How much money do you make a year?

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I wish I was able to go to a 4 year college out of HS like all my peeps. Parents told me about a month before HS graduation that they weren't going to help me and I had to move out. Talk about a slap in the face. It was pretty rough. I think by being thrown into the real world that quick, it taught me a lot. All my friends were down in EUgene partying and living it up and I was at home making $4.75 an hour washing cars at a car dealership. I do know that I wouldn't be where I am today if I hadn't gone thru those 6 1/2 years of minimum wage....... man, hope I never go back.
 
I wish I was able to go to a 4 year college out of HS like all my peeps. Parents told me about a month before HS graduation that they weren't going to help me and I had to move out. Talk about a slap in the face. It was pretty rough. I think by being thrown into the real world that quick, it taught me a lot. All my friends were down in EUgene partying and living it up and I was at home making $4.75 an hour washing cars at a car dealership. I do know that I wouldn't be where I am today if I hadn't gone thru those 6 1/2 years of minimum wage....... man, hope I never go back.

I'm not proud of many things, but I do take pride in the fact I didn't cost my mom a dime after I graduated HS. I worked all through college and took out loans to do it. IMO, when you're 18, you're on your own and make your own way.
 
I'm not proud of many things, but I do take pride in the fact I didn't cost my mom a dime after I graduated HS. I worked all through college and took out loans to do it. IMO, when you're 18, you're on your own and make your own way.

I can see that now. At the time I didn't understand how my friends parents "took care" of their kids, but mine didn't. I think their decisions, toughened me up and helped make into a better person.
 
That is the very idea promoted by the government, the universities, high schools...and it's a lie in many cases.

Not at all. There are several factors that come into play with your first job, including internships and nepotism, but in the business world, your school's name can get you into the door to a lot of companies, for at least an interview.

I'm pretty fresh off the scene, going to law school here in two months because I didn't see a future in sports marketing, but I can tell you for a fact that all of the recruiters I talked to placed an emphasis on your education (ie: where you got your degree from).

Especially in the world of finance, certain firms won't even look at someone without an Ivy League or comparable education. Your school's reputation could absolutely separate you from the pack, and to believe otherwise is just holding on to antiquated notions of the job market from when you got your first job.

Now what you do when you actually get your first job is a completely different situation, but in getting that first job, or at least that first interview, your degree is half the battle.
 
I'm not proud of many things, but I do take pride in the fact I didn't cost my mom a dime after I graduated HS. I worked all through college and took out loans to do it. IMO, when you're 18, you're on your own and make your own way.

I had ski scholarships, worked, and took out loans. The loans were paid off 10 years ago for my undergrad, and my work paid for my MBA.
 
I can see that now. At the time I didn't understand how my friends parents "took care" of their kids, but mine didn't. I think their decisions, toughened me up and helped make into a better person.

While I was brought up in a similar way, my wives family never had to work until after they completed school. Her dad put five kids thru doctorate programs without them having to worry about anything besides school. The older kids helped the younger ones financially when they were able and all have never asked for anything more after graduating. We prepaid the first four years of our kids college already and have funds set up for doctorate programs if they choose that route. Hopefully we have done our job as parents and this proves to be a sound investment.
 
That is the very idea promoted by the government, the universities, high schools...and it's a lie in many cases.

Agreed. I would like to highlight "in many cases". Looking back at my high school classmates, I would say over half should have never invested money on an education and got little in return.
 
Not at all. There are several factors that come into play with your first job, including internships and nepotism, but in the business world, your school's name can get you into the door to a lot of companies, for at least an interview.

I'm pretty fresh off the scene, going to law school here in two months because I didn't see a future in sports marketing, but I can tell you for a fact that all of the recruiters I talked to placed an emphasis on your education (ie: where you got your degree from).

Especially in the world of finance, certain firms won't even look at someone without an Ivy League or comparable education. Your school's reputation could absolutely separate you from the pack, and to believe otherwise is just holding on to antiquated notions of the job market from when you got your first job.

Now what you do when you actually get your first job is a completely different situation, but in getting that first job, or at least that first interview, your degree is half the battle.

But for how many people is this applicable? I would say for most it does not matter.
 
But for how many people is this applicable? I would say for most it does not matter.

It's applicable for most people in their 20's... unless you're talking about manual labor or working at a Popeyes or something...

Your degree usually matters for your first job these days...
 
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It's applicable for most people in their 20's... unless you're talking about manual labor or working at a Popeyes or something...

Your degree usually matters for your first job these days...

BTW - Ain't tryna be a douche... just speaking some truth from a perspective of someone that went to a top university and then found himself in a way more competitive job market than anticipated out of school, got a good gig, and then realized that industry had no long-term potential, and decided to leave it and go to law school. Need an authority on the state of the job market? I'm as close as this board will get to that...

I am trying to word this correctly since two different issues are being combined.

First point was whether a specific school matters. For some fields, absolutely. My contention is that it does not for most. The majority of degrees are going to be in things like engineering, teaching, nursing, etc. When I did interviews with my company, we looked at a resume but the interview was most important. An engineering degree would almost certainly get you into the door, but a two year degree from a community college paired with a good interview would as well. Once they were hired, it was up to them how much money they wanted to make. We also purged the deadbeats regardless of school every downturn.

Second point that Maris was making was that the government propaganda promoting school as a good investment is usually false. Again, I saw just as many classmates of mine that buried themselves in debt and are still paying for it compared to those that made college worthwhile financially. Average them out and they probably equal the classmate that went into a skilled trade or factory job.
 
I worked 3 jobs at the same time to pay for my college education.

Fortunately, one of those jobs was renting ice skates at the ice arena. I only had to work between classes, checking in skates from the previous class and renting out ones for the upcoming class. While class was going on, I was able to study.

Unfortunately, Champaign-Urbana was a town of 100,000 population with 150,000 students on top of that. Virtually every job was minimum wage; if you wouldn't take the job there was someone else who was. Minimum wage was $2.50/hr.

Also fortunately, the cost of education was in the $hundreds per semester back then.
 
I wish I was able to go to a 4 year college out of HS like all my peeps. Parents told me about a month before HS graduation that they weren't going to help me and I had to move out. Talk about a slap in the face. It was pretty rough. I think by being thrown into the real world that quick, it taught me a lot. All my friends were down in EUgene partying and living it up and I was at home making $4.75 an hour washing cars at a car dealership. I do know that I wouldn't be where I am today if I hadn't gone thru those 6 1/2 years of minimum wage....... man, hope I never go back.

Have the Lakers decided to make you move out, too?

Seriously, props to you for making something of yourself.
 
The problem is a lot of kids think going to college and getting any degree will get them a job. You shouldnt go to college and get a communications or ethnic studies or random degree and expect a job. You should be going to a university to be a doctor, engineer, lawyer, nurse or accountant.
 
I had ski scholarships, worked, and took out loans. The loans were paid off 10 years ago for my undergrad, and my work paid for my MBA.

Whoa, you had Ski Scholarships? That is impressive! No sarcasm, here. Was this a Mountain time zone school?
 
The problem is a lot of kids think going to college and getting any degree will get them a job. You shouldnt go to college and get a communications or ethnic studies or random degree and expect a job. You should be going to a university to be a doctor, engineer, lawyer, nurse or accountant.

this was me =\ But at least mine was in a hard science.
 
While I was brought up in a similar way, my wives family never had to work until after they completed school. Her dad put five kids thru doctorate programs without them having to worry about anything besides school. The older kids helped the younger ones financially when they were able and all have never asked for anything more after graduating. We prepaid the first four years of our kids college already and have funds set up for doctorate programs if they choose that route. Hopefully we have done our job as parents and this proves to be a sound investment.

How many wives do you have?
 
But for how many people is this applicable? I would say for most it does not matter.

It depends where you want to live. Here in Silicon Valley, it really does matter. Whether that is right or wrong is up for debate, but it is a huge factor in landing the premium jobs here.
 
If I made the money I make here in SoCal but live in Portland, i would be in good shape.
 
You can do that? At what time difference for the kid from their age you paid to starting and/or completing?

It is the GETS program for Washington. We bought the maximum credits for each kid when they were born. They use a formula that is supposed to pay for a four year degree at a state school and is guaranteed by the state. Tuition has increased so much that buying in now is a bad deal.
 
It is the GETS program for Washington. We bought the maximum credits for each kid when they were born. They use a formula that is supposed to pay for a four year degree at a state school and is guaranteed by the state. Tuition has increased so much that buying in now is a bad deal.

Hmm that's pretty cool! But your last statement implies tuition will go down, do you believe that to be the case?
 

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