College is BS!!!!!!

[trailrider894]

College Is BS.......... here is the deal.

I am a Criminal Justice Major, I have been going for nearly three years to get a B.A. in Criminal Justice. I still have two years left, because the entrance exams are rigged so you have to take BS classes so they make more money.... So far, i have not taken ONE SINGLE FLIPPIN class that has anything to do with police work, or anything that has anything to do with actual Criminal Justice... Its all history about Police, or Jails, or Juvenille Delinquients.... I am just pissed... I am paying $400 bucks a month on an apartment, upwards of $10,000 in tuition and not to mention car insurance, gas money, food, BOOKS :eek2:.... College is a rip off, I am gonna do one more semester of this BS and if things don't turn around, this college is gonna get my middle finger and a big F U written on the wall of the Law Building.


Sorry guys, i am just seriously fed up.... Mid-term grades came in today and i am failing two of my classes, i work every single free minute of my day to do good in those classes and this is what i get....

[Tommy Warren]

Keep your head up....the time you invest now will repay you for the rest of your life....:macho

[sexysilverado45]

I'm in the same boat. It just feels like your getting no where, and that your wasting your time. I'm just trying to keep my head down and chug on and see what kinda decision it was

[trailrider894]

Originally posted by sexysilverado45
I'm in the same boat. It just feels like your getting no where, and that your wasting your time. I'm just trying to keep my head down and chug on and see what kinda decision it was

I feel it... in the field of police work, its either military experience or a degree... I wish now i woulda joined the Coast Guard when i had the offer... woulda saved me all this... College for police officers is dumb, you will never get your money out of it.

[yellow02400ex]

Im doing the whole school thing too sucks but I know when im done with it, I will be able to afford all the toys and have a house.

[CJM]

Your not the only one, I went to a community college to cut costs and took me 3.5 years. Then took a solid year off. What a mistake I shoulda at least taken 1-2 classes a semester now that I look back on it so I woulda been done sooner.

Im now into my 2nd year at a real university and still only 3/4 done. Alot of what you learn is a general background, Im doing CJ too and the last 4 CJ classes were all background stuff.

You dont learn anything of real value about being an actual cop till you do the academy.

To make matters worse I will now be in school for 8 flipping years! Doctors go only 7 ffs. So trust me I know your pain.

Dont think military expierance helps all that much either. Friend of mine did just that, served 2 years as an MP and STILL couldnt find a job till he took a chance and passed the maryland state troopers exam and did the bootcamp (he said the armys was easier!) and now he gets to patrol lonely county roads 4 days a week making 40 g's a year...


Cheer up man, Im in the same boat as you. 78 creds and I need 120 to grad-thats 12-14 classes. at 4 classes a semester (I think ill try and shoot for 5 if I cant find a job sooner or later) thats at least 2 years.

See look on the bright side, the degree is a good thing once you get it since unlike when our parents we need it to get any decent job, they just needed to haev hs and even then you didnt really need it. I really just wanted to go out and get a job, IDK why but I find work WAY easier than school. Problem is good luck finding a decent paying job without a degree these days.

My cousin is the only example I know of someone without a degree who made it and that was pure luck. He just worked enough as a masons helper and doing pavers and cement that he fell into a much better job-course he also puts in 60 hours a week too.

If I were you I would try and find a uni close to home with the degree you want, move back home and commute. Sure gas and driving there sucks but your gonna save so much otherwise. Thats what Im doing and yea the gas sucks but at least I only pay 5g per semester instead of 35g.

[Lidvall119]

I going into my senior year at AuburnUniversity, and u just need to buckle down and take 15-18 hrs a semester. It`s not fun and its not easy just get it done.

[liex21]

I feel your pain but that is what this time in our life entails. Rite now you just have to keep pushing and pushing and keep a positive mental attitude. Also look around the country for police positions I know where I live starting salary for pd is 60g's then after 4 years base salary goes up to 108g's add a little overtime to that and your sitting pretty. Just keep pushing brother it will only make you stronger.

[bens250ex]

i mean do what you want, but its more like no education equals working for the man...education means a possible bein the man...pick your line

[rollie]

i deff hate college as well and feel like there just taking my money, but i guess its better to get out and say hey that was a waste of my time, then to be 40 and wished i stayed in school so i could have a better job.

i have a buddy that was all jacked up to go to college, saying its going to be so fun and all that, i warned him but he still went in expecting fun, 2 weeks later he was like, im just taking more high school classes and not one class about my major, i didnt think i was going to have to sit through english and math again, needless to say he only lasted a couple more weeks:p

[jkiserracing]

I relized very quickly (back in the day) that college was just not for everybody......especially me.
I had no problems in high school but got to college and just struggled from the word go. My parents didnt have the money for me to go and there was no scholarship for me so I never even made it as far as you.
Your sure closer than I ever was though, so maybe just a little more (aggrevating) time longer and you will get over that hurdle.

No matter what, it takes A LOT of hard work (college or carreer)

After leaving college I went to work for the USPS for several years, I then left them to work for UPS. Years later I left UPS to start a shipping / mailing store (like a UPS store / Pakmail etc) I have grown that business to 3 locations now.

almost 20 years later Its easy to see......stepping stones!!

[Honda5]

School is good for some but not for all. If you have a goal and are on your way try to stick it out. You will be happy when it's over.
I couldn't do the school thing. But I have a very good job and live a very nice life. Most of my friends have never gone to school and do very well also but if you don't want to do the school thing you have to hustle. There are $30. + per hour jobs out there, but your are not going to find them if your sitting on your couch smoking pot and playing x-box. Just ask my son. I tought him what I could about jobs and money and at 19 he bought his first house with no help from anyone. His brother thought vet school would be less work.

[derekhonda]

I'll tell you the same thing I have told countless other people with the same problem: suck it up.

Those bs classes you mention are exactly that, bs. BUT...they are part of the well rounded education that employers look at down the road. Completing college shows future employers that you took a challenge and over came it. Not finishing shows employers the exact opposite when you check that little "some college" square.

Stick it out, you are very close. Perhaps scale back down your goal of 2 years. A lot of colleges count you as "part time" if you do less than 12 hours of work. That means you just pay like $250 or $300 per credit hour, and you don't have to pay all the university fees that way. Maybe stretching it 3 more years and getting a part time job solves all your problems (failing a class, expensive tuition, etc)

[trailrider894]

You guys all make good points.... Seeing that i am transfering to a University soon maybe it'll get better. A-lot of my problem is that i have no friends here and when i do its all drama... Gen Ed, classes or BS, it is the worst thing... i think it is a scheme for money.

[CJM]

I have literally made 0 real friends going to school since I commute. When class is over you dont talk to people, they live far away or on campus and for me campus isnt a hop slip and jump away (almost an hour away). Also you have very little time to make friends if your only in class withthem and not really interacting with them except for anhour every few days. So dont feel so bad.

Hell, I just met with my advisor about next semesters schedule. Ill be a senior but still have 4 semesters to go at the rate I move. he explained to me I should take a hard and an easy class at the same time, mix it up-hell if Im doing that cause then I dont get the schedule I want. Im taking 3-4 classes per semester, if i took 5-6 like they recommend I think I would lose my marbles (been there done that and never again unless I gotta).

Whatever the case,get the 4 year bs/ba degree. If anything you might not even go into a the CJ field-but at least you got the degree and that will open up doors like you wouldnt believe. That degree willget you any kinda job you can imagine. If you showed up for an interview and so did someone else and you have the degree and they dont-unless they have more experience than you in that field your gonna get the job almost always.

Cousin of mine is a shining example. She worked hard and began as a secretary of a company, got her degree when the company closed down and she used the severance to pay for a full year of school and life itself. After grad she got jobs in public relations, a district manager for pizza hut, district manager for labatts, and finally now she works for evian water. All the jobs paid well, too bad she squandered the money-still goes to show you-with degree you get jobs. She really doesnt care what the jobs in, she applys herself and I give her credit for that even if she is horrible with money. Applying yourself is whatmakes everything work out for you in the end. employers see this and like it.

I wish I could say you can get a real job these days with just a HS education. Dontget me wrong, you can but its not like it was even 10 years ago. Alot of jobs moved overseas or totally dried up due to technology advances. In 1970 my grandfather who has 0 hs education (he was a refuge during wwII in europe)was a machinist making 30 bucks/hr! Caveat is he is a very smart man and had he been able to go to school I dont doubt he would be an engineer. Still, he had to work his way up being a parts assembler and learning the trade for 5 years making so so wages till got that 30/hr.

Some days I wish my family had a biz and I could just go work there-ever work with family??? it isnt all its cracked up to be, sure your jobs secure but disagreements-forget about it!

Some have eeked out a good path and found careers andjobs that worked for them, Im happy they did so and managed to earn a decent living. today itsmuch harder to do that, really is.

Me, Im hoping to be a police officer of some kind. Maybe it will work out, maybe it wont IDK right now. What I do know is there are endless job opportunities in this field and you canbe everything from a security officer to a park ranger and make a decent living. Also nice thing about being a cop is you can moonlight as a security officer or do other odd jobs. Friend of mine does process serving since he only works mon-thurs for the dept.

[250xridamatt]

College degrees are the new High School Diplomas. Now it seems like a lot of people need an MBA to progress very far in the business world.

Stick with college. As degrees are more common, and manufacturing jobs are more scarce you will be glad that you got your education now. I'm a senior at a University right now, and I can't imagine having to do this 10 years from now when I have a lot more responsibility.

[bens250ex]

when i transferred to a university i made several new friends, alot of which i consider to be very close and if i needed somethin would help me in a heart beat.

[ZeroLogic]

You drop out of college or don't even go, you'll be sitting home like me. The only people who make it without a degree is trades and truck drivers. ;)

All trade work right now is dead on its ***.
Go to school and just suck it up. You'll be better off in the end.:macho

[backwoodsracer]

nothing A good day of riding and a few beers won't help. Just do what you got to to get thru buddy. And a lol prayn won't hurt either. Just push thru man you can do it. But seriously go ride take a day of and forget all the school bullsht

[kbnorth99]

I don't know if this helps or not but all the extra bs stuff that you have to take will make a difference. I went into the Army at the age of 29 so I was older than most of the NCO's that were ordering me around. I didn't mind that but it became instantly clear that the gen ed glasses that I had taken at that point made a HUGE difference in my ability to think, process, manage, multitask and just to make reasonable judgments. I know it sucks now but it will make you a better officer in the long run. Much better than a lot of the guys who have military experience but no education or life experience. You become the guy that doesn't just learn stuff but you can figure things out for yourself without being told or trained. You will move up faster and you will be well prepared for everything you encounter, with the exception of actual exchange of gunfire. There is not preparing for that and a person with combat experience will always be ahead so watch your @$$.

Hang in there.

[wilkin250r]

Originally posted by kbnorth99
I don't know if this helps or not but all the extra bs stuff that you have to take will make a difference.

...it became instantly clear that the gen ed glasses that I had taken at that point made a HUGE difference in my ability to think, process, manage, multitask and just to make reasonable judgments.

...You become the guy that doesn't just learn stuff but you can figure things out for yourself without being told or trained. You will move up faster and you will be well prepared for everything

This is college right here in a nutshell. Some things are more about teaching you HOW TO LEARN than actually teaching you useful information.

Sadly to say, college doesn't really prepare you for "real life" like they say it does. A college degree doesn't really mean you get to hit the ground running. You spend four years in college, and the idiot that has been in the actual field for only one year knows twice as much as you do.

But five years down the road, he's been in six years, and you know twice as much as him, and are three ranks higher. Because you went to college.

[Quad18star]

College teaches you the scenarios , while life/work experience shows you the real world.

Engineers have the hardest time when comming out of school. Everything looks good and works out perfectly on paper , but out in the field that's not always the case.

Many of the classes you take that don't relate to your program , are there to help you problem solve when something in the real world pops up.

[brian76708]

college is such a joke half the junk ive learned is just how to bs. On top of that i owe i owe i owe luckily i only did one year at a university so im not as much in debt as most of my friends. but since most my credits didn't transfer im on my third year working on my associates and i wont be done until one more semester. makes me very unhappy thinking about it. almost wish i never would have just found a job out of high school.

[CJM]

Im fully of the thinking that if there were more trade type jobs I would already have my own house and a biz. But the trades are WAY down and have been since 5-7 years back.

Its not even funny how many trades Ive worked before either. But the money just isnt there anymore like it was. People dont have enough to pay for that kinda stuff it seems.

[KXRida]

Went to college for 3 years if you count my extra summer courses I took to get done early and came out making $50,000 my first year. Not too bad seeing how I can only go up. Best thing I ever did. For being 21 and having what I have, I can't complain at all.

[ZeroLogic]

Originally posted by KXRida
Went to college for 3 years if you count my extra summer courses I took to get done early and came out making $50,000 my first year. Not too bad seeing how I can only go up. Best thing I ever did. For being 21 and having what I have, I can't complain at all.

What did you go in for?

[Lidvall119]

Wait till u get in a major university. Every professor has their own books they wrote and they force u to buy them. But in every class u will use power-points. But i will say that the college experience is awesome, wish i would have started here out of high school instead of a JUCO.

[Warnerade]

I didn't read any of the replies but dude...seriously, quit your *****ing. Study more and quit failing your classes.

[trailrider894]

Originally posted by Warnerade
I didn't read any of the replies but dude...seriously, quit your *****ing. Study more and quit failing your classes.

Never did like you much.... I guess this is why. Mod's feel free to close the thread...

All i can say is that its harder now than it ever has been. If you look back and remember what it was like being in college, you would understand... If you even went??

[Warnerade]

Graduated highschool and got a job in a factory, finished my apprenticeship, quit, and now I'm in my 3rd semester with a 3.8 in pre-med.

And I barelty graduated highschool because I had thew attitude you do now.

[trailrider894]

Originally posted by Warnerade
Graduated highschool and got a job in a factory, finished my apprenticeship, quit, and now I'm in my 3rd semester with a 3.8 in pre-med.

And I barelty graduated highschool because I had thew attitude you do now.

Only your third semsester... you haven't even gotten into the thick stuff yet. It'll card and you'll wanna quit in about 2 semesters when mid-terms come around.

[Warnerade]

Lmao, that doesn't even merit a reply, enjoy working at del taco

[buck440]

what are you wanting to do as a job? cop?

[Ralph]

My only advice on college is pick your major wisely. I see too many people graduating with silly degrees like underwater basket weaving and then wondering why they cant find their 100k job.

When picking your major you should do a lot of research on what your intended job market does or will look like.

I know a couple of people on here who went to school for engineering like I did and we are all doing pretty well.

[Quad18star]

Originally posted by Ralph

I know a couple of people on here who went to school for engineering like I did and we are all doing pretty well.

Any engineering program has quite a few transferable skills that open up a WIDE range of opportunities. A buddy of mine is an Electrical Engineer ... he turned down an $85 000 a year job .... only because a competing company offered him $105 000 a year. :p

[wilkin250r]

Originally posted by Quad18star
he turned down an $85 000 a year job

Yeah, but that's Canadian dollars. Isn't that only like $17k U.S. dollars? :p :devil:

[Quad18star]

Originally posted by wilkin250r
Yeah, but that's Canadian dollars. Isn't that only like $17k U.S. dollars? :p :devil:

Haha , actually at todays exchange rate .... it's probably like $87 000 US dollars ... your dollar has been WEAK for the last month and half. :p

[ZeroLogic]

Originally posted by Ralph
My only advice on college is pick your major wisely. I see too many people graduating with silly degrees like underwater basket weaving and then wondering why they cant find their 100k job.

When picking your major you should do a lot of research on what your intended job market does or will look like.

I know a couple of people on here who went to school for engineering like I did and we are all doing pretty well.

I second that. My girlfriends best friend is going for "art therapy" :huh

Pick a popular field like med, engineering, teaching. Stuff Mexicans can't do.:p

[trailrider894]

Originally posted by ZeroLogic
I second that. My girlfriends best friend is going for "art therapy" :huh

Pick a popular field like med, engineering, teaching. Stuff Mexicans can't do.:p

lol well criminal justice is pretty broad... it leaves everything open to the field, including a pathway to paralegal, and a lawyer.

[CJM]

Originally posted by ZeroLogic
I second that. My girlfriends best friend is going for "art therapy" :huh

Pick a popular field like med, engineering, teaching. Stuff Mexicans can't do.:p

wtf would you do with "art therapy" how on earth can there even be enough classes for it to be a major lol...wht university, I gotta see this lol..

:blah:

[TheLane]

I'm lolling at a couple of these posts, people knocking you down for being frustrated with collage, stick with it man, it will help in the long run, it is a cash cow industry of course, they will try and milk you dry.

And you don't NEED a degree to be successful, it helps but not necessary. I never went to collage and I am making fantastic money at 24. I am a loan officer for usaa ( not commissioned, pure salary), and moving up from there. You just have to pick a field and stick with it if you do t go. But now I am attending collage and they are paying 100% of my tuition.

It wasnt that I didn't want to go right out of hs I just couldn't afford it. So I took the next best thing.

[blaster12s]

my school just told me i couldnt do more then 17 credits a term because i failed a class last term....i feel like that is bull because the classes i can not take now were my easy GPA boosting classes.

[extremeblastr]

you'd be a fool not to finish your degree. the world is at the point now where you need college credits to get ranks in the military...

[Aarons 01 400EX]

A bachelor degree today is about the same as a HS diploma in the 60's/70's. To get ahead now, you need a minimum of a Master's.

Military experience is a plus no matter what.


I'm a Vet with a Master's degree.

[KXRida]

Originally posted by ZeroLogic
What did you go in for?

Registered nurse. I work at our regional trauma icu, so wear all your helmets or you guys get to come visit me and not in a good way.

[ben300]

college does suck with all of the work and hoops you have to jump through to get finished, but, trust me, in the end, the hard work pays off...

...ill be graduating in may with my BS in Mechanical Engineering and i got a job, as a design engineer at a company not to far from where i grew up, and the starting pay and benni's are way more than what i would have ever expected to be making straight out of college...

it wasnt till the day after i accepted the position that it actually hit me that all the time that i put in at school and all of the stuff i had to do actually payed off....it truely is a nice feeling!

just grit your teeth, toughen up, and stick it out..


you'll understand at the end.

[KXRida]

as far as the engineering degrees go, by all means it's a good degree, but make sure you can get a job. My brother fell into the same issue with a lot of the guys he graduated with, can't find a job for a mech degree. My brother has since gone back for an electrical degree and has had better luck.

[trailrider894]

Originally posted by KXRida
as far as the engineering degrees go, by all means it's a good degree, but make sure you can get a job. My brother fell into the same issue with a lot of the guys he graduated with, can't find a job for a mech degree. My brother has since gone back for an electrical degree and has had better luck.

The key, is getting internships while in college and making a good impression while you are there. My buddy got an internship at a tire manufacturer in Topeka KS working on some top secret tire or something like that. He has a solid job offer from the company and will be hired straight outta college. If you want a job you'll look harder and find one. You just have to be flexible...

[CJM]

Finding a job isnt usually what you know, its who you know.

I know enough cops and people in law enforcement/corrections to land me a solid job somewhere when I grad.

[trailrider894]

Originally posted by CJM
Finding a job isnt usually what you know, its who you know.

I know enough cops and people in law enforcement/corrections to land me a solid job somewhere when I grad.

Same here... Maintaining a good rep is what it comes down too in Law Enforcenment...

[trailrider894]

Something else i have found, if you put a cop down as a reference for even an application to walmart, its nearly guranteed you'll get the job... its a proven fact for me...

[Canadian144]

I can't wait for University! Just a few months away. Think I'm going to go to Northeastern university in Boston, for business. It's a 5 year program, since you do three 6 month long co-ops (with pay!). One of the top 30 business undergrad programs in the US.... looking at the median salary compared to the top 5 programs... the difference is really only about $1-3k. The advantage to the co-op program is that you go establish contacts, meet people, and get valuable experience. There have been quite a few graduates from the business program with a concentration in finance who get picked to work on wall street over applicants from better ranked business undergrad programs.

All I'm gonna say is I'm glad my parents are paying for my education.... no way I could ever afford on my own to come down to the US for school.

[ben300]

Originally posted by KXRida
as far as the engineering degrees go, by all means it's a good degree, but make sure you can get a job. My brother fell into the same issue with a lot of the guys he graduated with, can't find a job for a mech degree. My brother has since gone back for an electrical degree and has had better luck.

ive found that if you cant find a job straight out of college in Mech Engin...you have shot your own self in the foot...there are jobs out there, more than there was two years ago...you just have to look and keep your options open.

ive also found that having co-ops/internships is the key to opening up many doors when time to graduate adn looking for jobs. it shows you have real world experience and can work....

i myself had 3 co-ops with the same copany as a process engineer, and another internship with another company as a design engineer...because of this experience, i got alot of interviews and offers from different places...

when looking for a job out of college, you have to be proactive and market yourself....finding a job is not just about what experience you have, but also how well you can sell yourself to recruiters, basically you have to make then want you

[KXRida]

let me rephrase that, a good well paying job for mech degree in our area. He got tons of job offers and what not, but imo the money was terrible. He did have a great position lined up for him at Amtrak, but an ex wife and family issues can screw that up real quick. For our immediate area the three largest employers are the hospital, the railroad, and walmart. The few engineering firms around here like to see experience before being hired, so that tends to make it hard.

[blaster12s]

i go to drexel and the co ops should be great...i get 3 and should get me a job when i finish my 5yr degree in ME

[ben300]

Originally posted by KXRida
let me rephrase that, a good well paying job for mech degree in our area. He got tons of job offers and what not, but imo the money was terrible. He did have a great position lined up for him at Amtrak, but an ex wife and family issues can screw that up real quick. For our immediate area the three largest employers are the hospital, the railroad, and walmart. The few engineering firms around here like to see experience before being hired, so that tends to make it hard.

i know how you feel...but i dont live too too far from ya...i got a job at joy in franklin