Student entitlement?

[Liesje]

College today is VASTLY more expensive than it used to be. There are people I know who have debt of $60K for an undergraduate degree. There is one I know who owes $75K. Do you have any idea how difficult it is to start out in life that deep in the hole?

Yep, I know EXACTLY what that's like. We have $80K and will be adding to that steadily over the next year and a half. I make $32k before taxes and insurance gets taken out, but considering most of my peers and the economy here, I'm counting my blessings. I can't save much, but I can pay the bills for both of us (well, since Phil's loans are deferred so I pay about $600/mo for mine) and have a bit on the side for going to the movies and getting clothes. My beef is with the cost of the tuition and the competition for necessary scholarships, not really with how much money I make. I was VERY pleased to be offered that much, considering the unemployment rates around here. My friends (also grads) are all either still in school, desperately searching for work, or doing something like retail for $7.50/hr. The best part about my current job is the benefits. If I didn't get vacations and holidays, I'd go mental. If I didn't get insurance (medical, dental, and life for Phil and I), I would not be able to afford it on my own. This summer I'm doing training for technical certifications and then I'm eligible for raises. Another perk is that my current job pays for any training programs and certifications I want to do, which then make me eligible for more raises and more marketable if I try to get a job somewhere else.


Anyway....I pretty much agree with a lot of what you're saying, I just don't think it's as big of a deal as it might seem and if I were going to change anything, it wouldn't be making it more difficult to get a BA in general, it would be taking a hard look at the costs of tuition at the better schools (and I don't mean private schools are the better schools - UofM is a really good school and costs nearly $20K).

 

[angelordevil]

I guess if you treat college as a glorified training program for a specific job, then perhaps things are not what they were 20, 30 years ago. However, if you look at a college as an actual chance for higher learning, then I cannot see how anyone can term any degree not worth it.

It all comes down to love or money, doesn't it? If you go to university expecting a great financial reward at the end, you're a fool. Things have changed. Get over it. On the other hand, if you go with the aim of improving yourself as human being, and learning something you're passionate about--with the possibility of landing a great job in that field--you've nailed the essential core of what university should be all about.

 

[Devlin]

I agree with whoever said college is not for everyone - i think they really need to bring back specific degrees and trades, instead of widesweeping generalised degrees that way people gain specific skills.

I totally agree with this. I kind of drifted from school to school for a good few years simply because I'm smart. /Very/ smart; this, to most people, means I should have gone to college and done well.

The one thing I wish I'd known about a decade ago is Vet Tech courses,which are /very/ specific, and right up my alley. Of course, since veterinarians make much more money than a 'lowly' vet tech, it doesn't get much play.

The truth, however, is that without the techs, the doctors would be up to their eyeballs in dog crap. Literally and figuratively. Half the time, when your pet's teeth are cleaned, or blood drawn, it's the techs that do it, not the docs.

 

[Liesje]

The one thing I wish I'd known about a decade ago is Vet Tech courses,which are /very/ specific, and right up my alley. Of course, since veterinarians make much more money than a 'lowly' vet tech, it doesn't get much play.

The truth, however, is that without the techs, the doctors would be up to their eyeballs in dog crap. Literally and figuratively. Half the time, when your pet's teeth are cleaned, or blood drawn, it's the techs that do it, not the docs.

I realized this too late as well, and am planning on doing it someday when we live closer to a good program. MSU is awesome for vet science and relatively close, but with Phil in school right now, somebody's gotta pay the bills! I bet if you do it long enough, it's a decent living. I know some vet techs have their own techs and admin assistants. I imagine it's like being a nurse vs. being a doctor. We gotta have both!!