The Cost of a College Education

[DDEATH]

ucanit, I was only trying to discuss the high cost of college and whether it's worth it or not. I am a good example of someone who did not have a college degree and made a pretty good life without one. In fact, I argued your point with others, at least 30 years ago, when college costs were even a lot lower.

I live in an affluent neighberhood in a nice paid-for home, have a late model, paid-for car, two large screen tvs, and spent the month of February near Palm Springs, Fl. We eat out two to three times a week, and I have more disposable income now, than at any other point in my life.

BTW, their will be no fight when I die, as I have a will and my wife might spend all the money, anyway.

Not too shabby for an old, balding, formerly red-headed, postal supervisor from Chicago.

[ucanit]

DD and Daisy, the truth be told we are pretty much on the same side of this coin. It does not take a college education to make good decisions but the proper study selection, prudent financial decisions and wise use of college education can enhance the overall impact of good decisions. By the way, college education won't make up for stupid decisions.

What started me thinking about this whole thing was a conversation with a parent who had lost a spouse, while fully financing a child’s college education. The child got a degree in an unmarketable discipline and is living back at home because they can’t find a job. The parent is remorseful that they were so busy working to pay for the child’s education that they hadn’t spent quality time with their spouse before the untimely death…and now, with the unmarried, unemployed, party animal offspring living at home, the possibility of forming another romantic relationship is off the table.

Bad decisions always seem to have a multiplicative affect.

[daisycutter]

ucanit, You bring up yet another great point. What is the effect on the entire family when a kid picks a major that is unmarketable. My niece on my wife's side, went to holy cross college and graduated with a 4.0. She majored in Irish peace negotiations. That major had the wife and I scratching our collective heads from the very beginning! What the phuck do you do with a major like that? Why would such a bright girl choose to go to a very expensive college like holy cross, and choose to major in Irish peace negotiations? She graduated in May of 2011, and so far she is working at her local parish's rectory office as a low paid office worker. She seems more interested in traveling and having fun, then in actually establishing any career at this point. I asked my wife if my niece realizes that the more time she spends in limbo, the more her skills erode, and she becomes even more unmarketable. My wife just rolled her eyes, and really had no response.

I already told my kids, that if they want money for college in a few years, they better have a credible major that's marketable, or they won't get a nickel from me. I talked to my kids about the above example, and I think that lesson has already been learned! Thanks to my niece, I think I just saved A LOT of money, and LOTS of stress!

[WestTX]

Okay guys, I was hoping more people (especially WestTx and WindowMan) ... ... ...

Gotdamn, cuz it's a good thang I jest happened to come on this here portion of the forum!

Listen, this topic like most other financial discussions ain't my area of expertise, butt I've looked at many of the issues you boys have discussed. Y'all seem to have a right good understand'en of the topics, with of course Ucanit be'en Professor Emeritus. No, I ain't try'en to be sarcastic.

I looked at this same education topic many years ago when my son was attending college. To make the long and short of it, I turned to two well known economists at the time -- Gary Becker (University of Chicago) and Lee Hansen (University of Wisconsin). At that time, there won't nobody better at human capital theory than Becker, and Hansen was one of the top dogs on the specific subject of the economics of edumacation. Ucanit has summarized (in an earlier post) some of the essentials that both Becker and Hansen discussed many years ago. 30 years ago, and on average, the return of an undergraduate degree was right big. Just Google these two fellows for a number of discussions.

Edumacation never hurt nobody, butt it ain't no prereq' to financial success. What seems to be impotent is the choice of discipline and the persistence to follow through to gain the necessary credentials afforded by the degree. Of course, you gotta like the subject you're going after a degree in, and it's hard to do that if folk' are pounding at you to study this and that. I guess folk' gotta find their own study interests, then pursue them.

My shitzuation was different from most folk' in that the USMC sent me to school full time while I was on active duty. I got one of them scholarships to attend a program in the physical sciences and mathematics. My responsibility was to complete the program at the gov-ments expense with no costs to me per se -- sorta like a bonafied affirmative action plan! Sometimes I wonder if I received the scholarship as a test; the test being to see if a black man could graduate from a university in the cold (Montana State University). Yep, I'm be'en sarcastic, butt think bout' it! God bless that Colonel who gave me the opportunity to achieve...

Anyway, I picked up degrees in geology and mathematics, then followed with an advanced degree in geology. I became a real soil specialist with military applications. All them civil engineers got the glory for them construction projects, butt it was me who sniffed and analyzed soil samples to make sure the foundations were set okay. I can throwed in a lil' more bullshitz, butt I won't. My point is that I had specific skills that were needed, and I worked with a lotta real smart folk'.

My son went to school know'en what he wanted from the beginning. He pulled a BS/MS in accounting, then picked up his CPA after a couple of years of hardcore work experience. Again, it's getting the skills you need to do what you want. Some fields have better life earning financial awards, and my son chose a right good field. I never had the earning potential that my son has had, butt my life has afforded me to see things that most folk' have never seen.

Where was I? Oh, many of today's degrees are too numerous and watered down to fully understand their economic worth. Many of'em make no sense to me. It all comes back to skill sets that are marketable -- whether university based or through trade/technical programs.

Other than what I've talked about... Well, this shitz jest hurtz my head. Listen to the professor!

WestTX

[daisycutter]

westTx, It seems to me that you did damn good for yourself. As you already know I also served in the USMC. My time in the USMC taught me the value of self discipline, and that has served me well over the years. I find it a cry in shame that our boys are still in afghanistan, fighting a war for over ten years, with no end in sight. Many coming home unable to cope with civilian life in America. I think its time to bring our boys home, and take care of their wounded bodies and minds!

[DDEATH]

westTx, It seems to me that you did damn good for yourself. As you already know I also served in the USMC. My time in the USMC taught me the value of self discipline, and that has served me well over the years. I find it a cry in shame that our boys are still in afghanistan, fighting a war for over ten years, with no end in sight. Many coming home unable to cope with civilian life in America. I think its time to bring our boys home, and take care of their wounded bodies and minds!

Isn't it ironic........ remember all those years of me railing against the Iraq war, while you defended it, that our roles would be reversed!!

NOT!!! I think Obama phucked up when we got Bin Laden. He could have declared that our goal was attained and started pulling our troops out then.

We do need to protect our troops in an orderly withdrawal, which takes time.

Ya think we can then start taking some of those defense funds and use them to fix our deteriorating infrastructure?

[ucanit]

Hell no!!! That money has to be earmarked to provide free birth control and contraceptives for the LGBTs.

[DDEATH]

Hell no!!! That money has to be earmarked to provide free birth control and contraceptives for the LGBTs.

If we take only one tenth of the defense annual budget and use it for birth control, we can completely wipe out births in no time at all.

[WestTX]

Hell no!!! That money has to be earmarked to provide free birth control and contraceptives for the LGBTs.

What the Hell!

You already got free (unnatural) birth control and contraceptives for the LGBTs, unless one of'em is gonna give birth of somethang from the arse!

What are you say'en? I ain't try'en to be politically incorect or nuthen', butt this analogy hurtz my head!



WestTX

[ucanit]

At least YOU got it, WestTx!

It amazed me to listen to all the pundits present “women's rights" and "women's healthcare" arguments that espoused the implied importance of free and available birth control issues for the LGBT community. In fact, a significant portion of the proponents were (or should I say are) active members of LGBT organizations.

We all know that I'm just a cynical old bassturd but I figured all along that the arguments to support Obamacare for the "women's contraception and healthcare" was only part of a disguise and ruise to ensure Obamacare provided or ensured free healthcare for pre-existing HIV AIDS.