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July, 2025

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284,000 College grads making minimum wage.

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ski4fun420
Posts: 902 - Karma: 842
http://money.msn.com/now/post.aspx?post=60c2d77c-2d2b-4920-8156-4fb05e443d93?

WTF is going on?
12 years ago
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Huck_Norris
Posts: 11487 - Karma: 18,627

Not to mention that thanks to creative lobbying, your most useless debt is also the most inescapable.  Even if you were to file for bankruptcy, you cannot rid yourself of that debt.  So yeah, not only are they overpromising, overcharging and underdelivering, even if you fall on your face and are in financial ruin as a result of the debt, you can't get away from it. 

12 years ago
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~~~~~~~~
Posts: 2345 - Karma: 2,104
What if I flee the country?
12 years ago
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louie.mirags
Posts: 6015 - Karma: 5,027
Doesn't help when tons of people study really broad majors... A degree in photography is the typical example for a hard degree to get a job, even business is way toooooo broad to land a job for the average graduate who has no connects in the business world... I am majoring in Electrical Tech - Telecommunications at a two year school in ny, may not be the most materialistic major, or be featured by any big time private schools, but I guarantee the three other guys and I will have job offers after our internships... I am all about doing what you love, it is just hard at 18 to know what that is and deciding then how that degree will impact the rest of your life...
12 years ago
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SkiBum.
Posts: 3614 - Karma: 4,004
They are doing it wrong.
12 years ago
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dom_daq
Posts: 371 - Karma: 440
Exactly. This is solely because of the kids that think they can go to school for philosophy or liberal arts and actually get a job. What field do they expect to get a job in?
12 years ago
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theater.thug
Posts: 441 - Karma: 671
Thanks Obama!
12 years ago
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Batman.
Posts: 364 - Karma: 85
biochemical engineering, that's me bitches.
12 years ago
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2_fadez
Posts: 7780 - Karma: 4,183
Just because you graduated with with a 2.1GPA in communications from North Florida Community College doesn't mean I should hire you to my company.

Sorry you fucked around too much in college for me to take your resume seriously. You create your own opportunities, and I wouldn't doubt it in a second that there are 280,000 people out there who are still living with mom and dad, and a useless degree at their side because they made poor decisions or insisted that their dream was financially supportive.
12 years ago
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Huck_Norris
Posts: 11487 - Karma: 18,627

Hahahahaha yessssssssss

Click for larger image

Click for larger image

So much win in those .gifs

12 years ago
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a_pla5tic_bag
Posts: 9245 - Karma: 5,695
This is why you go to school for biochem, chem, or physics.
12 years ago
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deleted5
Posts: 14507 - Karma: 13,510
What would happen if hypothetically you did go bankrupt were broke and just said fuck it and didn't pay the loans.
12 years ago
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louie.mirags
Posts: 6015 - Karma: 5,027
nothing. money is all made up.
12 years ago
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GayWolf420
Posts: 38325 - Karma: 132,488
I've been hearing great things about the culinary and hospitality business. Plus who doesn't love delicious food? And a majority of CIA graduates land jobs/internships before graduation. I'm broadening my horizons in terms of schools but that's a great, assuring statistic.
12 years ago
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Ski_the_east01
Posts: 5203 - Karma: 2,306
absolutely this
12 years ago
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skiierman
Posts: 28699 - Karma: -5,565
and in other news... 284,000 college grads threw away a chance at a REAL education by picking joke majors just to get through college as quickly as possible.


Getting into a college doesn't make you any less of a stupid jackass. Anyone who has been, which I understand is a minority of people on this site due to age, understands that there are plenty of idiotic douche bags that get into college. There's a reason why frats exist on every campus...
12 years ago
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Karma_Police
Posts: 2655 - Karma: 1,628
I agree with all of the posts in this thread.

WTF did you expect?

The good thing is people are finally starting to realize this and I think/hope things will change.  Where there isn't such an influx of useless(rarely needed, sorry for offending anyone) degrees.


12 years ago
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Huck_Norris
Posts: 11487 - Karma: 18,627
They would probably garnish any future wages you might someday earn when you got sick of hiding from sallie mae in a cave.
12 years ago
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feihlination
Posts: 8356 - Karma: 1,083
i seriously doubt that 284000 of them have studied those "joke majors". i think the job market is transforming and it will get tougher to get these jobs to repay tuitions more and more because there is an oversupply in so many areas.

like the kid up there is a perfect example. first he complains about 95% of majors, then proceeds how he will easily get a job because he has the perfect one.

in IT and technology (no "joke majors" here) jobs get outsourced to india and china for example and other areas are hit as hard by this (global) competition the job market became. everyone is just looking for his profit and not seeing the big picture.
12 years ago
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ski.cats
Posts: 577 - Karma: 352
ok then 283,000 out of 284,000
12 years ago
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Barefootin_Fiend
Posts: 7618 - Karma: 4,727
this doesn't surprise me one bit. what the fuck did you expect to do with a degree in underwater basket weaving, art history, communications, philosophy, sociology, etc. it blows my mind when i meet people that throw away all of that money and walk out of college with a worthless jerk off degree.
12 years ago
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feihlination
Posts: 8356 - Karma: 1,083
really hard to estimate that. my point is even guys who chose a "good" major arent guaranteed to succeed. which is good, because way too many people are at universities, the intellectual capacities needed right now are pretty basic compared to like 40 or 100 years ago.


and what people also forget, is these 200+ thousands of "joke major" grads who knew that they wont get a good job but fucking STUDIED A FIELD THEY WERE INTERESTED IN. i know quite a few people who actually study something they truly love and none of them are in business (i study finance, which isnt considered a "joke major", but its a pretty solid joke really). and they accept the reality that they will never earn 6 digits, but thats not what life is about.
12 years ago
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fujarome
Posts: 8630 - Karma: 1,561
I found this list to be very interesting. A few majors I didn't expect

http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505145_162-57325132/25-college-majors-with-the-highest-unemployment-rates/


The problem isn't as much the major as it is the person, and how they apply that major. You get people who get their degree, and then immediately expect a job that is exactly within the parameters of what they studied. My job for example, uses stuff I learned courtesy of my major, but isn't an exact fit for it. That's why I'm glad it's not a super specific major, because by being broad it can be applied to a wider range of jobs/requirements.


But then yea, there are the stupidly specific and useless majors.
12 years ago
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Spinoza
Posts: 12763 - Karma: 3,847
Cause College is a business: they let tons of dumb people in. If you're smart + x you'll get paid, regardless of your degrees. Where x could be ambition/ confidence/ luck whatever
12 years ago
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Huck_Norris
Posts: 11487 - Karma: 18,627

There's a lot of that, and also there's a ton of people simply going to college because that's what's expected of them.  When they get out they'll still end up in a middle of the road job and be saddled with enormous debt.  What does anybody care though?  That is the business model of higher education, it only exists to further it's own cause, not to ensure your life is awesome- that's completely up to you. 

College isn't about getting you a job.  It's about giving you the life and professional skills for you to do it yourself.  I know so many lazy shits who just moped out into real life as if they were going to just stroll into a career like they did into college and it's a joke.  I'm not the least bit surprised. 

Also I'd like to extend a big fat middle finger to everyone who thinks that college is a must to having a good job.  You know what jobs are seeing a rise in pay?  Skilled laborers.  Welders, Electricians, plumbers, carpenters and the like are becoming fewer and farther between because every fucking douchetits thinks they're just going to be a bigshot rich lawyer or something and they're gonna just get a law degree and everything's just gonna be fine from there on out.  Crazy though the rate I can charge for welding now that so few in the area are qualified for certain jobs.  I bill for like $85/hr and that's just for ho-hum routine shit I'm already set up for.  Throw in any real specialized work and you're probably around $125/hr.  Those are nearly lawyer numbers.  Ten or twenty years ago that wasn't the case at all- everybody simply accepted they aren't a genius, aren't that into school and went into trades accordingly.  Now nobody wanst to actually work, and physical labor is usually looked down on- so kids now thinking they're above shit like that cracks me up that they're making half what I am, stuck in a cubicle under flourescent lights all day getting fat and hating their life. 

There's so many paths you can choose, and a 4 year bar with a $20,000/year cover charge simply isn't the answer everyone thinks it is. 

12 years ago
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SkiBum.
Posts: 3614 - Karma: 4,004
It has nothing to do with our president.

It has to do with people are lazy and dont put the effort into finding a job. Maybe it is not their ideal or dream job, but there are plenty of jobs and careers out there if one looks.
12 years ago
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feihlination
Posts: 8356 - Karma: 1,083
irony obviously but also true.
12 years ago
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Spinoza
Posts: 12763 - Karma: 3,847
I hate this attitude. Yeah some of those degrees you mentioned wont get you a job just from what's written on the resume, but they can give you other useful skills. ex: my philosophy degree has taught me to be extremely critical and rational and has given me an ability to formulate and understand arguments that not many other programs do. It may not be an EducationX > CareerX relationship, but it gives me a range of opportunities that coupled with a decent level of intelligence will allow me to succeed.
12 years ago
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feihlination
Posts: 8356 - Karma: 1,083
on another note. education should be free. you should be a student, not a customer. if you got to a very good college (the 20000 per semester area), you will get a job, no matter your actual qualification.
12 years ago
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deleted5
Posts: 14507 - Karma: 13,510
Apparently way back in the day SUNY schools used to be free if you lived in New York State.
12 years ago
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Campeador
Posts: 7516 - Karma: -1,227
And the engineering degree circle jerk continues.

12 years ago
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SkiBum.
Posts: 3614 - Karma: 4,004
What the fuck do you do with that degree? Really?

Do you have your own philosophy shop? Come into my store and buy some Philosophy...
12 years ago
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Spinoza
Posts: 12763 - Karma: 3,847
Did you stop after the 2d sentence? Or do you just lack reading comprehension skills?

I really should just give up on here
12 years ago
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Barefootin_Fiend
Posts: 7618 - Karma: 4,727
i won't argue that there's nothing good to be taken from those degrees. and i certainly won't argue that you can't be successful because you have a degree in said field. it was more so intended to mean that there isn't really an education x > career x relationship with a lot of those degrees. so without a lot of ambition and intelligence, there isn't a specific field of work waiting for you when you graduate college that is going to heavily line your pockets with cash.


12 years ago
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feihlination
Posts: 8356 - Karma: 1,083
this guaranteed relation doesnt exist in a lot of fields. like 100% success is a pretty tough assumption.

12 years ago
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Spinoza
Posts: 12763 - Karma: 3,847
I won't argue with that. And there are a lot of dopes in my class, along with a ton of kids who think they're going to be philosophers or something. but you're right in that success will require other factors.
But I don't want to be a chemist anyways.
Law school would be the most applicable place for a philosophy undergrad, but that's a huge commitment that I'm not sure I can make
12 years ago
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2_fadez
Posts: 7780 - Karma: 4,183
yeah, we should all be commending History, Philosophy, and Art History majors for their contributions to society, and argue to businesses why they should be hiring someone with no training or relations to their professional fields.
12 years ago
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2_fadez
Posts: 7780 - Karma: 4,183
Click for larger image
12 years ago
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Amadeus.
Posts: 3050 - Karma: 383
I think the degree you get is irrelevant. Its all about applying yourself and putting yourself out there and being an entrepreneur in your own field and way. if you aren't willing to do those types of things you wont land a job or make any money.
12 years ago
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Benji.
Posts: 1146 - Karma: 88
Exactly this.

Applying yourself is the first step to landing any job no matter the type. A degree is a simple bonus to help you along.
12 years ago
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Barefootin_Fiend
Posts: 7618 - Karma: 4,727
i think a lot of people don't realize that further graduate education is essential to a lot of those degrees if you really want to make bank. there's not much you can do with a history, english, psychology, etc. undergrad degree that is going to "make you rich" right out of the gates. you're almost required to pursue graduate studies if you really want to make good money starting off. unfortunately, they don't really tell you that going in to it. it's not until these kids are faced with finding a real job does that realization come about.
12 years ago
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saskskier
Posts: 4774 - Karma: 10,005
There is a reason I picked social work. It doesn't matter how good/bad our economy is, there will always be people who abuse/neglect their kids, have drug/alcohol abuse issues, live in poverty, etc, etc, etc. They pay isn't the best (starts around $50,000 with the government, less if its an NGO), but the benefits are great (complete health/dental/etc).

It's not always an easy job, but I'm guaranteed a job wherever I go. If you are going to get a degree, make it count.
12 years ago
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feihlination
Posts: 8356 - Karma: 1,083
yea philosophy has never done anything. omfg


"contributions to society", what does that even mean? is MONEY the biggest contribution to society? can the understanding of history so past mistakes wont be repeated be such a contribution?

when everything you see is made of dollar signs, youre doing something wrong. just take the social worker up there (i hope he is also in it because he likes to help people, not just job security), thats a big big contribution to society, way more than some horseshit CEO of a DJIA company or the 500,000 engineer. it all depends on the pov you take, but money is important enough as it is already
12 years ago
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skiierman
Posts: 28699 - Karma: -5,565
You have either never been to college or you're a part of the 284k. Every post I read from you in here screams, "I'M A FUCKING MORON! I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE JOB MARKET OR WHAT THIS THREAD IS ABOUT!"
12 years ago
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KrazyistKarl
Posts: 1725 - Karma: 599
I didn't get a college degree, I make 6 figures. Industrial electricians in Canada make stupid money. Any industrial trade, welding, pipe fitting, plumbing, boilermakers, insulators, scafolders, iron workers will all make over 100000/year
12 years ago
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Rachy
Posts: 4355 - Karma: 2,761
I graduated uni with a B.S. in Anthro (archaeology) without a job offer, without a job, and with a ton of debt. My family kept pushing me and pushing me towards anthro. My mom would email me job listings for digs in Arizona or NM. I didn't want that.

So I kept pushing my way through, doing the web devel thing, taking on work as often as possible. I landed a sweet marketing job for a ski resort, but when the season was over, so was my job.

I told everyone I was going to try to make it full time in graphic design/front end programming. EVERYONE (except my best friend) told me not to. Everyone said "You'll be waisting your degree." Turns out, they were the ones wasting my time and holding me back. I took the leap and if I opted to work full time (which the work is there but I don't really want it) I'd be in the upper middle class bracket. I'm 2 years into this and have lived on 2 continents, lived in 2 states, ski almost as often as I want and get to visit friends on a whim when something happens like breaking my arm.

Now you might think I regret my decision to go to university. That I regret my $52,000 of debt. I do not. Not one bit. College isn't just about what job you are going to get. It's about trying everything, figuring out what you love and what you are good at. Because if you love it, and you are good at it, you WILL make it work. The only reason to go to college is to go for yourself, not because it is expected of you. If I hadn't gone, I would have never gotten my IT job, I would have never learned how to do web programming or dabbled into graphic design. I would have never taken marketing classes. There are so many things I learned in university that I am thankful for. Because of this, I'm quite a bit farther along that a lot of my peers who did what was expected.

Now we're left with the 280,000 grads. Is it their fault? Sometimes, possibly. A lot of times, no. Did you look at the 25 jobs with the highest unemployment? Lawyers, engineers, architects. . . After Psychology, everything seems pretty fair game. You think that going into a science or business will land you a high paid job, well there are thousands of other students thinking that as well. You aren't guaranteed anything. The ones who truly love what they do and work the hardest at it are the only ones guaranteed to succeed. Those of you taking engineering classes for the sole purpose of making money in the future are just as bad as the ones going for liberal arts just to appease their parents.
12 years ago
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feihlination
Posts: 8356 - Karma: 1,083
i am currently finishing my masters study in what most people perceive (i do not) to be a "legit" major. banking and finance. if youre willing to work 70 hours a week, yes, you will go home with 70k+ probably right off the bat. i just know that i studied something that should allow me to get a legit job and now i know that this wasnt an overly smart decision, because i have no passion behind that. i could work in that field, but its not a passion.

i dont not generalize everyone of these 284k to be stupid hippie fuckheads who dont work. i do not generalize and make wild assumptions how much engineers and lawyers make. i keep a level head in contrast to your descending attitude towards literally anything. if youre the real skiierman douche, please get off that website, it was fun without you.
12 years ago
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ILLinoisance
Posts: 3527 - Karma: 5,398
This is true.

Some lazy people go to college. Some lazy people don't go to college.

Some motivated people go to college. Some motivated people don't go to college.

Enough with the irrelevant statistics.
12 years ago
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chicken
Posts: 6844 - Karma: 2,122
it's pretty fucking stupid to think that geology or engineering is some guaranteed path to success. I consider those "joke" majors as well. Because a lot of people in those programs are in them because they want a job.

University is NOT supposed to be training for a job. You should be studying what you want to learn. If you are bullshitting your way through a geology degree so you can get a sheet of paper and then work for an oil company, then you are more dumb than a liberal arts major who is very enthusiastic about what they are doing.

If you just want to get a good job you should be doing two year programs at places like SAIT. Engineers and geologists are a dime a dozen these days because so many people are taking those programs.
12 years ago
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Karma_Police
Posts: 2655 - Karma: 1,628
Idk where you come from but I was WELL aware in high school which majors had high and low job rates right out of college.

12 years ago
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feihlination
Posts: 8356 - Karma: 1,083
then comes something like the economy crisis and things might change a little. also most people have a general knowledge of that so they jump into all these areas effectively oversupplying a few years down the road, when another field becomes attractive.
12 years ago
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