Do you really need a degree to 'succeed'?

[tannypack101]

Hey all
I am at a crucial point in my age. 18 years almost 19....high school done, 35 hr a week job, and just chillin' at the parents place. But all i hear day in and day out is how i NEED to go to college to be successful. I have tried community college and it is something that i actually regret. The little over 1k spent on classes and books was just wasted because that just isn't what i want to do. Structured teaching doesn't fit with me. My family says college is the only way i am going to succeed in life, but what do they know what i want? If college was what i really wanted to do, then i wouldn't be typing this at the moment. I am looking for people who HAVE succeed to their goals, whether it be a minimum wage job, starting your own business, or something like the peace corps. I want to help people, but im at a loss at where to start. I know you bluelighters have achieved great things, I'm just looking for a little guidance.

Thanks to all who reply, life is a magically crazy thing

 

[L2R]

It can take a long time to figure out what you'd like to do and even if you find something, it rarely doesn't soon change to something else. There is no rush, you're still very, VERY young.

To answer your question, a degree is certainly NOT the be all and end all of success. Experience goes a long way. Say you do a four year degree, it is likely that you would be passed for a job for someone who spent that time working their way up. But at the same time, it really does depend on the industry. Some absolutely require degrees.

On top of figuring out what you want to do, you need to figure out what is success to you. If it is money, get a sales job and work extra long hours and suck every cock you see. If it is helping people, well you need something to offer. You can only build this capacity through work or training.

Since you're in this limbo age, let your parents know that you will consider a degree, but you are also exploring work experience, which is just as important. I didn't start my university study until my thirties. Others do it even later. There are pitfalls to leaving it as long as i have (more responsibilities means i still need to maintain an income while studying, which is extra hard), but you can and will be able to find your own path and manage any obstacle that comes in your way. Don't be discouraged. Every difficulty is what makes you better suited to achieve success and help people.

good luck (too)!

 

[tannypack101]

ppreciate the input L2R. I wouldn't put my current state as discouraged, rather as 'what the fuck do i do'. Theres millions of things i can do, but it only comes down to one decision. I feel the need to just leave...I don't know how to put it but the urge is strong. To start new, meet new people, to start a reputation and ENJOY what this world has to offer. To me money is not my drive, or even on the top half of my list of favorite shit. I really just need to think on it for a few weeks, but if anyone else has time to share their experiences, please do. Everyone is right, but in their own way.

 

[hiphophippy]

Well if the past is to be any example, I think a lot more people are a lot more successful at the moment because they skipped college and got themselves a job before the economy took a down turn. But if you have the funds go to a uni. Save a few hundred dollars take a grey hound to a new town stay at a hostel and go clubbing or something to meet other people. Might scare you into an education ;D

 

[Jerry Atrick]

I agree with L2R that a degree is not the be all end all of success. But it can help. A lot of people make good lives for themselves by busting their asses and gaining the experience necessary to capitalize on the opportunities granted them. Others bust their asses just as hard in college and spend the same amount of time studying to learn how to capitalize on the same opportunities. Pick your poison.

I'm not going to sit here and brow beat you into going to school like your parents. I think the first thing you need to do is get out of their house and live on your own for a while. You're an adult now....get a taste of the real world before you make a decision.

One thing I will say, though, is that you may have been unhappy with college because you studied the wrong things. If you want to help people there are plenty of course-work trajectories you can take in the social sciences that you may surpisingly find fulfilling.

 

[Cevain]

You can succeed without a degree. But lets be honest here, the chances of succeeding do increase with a degree...

 

[Cyc]

To me money is not my drive, or even on the top half of my list of favorite shit. I really just need to think on it for a few weeks, but if anyone else has time to share their experiences, please do. Everyone is right, but in their own way.

A lot of academics share your philosophy. For them, it's not about the money either. The people who want money from education go into health care, engineering, finance, or law. But that only makes up a small portion of academics.

If you're not really into money, then I think that a 4-year college is a good place to figure out what you want out of life. Enroll part-time and take a few subjects that interest you. Philosophy? Astronomy? Theology? Chemistry? Sociology? A 2nd language? Music? If you travel a bit down one of those paths and don't like it, try something else. I think that's the great thing about school. For the first couple of years, you're just getting a taste for all that's out there.

I would stop looking at school like it's an obligation for getting a job. It's a privilege, and can be a catalyst for putting your life into perspective.

 

[Bardeaux]

It can take a long time to figure out what you'd like to do and even if you find something, it rarely doesn't soon change to something else. There is no rush, you're still very, VERY young.

This.

I'm 23 and I'm just now starting my first year of college and I'm not entirely convinced that I'm going to want to stick with my career plan. I just figured the rate of unemployment for degree holders is about half that of non-degree holders, even during these times. For me, continuing my education is a means to help me not live the same life my father lived, heavy manual labor in exchange for very modest income for 40+ years isn't something I'm interested in.

Do you have any special talents or abilities? I certainly don't, which is why I landed on college as the best possible preparation for my future

 

[alasdairm]

I would stop looking at school like it's an obligation for getting a job. It's a privilege, and can be a catalyst for putting your life into perspective.

yep.

op, you'll learn so much more at college than simply the subjects you're learning. also, you'll meet people who'll shape your life and may become life-long friends. in retrospect, i'm really glad i did it for reasons which go way beyond the formal learning...

alasdair

 

[LuGoJ]

It is not required to be successful but it can make things a lot easier and/or may be required depending on where you want to go in life. I did not graduate high school(got GED) nor did I attend college, I feel that it has limited my options in life but it has not impeded my ability to be successful. I currently hold a mid-level position in an office that I enjoy and make more than enough money to pay rent, eat, spend freely and save a decent amount. There are times that I do wish I attended college now that I am older and more interested in learning but I don’t beat myself up over it, I am happy where I am now.

You need to spend some time and think long and hard about where you might want to go when it comes to helping people. If it is related to anything medical then yes, you will need a degree. If you want to help people by working in a old folks home then you probably won't need one.

Remember, It's never too late to go to college and get a degree, it just gets harder to find the time and more expensive as you get older. (plus you miss out on most of the social aspect if you are an old man when you go)

 

[captainballs]

Experience > Degree

Experience + Degree= God Mode

 

[L2R]

^holy shit i hope so. if true, come september, i'll be iddqd'ing my arse off.

 

[Mugz]

All depends on your definition of success to be honest. I don't believe a degree is necessary, but I wouldn't class myself as being successful right now. I am holding down a half decent job and can support myself comfortably with the money that I earn and have disposable income that I normally waste but am now committed to saving for travelling. I guess you could say that is some form of success, I am independent and I am supporting myself and I live pretty comfortably relative to a lot of others.

Really depends on how you define success though.

 

[CoffeeDrinker]

My dad always explained it like this: You can always get any kinda job no matter where you go, but there's a ceiling to that type of thing, when you have an education you have a card to play that gets you past that ceiling with MUCH less work than would be required otherwise. In that way it frees up a large chunk of your life. It really all depends on what kinda life you want to have, there's pride in being able to build something without the help of a degree, but so many people crash and burn before they get to that point and then take up shit jobs for the rest of their life. There's also just as much pride in getting a degree and achieving as much as possible going that route. And really, there's no one route to take, it's not like a degree puts you into a box for the rest of your life, it opens more doors than it closes by FAR. The same can't be said of not getting a degree.

 

[persianslipper]

All depends on your definition of success to be honest.

^This.

Know your tools before you begin a task - this includes your body and mind. If you have the ability to do so, get to know yourself before you try to "succeed" at anything. Success is an abstract, relative concept and needs to be treated like one; the much-touted belief that degrees are like Chuck-E-Cheese tickets that you can turn in for a brand new job seriously needs to go. (No disrespect meant to the OP, but I see too much hopelessness on a daily basis. It is good to be optimistic, but complacency kills.)

That said, I usually sleep on a mat and carry my pantry in a backpack. I consider myself pretty successful.

 

[Perpetual Indulgence]

Really depends on how you define success though.

Perhaps, your parents want you be able to support yourself completely as their final parental responsibility. So they are urging you to go as they see this as a successful solution. The problem being an almost adult just chillin.

For my parents a degree meant I did not have to do labour jobs like them. The right degree meant money. I agreed with them on both accounts and they never once told me to go to university. I knew I was. I didn't know what I was going to do exactly but I enrolled in a science degree. Not really having a lust or interest for it at first, I ended up liking what I was learning...for the most part. I figured out along the way of the degree what I needed to learn in order to get into different areas of health care.

If you are not sure if school is for you, I would save that tuition money.

Continue to work full time. Gain experience in the types of jobs that you are going to be able to have with a high school diploma. Put your a portion of your earnings in a bank account. As time goes by, think about could I pay the bills with what I make. Let your parents know you are being responsible with money. This gives you time to figure out what you want to be when you grow up and may relieve your parents.

 

[Tude]

You don't need a degree to be successful, not at all. But have you considered technical school? Maybe be a mechanic, go into computers, etc. Or you could go into the military.

 

[Portillo]

It can be hard to get a good job without one. It doesnt mean that if you get a degree you will instantly become a millionaire, but it gives you an edge.

 

[thujone]

I went to university straight out of high-school like a lot of the kids. The lectures were a joke, taught by people who grew up in academia and for the most part had no valuable life experience to share. I saw (and still do see) people who graduated working the same dead-end jobs in the same dead-end town as they could have gotten without what we laughingly call an education. The road to hell is paved with Arts degrees.

I think it's really important to know where you want to be before you decide to get an education in it. Post-secondary is a business, so you really aren't getting your money's worth if you go there and have to decide on a major because you don't know what you want. If you go there knowing what you want to get out of it, then you're thinking objectively and will probably be able to get what you want and use it wisely to get what you want after (a higher-paying job).

Either way, most employers nowadays demand at least a degree in the relevant field AND a few years of work experience, which means a lot of desperate people getting creative on their resumés. But, it's also indicative of the fact that employers really want people who know why they're there and can explain how they got there.

 

[Cyc]

Thujone, I went to university to learn about things that interest me. Full stop. If an employer asks, that is the answer I give. I did not go to university to get a high paying job, and I don't only apply to high paying jobs. I also apply to jobs that seem interesting. University is a business, but it does students no good to go in with that attitude. It might sound cliché, but go there to learn, be challenged and become a more worldly individual. Go there to learn how to better think critically. You mentioned you didn't have a great experience. That's unfortunate.

I think you've had a good university experience, if you leave with the understanding of just how little you truly know. That takes good professors and commitment on the student's end as well.

I look at working the same way. I don't want to work at a job for a paycheck. If I'm there for the money, I'm there for the wrong reason.