College

[Kuja]

last year i started my first year of college. i wanted to see what i thought i was missing out on, i have always taken great pride in my intellect and have never backed down from a challenge. however i have always hated the academic system, even though i have insatiable hunger for knowledge. it has always been much easier for me educate myself, even in very complex subjects such as phenomenology, and physics. i am no dilettante, i really have developed a sophisticated understanding of the world around me.

i am on the cusp of starting my third semester, because i have recently moved, i opted for online courses. the issue at hand is, i dont think it is worth it to spend a fortune on an education i am not sure if i will even be able to use. my focus in school is in fine arts, when i started college i had already been working as a freelance artist for about six years, and i wasnt doing bad at it all. currently i am working as a creative assistant, and i have my room and board more than amply taken care of.

i am thinking about dropping out of college, because it doesnt seem to have anything to offer but years of struggle trying to pay back the stupid loans i had to take out to pay for my first two semesters. i cant bring myself to feel motivated to continue with the academic process, especially sense i am embedded in my own projects, which exceed the scope of anything assigned in a class room setting. i find i am at a lose as to what to do. i kind of just want to fall off the grid.

in some ways it feels like a shame, because if i REALLY cared, if i enjoyed being in school, if i could bring myself to kiss ass, and humor my professors, i could do incredibly well in college. i have 3.5 GPA, and i got it without even trying, so i could probably get scholarships if i wanted to get them. its just i dont. i want nothing to do with the system at all. i hate the idea of working for a corporation, and i have no desire to be an educator, so i see no purpose of being there even if i can do well.

i know the american education system is just a money making machine, many of the professors are cynical and jaded with their careers. they care about the bottom line not the true expansion of minds and the exploration of ideas. it doesnt feel like they are preparing anyone for the challenges of tomorrow, they are just finding out who can is going to be a good "Yes Man" brown nose-er.

no offense to those of you who have completed college, i just dont think it is for me. i never have. its a bitter pill to swallow the cost of "education is". i know only i can decide what is best for me, but i would appreciate any insights or advice that could be offered.

[marshlander]

If you think you are always going to be able to get work that won't require the validation of a university degree I can see the temptation not to bother. I enjoyed my higher education studies because I encountered new people and new ideas.

[Kuja]

The problem is, with the economy the way it is, there are many, many people with degrees, who arent getting jobs despite their qualifications. its starting to feel like you are damned if you do and damned if you dont. there are no solutions at all. a degree doesnt seem to mean very much, when there are college graduates with masters degrees are competing for jobs and McDonalds.

[Aester]

I must agree with Kuja. It wasn't long i ended Highschool, or Collage (I am sorry but i do not understand the English / American education system, The only English system that i have been experiencing was in England were Collage is for ages 15-18 approx)

After my Graduation of Highschool or what its called i have been unemployed and i studied at a work based program (Catering and hospitality) whether i should at least get a McDonalds job from. I am quite afraid of going into higher education since i have no idea what i wanna work with. I am not sure i want to be a chef any more since its really stressful job and my ambitions have dropped greatly but what else suits me? And what am i capable to? I love esthetic work where i create things but... where is the job?

I got MANY friends that is not at University / Collage and they are having it really rough, the teachers doesn't even give them instructions where to get the books and what books to get. They just say you need to study about Blah Blah Blah and its done.

My parents complain everyday and i just wish i could leave this hole but.... HEY!? Where is the job!? The simplest jobs now needs epic education, whether if you study it, you will be forever in debt with loans you can never pay of cause the jobs are to under payed OR you skip it and live of welfare.

[zeon]

My best advice is listen with your heart and go with the flow dont worry about things until they arrive.... Eventually you will get to where you need to be

Kindest regards

zeon x

[Almac]

I enjoyed my higher education studies because I encountered new people and new ideas.

I have to agree with Marshlander I had a great time at Uni and met many new people with so many different ideas, I would say if anyone is thinking of going to Uni then do it.. But I'm not so sure that a degree is the pathway to a good job, well not in some subjects studied today?

[Inchante]

Degrees in the fine arts have always been a bit iffy, really, unless you are trying to refine your skills. If you can find work, are satisfied with what you are doing and don't see a way that it can help your career, there may be no need to pursue a degree. On the other hand, certain degrees relating to the fine arts can, indeed help you to advance your career and get a better paying job. You have to figure out which direction you are going and then decide.

[CellarDweller]

I went to college, but dropped out because I was tired and losing focus.

I have a career in the banking industry now, my bills are paid, I'm out of debt, and while not rolling in dough by any means, I'm happy.

[OrphanPip]

Well statistically, people with university degrees are much more likely to have higher incomes, and the unemployment rate in the US for those with a university degree is 3.7%, while the general population is 8.9%.

(I'd agree that the US education system is overpriced, there are some good public options in the US though, like the University of Michigan.)

Edit: Personally, I've been in uni so long that I'm not sure I'd be able to survive in another environment :p.

[Jay]

The problem is, with the economy the way it is, there are many, many people with degrees, who arent getting jobs despite their qualifications. its starting to feel like you are damned if you do and damned if you dont. there are no solutions at all. a degree doesnt seem to mean very much, when there are college graduates with masters degrees are competing for jobs and McDonalds.

I think it depends on what course you are taking in a college/university. Like it or not the course that you take in a college will answer the opportunity (career) in your future.

It's very good to study something that you adore but can this course that you are studying brings money and job opportunities in the future?

Before I enrolled myself into a college, I went to see a Councillor to seek advice. I also did my research to see the best job opportunities at the time. Was Malaysia's design industry blooming and expanding? Is it a good idea to be a designer in Malaysia? Are there a lot of job opportunities for designers in Malaysia? And so on.

To be safe, I studied Multimedia Design. I got to study every bit of design field (3D, graphic design, video and audio etc. with minor in business study). Thus if one career door closed, I can sneak myself into another one. That's how I jumped from being a video editor of a video production company to an advertising/marketing designer for a real estate company. Whilst working in a real estate company, I study about business and real estate.

Did I enjoy studying Multimedia Design? I enjoyed it but it wasn't my main passion and option. I originally wanted to study a more specific field in design industry but the career opportunity for that field in Malaysia was kind of uncertain and hazy.

My 2 cents of course.