I'm Curious... is Uni/College Little More Than A Waste?

[KaWaiiTSuKI]

Hi there. Long time lurker here and occasional poster. Being the lurker type, For my first thread, I'm going to try not to ramble so I'll keep this as short as possible. Also, for the reasons stated in this thread, I'm fucking tired and I probably won't be entirely coherent so I apologise if I don't make much sense.

Spoiler

I've seen more than enough of these threads round here to know that most posters on this site, at least the most verbal, are adamant in their beliefs that university/college is necessary to thrive in the adult world and secure a comfortable, well paying job.

My question to this though... is that really true today? What proof of this do you have other than simple claims and examples of doctors or lawyers or teachers who tend to be extremely unhappy. Not only this, but college, at least where I live, seems to me like a completely worthless and stressful stent at a place that only demands one learn pointless skills that will rarely be used later in life. Granted, if you want to be a doctor, of course school is necessary but what about someone who doesn't wish to do that? What exactly is the point of going to school when all around me I see examples of people who succeeded in life without any sort of formal education. I don't mean celebrities either, I mean actual people who I've grown up around. This confuses me considering these people, who live in beautiful houses and have great, low stress jobs, tell me constantly that I shouldn't fight the system and just go along with it and that it'll all be worth it in the end.

I'm not too sure about this. Even from a statistical point, how many of these kids that I'm going to class with will end up successful and with wonderful jobs? For that matter, how many of these wonderful jobs will need all these little fuckers boasting their college degrees in hopes of getting employed? Most likely, they'll end up at Starbucks like most college graduates I know or sitting on their parent's couch.


I read a study recently saying that over 57% of college graduates aren't in their field of study 5 years after graduating. So, if this is the case for a pretty large majority, then what exactly is the point of listening to someone drone on for 4 years when most people own't even use it anyway?

And go ahead and say it, because I don't really care at this point. I'm a rebellious youngling who doesn't want to be part of a "fascist system working for the evil corporations, brah!" Fine, I can live with that because... well to be honest, I don't. I see no point in staying with something that is doing nothing to help me and is only causing more stress by bleeding me dry of every cent I have and only putting me more in debt.

I'm currently a part-time college student in a school that I absolutely despise. I'm being put in debt before I can even legally drink alcohol, I feel forced into an institution that I'm wasting time in and... well no, that's pretty much it. I feel it's a waste of time that I could be using to get a well paying job for the talents I already have. I have no interest in being a doctor, yet because I was late to enroll, I'm forced to take something I don't want and it won't even be counted towards graduation later on. Not to mention, every time I think I have payed off everything I owe, another charge pops up that just gets added to a growing pile. It's not even a prestigious school of any kind. It's a bloody community technical school.

Perhaps I'm the one with the problem and I'm the bitchy girl who doesn't want to do anything or whatever but I can't even get a word in to my parents about this, let alone present anything that could convince them otherwise. Maybe Im' the only one who feels this way and it's just my way of subconsciously rebelling against something by making up shit but... I need to know if I'm not the only one who feels so strongly about school and feels that it is little more than a waste of time.

TL;DR: I'm a college student, I grow more to hate it everyday and I see no point in it. Anyone feel the same and if so, how did/do you deal with it?

Also, like I said, I apologise if I'm not making much sense but I tend to ramble when angry and tired so... sorry about that. I'll answer any questions or get into any civilised debate with someone but... that's just me rambling up there. >_<

 

[orangeban]

Well, in Britain at least, it really depends on what you're studying, and what you want to do with your life. For instance, someone with a degree in, say, broadcasting is unlikely to get a job, especially if they have little other experience. But physics degrees tend to be in high demand.

And jobs is pretty self explantory, for some jobs degrees are vital, for others not so much.

But obviouslly, if you have two identical candidates, but one has a degree and the other hasn't, the one with the degree will almost always get chosen.

 

[Ruwrak]

Maybe in your country, but over here (the Netherlands) things are creepily well organized (with the exception of one or two college's.. But those are really horrible >.<) I won't say I am going to school with a happy face, but more a 'it's a necessity of life, just as much as eating and drinking is.' kind of face.

And like the above said, experience in the field helps (and that is why my graduate year is 1/2 year internship and 1/2 year writing a professional scripture on subject ) and the degree shows you possess the basics & perhaps some advanced knowledge (if you follow a master or a in-depth course about something.)

College is useful. Without college here, you'd end up somewhere in the lower regions of paycheck land (not meant in a 'har har look at me on my ivory tower' type of comment.)
Basically I live with it by just... well living with it. It's only for x amount of years. Not the rest of my life so... I think I'll be fine, and you'll be fine to. You don't have to like it, but perhaps you need to re-asses your goals?

 

[EvilPicnic]

For me, uni is about three things - gaining an education, gaining a qualification and developing life skills. Whether university is the correct decision for you is entirely individual, and depends on how important you feel each of these factors are.

An education is the betterment of yourself academically, and a qualification is the piece of paper at the end that is the ticket into certain jobs. But I found that the life skills I developed at uni were the vital part.

I graduated this summer, and I feel am a profoundly different person than when I started uni. I didn't notice any change during the process, and I very very nearly dropped out at several points. But on reflection I certainly feel that completing the course has improved me as a person.

That being said, after finishing uni I am now back at home living with the parents, have a pile of debts, and am unemployed in a pretty shitty economic climate. So swings and roundabouts.

 

[Julianking93]

I'm more or less in the same boat.
I'm taking classes that I have no interest in due to being forced by my parents.
In America, the school system seems to be far different than anywhere else.
Here, it seems to be just a way for the government to put people in debt and get more money.
"Oh, here's your tuition bill. That'll be $3000 dollars for 3 months.
And don't forget your $400 dollar textbook you can't get anywhere else because those are outdated."
I'm calling bullshit there. But hey, that's the beauty of Capitalism for ya! Making sure those in power stay in power!

But seriously, I agree for the most part. Most people I know with a college degree work part-time jobs as a waiter or something or they simply don't use it.
My mum's friend is one of the people who so adamantly demanded I go to college yet... she's a writer and has a degree in Geology.
Note that she isn't a geology writer... she's a writer for a fashion magazine. ¬_¬
Still, I guess it... can be good if one wants some time to fuck about with their friends for a few grand a year. But then again, if you want to do that, parents, just send your kids to Miami with 10 grand for a few months. That'll give them some real world experience at least.

 

[Julianking93]

no man, you dont need an education in this world of global prosperity and peace and joy. go on and strive for less then average. who needs a job with a reasonable income to buy food when you can just steal fries off the floor of the local fast food shame pit you'll end up working at. way to live up to the expectations of those who struggled to provide you with the opportunities they've never had. they fought world war 2 so you can go to college and you spit in their faces... you are a nazi. how dare you be a nazi? an uneducated nazi.

Dai, what the fuck are you going on about?
Did you even read her post? She's mentioning that those "shame pits" you're talking about are mostly populated by *gasp* college graduates!
It's true actually. Anyone I know who works at a fast-food joint are mostly people with college degrees who are working off their debt. Then again, I don't know many people who work in fast food. It's mostly waiters who have the fancy business degrees.
Wait, why am I even arguing with you? Calling someone you don't even know a nazi and spouting shit about WWII and freedom yet you've no idea what you're on about, do you? You sound like Walter.

 

[Darknacht]

What do you want as a job? If you want to work in a basic service job or physical labor no you don't need higher education. If you want to work in an high tech industry as something other than tech support then yes you do.
Whether or not your degree is useful depends on what your degree is and what you want to do with it.

 

[ROBOTwithHUMANhair]

haha wow way to completely miss the fact that i was not being serious at all. solid big leb reference though. do you think i truly believe this person is a nazi? are you under the impression that a person would take a complete strangers opinion online with even a single grain of consideration?

and relax man... its a life advice question posed on a game magazine forum... how can we take this seriously in any way?

 

[Princess Rose]

TL;DR: I'm a college student, I grow more to hate it everyday and I see no point in it. Anyone feel the same and if so, how did/do you deal with it?

No, don't feel the same.

However, it may depend on what you want to do with your life.

What is your major?

What career do you see yourself in?

I can't answer about college unless I know what you're studying.

That said, I don't believe that a college education is ever a waste. Will it miraculously change your life? No. Hell no. But is it good? Yes. Hell yes. Still, depending on what you're majoring in, the amount of practical benefit to your life may vary. Please tell us what you're in college for (what you're studying, what classes, major, etc) and maybe we can answer your question a little better.

 

[SnakeoilSage]

My sociology professor in College flat out told us it's a waste of time.

1) It exists so the current work force gets a reprieve.

2) It allows businesses to stop training employees even if the degree you have didn't come with the training you need.

3) It's a certificate-based system, rewarding those who purchase them (and they are purchased, there's very little actual "earning" involved) regardless of whether they have any actual talent or practical training for the job.

4) Degree programs are deliberately made to require as much mandatory filler as possible to maximize our tuition fees... which is why I was taking Sociology (not to mention a basic Anthropology and French course) for an English major.

Maybe 10% of all college/university students have a concise path to their goals, and of those maybe 20% have the necessary prerequisites to pursue that goal without obstacles deliberately placed in their path such as money and "filler" credits.

 

[Glademaster_v1legacy]

Em what do you even want to do? Also not every Doctor/Lawyer/etc is unhappy and if you ever want to do work in a field where you have to research topics you need to go to college and learn how to do it and then know what is bull and what isn't. You don't do that at second level education and to be honest second level education is an actual waste since you study even more subjects you don't need at least if you go to college and choose what you want to do you will actually be learning vital skills.

Good luck being a Chemical Engineer or something similar without a degree. The only reason there is a high percentage of people doing that and like your parent is because they studied what they wanted and learned vital skills that are transferable to other fields. Having a degree in one field does not make you ineligible to work in others. In fact people that do Engineering in my college about 10-20% or something in that range go on to do not direct engineering ie business, teaching, lecturing. So there is that and then there are others that go to college because of social stigma.

Then there is one size does not fit all. Just because a few people made it without going to college doesn't mean you will or everyone else will as that does just not make any sense what so ever. Years ago people in Ireland didn't go to Ireland as there were plenty of jobs and they did not have high requirements now everything needs some sort of degree/Leaving Cert, experience which you get work experience in college and a decent CV which they help you do in college.

 

[Agayek]

TL;DR: I'm a college student, I grow more to hate it everyday and I see no point in it. Anyone feel the same and if so, how did/do you deal with it?

Also, like I said, I apologise if I'm not making much sense but I tend to ramble when angry and tired so... sorry about that. I'll answer any questions or get into any civilised debate with someone but... that's just me rambling up there. >_<

College is not strictly necessary in today's world. I know a number of people without degrees that are very successful (one of whom was a VP at Microsoft for 20+ years).

That said, a degree makes life easier. Getting a job is much simpler if you have a college degree, and, for better or worse, you are taken far more seriously in the "real world" if you have a degree in your field.

 

[JoJo]

I'm currently a part-time college student in a school that I absolutely despise.

Now here's your problem. When we get down to it, this isn't about them in general, it's because you hate this particular place. University and College aren't a waste if you get a reasonable degree and get some other experience somewhere-else too as to differiate yourself from the hordes of graduates currently on the market, as having a degree makes it much easier to get a good job. Saying that, it isn't impossible to succeed without a degree, just usually requires a bit more effort.

I think you need to think about your own long-term future, what sort of job you want and how you intend to get it. Once you know that, you can check out of options and decide informed what you want to do. It's your life, live it however you want, just make sure you make the right decision rather than going with gut instinct or ignoring valid options.

 

[Mister Eff]

Depends on what you want to do really. I do film and I think it's pretty useful being educated in techniques and technology that I wouldn't know without university.

Also, I'm having some of the best times of my life here.

 

[FilipJPhry]

You want to quit, go ahead. Remember: College is an OPTION after high school. You can do training in any other career you want.

 

[Indeterminacy]

I'm currently a part-time college student in a school that I absolutely despise. I'm being put in debt before I can even legally drink alcohol, I feel forced into an institution that I'm wasting time in and... well no, that's pretty much it. I feel it's a waste of time that I could be using to get a well paying job for the talents I already have. I have no interest in being a doctor, yet because I was late to enroll, I'm forced to take something I don't want and it won't even be counted towards graduation later on.

I think somewhere in this paragraph lies the root of the problem; specifically, the bit at the end.

"You're forced".

Who's forcing you? What's forcing you? How did it get to be that way, and how could you reverse that situation?

 

[Dags90]

What proof of this do you have other than simple claims and examples of doctors or lawyers or teachers who tend to be extremely unhappy.

Census data is pretty reliable proof. When personal anecdotes are put away and we look at average income by education level, the message is clear.[footnote]http://www.census.gov/hhes/www/income/data/historical/people/P24_2009.xls[/footnote]

People with 2-year degrees earn $10,000 more per year on average than high school graduates, 4-year degrees will net you $20,000 more per year on average. Even college drop outs earn noticeably more per year than people who never attend.