Thoughts about college/university.

[studd muffin]

Have you talked to them to see what they require and if they will pay?

To become a arson investigator and firefighter? The fire science courses I am taking is being taught by a Lt and a captain from a fire department. They told me what I need to do and I am following their advice. There is also a course catalog that I can follow to get my degree in fire science. I will also have to take a few criminal justice classes because of arson investigation. What do you mean by if they will pay? Will the fire department pay for my courses? If so, no. If I work as a paid full time firefighter yes the department can pay for some of the courses I take.

 

[MadRussian79]

As stated before it is a matter of what you want to do and why. To say college is waste of time is a blind generalization. Some degrees are worth more than others and college lets you explore stuff you can't in high school. I was pushed real hard into engineering, the suggestion of any other topic of study was met with ugly conversations. I have both a BS and MS in Biomed. Eng. The BS was beyond a waste, as far as I'm concerned I might as well have rolled the cash into a cigar and smoked for all the job prospects I had. Now the MS opened door for me so I'm still surprised at the job I got (they found me) and the other offers I revived.

In your case I would recommend finding which university has both a Fire Science program and a local volunteer fire department. Take a few courses in forensics and criminal justice. Take few fluffy courses so you can better engage HR, most of whom have English and business degrees. This maybe different in the public sector.

 

[ewok]

simple fact of life: to get ahead nowadays and 50 years from now spend that 4 years in college, get that piece of paper, go meet some people who will help influence you in the right way, and discover opportunities you might not have realized.

to say college is a waste of time and money and all that is probably the dumbest thing i've read in a long time. go ask anyone who decided they didnt need to go to college when they could have had the chance to go to college, and ask them if they could do it over again i will guarantee you 99% of them will wish they had the chance to go back to school, tell that kid or person who was 18 at that time that you need to stick things through because so many doors and opportunities open up. claiming that you can go read a book and come out just as smart is not necessarily false, but it's a fact that a college degree and that paper will open up a lot more doors than simply claiming you know something.

at the end of the day you need to show those prospective employers, etc. that you can get the job done and done right. having that college degree is at a minimum going to be that proof that it is the case. the world is becoming such a competitive place. if you're content being mediocre or doing something really simple, yeah college probably isn't going to be required. but if you have dreams and want to get somewhere, i'm sorry college is mandatory in most cases. not everyone is going to be a bill gates or whatever - those are exceptional people who are really few and far between. don't kid yourself and save that guy 50 years from now wishing he had made smarter choices earlier on in life. college can only help.

 

[Pharaoh]

IMO, it's not worth it. Why are you paying someone to read to you something that you can read yourself? OOh, you get a fancy "degree".. are you telling me that piece of paper is really worth the thousands you pay in?

Everything I want to know, I go and learn it myself. Buy the book, and read it.

Education is more than just reading a book. It teaches you to learn, adapt, understand and make decisions. There is a method to all the papers, assignments and tests.

A degree is more than just a piece of paper. Stating otherwise is just plain wrong.

 

[12 Volt Man]

the last two posts covered it well.

in today's competitive career market, if you don't have the peice of paper to meet the minium education requirement, you don't even get in the 'consider for an interview' pile.

lack of education in future job market will be a deal breaker for most careers.

even cooks in my area need certificates in food safety, food handling etc.

everything these days needs a diploma/certificate/degree of some kind.

if you don't have it you are screwed.

a family member of mine dropped out of university after 1st year back in 1986.

last year he lost his job in the IT feild.

now, pretty much anything in his feild requires a computer science degree as a minimum.

he is still trying to get back in a year later.

had he finished, he would have been employed by now.

get your education. it follows you forever and is always on your resume. even 30 years later

 

[mqktandy]

To both the previous posters who said that college is a waste of time. I will continue on to do my PhD/MD. U keep doing what your doing. And in 10 yrs we will see who makes more money. Sounds like a pretty good compition to me.

 

[jtalley]

I don't think its a waste of time, even the classes that aren't related. As mentioned, you will learn something, and it makes you more rounded. Just suck it up and do it, it'll make your life better, and as stated with good friends it will fly by.

 

[pacu mom]

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[pacu mom]

The most practical degree is one which also gives you a marketable job skill, i.e., RN, DDS, MD, teaching, etc. I have a couple of useless degrees such as a BA in Biology. I finally went back to school and got a professional degree. Until I did that, my only job skill was typing. Unless you're extremely talented/gifted, or a self-promoter, finding financial security, as a general rule, is going to be harder without an education.

 

[studd muffin]

The most practical degree is one which also gives you a marketable job skill, i.e., RN, DDS, MD, teaching, etc. I have a couple of useless degrees such as a BA in Biology. I finally went back to school and got a professional degree. Until I did that, my only job skill was typing. Unless you're extremely talented/gifted, a self-promoter, finding financial security is going to be harder without an education.

I like what you said highlighted in red.