Is it really necessary to have a college degree to make good money??

[Peace Division]

I was up for a promotion as well as another person in my group. Unfortunately, there was only 1 spot open so, it was either her or me. I figured it was hers as she's more knowledgeble than I am at this job and she's been there longer than I have. Well to my surprise, I got the promotion along with a 12.5% raise . I asked my boss what the deciding factor was and he said the position required a degree and I had one and she didn't. Just my 2 cents.

I'll also agree with Thick, go to a JUCO for a few years, take all the classes you can that will transfer and then transfer to a 4-year school you can somewhat afford. It's what I did.

 

[Bob Smith]

Congrats on the promotion and raise, Peace!

 

[Peace Division]

Congrats on the promotion and raise, Peace!

Thanks, I really needed it too. The misses was out of work for a while and the mortgage was getting to me. But all is well

 

[JonTest]

In short, get the degree. Statistically, college graduates make more money than those with only a HS diploma, even with the debt difference. Besides, a college degree isnt about more money, it is about more opportunity. With a HS degree you are very limited. The only ways to make a really good living with a HS diploma are to start your own business (and it is difficult to get a bank to give you a substantial loan with limited income and low education) or work your way from the very bottom of a company to a respectable position. Those are really your only options.

However, with a college degree, the sky is the limit. Lets say 5 years from now, you decide that you want to pursue another career. Guess what? You are going to have to start from the bottom and work your way up again if you only have a HS diploma. And you wont be able to pursue an advanced degree of any kind. Like I said, your opportunities in your life are very limited.

BS had a great suggestion with doing your first 2 years at a CC or even a JC, then transfering to a major university. Make sure, however, you make great grades in the CC or JC, or else you wont be able to transfer to the university you want.

To quote Hogg, "slug it out as an undergraduate." You dont want to be 40 years old and working as a pizza delivery guy (unless the porn-cliche is actually true, then there could be an upside!)

P.S. What income is considered "good money?"

Good income would be somethin to support a family....say maybe 50 to 60K/year...Well i think i am going to slug it out..I have a class over 5 semesters left...Thats averaging 12/semester....My major is in business management....My advisor said that this degree broadens my choices...After i get my degree though, i still plan on trying to own my own business....thanks for all the input

 

[hardcore210]

Basically, all a degree does is get your foot in the door. But that's where EVERYTHING starts. Good opportunities come out of preparation, not luck. By all means, finish school, get some kind of certificate, whether is an associates', bachelors', etc. Let's face it: business degrees are a dime a dozen, and the more broad your area of study, the harder it is to separate yourself from the pack of other applicants you're competing with. Finish your basics (summer's great for getting bullshit classes out of the way) at OU or some JC/CC. Put plenty of prayer and thought into what you want to do over the summer, then go balls out for it in the fall.

The ironic thing for me, is that I spent thousands of dollars of my & my parents' money for my bachelor's, but 2.5 yrs later I'm back in school for my assoc.! If I had gone this route originally, I'd been done in 1999 making over $200k now.

Also, don't give up the lawn care business. If you enjoy it and see yourself doing that in the future, that's all the more reason to get a business degree. Then when you're done in 3 years, you'll be the decision maker behind the desk, not the illegal immigrant behind the mower! Best of luck, bro!

 

[dolfe1]

If you don't want to start a business the only way you can make decent money without a degree would be to go into sales.

 

[bodyofwork26]

Send me an e-mail bro, BOOMER SOONER. I don't have a degree, yet consider myself highly educated. There is a big difference between having a degree and knowing HOW to apply it. I am in OKC and a very successfull business owner. By very successfull I don't just mean financially. The peace of mind you get by knowing that your fullfilling your dreams is often times better than money itself. BTW, the funny part is that my business is helping the families of high school students prepare and pay for college.

www.mycollegeinfo.com (franchise owner for Oklahoma, North Texas, and Kansas)

 

[Data1000]

A lot of good advice here. My have a BS Degree and at 35 years old, only make about 35K. My brother-in-law (age 48) never went to college, has very little intelligence, but makes 55K driving a freight train. My other brother-in-law (age 45, no college) makes about 40K working for the post office.

At the intelligent age of 18, I make a decision to major in Communication. At that age, without knowing ourselves or the world yet, we shouldn't be making decisions like that. Whatever you do, choose a major that prepares you for a job. Not some worthless liberal arts major like mine.

 

[pumppumppuk]

Here's my 1.5 cents

The lawn service is great, but can be very seasonal. You are a young person, but will this option always be right and satisfy your goals.

The main thing is to become happy in life, and this does not always mean money. Find out what makes you happy.

I would suggest stay in school and find out where you happiness lies. Take a few coarses, maybe lighten your load.

Sell anything you owe money own and rip any credit cards you may have. Nice things come for a price, so don't give up college for them.

I have over 14 years of college, so who cares how long it takes you. Hell tell everyone your majoring in registration like I did.

It's hard to go back to college later in life.

 

[moralanimal]

It is a basic question in society- more now and less later or less now and more later. There is little question if a better investment is your truck or your future. MOst don't like school b/c they have not found somethingn they like. With so many areas to choose from you almost have to try and not like something. I hated school and did very poorly in HS, got kicked out and had to attend an alternative school. Sports got me into college. I got lucky and found something I really enjoy. I have 2 masters degrees and will have my PhD before I am 29. My buddies are out making cash and having fun and that is what is best for them. It is an individual chioce and for some not easy. I would have to assume most with a degree don't regret it. I can be a janitor (nothing wrong with it) or use my degrees- the choice is mine. Also the reason people like Bill Gates are brought up is because it is rare (both in someone having that type of success and doing it with out the educational backing).

 

[Hogg]

Ultimately, I hope what you are reading is, you have limited options without a degree. You will never grace a boardroom without a degree unless you are a majority shareholder or an otherwise heavy player.....people wont take a risk on you.

What the guys said about the entrepreneurial spirit or sales is also true....but you have to break ass to make decent cash. The more education you have, the less hard you will have to work as your career track progresses.

 

[thick]

awesome with the raise. congrats. that helps ease the frustration of student loan payments

Thanks, I really needed it too. The misses was out of work for a while and the mortgage was getting to me. But all is well

 

[crewboss]

Ultimately, I hope what you are reading is, you have limited options without a degree. You will never grace a boardroom without a degree unless you are a majority shareholder or an otherwise heavy player.....people wont take a risk on you.

What the guys said about the entrepreneurial spirit or sales is also true....but you have to break ass to make decent cash. The more education you have, the less hard you will have to work as your career track progresses.

to me Hogg says it right there. It's a right of passage. It may be bullshit and it may not say anything for your ability to reason or manage yourself, but it's a benchmark by which people place trust. i agree with these guys, go for the paper bro. and when you're done, go back. just don't go too far into debt. reminds me of another one of my old man's quotes...he always said "the only thing in life worth going into debt for is a solid education". whether it's right or not, each degree is pretty much another open door.

 

[Mark Kerr]

The ironic thing for me, is that I spent thousands of dollars of my & my parents' money for my bachelor's, but 2.5 yrs later I'm back in school for my assoc.! If I had gone this route originally, I'd been done in 1999 making over $200k now.

Why would you have to go back and get the assoc? Are you specializing in a new field? Also, what profession that uses an associate's degree makes $200k a year? I must be wrong, because I have always thought an associates meant a 2-yr degree? Do you mean CPA degree? I am totally lost now...

 

[moralanimal]

Ultimately, I hope what you are reading is, you have limited options without a degree. You will never grace a boardroom without a degree unless you are a majority shareholder or an otherwise heavy player.....people wont take a risk on you.

What the guys said about the entrepreneurial spirit or sales is also true....but you have to break ass to make decent cash. The more education you have, the less hard you will have to work as your career track progresses.

THAT IS EXACTLY WHAT HAPPENED THE OTHER WEEK ON DONALD TRUPM'S SHOW- HE BROUGHT UP THE EDUCATION OF THE TWO PEOPLE- ONE HAD HIGHSCHOOL AND ONE HAD AN MBA FROM HAVARD. ALTHOUGH THE HS GRAD WAS LEAPS AND BOUNDS OVER THE HAVARD MBA GUY (IMO) HE FIRED THE HS GRAD.

 

[Patuba]

If you don't want to start a business the only way you can make decent money without a degree would be to go into sales.

Not true. I didn't finish college, am only 27 and earn over 40k a year.

 

[Bob Smith]

Not true. I didn't finish college, am only 27 and earn over 40k a year.

Electricians often dont have a college degree and still pull in $40k+. Not bad money, but I think most of us are really looking at the $75k+ range. At least thats how Ive been looking at this situation.

Someone mentioned The Apprentice. I agree with Trumps decision to fire Troy. As much as I liked him and thought he was kicking ass, I wouldnt put a hs grad in charge of a multi-million (tens or even hundreds of millions) dollar corporate division. Kwame was successful at Goldman Sachs (VERY difficult to get a job with them) and has a Harvard MBA. Hes a smart guy and I think will do very well. We'll see what happens tomorrow when the final decision is made.

 

[Desibaba]

Not true. I didn't finish college, am only 27 and earn over 40k a year.

Depends on what you consider good money.I know a doctor from india who came to the US illegally on a fake passport.He now works at a cell phone shop after he got all his papers(by marrying an american woman).He says he now makes about 5 times more than what he was making as a doctor working for a hospital back home.By the way his weekly paycheck is usually between 5 to 6 hundred a week now so its not worth shit by american standards

 

[dolfe1]

Not true. I didn't finish college, am only 27 and earn over 40k a year.

LMFAO Hey buddy good job by you, now you can buy a two bedroom one and a half bathroom with a kia rio in your driveway to compliment your prize. And if you're lucky you'll get to take a vacation every five years.

 

[nick e. guns]

jontest you are getting a lot of good info here. Let me just say that I am 27 and dropped out of high school when I was 16. I took some college courses along the way but never even earned my A.S. I own three businesses and three homes and earn well into the six figures. I have diversified investments including stocks that I trade personally, properties and my businesses. I can even read, write, and spell correctly. It has not been an easy road by any means, but if you truly have the entrepreneurial spirit and are willing to work hard and smart for the next few years and learn everything possible about investing, go for it. If you are only going to school because you want a decent paycheck, it may not prove to be worthwhile. No one can make that decision for you. And BTW, I have presented in many boardrooms and even consulted with a couple boards with just my GED and my smarts. I just want to present another perspective on your original question. At the end of the day, you can make a great living with or without a college degree as long as you are willing to apply the necessary effort. Either way I wish you the best of luck.