# Are you proud of your degree/diploma?



## la_revolucion (May 16, 2013)

Absolutely. It took four years of hard work to receive my diploma. Plus, I loved my college. I still live in the same city my college is in (Seattle) and there is a ton of pride here for it.


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## tanstaafl28 (Sep 10, 2012)

Open Every Window said:


> This is true to an extent. Usually at interviews, the interviewer is prouder than I am that I have a degree. LOL. That may be part of my problem at interviews at times.


90% of the time, they're going to train you for what they want. Having a degree also indicates the likelihood that you are trainable.


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## xForgottenOne (Mar 7, 2015)

I only have a high school graduation, and I'm quite proud of it. It's the reward I've gotten for those horrible six years of high school. I


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## HAL (May 10, 2014)

I think I'm fairly two-faced, in numerous ways.

I hate the education system and I hate that people use labels and titles to signify who they are, their successes, etc.

Yet I will be proud as fuck when I can tell people I have a degree in theoretical physics.


Furthermore, I hate the fact that people are judged on the institution they went to. My university is definitely not a bad one at all. But I hate the fact that I might stand next to someone from Oxford or Imperial with a physics degree, and may somehow be considered inferior, even though I might not be at all - maybe I'm Oxford material too, maybe I didn't go because I simply didn't apply, or for some other valid reason..! So I think the significance of institution is over-valued.

But... I know that if I had gradated from Oxford with a degree in physics, I would feel like the. fucking. boss.

It's pretty daft really.

Anyway, stripping away all those factors, I will still always have the same intellectual pride regarding my university education. Certified or not, I enjoy knowing that my level of knowledge in that area is on par with something that I always saw as 'way beyond me' when I was younger. Not that I knew if I was capable of it or not - I just saw sciencey stuff in movies etc and thought: 










So I'm proud that I actually _understand_ it all now. Nobody can take that away from me.


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## Dao (Sep 13, 2013)

tanstaafl28 said:


> Of course I'm proud. I proved to myself I could finish what I started, not once, but twice. It has gotten me jobs that would have otherwise been closed to me. A lot of employers don't care what your degree is in; as long as you showed that you can stick it out and finish.


That is reassuring to hear. I was under the impression that most companies did not want to waste time training someone when they could hire a candidate who has already specialized in the area. I have also been told internships are more important than miscellaneous degrees.


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## Word Dispenser (May 18, 2012)

I don't know if this counts, but the one thing I actually finished was a 1 year certificate for foundations in art and design. I was on the honour roll. I'm very proud of that. That, not only could I succeed, but I could excel. 

And I also proved to my dad that I could paint, and that I could do it better than anyone else in my class. His pride in me made me gloat quite a bit, seeing as he initially refused to support this venue due to thinking that there were people way better than I was, and that it wouldn't go anywhere.

That final exhibition cinched it. My dad decided to talk to the man hanging the paintings-- he had decided to put the best one in the center, as a focal point for all the others. Of course, it was mine. 

I think my dad had tears in his eyes, as he said, "I don't know much about this stuff, but one thing I do know-- You. Can. Paint."

And, even though it was left unfinished, I _am _proud of the two years I spent in Journalism before the art foundations. I don't think I would have been more proud of finishing it, since I ended up moving to a non-English speaking country, where my diploma would have been useless. But, my experiences there, what I learned, and the people and teachers I met, were invaluable to me.


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## bigstupidgrin (Sep 26, 2014)

In a weird holding pattern between finishing my classes and student teaching, but yeah, proud to find a calling at the very least. 

Never really had school spirit ever, but my school (university of phoenix) took good care of me during my BA and Masters, so there's something to be said of that.


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## Pressed Flowers (Oct 8, 2014)

I was declared a gifted student early in my education journey and my mom's a teacher. There was never a doubt for me that I was graduating high school. And, honestly, that's why I have no pride in it. It was a given. High school was so easy. Even my troubled cousins all graduated high school. Even college is a given, because honestly not going to college was never an option to me. I guess I'll feel this way until I get my doctorate (as I have also assumed I would get my Master's degree). 

You know what I am proud of? My Gold Award. Those little certificates I got throughout school. My AP exams. Getting into this honors program at my current university. Getting into the other prestigious universities I didn't choose to go to. Graduating 4th in my class of 500, above that kid my mom used to say "was the most brilliant kid you'd ever meet" back when we were ten. Earning this stuff even as I went through the worst period of my life, where I was dealing with trauma and going through literal hell. Because that stuff wasn't a given. That stuff I had to work for. 

But graduating high school? Getting a degree? Eh. Everyone does it, at least everyone in my world.


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## bigstupidgrin (Sep 26, 2014)

alittlebear said:


> I was declared a gifted student early in my education journey and my mom's a teacher. There was never a doubt for me that I was graduating high school. And, honestly, that's why I have no pride in it. It was a given. High school was so easy. Even my troubled cousins all graduated high school. Even college is a given, because honestly not going to college was never an option to me. I guess I'll feel this way until I get my doctorate (as I have also assumed I would get my Master's degree).
> 
> You know what I am proud of? My Gold Award. Those little certificates I got throughout school. My AP exams. Getting into this honors program at my current university. Getting into the other prestigious universities I didn't choose to go to. Graduating 4th in my class of 500, above that kid my mom used to say "was the most brilliant kid you'd ever meet" back when we were ten. Earning this stuff even as I went through the worst period of my life, where I was dealing with trauma and going through literal hell. Because that stuff wasn't a given. That stuff I had to work for.
> 
> But graduating high school? Getting a degree? Eh. Everyone does it, at least everyone in my world.


TAG kids unite! It does sound like you've kept yourself motivated throughout school, which is really something to be proud of. Sidebar I kind of want to start a TAG (talented and gifted) thread just to see how many people in PerC are identified, and just see how everybody turned out.


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## Gentleman (Jun 14, 2014)

I'm ashamed that I have no degree.


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## ALittleEquilibrium (Apr 23, 2015)

I was TAG too! Though idk how much it helped me :tongue:

It DID pay for a bachelors and a masters at my local state school that got me through a decade of good work. I lived at home and didn't have to work (though I did for my masters). All good things. I'm back for another masters now, in something more general (and really, what I was working in at my last job). I'm proud of the other two, but I'll REALLY be proud of this one.


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## enmity (Jul 14, 2012)

thismustbetheplace said:


> I graduated from an "elite" college (majored in molecular/cellular biology)...I suppose on some level I am proud at having achieved something despite the hardships I had to face growing up. But on another level, I was living someone else's goals, someone else's life, and I feel sad that I wasted so many years of my life because I was bullied and coerced by literally everyone in authority around me into following goals that really weren't right for me at all. And in the end, it didn't even lead to tangible rewards such as a good job or even a livable salary. I guess it is a testament to how I lasted four years of isolation and misery without killing myself...that counts for something right?
> 
> I'm not proud of the institution itself...it was a fucking horrible place and embodied literally everything that is wrong with the university system. There was the usual stuff like screwing my family out of money at every turn. Then there was the more insidious stuff like trying to combat a bunch of student suicides by on the one hand literally drawing smiley faces and hearts and "You are loved!" messages all over campus (yeah b/c that will totally help), while covertly Facebook stalking students and enlisting other students like Hitler Youth to track down students deemed to be "at risk" for mental health issues, and then forcing them to go to mandatory therapy just for writing an upset Facebook status or taking a picture posing with a rifle (the school head psychiatrist proudly admitted to doing all these things in a NYTimes article). Oh and they'd threaten you with a mandatory medical leave from school if you didn't comply and refused therapy. Yeah, real great place.
> 
> I kind of saw my time there as a four-year prison sentence. And just like a prison sentence, it left me with severely impaired confidence, difficulties adjusting to life and social interaction on the outside, and limited career options. I am just now starting to recover really, almost two years after graduating.


Do you mind saying where you graduated from? This reminds me of my university.


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## SoulScream (Sep 17, 2012)

I can't even use it as a toilet paper. Stupid diplomas should be made by softer materials.


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## dragthewaters (Feb 9, 2013)

enmity said:


> Do you mind saying where you graduated from? This reminds me of my university.


Cornell


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## enmity (Jul 14, 2012)

thismustbetheplace said:


> Cornell


I can't fucking believe it. I thought it was just me who felt this way. Damn I don't know what to think. I go to Cornell and I agree with everything you said. I am so miserable right now and I realize so many other people are that way too. What the hell...


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## dragthewaters (Feb 9, 2013)

enmity said:


> I can't fucking believe it. I thought it was just me who felt this way. Damn I don't know what to think. I go to Cornell and I agree with everything you said. I am so miserable right now and I realize so many other people are that way too. What the hell...


Oh man! That sucks! How long until you get out? Nice to see it hasn't changed a bit in the two years since I graduated.

Whenever I had to go to the school psychiatrists, they always tried to make me believe I was the only person who was unhappy with the situation the way it was. But I always got the sense that the majority of people there were way more miserable than they let on...of course the average Cornell student is too brainwashed to articulate exactly what the issue with their lifestyle is. It's like the "problem that has no name" for our generation. It's just amazing how thoroughly the administration there doesn't get it.


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## enmity (Jul 14, 2012)

thismustbetheplace said:


> Oh man! That sucks! How long until you get out? Nice to see it hasn't changed a bit in the two years since I graduated.
> 
> Whenever I had to go to the school psychiatrists, they always tried to make me believe I was the only person who was unhappy with the situation the way it was. But I always got the sense that the majority of people there were way more miserable than they let on...of course the average Cornell student is too brainwashed to articulate exactly what the issue with their lifestyle is. It's like the "problem that has no name" for our generation. It's just amazing how thoroughly the administration there doesn't get it.


They still chalk up the roads like graffiti and force you quartercards too haha. Yeah their attempts now are giving stupid fortune cookies and motivational candy bags like that would make the problem go away. I have 3 years left so I'm just getting started! I have already become so apathetic and so unmotivated. And even if it might not be true, I can't help but think that there is something wrong with me. What am I doing wrong? But you're right. People appear to be so on top of things but when you get to know them really well, they just let the truth out and you realize there is a deeper problem. Why else would counseling be so full all the time? That sense of being treated like you're just a number. That detachment where your value is determined by how much money you give. I'm already sick of it, but I don't want to leave. I've worked so hard to get here. I didn't want it to be this way... I received some counseling but it was not helpful at all. They act like they have seen this shit so many times and are just trying to get through the day. I don't know how it is in other colleges. But here it's unbearable. Yeah I will be proud if I get my degree after going through this.


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## dragthewaters (Feb 9, 2013)

enmity said:


> They still chalk up the roads like graffiti and force you quartercards too haha. Yeah their attempts now are giving stupid fortune cookies and motivational candy bags like that would make the problem go away.


It would be hilarious if it wasn't so sad. You should write some demotivational graffiti in there...you know "HELL IS OTHER PEOPLE," "DESPITE ALL MY RAGE I'M STILL JUST A RAT IN A CAGE," stuff like that.



> I have 3 years left so I'm just getting started! I have already become so apathetic and so unmotivated.


You can always transfer! All the people I know who went to state schools are doing just fine!!

For me personally it didn't pay off AT ALL. I majored in molecular/cellular biology, and decided not to go to grad school because the funding in the sciences has gone to shit in the past few years, which of course nobody told me when I was 17 and choosing my major which it was impossible for me to change after the fact due to financial aid reasons. Anyway now I work as a lab technician and make $27K a year in NYC and I am mostly supported by my fiance...who makes six figures and went to a college most people have never heard of, BTW. I have to learn the equivalent of a computer science degree on my own to even have a chance at having a productive career (speaking of which, I should be studying right now LOL).



> And even if it might not be true, I can't help but think that there is something wrong with me. What am I doing wrong? But you're right. People appear to be so on top of things but when you get to know them really well, they just let the truth out and you realize there is a deeper problem. Why else would counseling be so full all the time? That sense of being treated like you're just a number. That detachment where your value is determined by how much money you give. I'm already sick of it, but I don't want to leave. I've worked so hard to get here. I didn't want it to be this way... I received some counseling but it was not helpful at all. They act like they have seen this shit so many times and are just trying to get through the day. I don't know how it is in other colleges. But here it's unbearable. Yeah I will be proud if I get my degree after going through this.


Trust me, there's nothing wrong with you. As I said, most people are too brainwashed with believing they need to "do everything right" by society's standards, to even question why things are the way they are, and why the results of "doing everything right" are often disappointing at best, toxic at worst.

LOL when I went there the head psychiatrist guy told me that they didn't have nearly enough counselors to meet all the demand. I was like "So hire more counselors, you moron! What are we paying you all this money for? There's certainly enough out of work psychologists in the world...."

Not that it would necessarily help...counseling is really ineffective if a) your IQ is 50 points above the counselor's and you've thought of everything they could possibly think of, and b) the psychologist very obviously has an agenda which is to reduce the liability to the school at all costs, including the cost of your own health and well-being, and c) the psychologist refuses to answer if you ask for help with devising actual concrete solutions to your actual concrete problems. Always remember that the psychologist works for Cornell first and foremost, and will always put the needs of the school above your own needs. For example if they recommend you take a health leave of absence, that's not because they think it's best for you, it's because they think you're a liability risk and they're hoping you won't come back after you leave. I'd say to get counseling in Ithaca outside the school, but all those counselors are likely fully booked also.

As for not wanting to leave because you worked so hard to get there...look up the "sunk cost fallacy." These are precious years of your life. You don't want to ruin these years, and ruin your emotional health and self-esteem, for some nebulously defined future that may never occur as planned.


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## enmity (Jul 14, 2012)

thismustbetheplace said:


> It would be hilarious if it wasn't so sad. You should write some demotivational graffiti in there...you know "HELL IS OTHER PEOPLE," "DESPITE ALL MY RAGE I'M STILL JUST A RAT IN A CAGE," stuff like that.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


My instinct was to say no to transferring, but I will think about it. I wish I knew what I was doing. The nebulous future does haunt me.


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## Gossip Goat (Nov 19, 2013)

Havent gotten my diploma, but the place I go to sucks asshole. I was more or less forced and left no other option but to attend here due to money reasons. I couldn't support myself or my studies elsewhere either. 

Hopefully I'll be able to transfer at some point.


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## Ziggurat (Jun 12, 2010)

HBA (English) / Bachelor of Education. 

Personally, pride isn't an emotion that I ever feel.

I'm very glad of my academic career though since it's enabled me to get the job that I love so much.


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## FluffyTheAnarchist (Sep 9, 2013)

To me a diploma is like a passport, or a plane ticket... I've always struggled with reconciling an inner truth/search for meaning with external expectations/appearances. Guess that's Fi for you. So a diploma to me is something from the realm of appearances -- something to show to others upon request, a way to fit myself into a certain stratum of society. Got two of them, see no value in them other than "here, you asked for it, see, i did play by your rules for once". My diplomas don't reflect me as a person. They are nice souvenirs of the experiences that I've had though.


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## VinnieBob (Mar 24, 2014)

FluffyMcClouds said:


> To me a diploma is like a passport, or a plane ticket... I've always struggled with reconciling an inner truth/search for meaning with external expectations/appearances. Guess that's Fi for you. So a diploma to me is something from the realm of appearances -- something to show to others upon request, a way to fit myself into a certain stratum of society. Got two of them, see no value in them other than "here, you asked for it, see, i did play by your rules for once". My diplomas don't reflect me as a person. They are nice souvenirs of the experiences that I've had though.


 thus spoke the fuzz bucket

well anyhoo fluff ballz i agree wit ya
i taught myself philosophy, cosmology, psychology, literature and a few other subjects 
i can talk to many a professor at their level
all a degree means is that the holder has met the minimal requirements to obtain the document


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## FluffyTheAnarchist (Sep 9, 2013)

Vinniebob said:


> thus spoke the fuzz bucket
> 
> well anyhoo fluff ballz i agree wit ya
> i taught myself philosophy, cosmology, psychology, literature and a few other subjects
> ...


wow!! impressive!!!    always admired the ability to thoroughly teach oneself something... how do you do it?
dive into a subject? let it consume you until it exhausts itself? is your thirst for knowledge essentially Fi-driven?


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## VinnieBob (Mar 24, 2014)

FluffyMcClouds said:


> wow!! impressive!!!    always admired the ability to thoroughly teach oneself something... how do you do it?
> dive into a subject? let it consume you until it exhausts itself? is your thirst for knowledge essentially Fi-driven?


it's an obsession 
you start fur ball
glad to have ya back flaffy mcflea bag


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## Swede (Apr 2, 2013)

I have a couple of advanced degrees in engineering. I am am not really proud of my degrees in themselves; it's not like I introduce myself as Dr Swede or bring it up unless specifically asked, but I have learned a few things from obtaining my education.*

General, random thoughts:*
- I am smarter than I thought I was when I was younger. When I was a kid, people seemed to think that I was lazy and/or stupid and I believed them. That I was capable of getting a degree in engineering had a great positive impact on my self esteem and thus on my general level of contentment. No matter what happens - no one can take that knowledge away from me.

- I enjoy accomplishing hard things to prove to myself that I can power through. I have discovered that earning a degree is often more about determination than intelligence. Being smart can only take you so far. I know several people with higher IQ than I have who just could not push themselves to get through college of engineering. 

- I have been incredibly lucky to get my college education essentially for free on two different continents. Now that I am older and less immature, I do recognize that there are people who would do pretty much anything to get only half of the opportunities I got and many of them would do doubly as well as I did. It's a humbling realization. 
*
Specifically connected to pride:*
- Engineering is a great fit for me personality wise - it's just how my brain is wired. It shows up that I'm really good at my job and I do take pride in that. My job is a large part of my identity. Less so after having kids, but it's still a pretty big portion. 

- I am economically independent of my family. If the worst happens and my husband dies, the kids and I will still be doing well thanks to my degree. I have realized the past year or so that I do take pride in this and that being independent is extremely important to me. I don't like to ask for help.

- I was proud the first time I got my research published in a snazzy magazine, known for being really hard to get into (Langmuir). My first very own patent (where I was 1st author/inventor, not a coauthor/co-inventor) was also cool.


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## Fleetfoot (May 9, 2011)

I recently just got my BS in Business Administration...and I regret the hell out of it. I was hoping the degree wouldn't be entirely worthless, but I'm mostly over-qualified for the jobs I'm applying for, and there's nothing in between them and jobs that require at least 5 years experience.


If I could do it over again, I would not have gone to college. Because I'd at least be in a better situation if I decided not to go.

I'm thinking of teaching myself web coding. At least I can do freelance work through that.


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## Gman1 (Mar 3, 2015)

Master's degree- definitely. Bachelor's - not so much.


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## StElmosDream (May 26, 2012)

To a point yes, attending University in a different part of the country away from single mindedness and anti-education unskilled worker attitudes. Reinventing my personality and feeding my thirst for knowledge, realising early that my past home towns would never support critical thinking or self expression unless a wage was earned with mind draining oppression or 'luck'.

Once I figured how to meet at least some of academic potential (only in my 20's) education became almost self fulfilling (also long and confusing); spend a lot of time and energy studying, treat each topic as an intellectual curiosity and learn how to tick boxes, finally gain a high quality degree.
I am more proud of my second degree (in progress) to be honest, already knowing a great deal about psychology and philosophy (compared to other psychology students) but having to learn academic skills from scratch as a second unrelated subject, somehow still surprising others when discussing my unconventional education path...I see education more in terms of skills and mindsets than subject knowledge alone, primarily measuring adaptability and ability to learn how to demonstrate knowledge alongside critical thinking abilities.
Taking more pride in aspiring to become educated, rather than providing proof of any abilities with a degree alone not quite able to quantify lived experience, the journey towards expanding a mind or untold hours spent doing unstructured reading in preparation for self development towards a career.


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## angelfish (Feb 17, 2011)

*My degree* - Yes! Very glad to have that and proud of myself for graduating, graduating in 4 years, getting a good GPA, and finishing the honor program. I don't see myself as "better" than people who don't have a degree. I'm just proud of myself for what I accomplished personally. 

*My major* - I like it and I like being educated in it but it's not my passion. I am proud of sticking with something and doing well at it but I am not overwhelmingly personally connected to all aspects of it. I think it's a good starting ground, which hey, that's often what a Bachelor's is, right? 

*My school* - LOOOOOVE. My school is not large, elite, or particularly newsworthy, but it was a wonderful and nurturing place for me, so I represent it with pride. I'm a huge supporter of the idea that "better" is not always better. Find somewhere you _fit_. 

I am looking forward to going back to school for another degree. I chose my academic path while I was a young pup and still without a great sense of direction. It's getting better though.


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## klhood16 (Jun 9, 2015)

I loved my school even if I didn't realize I did until after graduation. College courses were relatively easy for me and I know if I would have tried harder I could've graduated with more than the 3.55 GPA I had. I would be more proud of my degree if I would have been better advised about my career path if I didn't go to graduate school. Now, struggling to make ends meet on 13.50$ per hour with a 4 year degree; doing work I easily could have done with little to no training out of high school, I am extremely let down by my degree and my institution for letting me graduate with so little preparation for the real world. 

Sent from my SM-G900V using Tapatalk


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## MrShatter (Sep 28, 2010)

Dude I'm proud I'm still fuckin alive college is tough.
Life is tough.


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## pointofview (Mar 7, 2015)

I have a high GPA in college, but private sector in my country generally does not care GPAs. GPA has an important role in applications of academic purpose and getting master degree. 
In my opinion, GPA may be a significant sign of responsibility and it evaluates someone's past experience.


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## conscius (Apr 20, 2010)

Yes, I love my psych degree, I used it to clean the toilet yesterday.


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## Mr. Demiurge (Jun 18, 2014)

Not particularly.


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## dizzycactus (Sep 9, 2012)

I have a BSc in Physics and an MSc in Software Development. 

I am proud of my BSc, even though I found out I didn't like the kind of Physics that universities push i.e. "here's 40 pages of equation derivations" instead of learning much qualitatively or solving practical problems. 

But it was a tough course. More importantly, a very generic course in terms of skills learnt. 
"Generic" is almost a bad word in today's speciality-driven society. But that's never been me. Being a one-trick pony leaves me feeling bored and vulnerable in a kind of way. Imagine our hunter gatherer ancestors only being able to do one thing. They'd die. Some kind of psychology of that has filtered down to me, where I want to be versatile and well-rounded. 
So, I made the foundation of my education the study of physical reality itself. I figure, from there, you can learn almost anything. 

Then I'm glad about my MSc because it was like "So, what now..." then an advert popped up "new 1 year MSc course in software development" "A new course I'm eligible to try for that is in the one thing I really liked about this course has just conveniently popped up that offers a complete career diversion for a mere 1 year of work? Cool." 

I was pretty lucky to get into it, I guess. There was an aptitude test administered to select entrants, with 80 spaces. Something like 2500 people took the test. 

So I got a rare lucky break, graduated from the course with a top grade because I actually like programming, and now I'm a software developer. 

Worked out well enough in the end.


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## Northcrest (Sep 21, 2012)

thismustbetheplace said:


> It would be hilarious if it wasn't so sad. You should write some demotivational graffiti in there...you know "HELL IS OTHER PEOPLE," "DESPITE ALL MY RAGE I'M STILL JUST A RAT IN A CAGE," stuff like that.
> 
> 
> 
> ...


I think i read a vice article about Cornell university, or it might've been Columbia. It was in a perspective of a student who seemed to be going through the same thing you are currently or were feeling. I remember it being depressing as hell.


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## dragthewaters (Feb 9, 2013)

Northcrest said:


> I think i read a vice article about Cornell university, or it might've been Columbia. It was in a perspective of a student who seemed to be going through the same thing you are currently or were feeling. I remember it being depressing as hell.


Going to an Ivy League School Sucks | VICE | United States

Sounds about right. I also went to what was essentially the high school version of this. No wonder I still havent found "my people" yet. 

Last week my mom was like "You worked so hard in college and lost those years, now you should go out and socialize and enjoy your life!" I didnt have the heart to tell her that it doesnt work that way. Its so much harder to make close friends as an adult, and maintain old friendships because everyone is invested in their own lives, and always moving around. And you cant just recover from four years of complete misery and long term social isolation. That shit damaged me, possibly for life, damaged my already inferior social skills, and made my anxiety even more crippling She stole those years from me, those potential experiences, and I will never get that time back and it will never be the same. And she doesnt even understand what she did.


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## Northcrest (Sep 21, 2012)

thismustbetheplace said:


> Going to an Ivy League School Sucks | VICE | United States
> 
> Sounds about right. I also went to what was essentially the high school version of this. No wonder I still havent found "my people" yet.
> 
> Last week my mom was like "You worked so hard in college and lost those years, now you should go out and socialize and enjoy your life!" I didnt have the heart to tell her that it doesnt work that way. Its so much harder to make close friends as an adult, and maintain old friendships because everyone is invested in their own lives, and always moving around. And you cant just recover from four years of complete misery and long term social isolation. That shit damaged me, possibly for life, damaged my already inferior social skills, and made my anxiety even more crippling She stole those years from me, those potential experiences, and I will never get that time back and it will never be the same. And she doesnt even understand what she did.


Im sorry to hear that man, sounds rough. I have pretty bad anxiety and depression myself but luckily i have some pretty good roommates and the overall atmosphere of the university is pretty good. Hopefully things work out in the end. If anything im pretty sure you're tired of therapist you met at uni. You should meet one outside of it if you arent already. It can be relieving.


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## ninjahitsawall (Feb 1, 2013)

thismustbetheplace said:


> Going to an Ivy League School Sucks | VICE | United States
> 
> Sounds about right. I also went to what was essentially the high school version of this. No wonder I still havent found "my people" yet.
> 
> Last week my mom was like "You worked so hard in college and lost those years, now you should go out and socialize and enjoy your life!" I didnt have the heart to tell her that it doesnt work that way. Its so much harder to make close friends as an adult, and maintain old friendships because everyone is invested in their own lives, and always moving around. And you cant just recover from four years of complete misery and long term social isolation. That shit damaged me, possibly for life, damaged my already inferior social skills, and made my anxiety even more crippling She stole those years from me, those potential experiences, and I will never get that time back and it will never be the same. And she doesnt even understand what she did.


I can relate to some of this although I didn't go to an Ivy, and wouldn't say it's that extreme for me. I graduated in December and since then I've noticed some cases where I'm not as much of a social weirdo as I'd imagined the past few years of college. I am probably more socially conscious which makes me more self-conscious, so it's possible I was more awkward before college and just wasn't as aware of it. However, I notice I tend to go far too deep into things and make my own brain hurt in conversations, because I've gotten used to the mentality you have to be in to write academic papers. But it's probably partly a side effect of my personality too. lol.

I also have my parents and others (including a therapist) congratulating me and saying I should feel great about graduating. I basically tell them all the same thing, I'll feel good about it when it gets me an appropriate job (roughly relevant to the career path I'd like to be on). Otherwise it doesn't inherently mean much of anything to me. And I guess that answers the OP.


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## Blindspots (Jan 27, 2014)

BS Basic Medical Sciences? Not particularly proud of that degree, only because it implies my next step should be taking two more years of med school to gain an MD. That would be mana from heaven for some people, but I didn't want to become a doctor in the first place.

If we're talking about a degree signaling your ability at handling workloads, I think their value is usually overinflated more than the effort one really puts into earning it. Then again, things work differently between university and in industries.


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## Gossip Goat (Nov 19, 2013)

I have a feeling I already replied in this thread...but I can't remember well.

I have a HS diploma and I'm in university now and I think, just like with the HS one, I'm not going to be too excited or even proud when I graduate. Maybe when I get a graduate degree. I see the first one's as requirement not accomplishments. It could also have to do with me not being particularly too happy about where I'm attending university, I'm only here because I'm exempt from tuition.


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## Tzara (Dec 21, 2013)

pointofview said:


> I have a high GPA in college, but private sector in my country generally does not care GPAs. GPA has an important role in applications of academic purpose and getting master degree.
> In my opinion, GPA may be a significant sign of responsibility and it evaluates someone's past experience.


same here.. well. apparently we live in the same city.


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## TimeWillTell (Jan 14, 2015)

I am proud of my degree but I only use it for... Nothing :/


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## AriesLilith (Jan 6, 2013)

Yes, I'm proud of it coz it represented the effort I've made and how I did not give up. It's an achievement and it was not easy.


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## Incline (Oct 21, 2011)

My Philosophy degree hasn't done much for me. I love Philosophy, thoroughly enjoyed it and learned a whole lot but employers out there don't care for it, which really sucks. If I could go back in time, I would've majored in something else that would've made it easier for me to get a job and do a minor in Philosophy instead, or I would've just stayed in nursing school instead of changing majors, sigh. However, my degree did help me get into a grad program that I will be starting in the Fall.


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## Ahiko (Dec 20, 2011)

Proud that I finished in 4 years, but not proud of the profession and additional education it required for me to get a decent job in that industry.

I ended up using the Bachelor's as leverage to get me into a Master's program I am now proud of.


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## chanteuse (May 30, 2014)

I am not proud or regretting my college degree. It's a tool in my tool box. I use it when I need to use it. It got me into my job of 18 years and counting (college grad being the only requirement to apply). It wasn't a major I enjoyed. I had wished to be a musical theatre major. Looking back, I should have followed my passion because what I majored in didn't matter when I applied for my job anyway. I could be studying nail clipping and get in.


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## joshman108 (Apr 14, 2014)

I'm vaguely proud that I am finishing. That's about it.


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