance to earn high end wages statistically.
An engineering degree, studied anywhere in the world, may potentially have a high ability to earn high end wages.
A degree degrades, regardless of study, when it is not employed appropriately after being earned.
Edit: for grammar and shit, I'm kinda buzzed. I'm too lazy to look into statistics post graduation right now too. TLDR Get a science degree ya fucks.
No what i mean is after high school i had no idea what i wanted to do. I still don’t actually. So I just worked various jobs instead of paying for school and ended up in the one I’m in now.
I’m still of the opinion you don’t need to go to college to earn a good wage, but you will more than likely be doing some kind of physical job with long(er) hours. If someone’s interested in engineering that’s probably one of the best career paths in terms of salary and ability to find a job. But for someone like myself, it’s too technical and uninteresting.
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I've collected a fair number of degrees and I'm glad I went to school (I think). Going to school was a hell of a lot better than working full-time and I got to extend my childhood and my time in skateboarding.
If my full-time job was located almost anywhere other than where it is located my life would have been pretty amazing. And, even with my jobs horrid location, I've been able to travel the world on the company's dime, I was able to take time off after my life fell apart last year (thanks to my union), and while I get reviewed once every year, for the most part, unless I fuck up, no one knows what I do each day. I'm overworked and underpaid, but I also have a ton of autonomy and decent benefits.
And, the pro-STEM rhetoric 1) turns university into a trade school, which is not the point 2) pretends the unemployment surrounding these degrees isn't just as high (or higher) than the non-STEM degrees.
https://www.newyorkfed.org/research/college-labor-market/college-labor-market_compare-majors.html
(https://i.ibb.co/DC29yZj/Screen-Shot-2020-12-23-at-11-54-35-PM.png)
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I didn’t go to college, and I’ve worked a lot of shit jobs. I’m making really good money now doing construction but I’m over it. I travel 2-3 weeks out of the month and work 80-90 hours those weeks, which I a big part of why I make so much. I kinda wish I went to college, but at the same time I’m glad I didn’t because I would have probably gotten a useless degree at the time and racked up a ton of debt. I’m considering either taking some classes or maybe just going to college in Mexico. My wife is Mexican and we’re planning to move there in a year or two and college is super cheap, especially compared to the US.
Maybe I'm reading this wrong, and have heard this before frequently, but every time it is mentioned I see it as self deprecation. My brain interprets it as:
"I am not not proficient at financial planning, and my self interests scholastically are not aligned with lucrative degrees"
A liberal arts degree in psychology, studied anywhere in the world, will probably have a low chance to earn high end wages statistically.
An engineering degree, studied anywhere in the world, may potentially have a high ability to earn high end wages.
A degree degrades, regardless of study, when it is not employed appropriately after being earned.
Edit: for grammar and shit, I'm kinda buzzed. I'm too lazy to look into statistics post graduation right now too. TLDR Get a science degree ya fucks.
No what i mean is after high school i had no idea what i wanted to do. I still don’t actually. So I just worked various jobs instead of paying for school and ended up in the one I’m in now.
I’m still of the opinion you don’t need to go to college to earn a good wage, but you will more than likely be doing some kind of physical job with long(er) hours. If someone’s interested in engineering that’s probably one of the best career paths in terms of salary and ability to find a job. But for someone like myself, it’s too technical and uninteresting.
It's unfortunate that many 18 year olds are saddled with the decision to select a career path and make life lasting financial choices without the proper resources, guidance, and support. As a first generation university student from a low income rural k12 school in the US who attended a large state university right out of high school, I can tell you that first year of college can be very challenging for those who haven't been properly coached or who don't have generational knowledge of what to expect/how to fund it. I learned quickly that based on the education and resources I had access to growing up, some STEM degrees were going to be nearly unattainable unless I really wanted to suffer and spend even more time and money on them. Have some heavy government student loans that I'll be paying for a while but have found other ways to pay for/reduce them through volunteer work in my field, which was actually sick because I got to move to California for it.
A major in computer science would have easily been the most lucrative route, as a few of my friends did it and are now very comfortable, but it just didn't appeal to me in other important ways. I always had trouble fully understanding people who assigned value to degrees based on how much money it would end up making them. Maybe it was because I was so naive, but I always felt there was more to it and searched for that until I found something that "spoke to me." College was transformative and set me on a path to a career that at least pays the bills, but is also deeply meaningful to me.
That being said, my little brother is working to become a union electrician and is set to make more money than me and have a bit more fun on the job than I do. Definitely have those days where I think about what I'd do if I could go back...
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From the UK here so went to Uni. Didn't think too much of it though... didn't take it quite as seriously as I imagined I would, but hey, it was art school.
Definitely thought of it at the time as a free (for now/then) chance to move to London at 18yo. I'm not gonna lie it ruled. Still not really feeling the repercussions of the debt yet, who knows maybe it gets worse?
Anyways 9k a year probably isn't a too much compared to the US prices I'm guessing?
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From the UK here so went to Uni. Didn't think too much of it though... didn't take it quite as seriously as I imagined I would, but hey, it was art school.
Definitely thought of it at the time as a free (for now/then) chance to move to London at 18yo. I'm not gonna lie it ruled. Still not really feeling the repercussions of the debt yet, who knows maybe it gets worse?
Anyways 9k a year probably isn't a too much compared to the US prices I'm guessing?
No 9k is an ok state school. But schools like James Madison Univeristy, University of Virginia they are 20-30k a year in tuition.
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From the UK here so went to Uni. Didn't think too much of it though... didn't take it quite as seriously as I imagined I would, but hey, it was art school.
Definitely thought of it at the time as a free (for now/then) chance to move to London at 18yo. I'm not gonna lie it ruled. Still not really feeling the repercussions of the debt yet, who knows maybe it gets worse?
Anyways 9k a year probably isn't a too much compared to the US prices I'm guessing?
University of Michigan tuition for in-state students is about 16k a year, that's where I went. Gotta account for the cost if housing and other expenses, which brings it up to about 30k a year.
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From the UK here so went to Uni. Didn't think too much of it though... didn't take it quite as seriously as I imagined I would, but hey, it was art school.
Definitely thought of it at the time as a free (for now/then) chance to move to London at 18yo. I'm not gonna lie it ruled. Still not really feeling the repercussions of the debt yet, who knows maybe it gets worse?
Anyways 9k a year probably isn't a too much compared to the US prices I'm guessing?
University of Michigan tuition for in-state students is about 16k a year, that's where I went. Gotta account for the cost if housing and other expenses, which brings it up to about 30k a year.
Yeah that's where it starts to sound pricey for me. If I didn't qualify for a living grant I don't think I would have been able to go to uni tbh, at least I would've put more thought into it for sure. I feel like it is sold to you as the next logical and social step at that age when it really shouldn't be. So many of my friends either dropped out or ended up hating the subject/area they studied in the end, resulting in unnecessary debt.
For real tho FUCK these scoundrels of universities and the system that's still making these students pay full fees etc. during this pandemic. Locking them against will inside halls of residence and online lectures with no reductions is truly a scam.
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judging by this forum over the last 10 years yeah you guys should definitely all get some sort of education
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How would an American citizen get into a European university?
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For real tho FUCK these scoundrels of universities and the system that's still making these students pay full fees etc. during this pandemic. Locking them against will inside halls of residence and online lectures with no reductions is truly a scam.
The problem here is:
1) What is the state doing for the universities to help them weather huge declines in enrollment and students on campus? Many of these schools are facing short falls in the tens of millions.
2) Where the hell is the federal gov to bail out the states so the states can bail out the universities? (We spent plenty on bailing out Wall Street, I'm sure we can bail out the states as well)
3) While some costs associated with maintaining the campus buildings have probably gone down, the biggest cost for the schools are the faculty's (relatively shitty) compensation. This cost hasn't changed.
3a) Unless the school has furloughed the full-time faculty and fired the adjuncts.
4) Switching to online lectures has only created more work and stress for the already underpaid faculty. This shit is hard on them as well... not to mention their risk of getting covid. (Not saying all profs are that amazing, but) are we really going to sacrifice/risk the health of those who have spent decades studying their fields so the kids can be on campus? If the kids were there to learn that'd be one thing, but to teach classes in person because the kids want the "college experience"? I don't think so.
Not to mention, teaching is only one part of a faculty member's job.
5) What percent of schools are even allowing the kids to live in the dorms? The university in the horrid college town I used live in blocked the kids from living in the dorms last semester. This was big because the city and the university needed those kids to be on campus to survive.
It is weird, I back college and I think it is important to developing a solid society, but at the same time, I feel most students aren't there for the right reasons and fail to sympathize with those who are there for the frat/sorority experience. I feel bad that the kids aren't able to get away from home, but as someone who lived at home throughout undergrad, I struggle to see the huge problem (unless the kids are in an abusive home, etc.).
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How would an American citizen get into a European university?
From what I understand, it varies from country to country but is doable with the proper paperwork and such. But it may not be free if you're not a citizen of a given country. I think Prague is free for anyone who wants to attend but like Denmark would require a person to pay tuition, and it may not necessarily be cheaper than the US when factoring in living and moving costs (then again US college is like the most expensive in the world so maybe it still would be).
Regardless, the education quality will likely generally be higher; when a country makes university free for all its citizens universities don't compete with each other and it wouldn't matter which college a person went to because the same standard of professors are at every university. It'd be like if ivy league quality professors also worked at state schools or even community colleges, to use a blunt comparison.
But there's also the availability of courses in english which could be limiting. But I didn't go the Euro route, so maybe someone with firsthand experience can chime in
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For real tho FUCK these scoundrels of universities and the system that's still making these students pay full fees etc. during this pandemic. Locking them against will inside halls of residence and online lectures with no reductions is truly a scam.
The problem here is:
1) What is the state doing for the universities to help them weather huge declines in enrollment and students on campus? Many of these schools are facing short falls in the tens of millions.
2) Where the hell is the federal gov to bail out the states so the states can bail out the universities? (We spent plenty on bailing out Wall Street, I'm sure we can bail out the states as well)
3) While some costs associated with maintaining the campus buildings have probably gone down, the biggest cost for the schools are the faculty's (relatively shitty) compensation. This cost hasn't changed.
3a) Unless the school has furloughed the full-time faculty and fired the adjuncts.
4) Switching to online lectures has only created more work and stress for the already underpaid faculty. This shit is hard on them as well... not to mention their risk of getting covid. (Not saying all profs are that amazing, but) are we really going to sacrifice/risk the health of those who have spent decades studying their fields so the kids can be on campus? If the kids were there to learn that'd be one thing, but to teach classes in person because the kids want the "college experience"? I don't think so.
Not to mention, teaching is only one part of a faculty member's job.
5) What percent of schools are even allowing the kids to live in the dorms? The university in the horrid college town I used live in blocked the kids from living in the dorms last semester. This was big because the city and the university needed those kids to be on campus to survive.
It is weird, I back college and I think it is important to developing a solid society, but at the same time, I feel most students aren't there for the right reasons and fail to sympathize with those who are there for the frat/sorority experience. I feel bad that the kids aren't able to get away from home, but as someone who lived at home throughout undergrad, I struggle to see the huge problem (unless the kids are in an abusive home, etc.).
I'm mostly talking from UK perspective... The government's completely reckless and idiotic decisions/plans meant that Uni students started at their uni halls in September and in some places were locked down and fenced into their accommodation within a week - with no mention of refunds or discounted rate and a £10,000 fine for leaving or some shit. They sold them a lie, the facts were already presented to them but they decided it'd be ok to have them back anyway and take their money while telling them it would be fine.
These kids are paying a premium for a fast track to mental illness and it sucks.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QSvI6f0_rVQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9K0mWerFsw
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-cH0xeTJhkU
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Why for the sake of god would you bump a thread that hasn't been posted in for a year to add that?
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Dammit, Watson, we're all trying our best here.
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college used to have value. now it rots brains and indoctrinates. kids come out feeling and thinking that their feelings have objective merit.
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The question of whether going to college is worth it is so circumstantial. For example, in my situation I’m so glad I went.
I went to a small state school and graduated with 2 degrees in history and political science. On the surface level, those are not what people consider the most useful degrees. However, I am a strong communicator and a strong writer, both of which I largely attribute to my degrees and are extremely useful in my job. I work with people who are just not as strong of communicators and it really shows. How you’re able to present yourself really matters, whatever profession you work in.
I graduated in 4.5 years and came out with roughly 35k in debt which wasn’t a lot for ME personally. However, I was able to live with my mom and work for the state of WA for 2.5 years in jobs that I frankly hated. So I was able to pay off my loans in that time, after which I moved out and found a job I actually like and where I’m able to excel. I realize not everyone has that capability or parents to rely on.
Now, I work for a small environmental consulting company, get paid well enough to live comfortably, am challenged every day, and have good health insurance. All this wouldn’t be possible without my college degree.
TLDR: whether college is worth it is extremely circumstantial and nuanced, and depends on so much more than if your degree is “good”.
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Some good stuff in this thread. I think college is only worth it if you have a career you are dead set on and you've done your research on median post-grad salary and employment rates.
That said, i think that pushing all high school kids to just dive into college blindfolded is lame. It's a multi-year investment that may not pay off; it's totally not logical to get into debt and invest your youth for a degree that won't be valued by society. A career is something that people might do for like 30 years, how are you gonna just tell kids to pick something at 18? Shits irresponsible. I blame capitalism since schools are just trying to maximize profit off student enrollment/loans. I think the most important thing high schools should be teaching young people is to pursue exploration of the self/freedom instead of more curriculum and bureaucracy. Then they can make the correct decision once they've matured.
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I'm laughing at the interviewer wanting to do a thoughtful piece on higher education and skateboarding and then it's "what's the craziest party you went to" "what was your biggest frat moment" looool
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college used to have value. now it rots brains and indoctrinates. kids come out feeling and thinking that their feelings have objective merit.
Conservabro spotted
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I grew up in a working class household where nobody went to college. I was the first in my family to do it. It cost a decent amount but at the time all I could think of was that I would rather die than work for some f****** corporation. University was one way to delay that until I could figure something else out.
I went to college for a so-called useless English degree I wanted to be able to study something that was about everything but philosophy departments in the United States are very narrow-minded and dogmatic or at least they were when I was in university. After that I decided to get a graduate degree in linguistics I did a terminal master's degree because I found the dominant tendencies in the research culture to be narrow-minded and uninspiring. After that I taught English in various countries for a few years and then decided to become a teacher and got another graduate degree in education subsidized by the city I work in.
As a teacher I work in a job where we have 35 hour weeks and vacations at the level that every worker should have and that every worker would have in a socialist society. If I had not gone to school and I hated high school with a passion I would have ended up working a job that I hated even more.
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I went to uni cos I thought it was the thing to do. I am now chartered with some years experience but I always hated every moment of the jobs I did in my field.
It might be cos I had to sacrifice skating and socialising the whole time I was studying but as it stands I will do any random unrelated unqualified part time job (20-25h) rather than sitting at a desk 8+h a day.
I'd rather have less money but more freedom then being (still not so) loaded and looking forward to the weekend / holidays to have fun.
This is cos I have no plans of having kids / family / mortgage though. I respect the hustle if that's what you're into.
Breaking point was when I was doing this long commute everyday feeling like that dude from Office Space.
It makes me laugh every time but fuck that shit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XASNM1XEQPs&ab_channel=JoseHernandez (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XASNM1XEQPs&ab_channel=JoseHernandez)
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I think that you need to go to university if you want to get deep knowledge in a field that interests you.
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At age 15 I figured my skating wasn't coming close to the level of my idols so I focused on my studies, kept skating for fun, decided as a young buck to chase a degree rather than a sponsor, later became a dentist and I've been sponsoring myself last 10 years, can't complain, life its good.
Some of my skating peers never understood their chances and blindly believed they were gonna make it, somehow, in our small rainy city in the southern part of our southamerican third world country with no connections to the local industry or sponsor tapes... of course it never happened.
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When is Nik stain gonna talk about his bsc in math from temple in an interview???
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When is Nik stain gonna talk about his bsc in math from temple in an interview???
we need the Heckride interview ASAP
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college used to have value. now it rots brains and indoctrinates. kids come out feeling and thinking that their feelings have objective merit.
College is the reason I’m sitting in my 700k house and am literally getting paid to tell you what an uneducated conservative talking point this is. Go to the library son.
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college used to have value. now it rots brains and indoctrinates. kids come out feeling and thinking that their feelings have objective merit.
College is the reason I’m sitting in my 700k house and am literally getting paid to tell you what an uneducated conservative talking point this is. Go to the library son.
I didn’t go to college and my house costs more than that.
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college used to have value. now it rots brains and indoctrinates. kids come out feeling and thinking that their feelings have objective merit.
College is the reason I’m sitting in my 700k house and am literally getting paid to tell you what an uneducated conservative talking point this is. Go to the library son.
I didn’t go to college and my house costs more than that.
my house does not cost more than that but I probably make similar money to both of you and I work at a UARC but have zero college experience. it is all relative to what you do
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college used to have value. now it rots brains and indoctrinates. kids come out feeling and thinking that their feelings have objective merit.
College is the reason I’m sitting in my 700k house and am literally getting paid to tell you what an uneducated conservative talking point this is. Go to the library son.
I didn’t go to college and my house costs more than that.
Congrats
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at least we still have good quality public colleges/universitys in brazil. you take a exam/test to get in. im a history teacher to 11 to 16 yo kids in a state school. I like being a teacher, but they could pay us more.
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I used to work on a college campus that had crazy religious people holding up signs of dead fetuses and shit on campus pretty regularly. That group was led by a church. No surprise there. But get this— The pastor of that church actually tried to pick me up in a sauna at LA Fitness.
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I went to grad school at Temple, the school with the dope skate plaza that a ton of skaters, including a few pros, can claim as their alma mater. Probably the most of any American university.
I also went to grad school for free and had way more fun than I did undergrad.
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It's a weird double-edged sword, for sure. But it's always about instant vs delayed gratification, isn't it?
On the one hand, you lose a bunch of freedom when you're young, but you set yourself up (potentially) for the rest of your life. And honestly, the odds of you going pro are slim to none. The odds of a BA helping you to land a better job than without the BA are way higher. And sure, there are lots of great jobs for which you don't need a degree, but you'll need some sort of apprenticeship or trade school.
My own experience was this: I was sponsored for years. I got to travel and see the world via skating and I thought I was the luckiest dude in the world. I even started college before that happened and then dropped out to skate. But then, one day when I was pushing 26 or 27, it became painfully obvious that I was never going to get my name on a board. And even if I had? I would've been B or C-level at best and never in my life have made enough money to live off of, let alone retire on. Even if I had stuck it out and maybe (maybe?) turned pro at 30 (like some people have, and fucking A good for them), I would certainly have had to do a second act in life when that ride ended. But trying to figure out your second act at 35 or 38 or 40 is a hell of a lot more difficult than at 26. So I kept skating and came up with a contingency plan: go back to college, get an artsy fartsy degree and see what happens. Then I went to grad school and somehow was lucky enough to get a job that I love and still leaves me time to skate while still contributing to a 401K and not constantly worrying about blowing out a knee in my twilight years.
Not turning pro was the best thing that ever happened to me, in hindsight. I talk to a lot of my friends who are pro (but, like, B or C-level, whose shoe money is gone, who are barely holding onto those boards) and have no clue what's going to happen when the gravy train comes to a stop. Team managing? Maybe? Repping? Sales? Sure. All in the skateboard industry, and none of them with a real long term prospect.
I know they're smart dudes who are going to somehow land on their feet, but being 37 without a resume or marketable skills? That's fucking tough.
But again, the double edged sword: fuck man, they got to live, see the world on a board, briefly become "skateboard famous," and do it all on someone else's dime with smiles on their faces.
Who's to say if the trade-off is worth it?
Fuck, I love skating.
My skate career followed a similar trajectory. I moved out west to chase the dream but realized that I wasn't going to ever go pro. I had sponsors, small checks, monthly boxes, and free trips, but could never break through to having it be a viable career. In that time I became friends with a lot of Ams/Pros and saw that hardly any of them were heading in a direction of retirement, but rather they would be facing the same crisis I faced at 25 except they would be facing it later in life and being even further behind once the ride ended.
I had what I call my quarter-life crisis at age 23, along with my girlfriend basically telling me I was a man-child chasing a dream that was never going to happen. We ended up breaking up and I focused on myself and started applying for any job I could find. I had a short resume and a small design portfolio from a job I had that I ended up leaving to "focus on my skating." I applied to colleges, but was in a really tough place financially and just didn't know how to do it. Instead, I put my entire focus into mastering software and learning everything I could while hustling and freelancing for clients. I was able to get a design position with a salary/benefits and that's what really opened my eyes. I was able to afford my own place/car/food, and still had plenty of time to skate along with the added bonus of working in the industry.
That was over a decade ago, and I have seen many of my friends turn pro, but I soon realized it doesn't equal the riches and success that I had always associated with getting your name on a board. Those same friends have told me they're now jealous of where I am at in my life and career. So In a roundabout way, I feel like I have achieved "Pro" status in my career rather than my skating. I still get to travel, and design products for brands I aspired to ride for or wear, and I still skate a fair amount without the pressure of worrying about producing footage or having my injury-riddled carcass clipped from the roster to make room for the next up and comer.
It's cool to see some of the other posters on here have followed a similar trajectory.