Should YOU go to College?

[Agnostic Pope]

They know they've got you, too: College tuition has been steadily rising, at three to four times the rate of inflation (and that's not even counting the textbooks, which clock out at an average of $7200 now). But, hey, that's no problem, because everybody qualifies for those loans, and you can basically take as much as you need! It's a vicious circle: They jack up the rates because they know the money's there, and then they have to make more money available because those rates are so jacked up. It's a debt circle-jerk and you're the one in the middle that everybody's aiming at.

Wait, it's not all loans though, right? Hey, yeah, you can get free money, too! Yep, the Pell Grant (the only free money everybody guaranteed qualifies for, if they present sufficient financial need). In 1990, those covered 60 percent of a student's costs. In 2006, they covered 30 percent.

If you go to college, you're all but guaranteed some significant debt, and don't think it won't affect you: In a 2006 survey, 39 percent of college graduates needed more than the default 10 years to pay back their loans. Most couldn't buy a house because of the payments, and 28 percent even delayed having children. Jesus, we're not just putting off idle hopes and dreams because of student debt; we're putting off propagating the fucking species. College graduates have yet another reason not to have kids, while dropouts, with their raging, debt-free boners, are out there whoring it up with impunity. Two seconds ago, somebody stopped reading that last sentence to page down to the comments section and write "IDIOCRACY WAS RIGHT!"

I'm not saying you won't get anything out of college: While I was there, I certainly felt like I learned and grew as a person...for about the first year and a half. I think everybody should go to a community college for a bit. Everybody needs some of those early mandatory classes and social experiences, assuming they didn't already get them in high school. You need to take at least up to Calculus in math, so you can immediately forget it, but insist to the IT guys that you totally understood it at one point in your life. You need the introductory writing classes, at least up until argumentative essays, so you can win fights on the internet. And you need all of the general survey history courses, with a few psychology and philosophy courses thrown in on the side, so you can see how fucked up our species is, and come up with some pretentious bullshit reasons as to why that might be. And by all means, if you have the money, audit any class that sounds interesting, but keep in mind that this is the information age: You can get an Ivy League education for nothing. All that knowledge is free now. If you're paying, you're paying for paper.



Read the whole shit (http://www.cracked.com/blog/the-question-youre-not-asking-should-you-go-to-college/)here.

Yes. I know it was. It was a satire about current trends, not prophecy. If you believe otherwise, you're the kind of idiot the movie was referring to.

[Orphiuchus]

Do what I did. Spend 5 years in the Marines, not only is it free college but your maturity level will be high enough that you don't fail like 50% of normal freshmen.

Also, you ever notice how most of these articles are written by people who clearly have liberal arts degrees? Its even worse with the "We don't need math and science" articles, which are almost always written by Political science or English professors.

[Agnostic Pope]

I LIKE LIVING. :P

This fucker has a English Degree yes. But if you read his article or the comments you would know what he is really talking about. Don't take shitty non professional courses or you will end up (if you are lucky) working at WacArnolds. Really though in this day and age...we can learn most of the stuff READING IT FROM THE FUCKING INTERNET (http://www.openculture.com/freeonlinecourses). Or at least get an informed idea or two.

[Orphiuchus]

I LIKE LIVING. :P

This fucker has a English Degree yes. But if you read his article or the comments you would know what he is really talking about. Don't take shitty non professional courses or you will end up (if you are lucky) working at WacArnolds. Really though in this day and age...we can learn most of the stuff READING IT FROM THE FUCKING INTERNET (http://www.openculture.com/freeonlinecourses). Or at least get an informed idea or two.


I would say the only time you should ever get a degree in any of those garbage topics is if you're going to stay in academia or if you're going to a school like Harvard where any degree can get you a good job. If you're at a 3rd tier university you need to actually learn skills people will pay for and make money off of. A *insert minority* Studies major from Arizona State has about as much value as a GED.

[gzsfrk]

When I started at MTSU (http://www.mtsu.edu/) back in 96, tuition and fees for in-state undergraduates was around $1100 per semester. by the time I graduated in 2000, I think they were something like $1400. Last I checked, those same costs per semester were over $3500. Absolutely ridiculous.

[Agnostic Pope]

Exactly you are just getting wallet raped and by the end of it you have a small chance of even being employed.

[gzsfrk]

Exactly you are just getting wallet raped and by the end of it you have a small chance of even being employed.

Don't get me wrong; the degree I earned from MTSU (BBA->CIS) has served me well and led to me being employed straightaway out of college into a good job with the same company, lo these past 11 years. But I look at the rate of tuition increases, which as you noted has FAR outstripped the rate of inflation, and just shake my head at what seems to be little better than extortion, especially when you consider that the TBR (Tennessee Board of Regents) raises tuition rates across the board when such rate hikes are instituted.

[Evil Avatar]

A *insert minority* Studies major from Arizona State has about as much value as a GED.

Hey, I resemble that comment! :o

[Agnostic Pope]

Don't get me wrong; the degree I earned from MTSU (BBA->CIS) has served me well and led to me being employed straightaway out of college into a good job with the same company, lo these past 11 years. But I look at the rate of tuition increases, which as you noted has FAR outstripped the rate of inflation, and just shake my head at what seems to be little better than extortion, especially when you consider that the TBR (Tennessee Board of Regents) raises tuition rates across the board when such rate hikes are instituted.
It is pretty bad these days. I fear for the future generations that aren't privileged and will have to spend 10-15 years paying back their loans and even putting their personal life over their debts and jobs.

Hey, I resemble that comment! :o
English degree doh! :p

[Cygnus]

With all of the wars going on? You've got to be kidding here. No way I'd join the military...definitely not the marines. Air force supposed to be easy tho

Do what I did. Spend 5 years in the Marines

[BalekFekete]

Try this on for scary - I'll be paying my student loans at the same time I'll be paying my KIDS student loans. :eek:

I shit you not. I went back for my MBA, finished in 2001 while racking up $60k in debt doing so (Tuition: $1,269 per credit, was working full time, with family, so some of it was 'living' money). The bump I got in salary right afterwards is greater than my loans are...but still had to extend it to 25yrs. My eldest is almost 16, so I'm six years away from dual student loans.

[AspectVoid]

I graduated in 2004, and of course am still working off my student loans. If I pay the bare minimum, I'm looking at another 8 years of Student loans. As much as I want to pay them off quicker, my car is starting to die, so a new car will end up coming first. After that, though, I'm going to be focusing on saving to pay off the loans. My hope is to have them paid off in four years instead of 8.

[lockwoodx]

College is where slackers went to get drunk and laid.

[Anenome]

Just go to a cheaper college, ppl. College prestige is overrated unless you're going to MIT. And the vast majority of people going to MIT get a free ride anyway.

[VenomUSMC]

College a RL gold sink

[Anenome]

Brick & Mortar schools--on their way out soon.

[LoTECH]

I skipped post-secondary and feel I'm better for it. I'm 30 years-old and have worked several jobs in several fields (almost all relating back to horticulture, arbor-care, and landscaping, though).
I've trained in heavy-machine operating and can drive anything short of a tank (but it probably wouldn't take me long to figure out). I've got a massive skill-set and experience that is totally desired by employers out-side of the office setting.
I could not have done any of that if I had gone back to school. I would still be a pansy, and I would have never worked an honest day in my life.
Now, I can hop in any crazy-looking machine and operate it like a pro.

[Agnostic Pope]

Do you shave with a sharp rock as well? You also eat steel and shit out swords right? Mr. Manly man machine man. :P

[LoTECH]

Do you shave with a sharp rock as well? You also eat steel and shit out swords right? Mr. Manly man machine man. :P

I used to be a pussy. So I'm proud of my accomplishments.
And if you don't shut-up I will LEARN HOW TO DRIVE A TANK, and drive it muzzle-first, STRAIGHT UP YOUR ASS!!!
:)

[Orphiuchus]

Just go to a cheaper college, ppl. College prestige is overrated unless you're going to MIT. And the vast majority of people going to MIT get a free ride anyway.

This. Where you get your undergraduate degree simply doesn't matter that much. It does matter for graduate degrees, but that only applies to comparably a small number of people anyway.

What really matters is if you're good at what you do, you can put together a decent resume, and mainly that you make connections while in school. I'm hoping to finish my Software Engineering or CS degree(which one depends on if ASU sorts out the programs to my satisfaction) in 2 and a half more years.

Hopefully I can make some decent connections in that time by attending all the industry advising events(plus my entire extended family is engineers, so that helps), failing that I'm counting on my being a veteran and on disability with a decent GPA to boost me as a attractive fresh/diversity hire. Before I got out of the Marines I was thinking I could go back in as an officer if the job market sucked, but my body's aversion to pack runs seems to have about sealed that chapter.

[Agnostic Pope]

I will LEARN HOW TO DRIVE A TANK, and drive it muzzle-first, STRAIGHT UP YOUR ASS!!!
:)

That turn you on? :D

[Orphiuchus]

I used to be a pussy. So I'm proud of my accomplishments.
And if you don't shut-up I will LEARN HOW TO DRIVE A TANK, and drive it muzzle-first, STRAIGHT UP YOUR ASS!!!
:)

Pff, driving a tank doesn't look that hard to me.

But I do know the "I used to be a pussy" feeling. Before boot camp I wasn't exactly a threatening dude, but since I got out its been indicated a few times that I look like I might be about to murder someone for no reason. Apparently I went from "pussy" to "psycho" and skipped "confident". Its not really a good thing, but at least people don't cut me in line anymore.

[Anenome]

Pff, driving a tank doesn't look that hard to me.

But I do know the "I used to be a pussy" feeling. Before boot camp I wasn't exactly a threatening dude, but since I got out its been indicated a few times that I look like I might be about to murder someone for no reason. Apparently I went from "pussy" to "psycho" and skipped "confident". Its not really a good thing, but at least people don't cut me in line anymore.
That's because

Unconfident + tense = dweeb

confident + relaxed = cool, and...

confident + always-tense = psycho looking :P

[Agnostic Pope]

Pff, driving a tank doesn't look that hard to me.

But I do know the "I used to be a pussy" feeling. Before boot camp I wasn't exactly a threatening dude, but since I got out its been indicated a few times that I look like I might be about to murder someone for no reason. Apparently I went from "pussy" to "psycho" and skipped "confident". Its not really a good thing, but at least people don't cut me in line anymore.

Hardened combat nerds ftw!