Getting the Education you Want
Education, it seems, is put on a pedestal. Our parents insisted we go to college. They also insisted we get a practical degree. (None of that art stuff that wasn’t going to make us any money, thank you.) They told us it was either factory work or McDonald’s, college and something better. Their fear was out of love, but it was misled. College isn’t the right direction for everyone, and your education doesn’t have to come with shackles of debt.
As the world changes, predominantly shaped by the internet, a college education isn’t always necessary to make a good income. While starting your own online business takes research, care, and a lot of hard work, you can make a wonderful yearly salary and live your life entirely debt-free. Blue collar jobs can result in salaries of up to $100,000 a year. An automotive and diesel technician is always in demand, especially as fewer people are getting blue collar degrees. While it depends on the blue collar job, there’s always a good option available, and the comparison of school debt is staggering. Financially, when you subtract the debt that that degree in journalism would cost you, the blue-collar route might put you ahead.
You may want to pursue something independently, like on online business or freelancing, but you still like the idea of getting a higher education. You like learning. It doesn’t have to be about your future career, but you want to get an education to be a well-rounded human being. If that’s the case, a liberal arts college like Linfield is probably the best for you. That way, you can expand your mind and horizons without being tied down to a career choice. When college is over, you can still pursue independence and a job that’s all your own.
Education is a complicated subject. College, as everyone tries to attend, has lost some of its value. Many degrees, such as nursing and physics, will always require an education. However, not all career paths benefit from a degree. Certain handy, artisanal, and artistic skills may be better learned in speciality programs or on-the-job-training. The ways around a college education are numerous and creative, and if you’re looking for a way to avoid debt–rest easy. There are plenty of ways to get the education you want, save money, and have the job you’d like. They just require thinking outside the box.
*This is a collaborative post.
I have a master degree but in my country is not enough to get a good job 🙁
I miss college. It really is so expensive though, and doesn’t always guarantee an open door for a good job…So it can feel scary to invest the money into it.
My parents aren’t able to help me pay for college, so i’ve only been able to complete one year before it became too much of a financial burden. Now i’m studying all i can to be able to start my own business!
I will always love the learning environment of a good college class, though… I hope i’ll be able to go back one day!
A degree can be I’mportant but I also think that it doesn’t have to be a must to be successful nowadays. There are a lot of different ways to achieve what you want to do. But I think this is a great post! thanks for sharing!
In my family we couldn’t stress enough the importance of education to our children. Getting a degree of your choice is equally important. I say get a degree!
I think degrees have been downgraded in recent years, it feels like everyone can go to uni. Because of this, I now think vocational education is so much more important, and experience is everything.
I made sure my children get the best education they could have. They still are learning whether in school or at work.
My daughter was the first in our family to finish college. I was second and now my youngest daughter is in her second semester of college. I feel blessed to have been able to get the education I wanted.
I also heard as a child to “get a college education as you don’t want to end up only being able to work at McDonald’s” and I did earn my degree. However, today I feel there are so many paths to get to your desired career now thanks to technology. I know a lot of folks in my field of technology taught themselves how to code or write scripts and make more money than those of us with degrees. I know other folks that are working in fields that are unrelated to their degree yet it’s something they will have to pay for although they are not using it. I think it all depends on your career to determine if a degree is needed or not and for each person to decide if it is going to benefit them or not. Great post!
I studied for 10 years in the University to get my batchelor’s, PhD and post-doc titles. It’s a lot of hard work but I would not change it for the world!
my mom raised us with the belief that education is a must. I believe in continuned education.
Making sure you have an education is a good thing. But now days a lot have people that have a degree aren’t really working in that field. Really good post
I say get a degree. So many doors open once you do have one and even though I hate school to an extent I still want to get more than my bachelor’s
Good post! I think that a degree is important but here in the US most of the times you end up in debt after having a degree and sometimes you end up not working in the field you sutdy for… its complicated
Well, my current career is not really in line with my education. However, I’m still glad I had it and now, I would still like to pursue getting a degree online.
I recently received my degree in fashion and probably didn’t even need it to pursue the career I wanted. With that being said I would never do it any differently. I learned so many valuable things that I will carry with me forever. I also networked more than I could have if I did not attend college. Education is so important! I love finding ways to educate myself each day whether it’s reading articles or trying to learn a new language
Getting any education from anything is priceless! Continuously strive to learn until the day you die!
Speaking from experience here, I say get a degree. Use grants, government funding, and apply to all the scholarships you can. My husband didn’t go to college, but to a technical trade school. He got certificates, which 15 years ago helped him get a job in Mechanical Drafting. He has had some great jobs. The most recent one was 7 years, with a government contract company with the Navy. He made a really great income for our area. He was laid off, because the company went under. He has applied to at least a hundred jobs since October (when he was laid off). He has yet to get a job. Every single one of them that he has applied to, even though he has the years of experience they require, they want a degree. He was even told in interviews that the only thing he lacked was a degree. :-/