Rant

upnover

upnover

Grumpy, decrepit Old Man
Moderator
Joined
Mar 20, 2005
Location
Morganton NC
My daughter is wanting to make a job change and decided to take a phlebotomy(sp?, spell check wouldn't pic it up)class. She is living pay check to paycheck, I said I would pay for it. She had a letter saying it would cost $120. She had talked to a lady at the college at different times the last couple of business days. When she gets there, she is told the cost is $230! Told any classes after 8/17 the price of the class went up. She had the money in her account but the card wouldn't go through, so she had to leave and go get a check and be back by 7. She started all this at 8 am this morning. The CC college sure is making it tough on a person!
Just a dads rant but gee why so many hoops just to take a class
 
500 bucks a month over ten years.

starting out at minumum wage and working up seems like a more financially responsible decision.

Those 10 years you are paying $500 a month on a college loan, im building equity in a home. Not to mention the cappy pay i started with because of no college is increasing every year.

i know...."go to college and get a degree" its what all the kids are taught, but some of friends have just sunk themselves financially trying to get ahead in life.

Sure, im in debt too. but all my assets are tangible. I could liquidate and be out of debt in a month.

not calling anyone out....just adding to the ridiculous price of an education rant.
 
I hear ya, and that was with a 10K scholarship, probably woulda added another $125 to my payment if I didn't have that :shaking:


I keep toying with the idea of selling my dodge and paying it towards the loan, I know it will cut down on the final amount of interest I'll end up paying, but IDK if it'll be worth it or not. Lotta good the thing is doing me sitting in the garage for the last 7 or so months outta the 8 I've owned it :(
 
jrraw23 said:
I hear ya, and that was with a 10K scholarship, probably woulda added another $125 to my payment if I didn't have that :shaking:


I keep toying with the idea of selling my dodge and paying it towards the loan, I know it will cut down on the final amount of interest I'll end up paying, but IDK if it'll be worth it or not. Lotta good the thing is doing me sitting in the garage for the last 7 or so months outta the 8 I've owned it :(
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I offered what 5 or 6 months ago....
 
BigRedB2 said:
500 bucks a month over ten years.
starting out at minumum wage and working up seems like a more financially responsible decision.
Those 10 years you are paying $500 a month on a college loan, im building equity in a home. Not to mention the cappy pay i started with because of no college is increasing every year.
i know...."go to college and get a degree" its what all the kids are taught, but some of friends have just sunk themselves financially trying to get ahead in life.
Sure, im in debt too. but all my assets are tangible. I could liquidate and be out of debt in a month.
not calling anyone out....just adding to the ridiculous price of an education rant.
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I'm sorry but I LOL at that statement... Oh and I'm paying (wife and self combined) something like $450/month over the next 20 years for our educations (MSCE and BSES)... Better yet mine's at 1.25% and the wifes is 3.5%.... Seems like a decent investment to me... to each his own though... But I will say the way the job market, economy is going not having a degree is only going to make is significantly tougher on you in the future... (ie. people w/ degrees getting laid off are taking jobs from people w/o...)
 
uncc civilengineer said:
I'm sorry but I LOL at that statement... Oh and I'm paying (wife and self combined) something like $450/month over the next 20 years for our educations (MSCE and BSES)... Better yet mine's at 1.25% and the wifes is 3.5%.... Seems like a decent investment to me... to each his own though... But I will say the way the job market, economy is going not having a degree is only going to make is significantly tougher on you in the future... (ie. people w/ degrees getting laid off are taking jobs from people w/o...)
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it all depends.
I have a friend without a degree who makes 100k+ a year.
And neither you nor I are qualified to take his job.

I know several welders, electricians, plumbers, mill wrights, etc. that even if we wanted their job we dont have the experience necessary to command the $$ they get

I wouldnt trade my degree for much of anything, but its not a requirement for success....

Actually if you look at the fact that the avg degree will cost $50K+, and that you give up the opportunity to earn say 140k to get it (35k annually) it takes quite a while for the degree to make up that nearly 200k (remember the guy who didnt go to college keeps working so even if you are making 100k straight out of school and he is making 50k it is 4 years before it is even a break even.....and most dont make 100k straight outta school. But a construction worker with 4 years experience can easily make that 50k

The one trade off is the work is/should be easier...
 
^^ yeah but remember, in the end it ain't about the $$.
it's about doing what makes you happy (if at all possible).
And in most cases, that special career that you want to do requires some kind of special training. For alot of folks, that training is costly.

So if you want to be a welder, get a 2 year degree on the cheap and be a welder. But you wanna be an engineer - sucker up for some loans and competitiion getting jobs....

The degree just opens more doors for teh path you want to take. That's what you pay for.
 
SkyHiK5 said:
it all depends.
I have a friend without a degree who makes 100k+ a year.
And neither you nor I are qualified to take his job.

I know several welders, electricians, plumbers, mill wrights, etc. that even if we wanted their job we dont have the experience necessary to command the $$ they get

I wouldnt trade my degree for much of anything, but its not a requirement for success....

Actually if you look at the fact that the avg degree will cost $50K+, and that you give up the opportunity to earn say 140k to get it (35k annually) it takes quite a while for the degree to make up that nearly 200k (remember the guy who didnt go to college keeps working so even if you are making 100k straight out of school and he is making 50k it is 4 years before it is even a break even.....and most dont make 100k straight outta school. But a construction worker with 4 years experience can easily make that 50k

The one trade off is the work is/should be easier...
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Yes but however I would venture a guess to say your friends got/had jobs for what 10+ years or more (ie. back in the day)... From my minimal experience it doesn't happen that way anymore..

As is said.. just do what makes you happy... I've been in the Design and construction side of things and will never go back to pure construction... You're right there is money to be had if you're willing to be away from your family 9+ months of the year and work 80+ hours a week... I prefer my "engineers" hours.

The way things are going we'll all make the same $$ regardless what you do (one way or another) in a year or so anyway :flipoff2:
 
I got a degree, don't regret it, but now I wanna do work that I could do without a degree because I hate office jobs and 8-5 work hours.
 
SkyHiK5 said:
Actually if you look at the fact that the avg degree will cost $50K+, and that you give up the opportunity to earn say 140k to get it (35k annually) it takes quite a while for the degree to make up that nearly 200k (remember the guy who didnt go to college keeps working so even if you are making 100k straight out of school and he is making 50k it is 4 years before it is even a break even.....and most dont make 100k straight outta school. But a construction worker with 4 years experience can easily make that 50k
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But but but, I worked and earned my degree at the same time, and made more than what I spent on the degree (BSME). I did not have much when I got out of school but I did not owe anything either. There is no right or wrong in this conversation. My whole life I have seen the college thing beat into people's heads as the only way to get by. People we need skilled labor to do work, not just a bunch of people running around with pieces of paper thinking they are worth tons of money. That is half the problem with our society anymore.
 
Talked to a guy this evening on the golf course that was bragging about graduating w/ a 4 yr degree from Lenoir Rhyne College and I ask him what he did he said he mowed grass for a living. I just thought this was funny.
I don't have a ''degree'' but I have contractor liscense, real estate liscense, certified EMT, Certified Firefighter II, and a couple of years of business/engineering at WPCC and w/ the economy the way it is none of them are worth a crap. So what's a man to do.
 
I could go on and on about this but it probably would just be boring and stating the obvious.


I do nothing but work (am doing so right now at 12:03am as usual with plenty hours left to do tonight) and have yet to make a dime beyond just getting by since I got outta school.


But, I do what I do for a reason, not that it makes me "happy", but I have my own reasons for doing what I do, everybody does, $20 bucks says if I did have a million bucks a week income I'd be extremely unhappy, if even around.


Another benefit of staying busy all the time, keeps me outta my own head, idle time leads to no good up there.


So i guess having these huge payments and no $$ works for me, keeps me going, wouldn't know what to do with myself otherwise. But believe me I'm sure still gonna complain about the payments :shaking::lol:
 
OnlyOneDR said:
But but but, I worked and earned my degree at the same time, and made more than what I spent on the degree (BSME). I did not have much when I got out of school but I did not owe anything either. There is no right or wrong in this conversation. My whole life I have seen the college thing beat into people's heads as the only way to get by. People we need skilled labor to do work, not just a bunch of people running around with pieces of paper thinking they are worth tons of money. That is half the problem with our society anymore.
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Interesting...I did the exact same.
And we see things pretty similar.

Most people can not look beyond the choice they made on this issue and will argue until they are blue in the face that their way is the only way.
 
Hey if you can make more $$ not getting a degree than go for it, I really don't care wither way, just like to complain about my payments.

In all honesty I didn't learn anything of much value in the first two years, it was all generic coursework. Junior year started to learn some stuff, senior year really learned a lot and actually got interested in a few things, wish I coulda skipped the first two, and invested more time in the stuff I coulda really used since I had to pay for em :rolleyes:
 
RANT ON!

I think the quote is "too many chiefs, and not enough indians..."

I have been working since I was sixteen, and for the last seven through college. I am going to have about 50K in loans and I paid for college out of pocket the first five of those. I have toughed it out through all crap and I graduate next May, though I have wanted to give up several times for many reasons I pushed through. The bottom line is when I graduate I know i'll make my own way, I can't say I see how some of my friends college degree or not are worth ten dollars an hour though, we all know in the end it's who you know not what you know!

RANT OFF!
 
MEANT TO QOUTE ONLYONEDR Above but quote didn't work...

"But but but, I worked and earned my degree at the same time, and made more than what I spent on the degree (BSME). I did not have much when I got out of school but I did not owe anything either. There is no right or wrong in this conversation. My whole life I have seen the college thing beat into people's heads as the only way to get by. People we need skilled labor to do work, not just a bunch of people running around with pieces of paper thinking they are worth tons of money. That is half the problem with our society anymore."
 
2 years of GTCC, paid cash for all my classes and books, worked full time as a Night Auditor, 3rd shift, local hotel.

3rd year was a private college in OK, I worked for them during the summer / paid for my years tuition / boarding, worked 25 hours a week spraying lawns / ServiceMaster.

4th year, back living at HOME (There is a big clue), UNCG 1 semester / few more classes at GTCC that will transfer (some accounting classes)

5th year, wrapped up at High Point Univ. Spent THREE days living in their finance office flipping thru every possible scholarship and grant program.

I got 5500-6000 in various grants/scholarships, so that worked out to me "earning" nearly 2k per day those 3 days just for writing / applying / doing the footwork. THEY won't do it, but they will point you in the write direction. HUGE 3 ring binders I flipped thru one page at a time and applied for everything I could POSSIBLY meet the requirements.

There is literally MILLIONS of dollars unclaimed every year in schloarships and grants that folks never even apply for. I got $500 here, $1000 there and ended up putting $1500ish or so of our own money in to pay for that final year of school.

Worked both my 4th and 5th year, 25-35 hours a week.

MY AA degree cost me about $1000 for those 2 years / books, etc, this is 1988-1990.

MY BS degree cost me about $3000 or so out of pocket, maybe $4000 and that includes living away from home for a year.

I went back and looked at my SS records for those years and I usually made $10k or so per year working part time.


My MBA - went to App States program, was in W/S at the time, the degree / tuition cost me $4-5000 all told, 3.5 year long, 2 nights a week. Add another $150-200 per semester for books and I have prob $10k invested there, and parents did not help out at all on this.

Also bought my own condo, worked full time, passed CPA exam during those 3.5 years. OH...and bought my 72 GMC Jimmy and got into wheeling too, heh!!


I have been teaching on the side since 1999. (MBA allowed that) My 2nd semester of teaching I had already paid for my MBA.

Every year, my "side job" teaching pays several times over what I paid for my entire education!!! Not to mention the cushy day job where I spend way too much time on here, ha!!


POINT behind my story is this. In NC... you CAN choose to go off to school / spend big money and to be honest, I did not get that experience. I am sure there are some really cool stuff that goes with that.

BUT, you can also stay local, attend your local community college for 2 years, then your local UNC system university and live at home. Pay for everything as you go, work part time jobs and owe ZERO at the end!

If you want to make decent money you MUST have a TRADE. That trade may be welding or it maybe accounting. To get into my TRADE, I had to go learn / attend University.

I really think folks get caught up in the "degree" thing and this is coming from a guy who has 3 of em, and looking at my doctorate starting next summer.

It ALL comes down to SKILLED vs UNSKILLED workers and where you learn those skills. One place you can learn them is on the jobsite, another place (another skillset) is learned at a University.

Chip...that sux they bumped up the price on you guys... but anytime she can get a certification that helps. If she wants to get into medicine, I think the track is to get her CNA, which is like a 4-6 week class.

My brother in laws wife actually just took the CNA exam / studied on her own and passed it, so she does not have to take the class / got her tuition back! She is going to LPN school starting next month. (Then RN down the road a bit)

I wish her the best, every SKILL helps in todays economy!
 
My rant wasn't the cost so much as how it was presented. She had a recent letter, and she had talked to the lady the day before, nothing was said about the increase. To go along with the price, for one class she was tied up for near 11 hours just to get in. Sounds like they are not too organized.
She got her CNA her senior year in High School, but that alone isn't much more than minimum wage around here.
 
SHINTON said:
Chip...that sux they bumped up the price on you guys... but anytime she can get a certification that helps. If she wants to get into medicine, I think the track is to get her CNA, which is like a 4-6 week class.

My brother in laws wife actually just took the CNA exam / studied on her own and passed it, so she does not have to take the class / got her tuition back! She is going to LPN school starting next month. (Then RN down the road a bit)

I wish her the best, every SKILL helps in todays economy!
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She already did CNA class, she can't do it because of a back problem that she was born with. She did all the class work and couldn't do the clinical portion. They didn't tell her anything until it was time for the clinical portion. You have to do the clinical portion of the course or you can't pass the class. I can't remember the name of it, but it causes curvature of her spine.
 
I went a different route to my education. I had a full ride baseball scholarship, but was a dumb ass, liked to party, the school cut me off along with my old man. I got a job and started saving cash for my next attempt at school. I worked 40 hours around my school schedule, Beefaroni became a staple in my diet, had zero social life, no cool toys, rode a motorcycle as my only source of transportation for close to 2 years and took my g/f out once a week to an affordable meal/date. I finished in less than 4 years, no debt, good grades (amazing the difference it makes when you're paying for it) and had my degree which I've never needed or really used. If i had it to do over again, I would've skipped college all together. I have a trade and I'll take it hands down to any piece of paper saying I'm qualified to sit at a desk and push paper.
But yes Chip, most of the dealings I've had with the administrative part of the colleges (mine and the wife's)were a nightmare. I think the DMV uses them for training grounds.
 
Chip / Leslie, something she may want to look into is what positions are hiring at the local "rest homes" and what skills or certs are needed.

With her back issues / she will have to be careful / cannot help lift patients, etc, but I know they have a really hard time hiring / keeping staff at those places.

The pay is not what a hospital would pay, and the work at times is heart breaking / which is why they have hard time keeping folks.

The flip side of that is the jobs are pretty reliable (no layoffs), there is waiting lists to get IN to the good places/by the patients and if she is one of the special people that can love them and understand she will lose them, they NEED her!

I suspect they will need her skills, lots of testing / doctors visits where the Docs come there, so lots of vials of blood drawn! That too is a skillset where a BIG HEART will go a long way.

My wife (Emily) had her blood drawn every 4 hours for about 10 days after her stroke. That is over 60 times / and I can tell you the folks that were NICE were really appreciated. YES, they were hurting her / but all the difference in the world when the person doing this has empathy and simply listens.

We would tell them where her best veins were, that they needed to use the butterfly needle, etc. Stuff we learned the hard way... the GOOD ones listened, the BAD ones ignored us. The worst one...we forbid to ever touch her again / when she came back a couple days later we told her they needed to send someone else.

All this to say... there is some wonderful opportunities out there if she has a big heart. That profession is sorta tough in that you are "hurting" people for a living but doing it with a sympathetic heart really helps!!

Tell her good luck!!
Sam
 
OnlyOneDR said:
... My whole life I have seen the college thing beat into people's heads as the only way to get by. People we need skilled labor to do work, not just a bunch of people running around with pieces of paper thinking they are worth tons of money. That is half the problem with our society anymore.
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I agree with this 100%.

I can say this.. getting degree should not be pushed on someone, but explained to them and let them make the decision if they want it or not, or if they need it for the job path they are choosing.

Growing up it was pushed on me that I needed to get a college degree or nothing would come of me. So I went to college and found out quickly it was a waste of time and money.(but I did have fun at the parties)..

So instead of finishing I got a job working at UPS loading trucks at night(very hard work) did the job to the best I could and within months I was promoted to supervisor an area of others loading trucks, then within a few months they asked me to train other supervisors and show them why my trailers were always loaded on time and never behind.(simple I respected the guys that worked for me and helped them if they needed help instead of standing there yelling at them to work faster)
well soon I was local Hub trainer and running there tracking department.. all because I worked hard, paid attention, and did the job the best I could.

I soon moved on to other companies and worked my way up in all of them.. 100% due to never expecting to be given anything and understanding I need to work for what I want..

so do some people need a degree YES, not not all.

One thing I do find funny is that 50% of the women that were in my high school class all went and got degrees and now are all housewives and use there degree for nothing..
 
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