General Discussion

wyldwolf

(43,891 posts)

140. I agree to a point

Tue May 20, 2014, 06:24 AM

May 2014

I must have went to college on the tail end of the time where you could actually work your way through school and come out with no loan debt. I was on what we affectionately called the 6 year plan because I often took semesters off to work full time and set back some money. My parents, on the lower end of the middle class scale, gave me a bed to sleep in and food to eat when I was home.

I graduated with a degree that didn't do me much good and after languishing in a low paying (REAL low paying - like just above the minimum wage) job in my profession for several years, I decided to teach myself IT. And then, after scraping together some cash, went back to a tech center to get a few IT certifications.

I later found out a lot of my friends went back to school for second degrees in hopes their job prospects would improve.

At this point in my life, I don't believe my first degree opened any doors for me yet my school still sends me letters begging for money.

While I believe the cost of a degree does and should rise (professors and faculty/staff deserve raises, costs of operation increases, etc.), I believe the costs have risen quickly and to the point I feel like I'm dealing with greedy corporations.

Edit history

Please sign in to view edit histories.

Recommendations

0 members have recommended this reply (displayed in chronological order):

192 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Angry Graduate Wrote This Letter To His University. It's Hard Not To Agree With Him. [View all] kpete May 2014 OP

pathetic TheSarcastinator May 2014 #1

disgusting reformist2 May 2014 #2

really sir DonCoquixote May 2014 #3

your position only holds if you buy the marketing nonsense TheSarcastinator May 2014 #11

And a college degree is also a requirement for many jobs. But you knew that didn't you? n/t A Simple Game May 2014 #20

Not just many jobs, but most jobs that pay enough to passiveporcupine May 2014 #89

I think your assumption that those that start businesses dont have college degrees rhett o rick May 2014 #113

Not in this market. Many jobs available today look at college degrees as "over qualified". rhett o rick May 2014 #114

And I think we have just found the first on many Catch-22s that exist in today's economy. baldguy May 2014 #151

Of course some jobs would not want someone with a degree. A Simple Game May 2014 #153

Oh, you so very much belong on the ignore list. Maedhros May 2014 #24

+1 gazillion valerief May 2014 #63

Yeppers, chervilant May 2014 #88

That is my thought to. I love ignore for truedelphi May 2014 #135

123 posts, this troll might be gone before you get him on ignore. marble falls May 2014 #142

Still here but I'm not surprised. NealK May 2014 #184

^^^THIS^^^ Tom Ripley May 2014 #192

Lighten Up billhicks76 May 2014 #139

So exactly who is feeding us all these myths? fasttense May 2014 #144

This message was self-deleted by its author ChangeUp106 May 2014 #99

specious. magical thyme May 2014 #7

sorry, I'm not your Dad TheSarcastinator May 2014 #13

I'm not sorry you're not my dad. And your claim, which you have not backed up with any supportive magical thyme May 2014 #18

I'm proud to be on your ignore list: you made sure to smear me personally TheSarcastinator May 2014 #22

So what do YOU consider the primary goal of "higher" education? AdHocSolver May 2014 #66

I like your arguments very much. MADem May 2014 #130

Fucking bullshit. Poor people can't take that huge financial risk for an "opportunity to learn". enki23 May 2014 #56

Yes, it is just sulphurdunn May 2014 #101

Sounds to me like the person was saying their dad had different reasons. Jamastiene May 2014 #156

as a cancer patient, I get absurdly high bills so I assumed your biz is booming wordpix May 2014 #31

Apparently, someone needs to send you to school for reading comprehension. (nt) jeff47 May 2014 #8

He thinks he is entitled to question the value of his very expensive education -- pnwmom May 2014 #26

Sarcastinator: having nothing of value to contribute tenderfoot May 2014 #33

I went to college in the early 70's. Jerry442 May 2014 #34

Amen to that. I graduated in the late 60's. B.S. in Chemistry. $2400.00 in debt to Uncle Sam kelliekat44 May 2014 #54

Very similar to my story. Same debt as you. You forgot the part about 2% interest on NDEA loans eridani May 2014 #138

you really, really don't get it, do you? Skittles May 2014 #44

If it is so above money, how can they put a price on it. If it's so instrinsically fucking excellent jtuck004 May 2014 #47

What have you got to sell me, TheSarcastinator? hunter May 2014 #55

"An education is not a guarantee of employment. It never has been and never will be." TrollBuster9090 May 2014 #71

Excuse me, Mr. (or Ms.) Sarcastinator: Brigid May 2014 #75

It probably was not his first fundraising letter, email or call, either. merrily May 2014 #123

:-| DeSwiss May 2014 #78

I agree %110 AllTooEasy May 2014 #83

One point against one point for. Springslips May 2014 #86

I'm a career educator and academic, and I largely agree.... mike_c May 2014 #87

mike_c trekbiker May 2014 #172

Pathetic? jollyreaper2112 May 2014 #90

You might want to try the new Discussionist site SwankyXomb May 2014 #92

We love it when our new neighbors visit. merrily May 2014 #110

Well the Name od this thread is imthevicar May 2014 #145

He is entitled to his opinion, though. Fantastic Anarchist May 2014 #159

I am not bothering with you nadinbrzezinski May 2014 #171

18 year old kids aren't equipped to sort out the truth from bullshit. lumberjack_jeff May 2014 #187

Righteous. n/t lumberjack_jeff May 2014 #4

TheSarcastinator kpete May 2014 #5

On the other hand...He read the glossy colored brochure back in high school & bought the sales pitch misterhighwasted May 2014 #6

the brochure for the healthcare program I attended didn't state "successfully" employed magical thyme May 2014 #9

marketing should never be taken as truth TheSarcastinator May 2014 #15

Most of all it's important to blame the victim Orrex May 2014 #25

^^^ This ^^^ (nt) jeff47 May 2014 #67

If more people were thoughtful consumers, our economy would collapse. AdHocSolver May 2014 #57

When people stop spending their money on one thing, they spend it on another. valerief May 2014 #73

If one has an inflamed appendix, and the doctor says she can get it out AngryAmish May 2014 #77

Marketing by adults in schools to 16 and 17 year old should not be deceptive. merrily May 2014 #116

I Definitely See Your Point taotzu May 2014 #148

Different experience at the university I work at. catbyte May 2014 #17

Doesn't always work, though Orrex May 2014 #28

I was one of the IT grads in '83. It took me a year to find my first gig and it was just the start Vincardog May 2014 #46

Well, that's kind of the point Orrex May 2014 #61

If I had it to do again, I would have been a welder. Vincardog May 2014 #62

Similarly, I would have gone in to automotive repair Orrex May 2014 #70

I wish I'd learned HVAC. xmas74 May 2014 #119

83 wasn't a good time to start that career. jeff47 May 2014 #109

Does that statistic mean that some percentage of the graduates did not seek employment in the field? magical thyme May 2014 #29

Yes, there were some graduates who decided not to seek employment yet--usually new mothers. catbyte May 2014 #37

So did 98% of the students pass the boards, and 100% of those find employment? magical thyme May 2014 #45

I'm sorry--can I get back with you? I'm dealing with a seriously ill cat & can't reply now. catbyte May 2014 #150

awww no, healing vibes to the kitty magical thyme May 2014 #164

That's a lot to expect of a 16 year old. Please see Reply 116. merrily May 2014 #117

wyrd RainDog May 2014 #10

Should have gotten a degree in Engineering. dilby May 2014 #12

Really? That is not what I've been hearing . . . Brigid May 2014 #72

You're right - wages for STEM jobs are dropping, being shipped overseas. reformist2 May 2014 #82

+1...what you said. freebrew May 2014 #149

While I do agree with the posts here Jenoch May 2014 #14

"Sense of entitlement?" KansDem May 2014 #41

I remember that PSA with Lincoln Art_from_Ark May 2014 #94

That's a big 10-4. raccoon May 2014 #178

Yeah, I think these commenters are missing the forest for the trees. Arugula Latte May 2014 #69

Then he should have went to a different school. Travis_0004 May 2014 #79

One of those super cheap state universities we have so many of these days, huh? Arugula Latte May 2014 #80

Then you get an associates degree at a community college and transfer to finish your degree Trekologer May 2014 #91

Do you think it's fine for universities to charge $45,000 a year? Arugula Latte May 2014 #103

You're citing costs for private schools Trekologer May 2014 #106

Nope. Arugula Latte May 2014 #108

Calculator link to a local DII/second rate state university in my town. xmas74 May 2014 #124

I just logged on to my local state university's website xmas74 May 2014 #122

Because the state also pays for the lavish spending by the school. merrily May 2014 #125

I work on campus xmas74 May 2014 #129

I am not sure which point you are making. merrily May 2014 #131

Not so much making a point as stating a fact. xmas74 May 2014 #132

Again, I did not ask about the foreign student's tuition or expenses. merrily May 2014 #133

Maybe you should have gone to a different school. merrily May 2014 #120

I work in higher ed, and I think the writer has some valid points. Damansarajaya May 2014 #16

This is our tax breaks at work. ... aggiesal May 2014 #42

Yup, that's the sad truth. +1 nt Damansarajaya May 2014 #43

You were lucky to get so much assistance paying your tuition. Jenoch May 2014 #84

Yep. All this lean 'n' mean stuff is just plain mean. AND stupid. AND short-sighted. calimary May 2014 #175

Boston University, Harvard and MIT own some of the most expensive real estate in merrily May 2014 #115

The points you make are most excellent. truedelphi May 2014 #136

One of my daughters got a MA in public policy, Damansarajaya May 2014 #19

But did they have a winning football team? progressoid May 2014 #21

No offense, but college degrees became worthless a while ago ProudToBeBlueInRhody May 2014 #23

apparently no one does TheSarcastinator May 2014 #27

There needs to be a method for determining a college's placement success. KansDem May 2014 #53

If kids did research, the U.S. wouldn't have military troops. nt valerief May 2014 #74

Statistically speaking, mythology May 2014 #190

With that attitude it is no wonder he is still unemployed. cbdo2007 May 2014 #30

Come on, HR loves applicants that can demonstrate "seething rage" mathematic May 2014 #36

Exactly...he doesn't say he never had a job...so I'm guessing he got fired cbdo2007 May 2014 #38

For not showing the proper deference at all times to all of his betters? enki23 May 2014 #58

I've never groveled at an interview. Nor would I hire a groveler that I interview. eom yawnmaster May 2014 #96

I've heard hyper-literal readers make the best hiring managers. enki23 May 2014 #98

did you take a course in covert groveling? because you have acted a certain way in an interview... yawnmaster May 2014 #173

I have a 24-year old niece..... llmart May 2014 #179

Having a point about his alma mater means he must be angry in interviews? merrily May 2014 #111

One of the main reasons this country is rotting from the inside out EEO May 2014 #32

The Everything-For-Profit model is killing everything. --nt CrispyQ May 2014 #50

I could not say it better. Welcome to DU :-) nt. Jasana May 2014 #52

No money for state-funded universities, but plenty for the good ol' military-industrial complex... Arugula Latte May 2014 #65

Yup! marew May 2014 #162

It doesn't even seem to bother a lot of people on this thread, who are blaming students Arugula Latte May 2014 #163

If you care Bee_stung May 2014 #85

Uh huh. That really works in this two-corporate-party system. Arugula Latte May 2014 #118

What does work in this system? Things get worse and worse.* Where and when will it stop? merrily May 2014 #126

, blkmusclmachine May 2014 #35

Excellent letter! I have told OU to shove their fund rasing letters as well, more jtuck004 May 2014 #39

I wonder if this individual's personalility comes through in job interviews, too Jeff In Milwaukee May 2014 #40

This letter tells us nothing about his behavior in job interviews, let alone merrily May 2014 #127

Tells me a lot...(nt) Jeff In Milwaukee May 2014 #174

Only if you jump to unwarranted conclusions. We don't even know if this letter is real. merrily May 2014 #185

True...(nt) Jeff In Milwaukee May 2014 #186

It tells you shit laundry_queen May 2014 #182

This message was self-deleted by its author guyton May 2014 #48

As soon as I read it, I was tempted to go to snopes. merrily May 2014 #128

I think today's students are getting screwed. Trust Buster May 2014 #49

Thank You - a subversive little song about all this! reformist2 May 2014 #95

It looks like the original may have been posted on Craigslist back in February of 2010.... xocet May 2014 #51

The reason the Canadian zentrum May 2014 #59

Uhh... Wha? Sen. Walter Sobchak May 2014 #107

Really? zentrum May 2014 #147

Yeah, Canadians graduate from university drowning in debt too Sen. Walter Sobchak May 2014 #167

While true laundry_queen May 2014 #183

Always happy to be.... zentrum May 2014 #191

What university? Renew Deal May 2014 #60

I'm A College Instructor. Every Year, I Have About A Dozen Former Students Ask Me For A TrollBuster9090 May 2014 #64

That's what one of my professors told me Trekologer May 2014 #105

That's really not good advice either, as more and more corporations require higher degrees. reformist2 May 2014 #166

Yes, they do require more advanced degrees for upper level management positions. But what I said TrollBuster9090 May 2014 #169

That has to depend on the field Sen. Walter Sobchak May 2014 #168

Yes. That's the key. (I should have mentioned that in my original comment.) TrollBuster9090 May 2014 #170

+1 n/t lumberjack_jeff May 2014 #188

They can't offshore plumber jobs. valerief May 2014 #68

"Do What You Love, The Money Will Follow" KansDem May 2014 #176

I remember in the 90s when I noticed normal people reading self-help books. valerief May 2014 #177

I'd have to know more... Helen Borg May 2014 #76

Unemployed? Complain to the corporations that ruined the economy. Taitertots May 2014 #81

The writer of the letter makes some good points, though he is a bit abrasive. rupertps8or28 May 2014 #93

I am impressed, did not know you could write like this. uppityperson May 2014 #102

I understand the anger. davidthegnome May 2014 #97

Your words-the truest words written here! marew May 2014 #160

Eh ChangeUp106 May 2014 #100

Did it cost you $45,000 a year to go to your university? If not, how much was it, and in what year? Arugula Latte May 2014 #104

No it was around $30,000 ChangeUp106 May 2014 #134

$120,000 for an undergrad education. That's utterly ridiculous. Arugula Latte May 2014 #161

Pathetic sour grapes taught_me_patience May 2014 #112

"The author is a pathetic piece of shit." nt merrily May 2014 #121

I agree with the sentiment King_Klonopin May 2014 #137

I agree to a point wyldwolf May 2014 #140

Kicked and recommended! Enthusiast May 2014 #141

Yeah, I doubt it... cactusfractal May 2014 #143

It was written in 2010 JPZenger May 2014 #146

I say only the rich and powerful should be allowed higher educations randys1 May 2014 #152

Wow! malaise May 2014 #154

Some of the responses on here are about as cold as Northeastern weather. HughBeaumont May 2014 #155

The poster's points were somewhat weak . . FairWinds May 2014 #157

And... I think the writer is correct Amaya May 2014 #158

True beyond words Shoonra May 2014 #165

Reading this thread makes me wonder, in many cases, what is the point of the Democratic party? TheKentuckian May 2014 #180

A good point but he overdoes it treestar May 2014 #181

Outside of the Ivy League and a few others in the top 10, ALL UNIVERSITIES ARE OVER PRICED Yavin4 May 2014 #189