Does any one ragret going to College?

Think of what you want to do. If having a degree helps/allows you to do this then yes, go get a degree. I just finished my Junior year of engineering school and I love my major and am very excited for my career, and plus internships are cool and you get paid

T.O.I'm currently half way through my bachelor's and don't regret it at all. Reason is, the career path I have chosen requires a degree and the school I attend is very affordable. However, to have a well paying job you, definitely don't need to go to a four year school or program. Trades are the way to go in my opinion.

Trades are good for some and not so much for other but I do hate how they're pushed as being a horrible option.

There are some high paying trade jobs, and those jobs will be around. A lot of people coming out of college with a pile of debt, and no real experience in the field that they were hoping for, or a bullshit degree that doesn't do much.

I wish I new more about the boces programs when I was in high school. Would have been sick to skip out on some bullshit classes and take some of those fo free.

I have a business degree and multiple welding certifications. Both are essential to what I do, but the welding pays insanely well due to my skill level. I love building my shop's capabilities and my metal skills, love working with my hands and I love adding capabilities and big accounts to my portfolio. I have a company car, killer bennies, deliverable-based production meaning we can work whenever we want, and fwiw I'll be starting a new subcontracting account this week where I'll be billing @$100/hr on top of my already good salary and the job will likely span 2-3 days a week for the next two years. Skilled trades pay crazy well if you're about your shit, and people really don't realize just how much experts get paid to provide solutions.

If I had it to do all over again, I would go to a less expensive school at the very least. It was important to learn the management side for when I'm inking new contracts, but the skills side is way more important when it comes to making money. I've met many managers with no degree that are awesome and also met many with degrees that suck balls. So basically just work on YOU. Figure out where your strengths and weaknesses are and work with that. Some will need college to maximize themselves, some should go to a trade school. It's all very individual though, and your path is yours alone!

theabortionatorTrades are good for some and not so much for other but I do hate how they're pushed as being a horrible option.

There are some high paying trade jobs, and those jobs will be around. A lot of people coming out of college with a pile of debt, and no real experience in the field that they were hoping for, or a bullshit degree that doesn't do much.

I wish I new more about the boces programs when I was in high school. Would have been sick to skip out on some bullshit classes and take some of those fo free.

Hahaha yup!

DeebieSkeebiesalso trade school might be a good choice as well. schools definitely not for everyone and some of my closest friends have been bumming it up/liftying/workin the grills and skiing every damn day this year which doesn't seem like a bad choice either.


kinda wish i went to trade school sometimes. while we do have tons of great people and minds in STEM fields of work, its kinda crazy to know we might have a generation of kids who don't know how to work with their hands and build things. everyone shits on people like construction workers and mechanics but rely on these people when all your shit breaks down.

I agree there aren't enough young people getting into the skilled trades. My man is in construction and I love that he builds me stuff, he's really good at it and in good shape. Saved a ton on house renos.

Not quite sure how the schools in Canada compare but my 2 year diploma actually did a lot for me. Went for mechanical engineering. Got hired on by my co-op right after I graduated, left there for a better job, tried to quit that job and ended up being offered a better position in the same company which I'm still at now. So was definitely worth It!

Huck_NorrisI have a business degree and multiple welding certifications. Both are essential to what I do, but the welding pays insanely well due to my skill level. I love building my shop's capabilities and my metal skills, love working with my hands and I love adding capabilities and big accounts to my portfolio. I have a company car, killer bennies, deliverable-based production meaning we can work whenever we want, and fwiw I'll be starting a new subcontracting account this week where I'll be billing @$100/hr on top of my already good salary and the job will likely span 2-3 days a week for the next two years. Skilled trades pay crazy well if you're about your shit, and people really don't realize just how much experts get paid to provide solutions.

If I had it to do all over again, I would go to a less expensive school at the very least. It was important to learn the management side for when I'm inking new contracts, but the skills side is way more important when it comes to making money. I've met many managers with no degree that are awesome and also met many with degrees that suck balls. So basically just work on YOU. Figure out where your strengths and weaknesses are and work with that. Some will need college to maximize themselves, some should go to a trade school. It's all very individual though, and your path is yours alone!

Also I feel pretty confident that trades like welding might still be in need for a few years. I'm not sure I would like welding for a job, but you can make some pretty decent money and it's a job that's still in demand year after year if you're good. I do weld stuff for work but I have a little balance of this and that.

Even some people that dropped out of hs but latched onto somebody good as an apprentice to learn a trade are killing it. If you learn the right way to do things, get good at a trade, you can be pretty damn alright.

People massively underestimate the trades and pass them off as shitty jobs for the poor/uneducated. I guess to each their own, but I hate seeing people write them off when a lot of people are doing pretty damn well in those jobs like yourself.

/idk what I'm talking about

theabortionatorAlso I feel pretty confident that trades like welding might still be in need for a few years. I'm not sure I would like welding for a job, but you can make some pretty decent money and it's a job that's still in demand year after year if you're good. I do weld stuff for work but I have a little balance of this and that.

Even some people that dropped out of hs but latched onto somebody good as an apprentice to learn a trade are killing it. If you learn the right way to do things, get good at a trade, you can be pretty damn alright.

People massively underestimate the trades and pass them off as shitty jobs for the poor/uneducated. I guess to each their own, but I hate seeing people write them off when a lot of people are doing pretty damn well in those jobs like yourself.

/idk what I'm talking about

kinda what I've been thinking since I've graduated. I got a job laying pipe at 17 and now i'm almost 20. If I had more consistent hours I would be making roughly 30 grand a year after taxes. I didn't even have a highschool diploma when I got the job, I graduated but I dropped out (don't ask I don't know how it worked, highschool is a cop out if you're not really smart lol)


I'm starting to pick up more and more on both surveying and driving industrial trucks so idk, I could make a career out of something if not labor work at this point lol. I seriously don't see the point of school in some aspects, one of the smartest engineers I've worked with was actually just a fancy titled inspector because he didn't have a degree. I'm going to find what I want to do for the rest of my life, and then go to school for it.

+Orange_Crush+I agree there aren't enough young people getting into the skilled trades. My man is in construction and I love that he builds me stuff, he's really good at it and in good shape. Saved a ton on house renos.

Not quite sure how the schools in Canada compare but my 2 year diploma actually did a lot for me. Went for mechanical engineering. Got hired on by my co-op right after I graduated, left there for a better job, tried to quit that job and ended up being offered a better position in the same company which I'm still at now. So was definitely worth It!

Yeah i wouldnt say i regret the college choice but definitely toying with the idea of tradeschool afterwards, not sure how much in demand hospitality majors are lol

Unless you are going to college for a specific job that requires you to have a degree...

COLLEGE IS A FUCKING SCAM! A huge majority of degrees don't mean shit and don't get you anywhere and college is a financial ripoff. You can learn the content 10x's faster on your own, with a library card and get way more job experience at an actual job instead of group bullshit projects. If you're going to a Doctor, Lawyer, teacher etc. Then go, if not, I wouldn't. I dropped out 3 years in and have made much more money than family members that graduated and now have jobs and a bunch of debt. Be an entreprneur 100% It's a lot of work, at first, but it pays off if you're in the right industry as well.. Jack Ma says it pretty well:





https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/828529/Jack-Ma---How-to-Be-Successful-in-Life--Amazing-Interview


https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/828529/Jack-Ma---How-to-Be-Successful-in-Life--Amazing-Interview

Like Squirrel_Murphy said don't go to university/college unless your need a degree to enter your career path or having a degree will be a large advantage in getting jobs.

I'm currently in my second year of uni doing Software Engineering course and sometimes I wonder if I should just go do an apprenticeship and become an electrician or something. I have mates who are in their 20's earning 100K+ (NZD) a year through trades like welding.

theabortionatorAlso I feel pretty confident that trades like welding might still be in need for a few years. I'm not sure I would like welding for a job, but you can make some pretty decent money and it's a job that's still in demand year after year if you're good. I do weld stuff for work but I have a little balance of this and that.

Even some people that dropped out of hs but latched onto somebody good as an apprentice to learn a trade are killing it. If you learn the right way to do things, get good at a trade, you can be pretty damn alright.

People massively underestimate the trades and pass them off as shitty jobs for the poor/uneducated. I guess to each their own, but I hate seeing people write them off when a lot of people are doing pretty damn well in those jobs like yourself.

/idk what I'm talking about

Well the perspective of a "shitty job" is wholly dependent on the viewer. I would fucking kill myself if I had to go to an office job and sit in a tie for 8 hours or more but some people think that is awesome- but we need both types of people tbh. I like working hard and learning more about the trade as I go. Custom fabrication is an art in and of itself to me and I really do enjoy doing it.

Welding won't just be needed for the next few years though. It's a staple in everything from construction to production of goods to the very water you drink and car you drive. The production side of the industry is moving towards automation like everything else, and I'm all over that too- but there will always be a demand for highly skilled welders both on-site and in the shop setting.

I just wanted to throw it out there for people thinking about it. It's awesome if you like to be actually physically making things and can't handle the monotony of cubicle life. The better you get the more you will build yor reputation, portfolio and customer base. The sooner you start and apply yourself the sooner you're laying TIG dimes upside down and writing your own ticket. It's a valuable skill- I haven't paid to ski or live in a ski-in ski-out condo for years because I exchange welding work with my home hill too. I could go on and on. As fewer and fewer really good welders remain, the ones who have put in their time and built their certs up are worth more and more. I couldn't be happier doing what I'm going. I get to do sit downs and sell to new vendors (which is strangely exciting) AND work with awesome machines on cool projects.

I definitely know welders pulling in +$125k/yr + crazy benefits. That's better than alright IMO. Sorry for the rambling and horrible structure fwiw, I'm on mobile and running late today

supermagician__kinda what I've been thinking since I've graduated. I got a job laying pipe at 17 and now i'm almost 20. If I had more consistent hours I would be making roughly 30 grand a year after taxes. I didn't even have a highschool diploma when I got the job, I graduated but I dropped out (don't ask I don't know how it worked, highschool is a cop out if you're not really smart lol)


I'm starting to pick up more and more on both surveying and driving industrial trucks so idk, I could make a career out of something if not labor work at this point lol. I seriously don't see the point of school in some aspects, one of the smartest engineers I've worked with was actually just a fancy titled inspector because he didn't have a degree. I'm going to find what I want to do for the rest of my life, and then go to school for it.

Dude that's how you start- get your foot in the door and just start stacking certs like a nurse. Get the papers to drive the big trucks, learn more positions or get stamped for different types of welding whenever you get a chance- you're also a crew member so if you can add value to yourself you can make a lot more money really fast. Save up and buy your own rig, and then you're cooking with peanut oil!

You pushing stick or??

Went to college, got a degree in history, and now work as an operations manager for a major international airline.

Completely unrelated degree, and I'm terrible at all things mathematical, and yet here I am, in charge of aircraft that cost upwards of $300 million.

What I found was that the college degree didn't help me get into the industry, but it helped me move up much faster than others.

It also practices certain skills. Meeting deadlines, directing people, organization etc. Not necessarily a direct result from a college education, but definitely helpful.

ben_collinsStill in haha



I was mainly talking about junior and senior year when people have a general idea of what they like and don't like. And also I wasn't really talking about math and english or a language or history. I see all those classes as valuable. The only class I have a problem with is science because I almost know for a fact that I won't be doing anything with that except for required classes in college or even beyond. But good points tho

A few things,

You are in high school and thus know less about the world than Jon Snow. Your understanding of what you will 'need to know' or what will come in handy down the road is only slightly more developed than it was when you entered kindergarten.

High School science classes get somewhat close to providing your with a brief introduction to the field. They don't really cover much of anything other than some basic concepts. I have two years of both college Chemistry and Physics and would not consider myself to have done much studding or real knowledge of either.

Math and Sciences define the physical world we live in. At the end of the day, chemistry defines your life from conception to worm food. Having a basic understanding of how how it works helps keep you from making dumb decisions throughout your life. Through High School you are generally counting on your parents general understanding of science to keep you alive and healthy. After that, you're on your own.

Lastly there is something to be said for learning to apply yourself and learn topics that you find dull boring and worthless. Once you leave school (whether that is after Highschool, Trade School, College, or six PHDs) you have to start providing value to society or go hungry. Occasionally your job will require you to do something dumb, dull and boring. Being able to effectively apply yourself in those cases is a skill worth developing and maintaining.

As for my opinion on College:

The only regret I have is going to a four year University for all four years for my undergrad. If I were to do it again I would have done the first year or two at a high end CC which I think generally provide an equal or better education. I have a highly technical and somewhat specific BS. I have never worked directly in that field, and doubt I ever will. I don't regret pouring two years of my life into it, often working 18-24 hours a day.

I also don't have student debt because I didn't blindly walk into a college admissions office and start writing checks. There are plenty of wealthy folks out there looking to pay for your education; let them. Failing that, the generall tax payer will pick up the tab for a few years of doing PT, visiting unsavory parts of the neighborhood and occasionally playing with guns and explosives. Fun times.

cobra_commanderAs for my opinion on College:

The only regret I have is going to a four year University for all four years for my undergrad. If I were to do it again I would have done the first year or two at a high end CC which I think generally provide an equal or better education. I have a highly technical and somewhat specific BS. I have never worked directly in that field, and doubt I ever will. I don't regret pouring two years of my life into it, often working 18-24 hours a day.

I also don't have student debt because I didn't blindly walk into a college admissions office and start writing checks. There are plenty of wealthy folks out there looking to pay for your education; let them. Failing that, the generall tax payer will pick up the tab for a few years of doing PT, visiting unsavory parts of the neighborhood and occasionally playing with guns and explosives. Fun times.

Goodness I could not agree more. Though, the first two years of college are a blast, so if you can get the money together, I highly suggest it. But 2 years of CC while playing baseball would be my route if I could do it over, probably.

But really, if you come out of college with crushing debt, it's your own damn fault. There are plenty of ways to make it significantly cheaper.

Huck_NorrisWell the perspective of a "shitty job" is wholly dependent on the viewer. I would fucking kill myself if I had to go to an office job and sit in a tie for 8 hours or more but some people think that is awesome- but we need both types of people tbh. I like working hard and learning more about the trade as I go. Custom fabrication is an art in and of itself to me and I really do enjoy doing it.

Welding won't just be needed for the next few years though. It's a staple in everything from construction to production of goods to the very water you drink and car you drive. The production side of the industry is moving towards automation like everything else, and I'm all over that too- but there will always be a demand for highly skilled welders both on-site and in the shop setting.

I just wanted to throw it out there for people thinking about it. It's awesome if you like to be actually physically making things and can't handle the monotony of cubicle life. The better you get the more you will build yor reputation, portfolio and customer base. The sooner you start and apply yourself the sooner you're laying TIG dimes upside down and writing your own ticket. It's a valuable skill- I haven't paid to ski or live in a ski-in ski-out condo for years because I exchange welding work with my home hill too. I could go on and on. As fewer and fewer really good welders remain, the ones who have put in their time and built their certs up are worth more and more. I couldn't be happier doing what I'm going. I get to do sit downs and sell to new vendors (which is strangely exciting) AND work with awesome machines on cool projects.

I definitely know welders pulling in +$125k/yr + crazy benefits. That's better than alright IMO. Sorry for the rambling and horrible structure fwiw, I'm on mobile and running late today

Yeah I was being sarcastic when I was talking about a few bucks and a few years. I don't really see anything on the horizon where there could not be a need for good welders.

If Im around for the summer next year I want to buy my own tig setup and fuck around with that a bit.

https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/828623/Stay-In-School--Or-DROP-OUT--Comment-Below-


https://www.newschoolers.com/videos/watch/828623/Stay-In-School--Or-DROP-OUT--Comment-Below-

I have a BSc and an MSc and my starting salary was $75,000 a year plus a 20-35% yearly bonus.

This is far from typical and most people I graduated with are making $10-$20 an hour.

1099>W2

Huck_NorrisDude that's how you start- get your foot in the door and just start stacking certs like a nurse. Get the papers to drive the big trucks, learn more positions or get stamped for different types of welding whenever you get a chance- you're also a crew member so if you can add value to yourself you can make a lot more money really fast. Save up and buy your own rig, and then you're cooking with peanut oil!

You pushing stick or??

literally what i've been doing so far, i'm installing water, sewer and storm mains and services, manholes ect. I spent two days doing random ass bs certs which actually aren't bs I just don't remember all of them haha.

I'm going to get my class 3 here pretty quick so I can fuck around on big water trucks and get occupational first aid as well just to add a couple dollars an hour. I would like to branch off into either oil money or operating something close to home. For my age i'm pretty good at what I do and I guess it's rare to see people my age in the ditch like this lol

supermagician__literally what i've been doing so far, i'm installing water, sewer and storm mains and services, manholes ect. I spent two days doing random ass bs certs which actually aren't bs I just don't remember all of them haha.

I'm going to get my class 3 here pretty quick so I can fuck around on big water trucks and get occupational first aid as well just to add a couple dollars an hour. I would like to branch off into either oil money or operating something close to home. For my age i'm pretty good at what I do and I guess it's rare to see people my age in the ditch like this lol

Fuck yeah man, I love it!!

supermagician__literally what i've been doing so far, i'm installing water, sewer and storm mains and services, manholes ect. I spent two days doing random ass bs certs which actually aren't bs I just don't remember all of them haha.

I'm going to get my class 3 here pretty quick so I can fuck around on big water trucks and get occupational first aid as well just to add a couple dollars an hour. I would like to branch off into either oil money or operating something close to home. For my age i'm pretty good at what I do and I guess it's rare to see people my age in the ditch like this lol

My friend started working PT in HS and than started full time right after HS doing oil/ac repair, working and is pretty far towards his plumbers license as well.

Recently started his own business and is doing pretty dam well. Basically an oil distribution company, oil/ac repair as the main source of business and than he hopes to buyout a plumbing company in the next few years and expand.

Not a bad route at all. College in my opinion is a massive waste of a ton of money unless you go for a specific degree that truly NEEDS a college education....ex: medical, finance, accounting, engineering, math, science