is college worth it, like, at all?

Stormy1 said:
I keep saying this, so let me say it again. College IS NOT job training, it is education. The cliff note version of college was that the elite used to send their kids to entitites (that ended up being colleges) so they could be educated/refined. The MALE children of WEALTHY families that is.
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Yes, this is exactly why I question the value of a college education for anyone who doesn't have very wealthy parents footing the bill. I'm not saying that college doesn't have its place and that what you learn there isn't valuable, but it's only valuable up to a point. I'm pretty sure that I learned more working at the YMCA those first couple of years than I did any any single year while enrolled in university.

I love learning, but I find that a traditional university environment is only suitable under certain circumstances. Even the more affordable public schools (education is cheap in Texas) aren't so egalitarian either as the professors seem to cater to students who don't have to hold down a job on the side.


MindYourHead said:
These days, I would suggest people look into going into a trade such as Machinist, Electrician, Plumbing etc..
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Yeah, that is totally what I want to do! But I worry about working in a traditionally male-dominated profession. As it is I'm trying to figure out how to break into IT.
 
Seriously, wtf. I'm closing this while I clean it of all the off-topic non-sense.
 
I'm reopening this. Keep it on topic.
 
My 2 cents: Depends on what u want to do. Infjs can't do well in, e.g., the forces or sales or restaurant. Most of the suggested careers for our type (say Pyschotherapist, teacher, counselor, translator, and so on) need a long schooling process. But you can still find your niche in the cruel, cold, grey business world. Maybe working in a music shop and helping your clients finding the right product, or in a quiet library where you can freely explore you Ni-world.
 
sandra_b said:
Well, in Canada I think it's a bit different than it is in the USA and other areas of the world. College is more geared towards trades and 2 year programs. University is for your 4-5 year degree and is substantially more expensive. Most people these days are opting to go to college because it costs less, takes less time and is easier to get a job afterwards.

I did not complete a university degree though I did go to school for a time. Most of my friends right now are drowning in student loan debt. There are very few who could afford to pay their way through school on their own. Most are doing jobs that have absolutely nothing to do with what they were "educated" for. I went to school for the sake of having something to do and did not take it seriously though I did enjoy the learning environment but use absolutely zero of the information I learned there currently.

At the moment I am team lead on a massive account for a huge, worldwide corporation working for a business that is known world wide. I make fairly good money, have amazing benefits and other "perks" that come with my job and I did not need a university education for it. All that was required was that I was awesome (which I am) and that I complete a one year course that was paid for by my company. Easy peasy. So based on my own personal experience, I have no real use for higher education outside of my own personal interest in certain subjects.
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I'm giving you thumbs up, because I see you're happy with your route. You speak exactly like my ex-girlfriend, 6w5 ISTJ all the way. Am I right? Don't tell me infj... :m123:
 
I think college teaches you discipline.
I think it is a good practice for almost everyone. The Army wound be better, but college if nothing else.

Anything except a fat spoiled kid with screwed up ideas about what they deserve.

Jmo
 
LateralTalking said:
I'm giving you thumbs up, because I see you're happy with your route. You speak exactly like my ex-girlfriend, 6w5 ISTJ all the way. Am I right? Don't tell me infj... :m123:
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Test most frequently as INFJ/INTJ, have an ISTJ mother and some sensor tendencies. Not really sure of my type anymore. 6w5 though for sure.
 
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From my experience, college: you get out what you put in. What you want from college? Well-rounded academics? Specific major studies? Social experience/networking? You can get all three if you can balance work and play. If you're smart enough, determined enough, skilled in your craft enough, and have people to fall back on, you can do without college. Plus in the US, most jobs require a diploma so...
 
sandra_b said:
Test most frequently as INFJ/INTJ, have an ISTJ mother and some sensor tendencies. Not really sure of my type anymore. 6w5 though for sure.
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Do you have a good memory? Do you often remember details, about a romantical moment you lived, or perhaps about a process you have to do at work, did you enjoy history or biology at school? Do you tolerate routine operations?
 
LateralTalking said:
Do you have a good memory? Do you often remember details, about a romantical moment you lived, or perhaps about a process you have to do at work, did you enjoy history or biology at school? Do you tolerate routine operations?
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I have a "type me" thread for these kinds of questions.
 
LateralTalking said:
Do you have a good memory? Do you often remember details, about a romantical moment you lived, or perhaps about a process you have to do at work, did you enjoy history or biology at school? Do you tolerate routine operations?
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What if you like all those things?
 
Kids graduating HS need to focus on career. If college is a stepping stone towards a specific career than college may be a good choice. But the days of blindly attending college and expecting to make 80G's a year right out of college are done. For the most part college is a failed financial investment but being educated is great too. So college isn't only about money, we shouldn't forget that.
 
I think the misnomer is more that people have been given the message that college is for everyone. That isn't true. Some people have no real aptitude for learning within an educational system. Some people don't want to be educated above the minimum. It is a value judgement, just a fact. Some are more drawn to a physical job and some to intellectual jobs.
 
Stormy1 said:
I think the misnomer is more that people have been given the message that college is for everyone. That isn't true. Some people have no real aptitude for learning within an educational system. Some people don't want to be educated above the minimum. It is a value judgement, just a fact. Some are more drawn to a physical job and some to intellectual jobs.
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Its not only people with no aptitude for learning, but the kind of learning they do in the educational system is basically shit. Memorize and repeat... where is the flavor? Where is the critical thinking?
 
I always thought that after highschool kids should take like a year break from school. I wish there was some kind of program where they could go join some kind of localized peace corps or something get some real world experience, travel around get away from home etc. Then hit college when they have a taste for life. Going from 1 school to another school is often a recipe for disaster as they expect you to make choices for the rest of your life before you have even tasted life.
 
For college to be a worthwhile experience for today's prospective young adults, it needs to be a spontaneous experience where you can explore possibilities but still have a plan which prepares you for what you may be doing in the long term. Planning for college is not just about taking the SATs. It's about having a sense of what you want to do with your life, and figuring out what path will best get you there. This doesn't mean planning is failsafe. Sometimes, the best made plans don't pan out, but having some direction will make it less likely that someone will leave college feeling as if it was just a waste of credits or about getting the degree.
 
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