Bachelor's degree the new high school diploma?

[city_data91]

Originally Posted by socstudent

I feel like most people who say they don't want to go to graduate school will end up having to go anyway because they won't be able to advance in their field without a higher degree. It's becoming a necessity for anyone who wants to go beyond an entry-level position and those who thought they'd never go back are now the first to get their applications out. I went to an open house at one of the schools I'm considering and I met a woman there who was in her mid 40s (it was her birthday so she was wearing a button that said her age) and of course in order to make conversation people asked her what it was like going back to grad school at a later age. She said it was never something she thought she would have to do but her boss told her that she had to get a higher degree if she wanted to be kept at the place she is working now so it was either go or get laid off. She said a lot of her co-workers are in the same position because of so many new undergrads coming in that companies can employ for far less money, it makes sense for them to dump the older folks who are more expensive to keep if they only have a Bachelor's degree. This is certainly not the case for all jobs and fields, I just thought it was interesting listening to her story and I think it is becoming a more common one.

In that case, it sounds like this is good news for young people that are currently in college like me. It sounds like a few years down the road when I graduate, they would rather have me over a middle aged person that is more expensive.

[city_data91]

Originally Posted by socstudent

I feel like most people who say they don't want to go to graduate school will end up having to go anyway because they won't be able to advance in their field without a higher degree. It's becoming a necessity for anyone who wants to go beyond an entry-level position and those who thought they'd never go back are now the first to get their applications out. I went to an open house at one of the schools I'm considering and I met a woman there who was in her mid 40s (it was her birthday so she was wearing a button that said her age) and of course in order to make conversation people asked her what it was like going back to grad school at a later age. She said it was never something she thought she would have to do but her boss told her that she had to get a higher degree if she wanted to be kept at the place she is working now so it was either go or get laid off. She said a lot of her co-workers are in the same position because of so many new undergrads coming in that companies can employ for far less money, it makes sense for them to dump the older folks who are more expensive to keep if they only have a Bachelor's degree. This is certainly not the case for all jobs and fields, I just thought it was interesting listening to her story and I think it is becoming a more common one.

In that case, it sounds like this is good news for young people that are currently in college like me. It sounds like a few years down the road when I graduate, they would rather have me over a middle aged person with a Bachelor's degree.

[city_data91]

^

I didn't mean to post that twice and now it's too late to go back and delete it. Could a moderator please get rid of one of them.

[socstudent]

Originally Posted by city_data91

In that case, it sounds like this is good news for young people that are currently in college like me. It sounds like a few years down the road when I graduate, they would rather have me over a middle aged person with a Bachelor's degree.

Yes this may be true, because they can justify paying you 20K/year and laying off people who are actually paid a living wage... It's terrible (the economy, the companies, etc.).

[Ofanotherkind]

Well our president is pushing this agenda of a college education as if everyone in the united states deserves a college education. Really........so if I have flynked out of high school or did not give a dam about high school. Should I apply to a college and get accepted. I mean compared to the decipline few in high school who worked hard and lived a law abiding life etc and do or did everything that is right in order to gain college acceptance.
Besides I wonder what would happen when everyone is college educated ? What is the determining factor then yes, interpersonal skills and so forth... But how much more perfection do we really need.? Will it be money or a who you know situation.
Please, if america wants to really grow what we need is more vocational trained folks not a college degree but a vocational degree. We are talking about targeted training hear folks. Thats what employers want and need to generate income I see it all the while in my field of work when its time for lay offs, the ones who gets the boot first is always the excessive fatty college degreed educated ones not the vocational trained folk who are at the hands of producing something for the companies worth. I will list a few examples here

Medical
Doctors- fluff and expense, ask any hospital these are the most expensive part of any hospital balance sheet or bottom line and as a result a hospital takes a long and hard look before hiring new doctors. And new doctors generally have to really prove themself substancially for the hospital investment to be worthwhile as to not get laid off from payroll

Nurses - hired in a heartbeat hospitals see these as less expensesive doctors to a point of course.

Nurses would more secured in there job compared to the doctors in this case

Technical
engineers - fluff on a company's payroll. It takes a while for a company to hire one and similarly they have to prove themselves substancially to the bottom line.

Tecnicians on the other hand are more valuable to the companies bottom line and as a result are hired faster and are generally more secured in there jobs

Legal
Similarly here its the lawyers - who is applicable per the situation of the less secured one

The paralegal - is more secured in there jobs due to again the bottom line etc !!!

Most corporations are structured pyramidially hence the higher up u go the less people with a college education is needed, this is not a supply and demand situation, it has to do alot with production, costs, etc think about it!!!

What my America needs is vocationaly trained individuals not college educated workers.

Our political heads always like to compare america with china, so then, look into the amount or percentage of chineese people college educated in china's population, and yet look at there gdp. It all comes down to production the end product, who is producing and who is not.

I tell my kids get vocationally trained first before any dam college degree, do the opposite of what everyone is doing, thats how you win the game. Then if you like and have time to waste get a college degree.

I really wonder what this country would be like if the amount of college educated equal the number high school graduates. None other than another situation similar to the housing bubble mr president, people who cannot pay there student debts because they cant find jobs or jobs that are sufficent for them to pay off those student debt lol. People the way to win the game is to be different get vocationally trained in your choosen fields, let the herds take the advise of the president lol. I recall when bush our then president told everybody go buy a home, and yes we need more americans afording homes and yes more americans are owning homes lol. Where did that lead us ? A housing bubble. Yes, so pretty soon we will have the college bubble wait and see the play out. The rising of the so called good debt(student loans) that will need repayment. Maybe this post will make me famous as the one to have foreseen the situation lol

[mizzourah2006]

Originally Posted by socstudent

Yes this may be true, because they can justify paying you 20K/year and laying off people who are actually paid a living wage... It's terrible (the economy, the companies, etc.).

Except for the fact that it is illegal if they are over 40: See the ADEA of 1967.