Was College Worth It? | Personal Finance & Lifestyle | Yakezie Forums

I graduated collage with a psychology and human communications degree.

I became a dancer/actor/commentator/photographer.

I could have saved 20k

Going to undergrad and graduate school paying in-state tuition was important in making the ROI good. Personally, I do think that getting an undergrad degree is essential, and strategically choosing where to go is vital. Those who blindly go by rankings and pay less attention to loans and debt burdens might be shortchanging themselves immensely.

I learned very little from the classes I took throughout college. The one thing I did gain was experience through a plethora of internships. I had three that paid me and provided credit while I was in school. When I graduated employers checked off the 'has a degree' category while looking through my resume, but it was the internships that gave me something to discuss in the interviews and ultimately led to better paying job options after I graduated.

In India there is no issue like this. We have already given a note that you would be refunded soem % of amount after the end of COllege.

I think for me it was worth it to get my bachelors in mechanical engineer, as I am using it everyday at my job.  However a few years ago I decided to go back and get my MBA.  I have not used it, nor do I know if I will ever use it.  I hope I do at some point but the only way for me to use both is to become a manager.  If I use it, then I will not think it was a waste of time and money, right now I think it was not worth it.

For me, I'd say my 2 years at college was well worth it.  I took a 2 year computer science diploma program that gave me a wide range of computer knowledge.  It helped me get my foot in the door with my internet marketing career.  Also those skills helped tremendously with setting up my own websites and my new blog.

Haven't graduated yet but in my case I need a 4-year degree for a certification that is definitely worth it. So, with the understanding that I can't go from A to C without B (college), then I guess it's not only worth it but a necessity.

sooverdebt said:

I struggle a lot with feeling that college and grad school were a waste of time. I've wanted to write for as long as I can remember, but I wouldn't major in English because I was determined to be employable. $50k in student debt later, I just left a career where I *might* have eventually earned $65k a year, mainly because the stress wasn't worth it. 

I do think I learned a lot about myself, critical thinking, and collaborating with others while I was in school. I just wish I had learned those lessons much cheaper!

That is definitely tough to learn a lesson like that the hard way.  I knew people who went to school and became engineers, then realized it wasn't for them and they hated it, went back and did something else.  In a way it is not a waste because you still have your education, but it is also a waste that you have to pay back 10s of thousands of dollars for a degree you won't use

I'm still torn on this. I have a BA in Biology and as many minors and that I could cram into my 4 years. Then, still not knowing or liking what I had studied, I decided to get my MSc. Next, being overqualified for any entry level positions in that field, I attempted to get my PHd- all while working in a field is the not relevant to my education.

The ironic part is that I have been able to move up within my current company because I put the work in, not because of what I studied. My student debt is a great reminder that someone might appreciate me being to school. Its not me.

I started college when I was 17 and didn't get my degree until I was 34.  Taking that long kept me from having to go into debt for college but it wasted a lot of time. College was probably worth the modest expense but not the time.

Law school on the other hand was definitely not worth it.