Re:College Was the Biggest Mistake of My Life
by tomrod on Tuesday April 26, 2022 @11:10AM
(#31168438)
A bit different, but your experience mirrors somewhat my experience
- Chose affordable option to my situation (private but religious school that I was then an adherent of)
- Graduate school after a few years working in industry; PhD so route was "paid for" with starvation wages. Had two kids during the process. Worked to supplement. Took loans but paid off w/in two years (interest rate stacking put that at the highest return).
- Success in industry came by hard work and by being genuine with colleagues and coworkers as to my capabilities, desires, etc.
I came from a poorer/low middle class background. College was a real improvement for my situation, and for others I've kept in touch with over the years from my hometown or similar situations.
Not all of us went into the highest middle class type roles, and some of us married into families with high assets or got lucky with astute business acumen. But those dice rolls aside, college was a qualitative net positive.
Graduation years were late 2000s undergrad, mid 2010s grad. So, not too far removed from the current experience.
- Chose affordable option to my situation (private but religious school that I was then an adherent of)
- Graduate school after a few years working in industry; PhD so route was "paid for" with starvation wages. Had two kids during the process. Worked to supplement. Took loans but paid off w/in two years (interest rate stacking put that at the highest return).
- Success in industry came by hard work and by being genuine with colleagues and coworkers as to my capabilities, desires, etc.
I came from a poorer/low middle class background. College was a real improvement for my situation, and for others I've kept in touch with over the years from my hometown or similar situations.
Not all of us went into the highest middle class type roles, and some of us married into families with high assets or got lucky with astute business acumen. But those dice rolls aside, college was a qualitative net positive.
Graduation years were late 2000s undergrad, mid 2010s grad. So, not too far removed from the current experience.