Is college a trick ?

Submitted by coffeebean on Tue, 01/08/2008 - 03:54

Is college a trick?
Lately, I have been wondering if going to college is a trick. It may sound real stupid at first but once you have went through the process you begin to wonder if it was worth your time.
Growing up I worked starting at the age of 15 as a caregiver then at the age of 17 I took on another occupation known as telemarketing. Telemarketing is not known as a high prestige type of work but it made the money and by the time I turned in my taxes at the age of 17 I had accumulated over 22,000 dollars that year! That is not an average teenagers salary but I did it and lived on it. The problem was that I had adapted to that type of cash without having any other responsibilities besides my cellphone bill because I still lived with the parentals. I moved out that year and began school before I was even 18. I graduated in 3 years and to most folks that is not very common but I was raised to understand that I can not be dependent on others so I need to make my own way through life. Don't get me wrong my parents were a big help and I could not have done it without them but I knew in the back of my mind that they could not always be there to support me. In fact, my dream is to someday support them in the sense that they will never have to worry about anything because I will always be financially secure not only for myself but for them as well.
So I graduated college without having one single credit card rather I worked 5 to 6 days out of the week as a waitress to make ends meet. I now have a degree but have yet to find a job that is able to distribute full time hours and above average pay rate. I feel so distraut and angry that I spent so much time and money to graduate college but am still continuously striving to survive. Although I would sit at home and finish a paper while my friends went out and partied their butts off I am still glad I finished and still believe one day it will pay off.
So do I think college is a trick? NO
Why? Because I have learned a lot from the classes I enrolled in at college and I know I will be ready when my time comes. Also, at this point in society a BA degree is just like a high school diploma because so many people have earned it so what I have gathered from all this is that education is growing all the time and I think people should try their hardest to recieve the most education they can in order to compete in this big game called our economy.

Coffebean,

Welcome to the forum. You have come with a very good point. College was really hard work for me as well. I worked after college and on the week ends. I hardly partied and preferred staying at home finishing off with my papers. Actually I paid for my college all by myself. it seems you are serious about life as well.

Do not worry it takes time to land a good job, i mean the perfect one that you would be comfortable with and the one that relates to your field of study. The motto is to never lose hope.

Tue, 01/08/2008 - 04:48 Permalink

coffee bean your not alone on college thoughts. there are people out there who went to college and are now on welfare because they are older or have other issues, but still the fact remains they are without work after going to college. i heard where they say someone is to over quallified and the company doesnt want to pay the higher price. you just have to hang in there, the perfect job will come along soon im sure. ill pray for ya. take care.

Tue, 01/08/2008 - 20:01 Permalink

Wow coffeebean, you don't write often, but when you do, you write with so much thought and compassion. When I first got my degree I worked for the community action program here in town for a little over $7 an hour, it was almost insulting to a point. I made more than that working at the saw mill, really. I had the degree and no experience to go along with it and at that point, I would have taken anything related to my field to get the experience on my resume. I worked there for two years and finally got up to a little over $8 an hour, I actually did like the job and felt like I was making a lot of progress there, I did not like my boss. When the opportunity came to move on to another position, Paying just a little over $9.50, still sad for having a bachelors degree, but the opportunities had to come sooner or later and I wanted to have the longevity of work in case manager on my resume and to be able to jump at it when it came. I also took this opportunity to build my professional reference pool. This is critical, to have a crediable person speak on your behalf will do wonders for your employment opportunities, so be nice to people, get on boards, volunteer if you have the time. There should be a domestic violence shelter or something in your area, that is involved in social service network to volunteer for, this will get your name out there. Eventually, someone will hire you, just because of your networking ability. Take no opportunity lightly, get out there and let people know who you are, what you are capable of and that you deserve a chance. Goodluck and keep us updated on your progress, you can always come here if you need a little "pick me up", we can be one heck of a support system. Take care coffeebean and goodluck.

Tue, 01/08/2008 - 20:16 Permalink

coffeebean i think your not giveing yourself a chance you said you just got out of college, right / well give it some time get some experiance doesnt have to be in your field the more variety the more you learn and then you will understand when other people come to you with the same questions. did you say what you took up? 3 years oughta be pretty good, look at me i miss up on a lot of my spelling but ive always made good money as a dummy i raised my family plus some on my income youll make it give it some time and always remember you are what you dream.

Wed, 01/09/2008 - 00:47 Permalink

dadummy,
you should not cut yourself down like that, come on now, as you have said yourself that you have done pretty good for yourself. You should always focus on your accomplishments and learn from your shortcomings and try to improve on them.

Coffeebean,
as dadummy said, give it some time, work the jobs that are out there that get you in the network of things, that is the best way, network, network, network. You will land a job in your field eventually if you stick with it, it all takes time. Hang in there.

Thu, 01/10/2008 - 11:55 Permalink

thanks good nature i was just trying to impress no education is a waste ive really seen and met people who have college education and its not doing the many good because they gave up or never used it and now it just doesnt fit in. coffeebean just got out and any work she does will be experiance, which every one needs. the best education you ever get is wisdom but thats not learned in any classroom its learned from life and it takes a long time. thats why its always good to listen to older people even if you dont take thier advice they have probably been in your situation at some point. love life embrace it and try new things spice is the best seasonings foe wisdom. good luck and hang in there variety will pay off in the end.

Fri, 01/11/2008 - 23:45 Permalink

It may seem that way coffee bean but you should be proud of your accomplishments and know that your sacrifice will pay off in the long run, something will come along eventually, just try to stay in your field. Human service is a rewarding job, even if you get a lower paying job in your field, you can build your resume and your experience and then you can move to a better paying job. Just hang in there, eventually it will all pay off for you.

Sat, 01/12/2008 - 01:46 Permalink