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Korean Job Discussion Forums
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seonsengnimble
Joined: 02 Jun 2009
Location: taking a ride on the magic English bus
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 Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 4:26 am Post subject: |
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| I'm no Picasso wrote: |
| I'd be really interested to hear how many jobs you all worked to put yourselves through college and maintain your living expenses independent of your parents' assistance. |
I worked one job and took financial aid in the form of loans which I am currently paying. I was horribly irresponsible with my money, but I never signed up for a credit card. I just blew my food money on things I didn't need and then "helped myself" to campus food.
Although, to be fair to myself, campus food was a terrible scheme which screwed most of the students over. The nearest grocery store was 45 minutes away by bus, and the campus food cost around $10 per meal. |
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seonsengnimble
Joined: 02 Jun 2009
Location: taking a ride on the magic English bus
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| Posted: Thu Dec 10, 2009 4:55 am Post subject: |
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| Fox wrote: |
| I'm no Picasso wrote: |
| I don't know why people talk about higher education like it's a luxury good, when you can hardly get a managerial position at a fast food restaurant these days without a degree. |
The reason it's hard to get a decent position these days without a degree is because too many people have worthless, frivolous degrees. The answer isn't to make these worthless degrees more accessible; costs need to go up and up and up until people stop making stupid decisions regarding college degrees. And prices will go up and up and up, until people drop this, "I need to go to college, no matter the cost!" mentality.
If her dream is to go to UCLA, and she's willing to go into huge amounts of debt to do it, then she's one of the people driving costs up with her reckless willingness to pay any price demanded. Prices will always be hard-capped by what students are willing to pay. |
While I doubt that the largest factor in the increasing cost of tuition is higher enrollment and people willing to pay any price, I'll grant it for the time being.
My question to you then is this. If too many people getting frivolous degrees is what accounts for the requirement of a degree to get a job these days, how does the cause change the needs of current high school grads. If I graduate from high school today and want to be a manager at McDonald's, shouldn't I do what's necessary to get that job rather than do what would drive the cost down for later generations and live the rest of my life desperately searching for jobs which don't require a college degree?
Additionally, while university is primarily something people attend in order to better their future career prospects, it's also something which has other non career oriented benefits. Sometimes, people want to learn things out of interest. For me, college was the best educational resource I had. Yes, one can educate his or her self, but studying a subject with no one to discuss it with or to critique your work in the field tends to place limits on how much can be gained by your endeavors.
Personally, I'd hate to see a world where universities all became job targeted and abandoned academia. |
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PRagic
Joined: 24 Feb 2006
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| Posted: Sat Dec 12, 2009 6:58 pm Post subject: |
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She's in a tough spot, but this has been a reality for many over the years. She only has that much debt at the age of 19? Phfft. As someone who borrowed and spent savings, did time in the military, and worked a full-time job on the graveyard shift just to make it through my undergrad degree, my heart is not bleeding for her.
I love it when they emphasize that these students can't rely on a college fund, that they have personal responsibility for their education. Maybe that should be true of all undergrads. |
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