Angry Graduate Wrote This Letter To His University. It's Hard Not To Agree With Him.

[trekbiker]

172. mike_c

I have to come down on your side of this, Sarcastinator as well.

Sorry but the world just isnt fair. Its very competitive out there and you have to be strategic and smart about things. The letter writer has reason to be angry..... at himself for his unrealistic expectations and/or poor decisions.

I just looked up the tuition and fees of the two colleges I attended in my (successful) pursuit of an Electrical Engineering degree. The first was a JC (American River College in Sacramento CA) and the second a middle tier state college (CSUS). I spent two years at each plus one summer school. The costs have gone up dramatically since I attended these schools in the early 1980's but not nearly as high as the figures I hear all the time on the radio, etc. And you know what, if I was the young highly motivated man I once was I could do it all over again, even at todays costs. No problem. I worked part time and by the time I earned my degree I had no student debt but I did owe my Dad about $2,000 that I incurred in my last year (paid it off with interest in the first 4 months of my career). My accomodations during college were literally a storage room and a sleeping bag. I sold everything I owned except for a beat up crappy car (toyota Corolla that got great mileage and never broke down). I worked part time low paid jobs on weekends (IMO full time is impossible when taking full engineering course load). It was not easy but looking at the actual tuition/fees rates of today I am certain it could be done again.

I landed in San Francisco in 1985 driving my cheap Toyota on its last legs and literally the shirt on my back (and a REAL cheap suit). Also a piece of paper, a BSEE. For the next 15 years I lived like a college student, invested and saved and worked my ass off. For the second half of my career I let off the gas pedal somewhat but still have a hard time wasting money and time like so many I know.

Today, I retire in one year at age 56. I am NOT a 1%'er. more like a 5%'er.

life is good....