For those retired - do you see college as important as when you were college age?

[Old Virginia Joe]

If you trace the rapid increases in college tuition over the last few years you will find tuition increases closely correlate with federal student loan guarantees. The big beneficiaries of federally encouraged student loans have been physical plant at colleges and pay checks + benefits for tenured faculty; not students.

Another example of supply and demand, distorted by (well intentioned) government action, producing unintended consequences.

well said! My school (Virginia Tech) recently destroyed my old dormitory, built in 1957, a perfectly sound building of brick, block, and cement, to build a modern dorm on the same site. They won't admit it, but the old brick building did not match the look of the limestone block exterior of the newer parts of campus, so the old brick has to go. The other matching brick buildings also part of that same quadrangle are scheduled to go away as well. Spending money we don't need to be spending, and celebrating it as we do so!

 

[MacLawn]

OldMc, having lived in Japan for about 30 years, I understand your confusion with college and university. Everywhere I've been overseas, i.e., outside America, people call school after high school, "university". In America, it's really simple - a college is really just a smaller "university". That is, a college will usually have several 4 year bachelor of arts (B.A.), bachelor of science (B.S.) degrees, and even master's degree programs. Universities will have several colleges under their educational umbrella, e.g., college of education, college of medicine, etc. My wife attended --- 9, 9!! graduate universities in getting her doctorate degree! Whew, glad those days are over.

All in all, I still say, yes, we are very glad that in our younger days, we got post high school education. I do like the idea of more trade, tech, etc. training in our high schools though. Job specific skill training would be great I think.

 

[doxford jim]

My situation is somewhat different of a lot of others though the outcome is much the same. I have a somewhat similar back round to that of Old Macgregor.

I left school in the UK at sixteen (1961) and started an apprenticeship as a millwright. At 21 I started travelling and spent one year in NZ and three years in Australia, returning to the UK in 1970. During my time in Australia I sailed as a seagoing ships engineer and continued to do that when back in the UK, eventually reaching chief engineer position at 31 years old.

Whilst doing the marine engineering I also studied part time at technical colleges and got both ONC and HNC in mechanical engineering - probably equivalent to associate degrees in USA. I also attended university for two years for a three year B.Sc. in mechanical engineering. Left university to go back to sea to earn more money to pay expenses and never did go back to finish the degree I started - that I regret.
Would I recommend university - yes I would. Would I recommend a tradesman training - yes I would. Both have their place in the working world and I believe that the tradesman's route and then university to be the better way to go. This allows the ability of earning whilst pursuing studies.

I have turned down superintendents positions several times - I just do not have the stomach to deal with workplace politics and the inevitable nepotism that accompanies the politics. I finally quit sailing at 54 years of age and went back to working as a millwright and stationary engineer and enjoyed doing it. I was also making a good wage and was able to be at home every night. I retired in 2005 at 60 years of age.

Over the years I have gotten involved with numerous things that have interested me at the time - all the while learning something new. I think the trick here is that one keeps on learning through out life - whether it be part time at college/university or as a hobby. The more one learns the more that one realizes how little we know as individuals. Like anything else in life, what works for one person may not necessarily work for others on a personal level. However, the more one learns the better equipped we become for what life throws at us.

Just my two cents -everyone has a unique story I am sure.

 

[OldMcDonald]

OldMc, having lived in Japan for about 30 years, I understand your confusion with college and university. Everywhere I've been overseas, i.e., outside America, people call school after high school, "university".

Oddly enough everywhere I have lived (England, Australia, Scotland, Portugal) there is a distinction between colleges and universities. In these countries colleges do not normally offer the same standard of degrees as universities, if in fact they offer degrees at all. Things are changing in various ways, but on the whole colleges offer(ed) two or three year courses that do not lead to a degree, being more focussed on the practical skills, including teaching, nursing, etc. My wife and her parents all went to a college. I took my degree in a university. But, in some cases colleges do have a post "diploma" (for want of a better word) course that can lead to a degree. The college my wife attended was one such, but not the colleges my in laws attended.

What is further confusing is that many, but not all, of the most prestigious universities do have colleges under their umbrella as you say, but these are not stand alone colleges in the sense used above, and any qualification is from the umbrella university, not an individual college. The university my son attended in Scotland, did not have individual colleges, but I think the two in England did.

I am sure they just complicate things on purpose. Like private schools being called public as I posted earlier.

 

[Capricious]

"..Given this countries, and the world wide shortage of RN's, the vast majority of facilities hire any one with a nursing degree and a pulse...."



I have a relative who works as a professor at a nursing school, and she says this is no longer the case.

 

[ttriff]

I have a relative who works as a professor at a nursing school, and she says this is no longer the case.

There are approx 2,700,000 employed RN's in the USA, and the demand for nurses is predicted to grow 19% through 2020.

The current demographics show roughly an equal number of ADN and BSN's in the workplace.

Every few years the powers that be declare that RN positions will require a BSN. The current 'goal' is 80% by 2020. This is of course preposterous since baccalaureate programs are turning down tens of thousands of qualified applicants annually due to a lack of qualified instructors

Given the logistics involved it takes twice as long to produce BSN compared to an ADN and the current BSN teaching facilities can't possibly gear up to meet expected demand. The answer to this situation is encourage the use of ADN programs and vastly expand the online options for an ADN to become a BSN. This method offers the potential to double the number of available RN's compared to a standard 4yr BSN program.

Until such a time as the above occurs, BSN 'preferred' will be seen in a lot of ads if the goal is to ensure adequate staffing.....

 

[Redneck in training]

The fact is college degree opens many more doors. Having a degree show your prospective employer that you have at least some brain power to do a job. I don't have a college but I had some experience in the field of my current work.
When I was hired I got low start pay and I was told that what I was getting was opportunity. Now I earn quite high income in lower six figures. I got several job offers from our clients but when they found that I don't have a degree they lowered the offer to about half of what I am making now. Even though I am very skilled at my job I can't work for clients in Canada because I have to show college degree to get a work permit. But guys with a degree I am training can get it.
It is also up to a person how much knowledge he or she learns at the college. Some kids just pass trough and others learn a lot.