College Degrees --> Overrated

[superjames1992]

Re: College Degrees --> Overrated

Yeah, it's called the HOPE scholarship. To get it you must go to an in-state school. You also must have a 3.0 GPA (unweighted, core classes). And to keep it throught college, you must maintain that 3.0.

West Virginia has a similar thing called the Promise Scholarship, though I think you have to attain a 3.25 GPA for it. However, my friends up at WVU tell me that it pays for their tuition, but the other fees still have to be paid, so there's still a few thousand dollars of cost per year (unless you get enough scholarships to pay for it).

[Sublime12089]

Re: College Degrees --> Overrated

You would think with free college, GA would have a way higher college attendance rate and crime in that state would be very low. I mean 3.0 ????? Hell....that is easy to maintain.

Florida has the same thing... called Bright Futures.... to get 75% tuition is like a 3.0 in HS and a 970 SAT, 100% is like a 3.5 and a 1270.... Senior now and havent paid for a single class.... trying to replicate that for grad school! lol

Of course it is in state public schools only.

[Alex the Great]

West Virginia has a similar thing called the Promise Scholarship, though I think you have to attain a 3.25 GPA for it. However, my friends up at WVU tell me that it pays for their tuition, but the other fees still have to be paid, so there's still a few thousand dollars of cost per year (unless you get enough scholarships to pay for it).

Yeah, my bad, should have clarified. HOPE only pays for tuition as well. And there were rumors that they were going to move it to 3.2 but I haven't seen anything about that.

I'm not even sure that I qualify now. Before the spring '10 semester, I had like a 2.93 unweighted. My problem is that I take hard classes, and then slack in them. If I took on-level classes I could slack and get A's easy.

[roadman]

Re: College Degrees --> Overrated

I realize that a degree helps one "get in the door" sort of speak. But aside from having a booksmart view of the field, what other advantage does it provide over someone who is applying for the same position that doesn't have a degree?

I didn't read through the whole thread, so, I don't know if this has been answered.

Employers don't look to see if you are ONLY book smart. College isn't just about being book smart.

It's also about how many things you can juggle at once.

Take a look at your first example. Who will employers hire?

Johnny- 15 yrs experience and pretty comfy with life with a HS diploma.
Johnny- 5 yrs exp with a college degree that worked part-time while attending college and was active in college in a couple of management programs and did some internships.

College is not just about being book savvy and book smart. If you have good grades in college, it shows that you are able to solve problems theoretically. Employers like to see all of the above traits in candidates.

My friend is struggling right now because he never graduated from college and has always been gainfully employed. In the recession, he hasn't been receiving any interviews or job offers. People with degrees will go before him. He is in sales.

Our daughter is entering her senior year in HS. She wants to own a bakery business. Before she owns a bakery business, mom and dad told her it's imperative she receives a college degree in business management. I don't think a HS graduate can go right into owning a business and succeed.

[Beantown]

Re: College Degrees --> Overrated

I don't think a HS graduate can go right into owning a business and succeed.

Cue someone on OS saying "I never went to college and I own a successful business."

That's because you're the exception, not the rule.

[Knight165]

Re: College Degrees --> Overrated

...and with the last couple of posts.....this thread is getting ridiculous.
Yep...I'm that guy and there is nothing in college that you need to run a successful business. NOTHING. Common sense, hard work(no college courses for those) will pretty much cover everything.
In my business....I met plenty of other guys who worked at their own business which was a derivative of mine and I'll bet none of them finished college either.
NOW you're starting to overrate the importance of college.

I'll give you guys the medical field...but business? C'mon.

M.K.
Knight165

[roadman]

Re: College Degrees --> Overrated

...and with the last couple of posts.....this thread is getting ridiculous.
Yep...I'm that guy and there is nothing in college that you need to run a successful business. NOTHING. Common sense, hard work(no college courses for those) will pretty much cover everything.
In my business....I met plenty of other guys who worked at their own business which was a derivative of mine and I'll bet none of them finished college either.
NOW you're starting to overrate the importance of college.

I'll give you guys the medical field...but business? C'mon.

M.K.
Knight165

I think we know our daughter better than anyone else. And no, she wouldn't be able to run a business on her own. At this point, she lacks self-confidence. That's not a good business trait to start off on. I'm not saying college will help her self-confidence, but it won't hurt, either. Plus, she wants to go to college.

Plus, if it fails, what does she have to fall back on? Things are different now vs 20-30 years ago.

I'm not saying it can't be done Knight, but not everyone is the same.

[Beantown]

Re: College Degrees --> Overrated

I'm not saying it can't be done Knight, but not everyone is not the same.

Exactly. Neither of us, who I assume are the the focal point of Knight's "ridiculous" last couple of posts comments, are saying that you can't start a successful business without a college degree. Hell, some of the wealthiest/most successful people out there today (Branson, Gates, Jobs) didn't graduate college.

That doesn't mean everyone can. They're the exception. I have no desire in looking up the stats or any of that, and if someone wants to prove me wrong and look them up more power to you, but I'd be willing to bet that more small businesses that fail these days were started by people without the proper knowledge of how to run a business, finances, accounting, etc. that one would receive while pursuing a business degree.

Can it be done? Of course, but the people like the aforementioned trio are the exception, not the rule.

[Cebby]

Re: College Degrees --> Overrated

Hell, some of the wealthiest/most successful people out there today (Branson, Gates, Jobs) didn't graduate college.

I think it should be mentioned that most of the super rich people who "didn't graduate from college" were generally too smart for college.

Gates dropped out of Harvard, Ellison from Chicago, Jobs from Reed, and Mukesh Ambani (the fourth richest man in the world) from Stanford.

There is a pretty big difference between them and 99.9999% of people who don't go to college.

[mgoblue]

Re: College Degrees --> Overrated

Exactly. Neither of us, who I assume are the the focal point of Knight's "ridiculous" last couple of posts comments, are saying that you can't start a successful business without a college degree. Hell, some of the wealthiest/most successful people out there today (Branson, Gates, Jobs) didn't graduate college.

That doesn't mean everyone can. They're the exception. I have no desire in looking up the stats or any of that, and if someone wants to prove me wrong and look them up more power to you, but I'd be willing to bet that more small businesses that fail these days were started by people without the proper knowledge of how to run a business, finances, accounting, etc. that one would receive while pursuing a business degree.

Can it be done? Of course, but the people like the aforementioned trio are the exception, not the rule.

Exactly! For every single "random startup company" I've seen work I've seen 5 people attempt to start their own business, sink tons of cash into it, and then be drowned by all the financials, accounting, managing workers, etc.

It can totally happen, but is far from the norm....

Is a college education required? Hell no, but I fail to understand how actually learning things about business theory, accounting, managing people, etc wouldn't help you start a company.

I don't think I've ever really seen an education hurt someone's chances at doing something...

[Knight165]

Re: College Degrees --> Overrated

...and I'll bet 3 or 4 of those 5 went to college.

My statement that this was becoming ridiculous, was at the slightly condescending post you made Beantown, putting forth the notion that "of course...someone is going to come in and tell me they did it" and then put in the crazy eyes. As if once you guys put forth your theory, nothing else can be said.

You guys so far are all speaking from conjecture. At least I'm speaking from experience.

But I'll throw in a good guess here.
I'll bet that a decent amount of people who DID start a successful business and also went to college, are not operating within a business in which they earned their degree. They went to school.....couldn't find work or were unhappy with the field and then ventured into a business.

Sure, any education is good.
Again....the OP is asking overrated?
Yes, it can indeed be. No question.
Certainly not necessary.

I'm not knocking college in general.(I went myself!) I'm just saying that if you are not using it towards a certain goal, you're probably better off just getting into the work force somewhere...even entry level(in a field you might like).

M.K.
Knight165

[Rob. D]

Re: College Degrees --> Overrated

Graduated 20k in debt thinkin about grad school......still kinda up in the air about it tho.

[frostbyte06]

Re: College Degrees --> Overrated

*is one of the few with $0 college debt*

Same here....scholarships for undergrad, and a fellowship for grad. I'm in the software field, and my current employer pretty much won't even interview without a B.S., however in the last 4 years I haven't seen anybody hired without an M.S.

So to the OP, I can see your point, but given the job market now I assume HR at most companies don't feel the need to take the time and try to find the people who are great assets to the company even without a degree.

[superjames1992]

Re: College Degrees --> Overrated

Florida has the same thing... called Bright Futures.... to get 75% tuition is like a 3.0 in HS and a 970 SAT, 100% is like a 3.5 and a 1270.... Senior now and havent paid for a single class.... trying to replicate that for grad school! lol

Of course it is in state public schools only.

Dang it! I should have moved to Florida and went to Florida State for meteorology, then I'd be getting my tuition paid for!

Yeah, my bad, should have clarified. HOPE only pays for tuition as well. And there were rumors that they were going to move it to 3.2 but I haven't seen anything about that.

I'm not even sure that I qualify now. Before the spring '10 semester, I had like a 2.93 unweighted. My problem is that I take hard classes, and then slack in them. If I took on-level classes I could slack and get A's easy.

I think West Virginia's system was a 3.0 at the beginning, but too many people were getting it, so they moved it up to 3.25.

[superjames1992]

Re: College Degrees --> Overrated

*is one of the few with $0 college debt*

*Is another*

Hooray for Federal Pell Grants (and going to a community college where the grant actually covered most of the costs).

I got $0 from Pell Grants and $0 from FASFA and the government student aid programs, though. I'd certainly be pissed if I was paying for my college given that I finished in the top 5% in my class, yet people who finished in the 25th-percentile got far more scholarships and grants than I because of their income. Fortunately, that wasn't an issue.