# Is it even worth it?



## Harley (Jul 5, 2009)

While Bachelor degrees are becoming the new HS degrees, I am a bit skeptical that as time goes on Masters and PhD's will be become the new bachelor. The thing you have to realize is that a bachelor degree education and a PhD education are two whole completely different things. A PhD primarily means you are a _researcher_ and that you are coming up with your own ideas supported and well-looked into. A PhD student is not regurgitating ideas like a bachelor's student, they are coming up with their own unique ideas that will contribute something new or build upon an idea in their area of study. A bachelor's student on the other hand, is learning the foundations of their field of study, especially in their first two years, and so while independent and critical thought is encouraged, students are still regurgitating the ideas, theories, and thoughts of past precedents of whatever field of study.

Also, remember that since PhD's are based on research a PhD student/candidate has to write a dissertation on something _completely_ new to their field. An idea or theory that is rigorously tested and/or well argued. One of the reasons bachelor degrees have become the new HS diplomas is because, like HS diplomas a huge chunk of of your undergrad education is based on learning other individuals work and regurgitating it back in your own words but on a more sophisticated level. That is why it is so easy to cheat and cruise through a bachelor's. There are plenty of websites, books, essays, videos etc. that examine who's who in your field of study, hence the reason why so many undergrads cheat/slack off in terms of their work.

You simply cannot do that when you are a PhD student/candidate and you are expected to contribute something new and unheard of in your field of study. This can be extremely challenging, especially when it seems like your field of study already has everything it needs to know. Keep in mind that PhD classes are somewhere between 2-5 people give or take, meaning your work is going to be HIGHLY scrutinized by a field of experts in whatever you are studying. It's easy to cruise/cheat through your degree when you're one student in a lecture hall of 100. Hell it's even easy to cheat in your upper-year classes when they are considerable smaller. But at the PhD level, the expectation is that you are on your way to becoming a researcher, someone who will (hopefully) contribute new ideas that will expand the overall body of knowledge in you particular field. Your work will be scrutinized and graded differently than at the undergrad level.

What I think will happen, as we are already seeing, is that people will go back to learning trades and technical skills, instead of a more theoretical-based university education. There is a plethora of articles on the internet mentioning how university undergrads who cannot find work are going back to school to learn practical hands on work because they realize how inflated their bachelor degrees are. 

Truth of the matter is, society seems to be favouring technical and practical hands-on skills, that sooner or later the rest of the population will catch on with.


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## smccue (Apr 10, 2011)

This is the question I ask myself a lot. When I first applied for a nursing program I asked my the question. Then I didnt get in so the next time i could apply I asked is it even worth it, so I applied and got in. When I ask myself is it even worth it? I say yes its worth it I have to do the best I can for my children.


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## alice144 (Dec 31, 2009)

Lady K said:


> Even so, I still say yes. Want to know why? Because places are still hiring college graduates, even if for only menial paying jobs. College grads will get these jobs over high school grads... which sucks for people without the education, but a college education still gives you an edge. It might not make a huge difference in the type of job you want, but for right now it can mean the difference between a job and unemployment.


I'd like to point out that it's difficult to pay off student loans at $8/hour.


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## Jennifer (Apr 11, 2011)

*It is Worth It*

After reading an article (quoted above) and thinking about my final year of school left I have to ask...

Is a college degree really worth all of the effort?

For most people, they go to college intent on earning a degree in order to enter a career of some kind. So with the american job market where it is and college being as expensive as it is, is going to college really worth it to most of you?[/QUOTE]

The job market that we are facing is probably the worst this country has ever seen. I did not start college right after high school. Instead, I entered the work force, married, had children, and thought I'd be in my job for the rest of my life. I was very lucky to get a job that paid well, so I thought I made a good choice about not wasting money and time by going to college. You know what they say, though, about the best-laid plans. Mine certainly went astray. I lost my job when another agency underbid our agency for providing a service to the state. What I learned by losing that job is three-fold. One, I learned that most of today's employers want people with college degrees, even for secretarial or industrial jobs. It's kind of like the high school diploma as a job qualifier is a thing of the past for any decent-paying job. Two, I learned that I need to learn every skill I can learn to be able to show any prospective employer that I can multi-task and fit into any number of jobs they may have to offer. Three, I learned that for my own self-esteem, I need to know that I have what it takes to be competitive in today's world. Coming to college in my thirties has been a scary experience because I didn't think I'd be able to compete against kids coming right out of high school. I'm finding a "me" that I am proud of, though, because my life experiences have taught me a lot and the maturity I've gained helps me to think and problem solve, so I'm doing much better in classes than I anticipated. In the meantime, I just keep saying my prayers that this will all be worth it in the long run. We never really know where a path will lead until we follow it to the end.


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## Donnagail. (Apr 27, 2011)

It is so true. No one can ever take your education from you. It is very much worth it to go to college and receive an education. Just because the economy is going down, doesn't mean we have to. We go to school for 13-15 years without much complaint; why start now. There is something new to learn every day. A person can still go to school while the economy changes


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## chill.take.over (Apr 26, 2011)

It depends. If you know what you want and you really want that experience, then do it
If you have no clue as to what to do with your life or you feel the pressure to do it, DON'T DO IT. 

More education is always great, but "college" may not. There are still people with PHD's and MD's, and whatnots without a J-O-B. Going to college just to be somewhat prepared creates a false sense of security.


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## catlady (Apr 19, 2011)

I've been wondering this too lately, and so read extensively on it, including dozens and dozens of pages of comments from people who have obtained various degrees. The gist of it was that almost no one found their degrees directly useful. There was a very, very small portion that did and were happy with their choices. The majority were divided. About half regretted their schooling, because it wasn't directly applicable. The other portion agreed that it wasn't directly applicable, but were satisfied with their choices for the experience alone (whether or not they ended up with debt). 

Personally, I am applying to grad schools. For myself, I will be grateful for the experience alone _if_ I get into a well funded program so as to not end up with debt. The fundamental questions I found (and there are probably more, or different fundamental questions depending on other factors in your life) are: 

Why are you considering school? Is it for a program you know will be directly useful in getting a job? Is direct applicability something that is necessary to your decision? Will this venture be well funded?


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## JMoney (Apr 16, 2011)

Experience most of the time trumps college.


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## alice144 (Dec 31, 2009)

Donnagail. said:


> It is so true. No one can ever take your education from you. It is very much worth it to go to college and receive an education. Just because the economy is going down, doesn't mean we have to. We go to school for 13-15 years without much complaint; why start now. There is something new to learn every day. A person can still go to school while the economy changes


I would feel this way if
a) I thought that what I was being taught was valuable. (And often it is!! -- but sometimes it is not...)
b) I could pay back my loans. That is, it were affordable.

I'd totally do it in that case. Learning is awesome.
Other things are awesome too though. Like, food. And electricity (sometimes). And sleep.


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## cam3llia (Mar 5, 2011)

College is an investment. Like any investment there is risk involved.

Think of it as a stock investment. Whether or not you make a profit depends on the circumstances and the stock/individual.


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