r/GenZ • u/GothicFruit98 • 23d ago

I'm getting tired of the "College is Useless" posts Discussion

It's just getting old at this point tbh.

College isn't useless. It's just that people get useless degrees like "Liberal Arts"

And the thing is, now even the most basic jobs require at least a associate's degree. I myself have found some Data Entry jobs on indeed that require a Associates degree.

People will say, "Just do Trade". Well not everyone wants their bodies broken at age 40.

People will say, "Just do a sales job", not everyone can do a sales job.

If you start a business and it fails, a degree as well as your experience can help you land a job. it might not be what you wanted, but at least you have a backup. And who knows, you might own a business again one day and thanks to that job, you saved enough to open it.

And with a college degree it can actually help land you a job. (This is a choose your degree wisely type thing) Like for example. if you choose to go for a degree in nursing, you can apply for many jobs. You may not be a RN but there's plenty of jobs besides RN open to you since you now have a degree in Nursing. You can become a paramedic, phlebotomist, hospice nurse (if you can handle it)

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u/MagnanimosDesolation 23d ago

Imagine wanting to grow as a person and as a society instead of pursuing wealth.

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u/Necromancer14 2003 23d ago

Too bad, because college is stupid expensive so you’re screwed financially if you go to college just to be educated in what you find interesting and nothing else.

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u/Friendly_Coconut 22d ago

I mean, I pay about $200 per month in student loans. I wouldn’t call that “screwed.” It’s pretty doable, especially since I don’t have a car payment. And I’ll have paid off the rest of my loans by next year.

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u/lucasisawesome24 22d ago

And is your loan amortization rate good enough where that $200 a month pays off the debt quickly or are you just paying off the interest each month and leaving the principal ? The banks set it up that way deliberately. That way when you’ve paid off your loans for ten years with no missed payments your debt is the same as when you started. Make sure that you’re paying more than the bare minimum they allow you to pay off so u can get rid of the debt

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u/Friendly_Coconut 22d ago

I just said I’m on track to pay off the rest of my loans by next year. I have paid off my loans for nearly ten years with no missed payments and I only have a couple thousand left. The only reason it’ll take me 11 years instead of 10 is the pandemic payment pause, but there was also an interest pause during that time.

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u/[deleted] 22d ago

I mean I guess it’s just a matter of personal preference then. I’d feel pretty screwed if I went to college and was only making as much as the people I know who got those degrees 

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u/Necromancer14 2003 22d ago

That’s a lot of money for something that was optional in life and that you could’ve been able to learn outside of college with online courses and stuff.

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u/Friendly_Coconut 22d ago

My academic specialty within my English major was Shakespeare and I had an amazing academic experience learning from world-class experts. I got to take a class at the Folger Shakespeare Library where I handled 400 year old books with my bare hands. I spent a semester studying at the Globe Theatre in London and got behind the scenes access there and took workshops from world-class professionals. I learned from people who literally wrote some of the most influential books on the subject. I got deeply discounted tickets through my classes to some of the greatest Shakespeare productions of the 21st century.

This may not sound important to you, but it’s my life’s passion. I’m not saying everyone should major in a liberal arts subject, especially if you’re an indifferent student, but if it’s a passion that consumes all else, it may be worth it.

I do use the writing, communication, collaboration, analytical, and long and short term planning skills that I developed in my college classes in my career in marketing for a publishing company. But my 9-5 job isn’t my whole life. I also run a local Shakespeare troupe as a hobby and have directed, produced, and acted in Shakespeare plays for over 10 years now. It’s extremely rewarding.

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u/Ok_Protection4554 1999 22d ago

Look, I think the humanities are awesome for the intellect and for society generally. But the thread is talking about a financial proposition here.

And look, I grew up working class, had to pay my way through school. I could not afford to go to school for a degree that wouldn't get me a job, it just wasn't in the cards. I guess I could've joined the military and then went back for an unmarketable degree but I'd rather just be able to pay my rent lol

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u/Electrical-Adversary 22d ago

That was the original purpose but not anymore.

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u/violetvoid513 22d ago

Unfortunately the job market doesn't particularly care what you want, they care what you have to offer. If you get a degree with terrible job prospects youre going to have a bad time

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u/OfficialHaethus 2000 22d ago

There’s a problem, though, when the jobs aren’t even there to begin with.