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From my perspective. I went to school and got a BS in engineering. And I was happy with that. But when I arrive at my first job I find that I'm actually at the bottom rung because there were many engineers who started at the same time as me with MS's and even PhD's.
I did what I thought would make me valueable in the workforce (go to college and get a BS with honors) and find out that I'm actually average. Pretty demotivating really.
Even more-so is that most of the union boys working on the plant floor are making just as much if not more than I am and most likely they just have hs diploma's.
Just look at it this way. Those unions boys capitalized on their earnings without college. That's incredible.
That's what I was trying to say. People make it sound like a bad thing that the Bachelor's degree has replaced the high school diploma. But since a high school diploma used to be sufficient, it's not such a bad thing that the 4 year degree of today is the high school diploma of 1950.
I think people's reasoning usually goes something like this: "'Because society is structured differently now, you have to waste tons of money and time on a degree to gain the same economic and social standing (and knowledge) that you used to get in high school. This sucks."
I think people's reasoning usually goes something like this: "'Because society is structured differently now, you have to waste tons of money and time on a degree to gain the same economic and social standing (and knowledge) that you used to get in high school. This sucks."
It's not exactly a trivial point.
If you approach college as simply "something I have to do to get a job" then sure. If that's someone's approach then I'm all for showing them the alternatives.
I'd say, with trade laws and job displacement and volatile markets etc.... oh, and inflation. People now are just havingto run faster to stay in place. The degree im getting is fairly useless but i wont have debt along with it luckily. I'd change to a BS in economics but its too late. Sorry for being off topic
If you approach college as simply "something I have to do to get a job" then sure. If that's someone's approach then I'm all for showing them the alternatives.
I approach college that way because the only ways to get a good job these days are college or trade school (with few exceptions). I do better working with my mind than working with my hands so I chose college.
Also, if the Bachelor's degree is the new high school diploma, the bigger question is: Was the old high school diploma really so bad? Wasn't there a time when it was easier to get by with just a high school diploma?
I have worked with engineers that had only a HS diploma. I doubt their HS was any better, or worse than mine. Sure, they may not know the theories I do, but they have the 20 or 30 years experience in their chosen field that more than make up for it. Besides, most everything I do, I learned on the job.
There is also the perception that employers have that you need a degree to do the job. For some jobs, say a doctor, I might want someone that has gone to school, just maybe But some engineering jobs, like mine, I am 100% certain I did not need a degree. But employers don't look at it that way.
These day's employers are in the driver's seat. So they can wait for the best canditate that has the best xp and degree.
I guess it was easier to get by without it for the boomers. But nowaday's a lot of them are regretting it. It is not that they can't do the job, it is that they do not have a degree. BS if you ask me.
Today a bachelors degree has become a necessity to get a decent job right out of college. Sadly, in todays job market, its shocking to see the number of recent graduates that I have come across that can't get a job that pays more than $10.00 an hour. I am see more graduates than ever going back to school to get a masters degree. This is now becoming the norm now. What I can't seem to get an honest answer about is are companies today paying salaries that are commensurate with a person having an advanced degree or are they paying graduates salaries that are on the level of someone just having a bachelors degree? I am concerned that in a few years, we will see a situation where we have an over supply of people with advanced degrees that are under employed or their market valur drops because there are so many of these people with advanced degrees.
Today a bachelors degree has become a necessity to get a decent job right out of college. Sadly, in todays job market, its shocking to see the number of recent graduates that I have come across that can't get a job that pays more than $10.00 an hour. I am see more graduates than ever going back to school to get a masters degree. This is now becoming the norm now. What I can't seem to get an honest answer about is are companies today paying salaries that are commensurate with a person having an advanced degree or are they paying graduates salaries that are on the level of someone just having a bachelors degree? I am concerned that in a few years, we will see a situation where we have an over supply of people with advanced degrees that are under employed or their market valur drops because there are so many of these people with advanced degrees.
I've heard that a lot of people are going back to school for a Master's degree. But some people on this forum are saying that a Master's degree is a bad thing because it makes you overqualified (which is good news for me since I don't plan on going to graduate school).
If a bachelors is the new high school diploma than why do people with bachelors statistically earn twice as much as people with high school dimplomas, in their life time?
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But some engineering jobs, like mine, I am 100% certain I did not need a degree. But employers don't look at it that way. 
