Unemployment Rates For College v. High School

by skeeter1 19 Replies latest jw experiences

• 

  JonathanH

  For profit schools can definitely be a trap. In investigating my options I looked at a private junior college, a state run technical college, and a state run university.

  The private school was a total trap.

  For two years of engineering in the state technical school, it's 12-13k total (books and tuition), for two years of training to be a pharmacy tech (a low paying job, that you often don't even need a degree to get into) it was 32k. That's as much as two years at the state university, WITH lodging. Two years at the university would actually be cheaper than two years in the private junior college if you don't live on campus. And furthermore the private college would get you a 2 year AS that wouldn't be transferable to any other school, so that's as far as you could go without starting over at a different college. And when I went there to investigate my options, it was a high pressure sale. I was almost enrolled within a week and had to very explicitly tell them I wasn't enrolling, they already had my student loan approved and I got a letter saying I now owed thousands of dollars to some lending agency even though I HADN'T ENROLLED. I got that taken care of right away, but it was still absurd how quickly I went from going there to just check on their school, to owing thousands of dollars.

  I was highly discouraged since it was the first school I checked (they got me with lots of TV ads), and I thought all colleges were that expensive. After I checked the local state technical college and how their courses were less than half the cost (sometimes as little as 9k depending on what degree you were going for), I felt much better about my chances. Even the local university was cheaper per yer if you weren't living there. I would stay far far away from private colleges, they are interested only in your money.
• 

  moshe

  http://www.elon.edu/pendulum/Story.aspx?id=5086

  -National study finds 45 percent of students learn little in college

  by Becca Tynes,

  A college degree isn't always all it's cracked up to be. According to recent findings, a college degree does not necessarily mean a student has learned very much, if anything at all, during his or her time in college.

  The research of more than 2,300 undergraduates found that 45 percent of college students show little improvement in critical thinking, complex reasoning and writing by the end of their sophomore years. Thirty-six percent of students show little improvement over four years of college.

  The study is discussed in the recently published book, "Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses," written by Richard Arum of New York University and Josipa Roksa of the University of Virginia.

  In the book, Arum and Roksa report that colleges are failing at their most basic mission - teaching students, and assisting them in their learning. According to the book, factors that contribute to the low percentage of students who learn in college include the actions, attitudes and demands of both professors and students.

  While it is a professor's responsibility to teach students concepts and information, it is the student's job to learn and study the material a professor teaches, said Peter Felten, assistant provost and director of the Center for the Advancement of Teaching and Learning.

  "Sometimes, I think that students forget what college is for," he said.

  Some students today have a consumer attitude toward education, Felten said, and he believes many students across the country feel entitled to receive a certain grade simply because tuition is being paid.-----

  --
• 

  garyneal

  I took pell grants my first two years in college. Graduated with an AAS and got a job in the financial industry as a computer operator. The pay was better and I took full advantage of their tuition reimbursement to get my BS in Engineering. Since I had no family and was living at home at the time, I could've afforded to pay out of pocket if need be. I was determined to get my degree and I took out no student loans. I graduated and owed nobody a single dime but it took a long time, 8 years.

  Looking back, I have no regrets. Now if only I can get my wife to appreciate the value of a good education. She is plugging away at it but hates it and wishes she could exit. Exitting would be a bad move for her as she would be required to pay back all the money Headstart is providing to finance her education. If she graduates, she is free and clear. Plus, the other headstarts laid off all their teachers and hired back who they wanted due to funding cuts. The ones with the degrees were the preferred candidates. I hope she is paying attention.
• 

  Bungi Bill

  None of this comes as any surprize to the likes of myself:

  - just try getting a decent job without a degree!

  The best job I could ever find was managing a power station, in the middle of a malarial jungle clearing, in a Third World country (the same position that had sent two previous incumbents mad).

  Bill.
• 

  Bungi Bill

  Don't you reckon they are a bit overdressed?

  Bill.
• 

  JonathanH

  Your second post moshe, I think says more about todays youth than college. You get out what you put in, and alot of kids go to college thinking it's just like highschool but with more booze, and they move through it without appreciating it or being serious about it, just doing it because it's what you do after highschool. Somebody that actually wants to learn can pick up a tremendous amount from actually learning from a professor, and having an organized curriculum.
• 

  Pistoff

  All the posts about advisability of school for some people aside, the stats tell the story:

  Half the unemployment rate, and a million more in wages over a lifetime.

  That is a no brainer.

  Still each person should have a CHOICE; the WT wants to make that choice seem greedy, vain and dangerous.
• 

  Band on the Run

  I've found that blanket rules about private vs. public schools dont travel well. Each school is different because of state funding and endowments. Upper tier private schools guarantee financial aid to everyone who is accepted. The rule is not how presitgious the school is but how strong their endowment is. It was far cheaper for me to attend private schools and public ones.

  Right now I am attending community college for computer training I missed during my illness. It is one of the best in the country.Villanova, Penn State and Temple will all accept its degree as a full two years with automatic acceptance. The savings must be astounding. Barack Obama attended a not so hot college for one year and then transferred to Columbia. People focus on where your degree is from. Not being saddled by debt has to be a huge advantage. I can't say the offerings at the community college are four year calibre ones. The prices are so good, who cares in the long run. No one will know you attended community college. A lot of respect exists for more mature students and vets who make up a large part of the student body.

  Community college would have had some benefit in my case. My high school prep was very bad.

  The state disability office is paying for my eudcation. They sent me to a for profit college. I can't write enough about how disgusting they are. Students sign the loan papers without even a rudimentary check on how many students find jobs. Lawyers can't get jobs as paralegals now but they were all plunking money down for a two year paralegal program. Two years may be a minimum but most people want at least a 4 year. They were casual about their job prospects. The topping on the cake was that the for profit with no accreditation and no guaranteed transfer to any four year college was five times as expensive as the great community college.

  The community college has a very small college ambience. Clubs abound. They have a Tv and music production program. It is exciting to be around so many different programs.

  The New York Times and some other pubs ran stories on how many professions that are crucial, such as teaching and social work, never pay enough to justify a four year college tab. I thought nothing to sign for a few student loans so my life would be more comfortable. It was so minimal. After graduation when the bill is due, it does not seem inconsequential. I've sat in groups of young people where someone brags about how the sky is the limit b/c their parents are so rich. Others listen, feeling inferior. The best students should attend the best college for them. I don't know what fuels these increases but it is at the point of being utterly ridiculous. The civl rights movement and war against poverty did much to start to level the playing field. These costs are imposing a surcharge on the middle class. It is the same sad story of the rich having everything.
• 

  MartynAndrew

  Hi

  time will pass with or without going to school, so whether your 25 or 45 in 4 years you'll still be 4 years older- wouldn't you rather have a degree? Part-time is a good option for some people, it takes longer, but you can spread the cost over more time, and you can still keep your job sometimes. Even if you don't find a job in your field it still demonstrates the ablitity to think, reason, summarize, analysis...some of the best lawyers come from history degree or even languages. Life is supposed to be fun and interesting, it takes a while to shake the cob webs out and get on with it.
• 

  Kahlua

  I over heard my JW mother and JW sister talking about what a waste college is and then an hour later my mother was telling me how good it is that her grandson/my nephew/JW sister's son has such a good job at the hospital.

  I said yes, and he wouldn't have it if he had not gone to college and gotten his degree. That hushed her up for a while.