[SPLIT] How important is college anyway?

Vincent Grayson

The Cat wrote: »

mugginns wrote: »

Likely. I held a part time job on campus doing IT work for over a year. Also had a summer job every year, and an internship my senior year. My girlfriend worked in her field every summer and did office work for two years during the school year. College-goers that don't get some sort of job related to their field during their time there are behind the curve.

Depends. Its bloody difficult to get any envsci/eco work part time or in the holidays. Its full-time or nothing, and often out in the country. I was pretty lucky to score the job I did - not many other students I know managed to find anything while studying. And there was no chance of the part-timers managing it since they already had full time jobs in other fields.

Yeah, a friend of mine was in that situation, it made her last year or so of school hell because she had to work so much to keep the job that had anything to do with her degree.

Evil Multifarious

I'm going to end up with an English master's degree by this time next year. I don't think it's very useful, except in saying "hey look at me, I'm smart enough to get a master's degree so I'm a little better than just a BA." The only reason I'm doing it is they're paying me.

So I have to wonder, in Canada, what degrees are really worth something? I'm seeing technical diplomas having far more success, not in the slips of paper themselves but in the skills that you learn that go on your resume.

DraXXXen

Evil Multifarious wrote: »

So I have to wonder, in Canada, what degrees are really worth something? I'm seeing technical diplomas having far more success, not in the slips of paper themselves but in the skills that you learn that go on your resume.

I myself only went to college for a total of 2 years, 1 year for a shitty art course (drinking!) and then decided I did not want to do traditional animation anymore and was accepted into a 1 year post-graduate degree course for 'Interactive Multimedia' (web programming, video shooting/editing, graphic design etc...) at Sheridan College (Oakville, Ontario). Yeah, they let me in without the required degree/min 4 years of college/university and since then i've had no problem getting jobs. It's no degree, but it still shows I know my stuff and am not some 'learned me some web pages at home lol' guy.

It saved me tons of money (in total, the 2 years cost about $10k with all expenses) and good experience, but man how I wish I didn't miss the entire college-life thing for a few years. [/vent]


So yeah, Canada (Mississauga / Toronto area) = experience over slip of paper any day (from my experiences)

Low Key

The Cat wrote: »

mugginns wrote: »

Likely. I held a part time job on campus doing IT work for over a year. Also had a summer job every year, and an internship my senior year. My girlfriend worked in her field every summer and did office work for two years during the school year. College-goers that don't get some sort of job related to their field during their time there are behind the curve.

Depends. Its bloody difficult to get any envsci/eco work part time or in the holidays. Its full-time or nothing, and often out in the country. I was pretty lucky to score the job I did - not many other students I know managed to find anything while studying. And there was no chance of the part-timers managing it since they already had full time jobs in other fields.

Do you want a job in Libya? I know of some pretty good holiday work over there for dirt lovers. Then again, do you even have holidays anymore? But still, Libya.

The Cat

Africa? Aren't there bears?

Zalbinion

The Cat wrote: »

Africa? Aren't there bears?

Not if we change the Wikipedia article!

Low Key

Like you haven't dealt with bears before

ElJeffe

The Cat wrote: »

Depends. Its bloody difficult to get any envsci/eco work part time or in the holidays. Its full-time or nothing, and often out in the country. I was pretty lucky to score the job I did - not many other students I know managed to find anything while studying. And there was no chance of the part-timers managing it since they already had full time jobs in other fields.

It was a bit different out here. I lived with a couple of eco majors, and they and all their eco-hippie friends had internships and part-time jobs that they did while pursuing their masters degrees.

Zalbinion

ElJeffe wrote: »

The Cat wrote: »

Depends. Its bloody difficult to get any envsci/eco work part time or in the holidays. Its full-time or nothing, and often out in the country. I was pretty lucky to score the job I did - not many other students I know managed to find anything while studying. And there was no chance of the part-timers managing it since they already had full time jobs in other fields.

It was a bit different out here. I lived with a couple of eco majors, and they and all their eco-hippie friends had internships and part-time jobs that they did while pursuing their masters degrees.

I would imagine that Environmental Protection Agency and other federal land use guidlines would make environmental science and ecology relatively lucrative (or at least, dependable) career markets. I know that archeologists are in demand due to similar regulations (cultural preservation and the like), and you make very good money with seasonal work.

DraXXXen

Low Key wrote: »

Like you haven't dealt with bears before

Can I find a college for THIS line of glorious problem solving?

Jast

Andrew_Jay wrote: »

mugginns wrote: »

Andrew_Jay wrote: »

Elkamil wrote: »

Political science, iirc.

Yep.

What did you plan to do with a master's in Poli Sci except teach? Why not get a law degree?

Government work - Department of Foreign Affairs, Canadian International Development Agency, Canadian Security Intelligence Service, United Nations, &c. &c. &c. There's tons that can be done with it, but I've had no luck, so I'm heading to law school now in the fall . . . probably to specialise in something unprofitable and end up in the same situation three years down the road.

Never know, could end up rolling in the dough.

Jast

How come all the good discussions end up dying? This topic is interesting.

Picardathon

bigpanda wrote: »

geckahn wrote: »

But that doesnt mean I'm going to say a drug dealer has their shit together.

Not that I condone selling drugs, but there are some out there that run drug empires that would rival some corporations. Unscrupulous yes, but some of these guys are extremely good business men in terms of the fundamentals. It makes me sad to think that they're in a position that pillages the community instead of bolstering it.

Someone else mentioned the lack of positive role models, and I think that's a big part of it.

The bigger drug empires are run like corporations.
The guys at the upper positions have business experience, and the grunts really don't move up.

jkylefulton

Picardathon wrote: »

bigpanda wrote: »

geckahn wrote: »

But that doesnt mean I'm going to say a drug dealer has their shit together.

Not that I condone selling drugs, but there are some out there that run drug empires that would rival some corporations. Unscrupulous yes, but some of these guys are extremely good business men in terms of the fundamentals. It makes me sad to think that they're in a position that pillages the community instead of bolstering it.

Someone else mentioned the lack of positive role models, and I think that's a big part of it.

The bigger drug empires are run like corporations.
The guys at the upper positions have business experience, and the grunts really don't move up.

Freakonomics has a few chapters about a corporate-esque Chicago drug running operation, if anyone's interested.

Vrtra Theory

If you have the ability to get a college degree, I think you owe it to yourself to do so. Examples abound of people with little or no traditional education who became millionaires (or, hey, just lived really comfortable and fulfilling lives). Those people don't just magically get money, though - it takes work and lots of it. Saying "well, that sounds easier, I'll just skip college!" just isn't smart in my book.

Personally, I have no idea what I'd be doing if I didn't have my degree (Bachelor of Comp Sci). I can't tell you how it is at other companies, but in this company, there's tons of people without any kind of degree in IT. And they all work at the IT Help Desk. Or in "GIT Infrastructure" (i.e.: run around the building and reboot computers). And they make $35-40k, tops.

Now, that's not actually a bad salary for the work you do, and I know a lot of them love it here. But (at least in this company) to move up the ladder to Development or Architecture you need at least a BS, and a Masters doesn't hurt.

electricitylikesme

^ This.

Having the opportunity alone to go on to tertiary education is a huge advantage, and if you're going to pass it up you need to have a damn good reason for doing so. But then, you also need to pick degrees you're actually interested in rather then trying to second guess what will make money.

Dublo7

Incenjucar wrote: »

It should probably be noted that, thanks to the whole supply/demand thing, jobs that have fuckall to do with a college education are often worth a huge amount of money right now.

They're pretty much throwing money at welders, the construction industry has -awesome- pay, car mechanics can make pretty good scratch if they get with the right group, and teamsters kick all their asses.

It's depressing, but driving around for UPS can be worth more than your college education.

A guy I know with a bachelors in science making more money now, driving a taxi, than he did when he got a job related to his degree.
He makes about 2000 dollars a week, just from driving taxis. That's a good fucking wage.

electricitylikesme

Dublo7 wrote: »

Incenjucar wrote: »

It should probably be noted that, thanks to the whole supply/demand thing, jobs that have fuckall to do with a college education are often worth a huge amount of money right now.

They're pretty much throwing money at welders, the construction industry has -awesome- pay, car mechanics can make pretty good scratch if they get with the right group, and teamsters kick all their asses.

It's depressing, but driving around for UPS can be worth more than your college education.

A guy I know with a bachelors in science making more money now, driving a taxi, than he did when he got a job related to his degree.
He makes about 2000 dollars a week, just from driving taxis. That's a good fucking wage.

Yeah but I still place more value on doing something I like rather then something I hate that pays alright, provided in the end it'll start paying the bills.

But then again my parents are wealthy, so that's just the sort of flexibility that affords.

Dublo7

electricitylikesme wrote: »

Dublo7 wrote: »

Incenjucar wrote: »

It should probably be noted that, thanks to the whole supply/demand thing, jobs that have fuckall to do with a college education are often worth a huge amount of money right now.

They're pretty much throwing money at welders, the construction industry has -awesome- pay, car mechanics can make pretty good scratch if they get with the right group, and teamsters kick all their asses.

It's depressing, but driving around for UPS can be worth more than your college education.

A guy I know with a bachelors in science making more money now, driving a taxi, than he did when he got a job related to his degree.
He makes about 2000 dollars a week, just from driving taxis. That's a good fucking wage.

Yeah but I still place more value on doing something I like rather then something I hate that pays alright, provided in the end it'll start paying the bills.

But then again my parents are wealthy, so that's just the sort of flexibility that affords.

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Unfortunately, it's not always possible. Sometimes people have to work jobs they dislike just to pay the bills.

Brainleech

I did not go to college as I could not afford it, I could not get a loan of any type or any type of educational assitence
This being one of the many driving factors is why I joined the Marines.
Now that I am out and having the gi bill I don't have that drive to go to school I once did

I can see how getting a degree can improve my current situation

electricitylikesme

Dublo7 wrote: »

electricitylikesme wrote: »

Dublo7 wrote: »

Incenjucar wrote: »

It should probably be noted that, thanks to the whole supply/demand thing, jobs that have fuckall to do with a college education are often worth a huge amount of money right now.

They're pretty much throwing money at welders, the construction industry has -awesome- pay, car mechanics can make pretty good scratch if they get with the right group, and teamsters kick all their asses.

It's depressing, but driving around for UPS can be worth more than your college education.

A guy I know with a bachelors in science making more money now, driving a taxi, than he did when he got a job related to his degree.
He makes about 2000 dollars a week, just from driving taxis. That's a good fucking wage.

Yeah but I still place more value on doing something I like rather then something I hate that pays alright, provided in the end it'll start paying the bills.

But then again my parents are wealthy, so that's just the sort of flexibility that affords.

Yeah, I was thinking the same thing. Unfortunately, it's not always possible. Sometimes people have to work jobs they dislike just to pay the bills.

Oh I realize that, I was mostly speaking against the issue I see a lot where people try and weigh a degree course they think will make them a lot of money against something they want to do. My family has had rather a lot of discussions about this with my brothers who both felt that doing a degree in something they were interested in was a stupid idea compared to doing a degree in something that was "guaranteed to make money".

There's just not really such a thing.