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How many of you are college educated?

Do you have a college degree?

  • Yes

    Votes: 331 85.1%
  • No

    Votes: 62 15.9%

  • Total voters
    389
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Based on the results of the poll and the comments I have read some of you post on this board over the years I have to say my dad was right....there must be a lot of educated idiots in this world. 🤣
 
The unfortunate thing about "just a piece of paper", is that your BA, and sometimes MA, are a requirement to move up the corporate ladder. It's true, that degree turns out to be pretty useless for a lot of people. BUT, if you're trying make the big bucks in your field, eventually it becomes a requirement.
 
BA in journalism.

Lived in poverty for years with media jobs that required a degree but paid like retail. Eventually used my degree and skills to get a $50K/yr technical writing job.

Currently work in corporate communications for a giant company making almost 6 figures. The degree helped because it was required, but the work experience is what landed me the job.

I did really poorly my first 3 years of college (had a lot of fun) and then spent the next 3 years cleaning up my mess and actually earning the degree. I was very immature at 18. Still am at 40. Lol.
 
The real issue with colleges are they don't teach what you need and have replaced it with anti American socialism. They teach our kids to hate capitalism and teaches marxism socialism is the only way. We live in some really bad times. Heck they do it in lower education now so its much easier to continue in college
 
Depends on the life you want. There’s a path for everybody.

There’s also value in education, no matter how that’s acquired, and in showing you can start something, navigate your way through, and finish it even when it’s difficult, whether that’s training, a degree, a certificate, or the service.

those things don’t necessarily “make” you anything, but they open doors. I know people with and without any or all of the above who love their lives and just as many who are miserable.

the bullshit is from selling everybody the same path and from telling any of them that any of it guarantees anything.
This right here is truth. I have 3 years college done everything from sales to building tires. Spend 8 years owning a restaurant and working 80 hours a week. Got so burnt out I sold it and invested in a haunted house with my 22 year old son.

Always was artistic and good at making scary stuff! Loved Monsters as a kid. Wanted to be a special effects make up artist. Now I get to do all that hang out with my son who is even more talented at the scary stuff and I work from June til the end of Oct about 20 hours a week and make a solid living. Doing what you love is key in life if that requires an education get one whether it's an apprenticeship, on the job training technical school or jus learn as you go. Life is about figuring out what makes you happy and running with it
 
As a SysEngineer with a BA in Business... it should be.. go pay $10/month for Coursera/LinuxAcademy/Udemy/etc to learn computers, get a helpdesk/entry job making $40k/year, advance into engineering (software or system) making $70-$150k.. all within 10 years. If you're good at what you do, or get into management, there is no limit to what you can make. I have friends in their 30's at Microsoft, Cisco, Palo Alto, Amazon, Salesforce.. all making $200-400k. And only a few of them have degrees. Some just HS diploma. Software engineers, Pre-sales, Project Managers, Solutions Architects..

Computers are really just an advanced form of a trade, IMO. The people who got into this field, likely did it from tinkering as a kid.. no different than messing with car engines or fixing electrical outlets with your dad. It's not high level math, or rocket science, or fixing the human body.

Can confirm.

My BBA in Management from UK was a solid base, but really does not differentiate me from anyone else in my field. I have been a Systems Engineer since Y2K...no one expects you to have every answer, they just expect you to find it.

Pretty easy with a bit of common sense and Google.
 
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The unfortunate thing about "just a piece of paper", is that your BA, and sometimes MA, are a requirement to move up the corporate ladder. It's true, that degree turns out to be pretty useless for a lot of people. BUT, if you're trying make the big bucks in your field, eventually it becomes a requirement.
100% fact. It’s an entry level requirement in my field, much less for promotional opportunities.

So “it’s useless”, and “just a piece of paper” guys, I’ll go ahead and disagree. That useless piece of paper was an entry level requirement for me to even get started in my field.

Maybe it’s not for everyone. But I guaran-damn-tee you HVAC or plumbing isn’t for everyone, either. It sure isn’t for me.
 
I have a degree and get payed decently... however if you told me I needed a degree for what I do.... I don't LOL.

College is the biggest scam outside of degrees you actually need to be educated in (Engineers, doctors ect.)

Unless you still hold the notation that college makes you a well rounded person... I'd still disagree but can see that to be the case for many. Still a waste of $$$ tho.
 
It’s not just our college system that’s messed up, it’s also k-12. Corporations use their money and influence to make lesson plans that teach kids all the wrong things. They teach us to be smart enough to work but dumb enough to break free. Ever wonder why finance classes aren’t mandatory but we need 3 Geography classes?

the people who made the system don’t want you breaking from the system
 
Got an associate degree, got married, got a bachelors degree, had a few kids, got a masters degree. Kids started growing and I’m not working on a degree in an entirely new field.
 
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I have never been motivated by money, which is a good thing, because I went in to teaching. LOL!

Four reasons why I became a teacher: Fall break, Christmas break, Spring break, and especially Summer break.

I kid, but only a little.

Just started year 25. Probably do 30, then give something else a whirl. Lord willing.
Other than the people (well some of them), the long Christmas break is about the only thing I miss from working at a school
 
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I think a lot of you completely miss the point here. I have more hours in math than some of you have in your degree. It’s earned me a boatload of money, but it would be useless without a plan and dedication to exploit the degree. The degree is simply a means to an end. There is nothing wrong with college or the lower schools except all the dumbing down of the program.

You have to look at the people who are successful and see what they have in common. Electrician or electrical engineer, both have to be willing to apply themselves and work their ass off. Swilling beer at 18 won’t put food on the table at 40. The issue is not in the system. The issue is in the mirror.
 
I think your post misses the mark a little, unless I am misreading it. I don't think people are saying kids don't appreciate college. I think people are saying kids going to college simply to fulfill the NBA eligibility requirement don't appreciate college and aren't there for an education. Electricians, for example, don't go to college for one year with no intention of getting an education so they can meet the eligibility requirement to become an electrician. I think what people are saying is if you aren't interested in getting a college education, you shouldn't be in college.

That isn't the fault of the kid though. Don't you think it is plausible that they both like school and leave school?

If I was a journalism major and a sports network came and offered me $1m a year to anchor weekend show I may leave behind something I love for a better opportunity.

That is like saying you are at a job you love and then another employer offers you 3x the money and you take it...does it mean you should have never been at your previous employer?
 
BA degree in Speech Pathology from U.K.
MA degree in school Counseling from WKU

** After my BA, I tried going to UL for my MA in Speech Pathology, but was so disappointed in their professors and harassment my UL students, I decided to leave UL forever and go to Western!
 
#1 reason why I got out of it.
Same. Did 2 1/2 years of MiLB. Couldn’t make it thru year 3. Quit, came back to Kentucky and started working at a school. I’ve hopped around since but I’ve been much happier overall
 
That isn't the fault of the kid though. Don't you think it is plausible that they both like school and leave school?

If I was a journalism major and a sports network came and offered me $1m a year to anchor weekend show I may leave behind something I love for a better opportunity.

That is like saying you are at a job you love and then another employer offers you 3x the money and you take it...does it mean you should have never been at your previous employer?
I don't disagree with what you are saying, but that isn't what is happening. Basketball players aren't going to school for the education and then being lured away by the NBA offering them a lot of money. These kids would never go to college if they were eligible for the NBA straight out of school. They are going to college simply to satisfy the eligibility requirements of the NBA. It's not the same as a person who goes to college for the education but leaves early because of a job offer.

As to whose fault it is? I would say there is plenty to go around. The NBA is at fault because of the eligibility rule they have in place. Although maybe the G/D league, whatever it's called, will help with that. The NCAA is at fault because they have a model that encourages kids to go to college when they have no interest in it other than getting to the NBA. If the NCAA model was the Ivy League or Division III model, many of those kids would probably never play college basketball, and that would be a good thing in my mind. The kid is probably at fault the least because he is simply making decisions based on what seems like the best thing for him to do. Like I said earlier, I'm hoping the G/D League takes most of these kids in the future and we're left with mostly kids who want to be in school and earn a degree. We will see how it plays out.
 
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I've spent too much on degrees. I'm fortunate to operate in a field that can pay me back, but if university costs continue on their current trajectory until my kids are of age, I'll likely nudge them towards software engineering or a trade or something .

I value critical thinking above everything. There are plenty of degrees that simply relay information (or worse - opinions), have no real world application, and some seem to actively impair the recipient in terms of thoughtfulness and adaptability.

You have to go case-by-case and determine whether a particular degree is worthwhile for a particular individual.
 
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Based on the results of the poll and the comments I have read some of you post on this board over the years I have to say my dad was right....there must be a lot of educated idiots in this world. 🤣
Amen to this ... and you may have categorized me as one of the idiots because of my posts. But even if that's so ... your Dad was indeed right !

Best to all ! Go 'Cats ! ! !
 
With all this talk of one and done, bypassing school to go to G-League or other pro route, people talking about how these kids don’t appreciate a college education, how many of you went to and graduated from college? How many of you went straight to the pros? Just thought it would be interesting to see how the posters here compare to the players.

was broke before college, broke during college, and broke after graduating from college. Still broke, but mostly happy.
 
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Same. Did 2 1/2 years of MiLB. Couldn’t make it thru year 3. Quit, came back to Kentucky and started working at a school. I’ve hopped around since but I’ve been much happier overall
It was cool when I was in my 20s. Got into my 30s and was like "What's the point of working this much? Not like I'm even getting rich off of it either."
 
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It was cool when I was in my 20s. Got into my 30s and was like "What's the point of working this much? Not like I'm even getting rich off of it either."
Felt the same. Luckily I realized how horrible it was when I was 24. I need a LARGE amount of life in my work/life balance
 
BA & MA degrees from UK. Teacher and coach but happy I'm out now and didn't have to teach during pandemic era. Feel badly for all involved these past two years.
 
My story is typical.

Walk on Punter at UK. Never saw the field other than the JayVee games. Broke my back (car wreck). It was "suggested" that I take a break from UK after three semesters and a sparkling 1.46 GPA. Got an F in English 101 and can't spell to this day.

Married a cute girl and became a Master Plumber in two years. Seven years later I decided to get a degree in Finance at UK. Took 5 years total going nights and weekends. Graduated at 34, with a two year old now in tow.

Today I am the System Facilities Director for a large Healthcare organization in Northeast Ohio. 5 Hospitals.

I also work for Universal Music and the band KISS as their vinyl consultant. I own a Record label "The Rockologists" that will be re-releasing the classic Peter Criss LP's Out of Control and Let Me Rock You this fall. These are the first in a new licensing deal I have. I have written six books. Despite the F in English 101.

Still married to that cute girl 40 years later.

So, typical...for Forest Gump :)
 
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I went from working in sports, to restaurant, to marketing (very briefly due to starting a month before the pandemic hit then getting laid off not long after it it) to healthcare lol. Pay isn't quite as good (less than $2k difference) than what I was making working in sports.

Except now, I only work 40 hours a week with scant OT and no nights and weekends. They actually forbid OT without supervisor approval, and the supervisors are told not to allow it unless it's critically necessary, which is virtually almost never for my position since it's not a direct patient care role. But when you break it down based on true hours worked, I'm making considerably more per hour now compared to when I worked in sports since I was salaried and they only paid me for 37.5 hours a week when I was working 50-60+.

Unfortunately I still have never really figured out what I want to do after getting out of sports. I mean I know a lot of what I don't want to do, not really much of anything aobut what I want to do.
 
156,000 if two hours a day working 5 days a week- not taxed. 234,000 3 hours a day working 5 days a week- not taxed.

imagine if it was all day.
Tradesmen like that don’t have steady lucrative jobs lined up all day, they just don’t. Professionals(true professionals like physicians, dentists, lawyers, pharmacist) do. People go to professionals usually(meaning people come to my office all day long for appointments) and that’s why they earn the money they do p. People look at what a plumber got paid in one to two hours of work in a day but they probably earn $0 several other hours a day. So they effectively average $30, $40. That’s certainly great but not in the ballpark of the highly educated.
 
156,000 if two hours a day working 5 days a week- not taxed. 234,000 3 hours a day working 5 days a week- not taxed.

imagine if it was all day.

You’re assuming they work 52 weeks a year with no time off and also assuming everything they do is 100% profit and they don’t pay for supplies, tools, vehicles, etc. I know of no profession with 0% overhead.
 
Tradesmen like that don’t have steady lucrative jobs lined up all day, they just don’t. Professionals(true professionals like physicians, dentists, lawyers, pharmacist) do. People go to professionals usually(meaning people come to my office all day long for appointments) and that’s why they earn the money they do p. People look at what a plumber got paid in one to two hours of work in a day but they probably earn $0 several other hours a day. So they effectively average $30, $40. That’s certainly great but not in the ballpark of the highly educated.
I’ve known several reputable licensed plumbers in my lifetime and they could work seven days a week if they wanted to. many of the older plumbers will cherry pick the jobs they want to do and refer jobs they don’t want to other plumbers. i can’t imagine they would go a day of $0 earnings for lack of work.
 
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Well...I have no excuses as a 22 Year Veteran. Thank You Uncle Sam. AAS, AS, BS. Still just a Country Boy from Mason County. Now in San Antonio with two businesses and a beautiful family of eight! Looking forward to the upcoming season. So here's my thoughts on college as someone that's done a lot of hiring. Sometimes hundreds of resumes for one to two positions. In many cases, the degree gets you the interview...you made the cut. Your certifications, skill set, and interview get you the job.
 
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MA, Parks Administration, stuck with the State as a Admin Assistant for the past 10 years in Driver Licensing.

I shoulda went to UK (thanks Murray State).
 
no degree...full scholly back in 94 to play baseball as a shortstop in nashville. self taught software developer, network administrator / internet wizard. never needed a degree and won't ever. college is great if you wanna be an attorney, teacher, doctor, surgeon etc etc. beyond that it's completely useless and overpriced. learn a trade and screw the degree. get good at something and you'll make all the money you want to.
 
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