To: TideGlider who wrote (844574 ) 3/24/2015 10:04:01 AM From: Brumar89 1 RecommendationRecommended By
Respond to New study: what you study in college matters more than where you go to collegeThe Economist A new report from PayScale, a research firm, calculates the returns to a college degree. Its authors compare the career earnings of graduates with the present-day cost of a degree at their alma maters, net of financial aid. College is usually worth it, but not always, it transpires. And what you study matters far more than where you study it. Some yield negative returns. An arts degree from the Maryland Institute College of Art had a hefty 20-year net negative return of $92,000, for example. I think if you are looking for a great way to be out of debt before you are 30, it’s a great idea to do your first few years at community college, get rid of all your generic prerequisite courses, then move on to college/university to do your computer science/engineering courses, and then graduate. the nightmare scenario: you go study a non-stem major at an expensive university, come out with a ton of debt and NO JOB in your field . A much better solution is to go to a less-expensive, less-presitigious school that has a good STEM program in the area you want, and then get in and get out as quickly as possible. Make sure that you either do internships or work in the summer in your field . At this point, you should be willing to pay your employer for letting you work for them, or volunteer – you want to get a company name on your resume, and a name added to your references before you graduate and start looking for a real full-time job. Any pay they give you should be considered a bonus – that’s how important it is to work in your field before graduating. The before-graduation work experience will help you to know what skills are in demand, too – which will improve your course selection. You might even be able to get a mentor from the company you work for to advise you.The longer you go without working related to your field, the harder it is to be competitive in the job market . It’s very important to get debt paid off – especially now, because interest rates are going to be rising soon. You definitely want to start investing as soon as possible , so you can use that interest rate in your favor as you head towards retirement. It’s a rocky road ahead with an $18.5 trillion debt, a demographic challenge from the large number of retirees, and the decline of marriage and family. It makes sense to focus on financial issues as early as possible, and have a good plan.Lindsay’s Logic And because it doesn’t matter that much where you go to school, the best value for the money is a small state university in your own state (so you can get in-state tuition). You can get a degree there for a fraction of the cost of attending a big university and you’ll probably get smaller class sizes, more interaction with your professor, a better understanding of the material, and better reference letters too. Big universities don’t make a lot of sense unless 1) you’re getting a free-ride scholarship, 2) your career goals require a big-name university (like maybe you’re planning to be a Supreme Court justice), or 3) you’re attending grad school. I think she’s right about those 3 exceptions. Of course it’s nicer to go to a more well-known school if you intend to be a leader. But for a rank-and-file grunt like me, a small-school in-state where I could live at home was better. I was able to graduate in the black thanks to working, working, working through college.https://winteryknight.wordpress.com/2015/03/23/new-study-what-you-study-in-college-matters-more-than-where-you-go-to-college/
