Can anyone here say they got rich off going to college?

[bamez]

My mom got a degree, retired from the World Bank, living comfortably.  My dad only finished HS (in the Philippines), he's basically squatting at my step-sister's old house working at a warehouse (i think).

Both have zero "street smarts"

 

[ill steelo]

It is hard to separate college degree=success

You can succeed with or without it but the point of college is to be EDUCATED

and to get a job, which means you must network well before graduation.

Shaking the right hands should be just as important as getting high grades

 

[sunshineblotters]

are yall going to college to get rich, or to find a career that you love?

To get rich. And the only definition of rich I mean is make a lot of money. I am not going to have a family or get married or anything.

 

[reggiekiller]

that sounds like a poor existence 

 

[thepointgod]

Exactly my point, he is an exception. He is acting like 200k salary after a MBA is something that is guaranteed for ALL majors.The original question was a general  question not directed towards only the extreme cases. IMO college is only worth it if your major has jobs that are in demand and the average salary is 70K-120K.

If your expectation after college is to make a certain salary, why do you pursue majors that don't have that prospect after graduation?

If your goal is to make X salary upon graduation (as opposed to pursuing a particular interest or to get an education), you need to figure out (1) what majors will feed into careers that make this amount of money; (2) whether your school is too lousy for an employer to recruit from, and if it is, either transfer to a different school or switch majors or lower your expectations; and then (3) if (1) and (2) aren't an issue, whether you are going to not be lazy, study hard, and graduate at the top of your major, apply for jobs and network so that you will be employed.

My guess is that most college attendees aren't doing this analysis, getting burned and then blaming it on college.

I bet that the top kids at all your universities and within your majors are likely employed, and employed in the career that that aligns with the major they've selected and with pay commensurate with the profession/geographic market/ school that he or she graduated from. Please don't tell me that no one from your college has a job. That's not true. Because one didn't hit the books hard enough means that one should temper his career and wage expectations. It's a tough market out there, but there are jobs to go around if you are honest with yourself about career prospects and your motivation.

 

[capital sb]

If your expectation after college is to make a certain salary, why do you pursue majors that don't have that prospect after graduation?

If your goal is to make X salary upon graduation (as opposed to pursuing a particular interest or to get an education), you need to figure out (1) what majors will feed into careers that make this amount of money; (2) whether your school is too lousy for an employer to recruit from, and if it is, either transfer to a different school or switch majors or lower your expectations; and then (3) if (1) and (2) aren't an issue, whether you are going to not be lazy, study hard, and graduate at the top of your major, apply for jobs and network so that you will be employed.

My guess is that most college attendees aren't doing this analysis, getting burned and then blaming it on college.

I bet that the top kids at all your universities and within your majors are likely employed, and employed in the career that that aligns with the major they've selected and with pay commensurate with the profession/geographic market/ school that he or she graduated from. Please don't tell me that no one from your college has a job. That's not true. Because one didn't hit the books hard enough means that one should temper his career and wage expectations. It's a tough market out there, but there are jobs to go around if you are honest with yourself about career prospects and your motivation.

Im good this isn't about me. I am Computer Science major with a Math minor at VCU. I work for the government as a Systems Engineer Intern.I already have a full time job lined up (Fall 2014 expected graduation date). I was giving my opinion of what I think about college.

 

[Deleted member 37467]

are yall going to college to get rich, or to find a career that you love?

To get rich. And the only definition of rich I mean is make a lot of money.

You'll always be poor w/ this outlook.

It's actually startling to me that someone your age is typing nonsense like this.

This is 17 year old mentality.

 

[hugheyfreeman]

Its really hard choosing what i ultimately wanna go to major in. Decisions... decisions.

 

[ayzee]

 
are yall going to college to get rich, or to find a career that you love?

For me:

Having a job I look forward to going to every morning > being "rich"

But to answer your question better, career that I love while being able to live comfortably. Don't need >$100K to be happy.

 

[reggiekiller]

 

 
are yall going to college to get rich, or to find a career that you love?

For me:

Having a job I look forward to going to every morning > being "rich"

But to answer your question better, career that I love while being able to live comfortably. Don't need >$100K to be happy.

exactly I'm the same way.  I want to do something that I love to do.  As long as I can make a comfortable living, that is the same thing as being rich to me

 

[ozarkshark]

Its really hard choosing what i ultimately wanna go to major in. Decisions... decisions.

Do Engineering you will thank me later 

 

[buggz05]

IMO the Bill Gates thing has nothing to do with genius and has everything to do with execution and drive.

... And I guess you'll ignore the fact that he attended Harvard

You don't have to be a genius to attend Harvard

Plus, what buggz said is correct.

There should be a lot more Bill Gates' on this planet, its just people lack vision and drive.

It's not like Gates was born a genius.

I'm sure he was smart, but I know for a fact he worked his tail off to get to where he is today.

On the other side of the Bill Gates hustle is Mark Cuban. Same time frame and drive, different executions and different business outcomes, but still.... the same success.

Mark Cuban wasn't a genius. He didn't do anything that any other software or computer tech didn't do. It was his drive.

 

[whywesteppin]

money is overrated. I often wonder what life experiences growing up result in people who think money is everything. actually I don't often wonder.

going to college on its own will not make anyone rich. unless you're billy madison. otherwise it's a matter of drive and smarts. not street smarts or book smarts, but smarts, as in knowing how to get what you want. often that requires going to school, both to get what you want (make connections, increase your pay grade or get into advanced school, etc.) but also just to become more smart. but it's not always necessary.

problem is, many people just get lucky and get rich. and then people use those as examples. but they're not good examples. this is why, for example, going to school to learn probability and logic is helpful.

 

[durantula]

Its really hard choosing what i ultimately wanna go to major in. Decisions... decisions.

Do Engineering you will thank me later 

Youll want to kill him before you thank him though, lol.

 

[hugheyfreeman]

Youll want to kill him before you thank him though, lol.

Hah,is engineering that hard? @durantula

 

[reggiekiller]

Its really hard choosing what i ultimately wanna go to major in. Decisions... decisions.

what are you interested in?  What do you like learning about?  What do you do for fun?

 

[fontaine]

The real question should be...

Can a none rich person REALLY tell you how to get rich?

 

[metsn13]

No not zero. The guy accross the street from my uncle has an entire family of high school dropouts and they do well. He even has a couple of Harley's and is the only one in the neighborhood with an in ground pool.

One of my best friends from college's dad is a really high ranking member of the military. He doesnt care for 6 figure whips but he spends a lot of money on his kids. They have far more than anyone else who have done nothing for their cash.

I wouldn't measure success by Harley's and 6 figure whips.  Outside perception and reality are usually vastly different when it comes to true financial stability and success in the American workforce.  Every investment and retirement book I have ever read talks poorly about depreciating assets like vehicles and boats, contrary to what many Americans view as having made it in our society.  

For me success is being able to travel to different countries at least once a year, owning a nice house, and building enough liquid capital to enable myself to retire by age 50 so that I can enjoy another 40-50 years of what I hope is going to be another chapter of growth and making my liquid capital work for me.  

To the OP, I went the traditional route for schooling and education and paid my entire way through college and medical school with a combination of loans and scholarships.  In my field I am always talking to older patients about their lives and how they are enjoying retirement, as the area I currently practice in has a large retirement age community.  The people that truly enjoy their "golden years" are the ones that saved and invested in their future and are using assets like rental homes and small businesses to generate income for them while not having to grind it out in a 9-to-5 until they are 90.

I think that many of us in our country, myself included, have been led to believe that material objects such as jewelry, clothes, and cars represent success.  This has led many of us to spiral into tremendous debt facilitated by the ease of applying for credit.  However as I move through life, I am starting to recognize that saving and building equity is perhaps the most important measure of success, especially in preparing for our future.  Having a college degree in the United States and even better a post-graduate degree like a masters, medical, dental, or law degree, can give you a stability in the workforce that money can't equal.  I will always favor more education as a direct correlate to financial and workforce stability in this capitalistic model.

 

[mkc1983]

I didn't, but then again, I would still be poor even if I didn't go to university. I guess it depends on what you do. You want to be an entrepreneur? Then college might not be useful for you. if you want to be a MD or lawyer, then you have to go.

 

[rude boy stylis]

The question is "Are there more employed college graduates than people with no degree?"

 

[hugheyfreeman]

what are you interested in?  What do you like learning about?  What do you do for fun?

Lets see, besides video games, basketball, partying, and chicks, i wanna go the buisness rout, or finance , and econonomics would be straight.

Its a lil dream of mine, I always wanted to be the.manin a nice fancy suit, with that successful feeling,like im the man.

Something.that plays leadership role.

Get anything from that?

 

[ozarkshark]

Hah,is engineering that hard? @durantula

not if you put in work, the combination of learning and having dedication to the subjects have made me so much wiser and see things from a bigger perspective in life. I LOVE going to school due to my knowledgable proffesors. Im high off it now but hopefully don't get hit with a reality check when i graduate. 

 

[durantula]

Youll want to kill him before you thank him though, lol.

Hah,is engineering that hard? @durantula

Im the prerequisites for the core classes(physics, calculus, chem) and this **** is stressful, ima have to drop chem because of lack of time and that **** doesnt come to me naturally at all. And also I find physics very interesting so that helps alot lol. If you really want to get more info ask @af1 1982

 

[ice city fc]

 

I once read somewhere "no one EVER got rich working," I immediately hit the Alonzo Mourning .gif

That's true because if you love what you do, you never work a day in your life.



Tell me a person that got rich and wealthy hating what they do.

I don't disagree with that at all but I interpreted it as it's nearly impossible to become wealthy earning wages or a salary, working for someone else. 

Ownership of cash flow producing investments and growth assets are where its at if we're talking about growing one's net worth to overtime and becoming rich.

It depends on how you distinguish/define labels like wealthy and rich but is someone who earns a 175K salary really rich?  I'd certainly feel rich if I made that much but it's all relative. 

 

[sunshineblotters]

You'll always be poor w/ this outlook.

It's actually startling to me that someone your age is typing nonsense like this.

This is 17 year old mentality.

I was the person that had nothing. And now I will everything I ever wanted. Even if it is far past the time where it would be practical for me to ever use it.

Do Engineering you will thank me later 

This!