How educated are the ppl around you IRL? - Page 5

[Kristine233]

Originally Posted by misswerewolf

Actually, I think I know why, come to think of it. In the first two years of university, most students, if not all, study general education required courses (that is, lower division courses); all of lower division stuff can be completed at community colleges. It's not until the last two years (upper division level) that one has the opportunity to study the interesting stuff, which you will not tend to find at community colleges. This is the time that most students actually declare their majors and study what they want to study.

That's not the case here, but it could be the programs both DH and I are planning on going to. Prior when I went through college I'd consider that a trade degree. It was 2 years (although I did accelerated so it was slightly faster) in Interactive Media. All the classes related directly to that, no generals.

My husband is going for Radiologic Technologies. He has 2 semesters of generals/pre-reqs and then 2 more years of specified classes. Its 3 years but he only gets a 2 year degree. I'm guessing that would be a "trade skills" program then?

I'm going back to school to be an LPN, its a 2 year program. When I'm done I will have 5 years of college and hold two 2 year degrees. IMO the courses I studied/will be studying are interesting and mean something. I'll only officially be a "sophomore" but I'll definitely have more education than 2 years. Unless I decide to do the RN program after, that's another 2 years for a total of 7 years, but still nothing higher than a 2 year degree awarded. Oh, and companies aren't looking at more than a 2 year where I live. *shrug* But we're a huge mining area so the way our town is supported is different than the majority of the US I'm sure.

Anyways, my point is... you don't have to have a 4 year degree to be educated or do well financially.

[mar123]

Almost everyone I know has a 4 year degree, and many have a master's degree. I am teacher, which of course is a job that requires a degree- which explains why so many people I know have a degree. My kids also go to Catholic school, and most of the parents have college degrees has well. Where I live, the economy is very stable. I don't know anyone who has lost his or her job or anyone who is really struggling. I mean, I know people who could use more money, but no one who has to go without because of money.

[misswerewolf]

Originally Posted by Kristine233

My husband is going for Radiologic Technologies. He has 2 semesters of generals/pre-reqs and then 2 more years of specified classes. Its 3 years but he only gets a 2 year degree. I'm guessing that would be a "trade skills" program then?

That, I believe, is usually referred to a certification or a training/apprenticeship...at least, in my neck of the woods. A "degree" is a Bachelor-of-something-or-other or higher. Then again, I should note that I am looking at this from a more classical perspective. Maybe the times have changed? I dunno.

Originally Posted by Kristine233

Anyways, my point is... you don't have to have a 4 year degree to be educated or do well financially.

Agreed. Intelligent or education does not necessarily play a role in having or obtaining wealth!

[Kristine233]

Originally Posted by misswerewolf

That, I believe, is usually referred to a certification or a training/apprenticeship...at least, in my neck of the woods. A "degree" is a Bachelor-of-something-or-other or higher. Then again, I should note that I am looking at this from a more classical perspective. Maybe the times have changed? I dunno.



Agreed. Intelligent or education does not necessarily play a role in having or obtaining wealth!

You get an AA or AS degree.

ETA, I should clarify: When you apply to the program you have the option of doing just a certification or getting the 2 year degree. (which is more than 2 years, lol) I had the same option when I applied to the LPN program, just get the certification or go for a degree.

[notwonamesalike]

It's a mixed bag for us. Most of our close friends have bachelor's degrees or higher (including us).

Many of the mom's I hang out with at mommy groups and play dates do not.

[polyhymnia]

Originally Posted by Krystal323

Really?? NO one?? You must live in some other wonderful dimension--that sounds truly divine... :

Everyone I know, with the exception of one couple, is struggling--some terribly. I can't even imagine a circle of friends in which financial struggle was not a regular topic of conversation

It's just a different environment here. I guess I have a narrow group of coworkers/friends, we are all very lucky, I don't know anyone really who is struggling except my mother (and she made some career decisions that she knew would lead to her struggling - it's not directly related to the current economy). I imagine our area will be harder hit going forward, now that we are starting to see layoffs at some of the big companies, but it's been slow coming.

[misswerewolf]

Originally Posted by Kristine233

You get an AA or AS degree.

ETA, I should clarify: When you apply to the program you have the option of doing just a certification or getting the 2 year degree. (which is ore than 2 years, lol) I had the same option when I applied to the LPN program, just get the certification or go for a degree.

Yeah, I understand that it is referred to as a degree. What I'm trying to say is that it is often not viewed as a "real" degree, but more of a certification or a an apprenticeship. I hope that doesn't offend; I'm just relating how I've understood it to mean, and how it's viewed in my area. For example, many (if not most) employers will not accept that as a minimum degree; they will specifically request that you have a BA or BS or BFA. In certain fields, though, like nursing or radiology technology, an Associate's Degree is perfectly acceptable.

[annethcz]

I think there is a big difference between larger cities and more rural areas.

When I lived in the suburbs, it seemed like everyone had a college degree. It was pretty unusual for me to run into someone who DIDN'T have a college degree. And like misswerewolf was saying, an associate's degree wasn't really looked at as a 'real' degree. I'm not saying that I agree, but that's they way it was viewed. An AA wasn't really worth anything.

But now that I'm living in a smaller town, I'm meeting a lot more people who aren't as highly educated. I would say that about half of the people I know have bachelor's degrees or higher. The only reason the percentage is that high is because I spend a lot of time at the kids' school and a teaching license requires a college degree.

[Knittin' in the Shade]

Originally Posted by Krystal323

Really?? NO one?? You must live in some other wonderful dimension--that sounds truly divine... :

Everyone I know, with the exception of one couple, is struggling--some terribly. I can't even imagine a circle of friends in which financial struggle was not a regular topic of conversation

I only know (personally, in "real life") two people struggling financially. One, because her dumba$$ of a husband walked out on her 2 weeks after she gave birth to their 3rd child, and is giving her a ridiculously paltry sum of money for child support (while he's making over 300K a year!) and she's a teacher, so she's not been able to secure a job this late in the school year (though she does have one for next fall already lined up) So that's a temporary financial struggle. The other, a friend of my son's dad was just laid off, he was in the banking industry and hasn't been able to find another job (he's almost 60, so I think that is a big factor, unfortunately) Otherwise, everyone in our circle of friends is doing well.

[shayinme]

Originally Posted by annethcz

I think there is a big difference between larger cities and more rural areas.

When I lived in the suburbs, it seemed like everyone had a college degree. It was pretty unusual for me to run into someone who DIDN'T have a college degree. And like misswerewolf was saying, an associate's degree wasn't really looked at as a 'real' degree. I'm not saying that I agree, but that's they way it was viewed. An AA wasn't really worth anything.

But now that I'm living in a smaller town, I'm meeting a lot more people who aren't as highly educated. I would say that about half of the people I know have bachelor's degrees or higher. The only reason the percentage is that high is because I spend a lot of time at the kids' school and a teaching license requires a college degree.

: This is my experience as well, when I lived in Chicago most everyone I knew in my circle had at least a BA/BS with most having or planning for graduate degrees. I live in Maine and now its a mixed bag, strangely here the people I know who are the most comfortable are folks in the trades. (Plumber, carpenter, etc)

I have a small group of friends with degrees and while we are not struggling the way my folks did when I was a kid, many are from families including my own (thanks FIL ) where we get some help from family.

In our case we were gifted a house, for others its really generous gifts of cash that allow credit cards to get paid off.

However as someone who works with families in poverty, none of my friends are at the level where they are going to the food pantry, some though may get state medical care for their kids and that is despite having degrees. Many of my friends either work in the non-profit or arts sector so despite having degrees they aren't exactly in high paying professions. Of course living in a rural state makes it harder in such positions.

[kmb9906]

The only person I know IRL that doesn't have a college degree is my mom, and she has done very well for herself. So, I agree that education and wealth are not correlated. (Not all the time, anyway.)

My IRL friends all have 4yr degrees, and approximately half of them have graduate degrees. I have two IRL friends who have their JD, and they are currently unemployed. I have one IRL friend who is working on his 3rd PhD ... once he has it, he will have a PhD in 3 different engineering disciplines.

Personally, I have a MA, BA, and BS. I am working on my BSN.

[savithny]

Well, I didn't pick "other" but the poll does assume that having a 4-year degree somehow means not struggling?

Almost everyone I know has at least a 4 year degree. I think the majority of people we see regularly have graduate degrees. But that is because I work at a major university.

However, the path to higher degrees often is a tough one. DH and I spent 6 years living on very little while he got his PhD and then another 6 living on not much more while he did postdoctoral fellowships. We're more comfortable now, but still not "well-off" by any means.

I'd guess that over 50% of the people in the large apartment complex we lived in before we bought this house had PhDs, yet we were all pretty damn poor. The idea, though, was that it would be relatively temporary poverty in pursuit of degrees taht would improve our standard of living later.

[moondiapers]

Most of my friends have 4 year degrees or higher, and we're ALL struggling financially, and pretty equally. Actually, currently, things are starting to look up for us. DH got promoted and we make more than most of our friends, and we're the ones without the degrees....well DH has a 2 year degree and if I hobbled all of my credits together from various sources I would probably have a 2 year as well. Anyway, we make more than those with the 4 year degrees, but our situation still mostly sucks because of our horrendous bills that we are working on eliminating.

[onelilguysmommy]

most of the people i talk to ive been frirends with through middle and hih school or high to now.

about half are graduating this or next month from 4yr colleges

the resst either graduated or quit hs and i dont know many people doing everything completely on their own except for the people wjho have been adults since way before i was one so im not sure i really count lol

[dancebaraka]

Well we live in a college town, so lots of folks have extensive educations. But there's also a lot of poor folks here. Poor folks with amazing degrees yup, that about sums up Athens, Ga.

[prothyraia]

Absolutely everyone I can think of that I spend time with has a four year degree, or more. The majority of us are also either working multiple jobs or on state assistance of some kind.

[Reebekah]

hmmm....interesting for me to think about. within my every day friends and family in my small town, i am one of the only people to have a degree. however, because i have a degree, i have a better job than almost everyone i know from my town............so at my place of work, almost everyone has degrees. it's almost like i lead a double life.........small town life with less educated blue collar workers (including my parents, siblings, husband, husbands family, highschool friends, etc).......then i drive into the city to work and my company is filled with educated white collar workers.

[ABrez]

Most of our friends have at least a masters (including DH). I'm a college drop out and I try to hide it. It's pretty humiliating.

[karemore]

My DH, sister, and three best friends have master's. I have a bachelor's, the only person I can think of that has an associate's is my brother.

Everyone else around us has a bachelor's degree or if you count DH's friends from work, master's degrees.

[lach]

Originally Posted by ABrez

Most of our friends have at least a masters (including DH). I'm a college drop out and I try to hide it. It's pretty humiliating.

Don't do that. My husband does that and it's just silly. He does quite well for himself, thank you, without a degree. Plenty of people without degrees do. And as has been repeated on this thread many a time, education has NOTHING to do with intelligence: not to mention with being a nice, compassionate, interesting, fun-to-know person. And if anyone gives you a hard time (which is unlikely: a 4 year degree or higher is viewed as being so normal where I am, I think people think of it more as a slightly odd personality quirk than any real shortcoming), there's always the Bill Gates card