Advice from experience

lyndausvi

SoontobeMrsKlein said:

Double check what city you are buying tickets for. One time I didn't realize that the site had defaulted to another province and I ended up buying concert tickets for Toronto rather than Edmonton. 

OMG, when I was living in St Thomas a nice family came on board the boat.   It was step-mom, dad and 2-3 daughters.    While talking to them it seems they were in the VI to see a concert of some big name (I forgot who, now).    Now, you see the VI does not get big name  gigs so we questioned them more.   They swore up and down the concert was in St John.    St John has 5000 people on the island.  No way we would NOT know there was a big named artist playing.

After some research on our phones, come to find out the concert was in St John.   Just not St John, USVI, it was in St John, Newfoundland.

I felt sooo bad for them.  The step-mom was so excited to give the tickets to their step-daughters.  

 All was not lost.   Our captain has a band and invite them to one of their gigs.  The band learned one of the songs from the group they were to see as a surprise.

On another note, I've met quite a few people who bought airline tickets to St John, via St Thomas.  Sadly they booked their hotel in St Johns, Antigua.      A lot of them got upset at ME because they were on the wrong island.

sarawifenow

Never forget that you ate a mint before you take a drink of your orange juice!

FiancB

I'd take the in-state thing a step further and say to start at a CC.  Much cheaper.  Obviously that isn't for everyone, but I do think it's for the vast majority.  When I was in high school I thought the people that went to CC were losers, and I felt like if I didn't run off somewhere and live in the dorms that I'd miss out on "the college experience". LOL no. 

Also I don't think it's necessarily the best idea to immediately go to college as soon as you graduate from high school. Not if you're not sure what you want to do.  I wasn't mature enough for college at that time, I didn't appreciate it, and I had no real feel what the job market would be like (didn't help I entered pre-recession and graduated post). 

I got a bachelor's in animal science from a state school. Recently I went back for an associate's in nursing and will probably continue and get my bachelor's in that as well. I'm finding the quality of education to be just as high, and it's a lot more hands-on. 

H and I talk about this all the time.  He went to college when he kind of didn't want to, started out for music, switched to English, worked for a little while, then went back for a master's in teaching.  And he kind of hates it.  There are people with 2 year certificates in some trade or another that make a lot more money with a lot less stress. 

That's kinda my soap box. I love education. I'm glad I have one. But I think the whole thing is pushed a little too hard on a lot of people.  And I think for those that are young and don't know better, there's sort of this fear that you need to go to a "good" school and state schools are looked down upon.  I can see why Ivy would matter for some fields, but it doesn't matter for most.  In nursing, private schools are downright looked down upon because it's surmised that you weren't able to get into a more competitive public school, so you forked over a ton of money instead.  Private nursing schools tend to have insanely low NCLEX pass rates. 

thisismynickname2

FiancB said:

I'd take the in-state thing a step further and say to start at a CC.  Much cheaper.  Obviously that isn't for everyone, but I do think it's for the vast majority.  When I was in high school I thought the people that went to CC were losers, and I felt like if I didn't run off somewhere and live in the dorms that I'd miss out on "the college experience". LOL no. 

Also I don't think it's necessarily the best idea to immediately go to college as soon as you graduate from high school. Not if you're not sure what you want to do.  I wasn't mature enough for college at that time, I didn't appreciate it, and I had no real feel what the job market would be like (didn't help I entered pre-recession and graduated post). 

I got a bachelor's in animal science from a state school. Recently I went back for an associate's in nursing and will probably continue and get my bachelor's in that as well. I'm finding the quality of education to be just as high, and it's a lot more hands-on. 

H and I talk about this all the time.  He went to college when he kind of didn't want to, started out for music, switched to English, worked for a little while, then went back for a master's in teaching.  And he kind of hates it.  There are people with 2 year certificates in some trade or another that make a lot more money with a lot less stress. 

That's kinda my soap box. I love education. I'm glad I have one. But I think the whole thing is pushed a little too hard on a lot of people.  And I think for those that are young and don't know better, there's sort of this fear that you need to go to a "good" school and state schools are looked down upon.  I can see why Ivy would matter for some fields, but it doesn't matter for most.  In nursing, private schools are downright looked down upon because it's surmised that you weren't able to get into a more competitive public school, so you forked over a ton of money instead.  Private nursing schools tend to have insanely low NCLEX pass rates. 

I agree with you so much.  I had two different desired majors, both of which I knew wouldn't pay much (journalism and music). Most of my classmates were going to private schools; I applied to and got into several private schools, but in looking at all the tuition I realized, "Well, this is a lot of money for a low paying job."  I chose the public school.  I'm working right alongside people with "more prestigious" degrees and I know, because they talk about it, how bad their debt is. They regret their choices. 

 

Your field matters a lot both in return on investment and in job competitiveness for the market. I have no desire to work in a Fortune 500 company, and if I did, I'd probably be at a disadvantage right now. But how would I know at 18 that to work for such-and-such industry, I'd be better off with a prestigious degree? Or, conversely, how would I know that a fancy degree would be pointless?

I don't think most high schoolers are equipped with enough of the right information to make the right decisions.  Nowadays with sky-high tuition and states cutting educational funding, teenagers need so much more information than "go to the best school possible regardless of cost."   My public, low-cost college was well known for education, and some of my best friends are making exactly the same amount of money as the teachers who paid for, and went into a lot of debt for, "fancy" schools. (Again, they know this because their coworkers talk about debt.)

lovegood90

Don't hang out with people on mushrooms (unless you are also on mushrooms). They're really effing annoying.

If you get a spray tan for an event, make sure you plan your workout/shower routine accordingly so you don't melt everywhere and look diseased (happened to a friend...).

jenna8984

lovegood90 said:

Don't hang out with people on mushrooms (unless you are also on mushrooms). They're really effing annoying.

If you get a spray tan for an event, make sure you plan your workout/shower routine accordingly so you don't melt everywhere and look diseased (happened to a friend...).

omg you're friends with Christina Aguilera?!

bizzy592

Advice I wish I could give to my younger self: you can't choose your family, but you can choose your friends. Just because you've been friends with someone 'forever' doesn't mean that you're obligated to remain friends with them for the rest of your life.

I had a few 'mean girl' friends in high school and college who were beyond toxic. But, we'd had so many shared experiences, I felt like they'd automatically be my BMs, godmother to my children, shared vacation house, etc.. Coming to the realization that I didn't HAVE to keep them in my life felt like I'd put down a heavy weight I'd been carrying.

julieanne912

Go to an in state public college.  Especially for a useless design degree.  

KatWAG said:

lolo883 said:

KatWAG said:

julieanne912 said:

Go to an in state public college.  Especially for a useless design degree.  

I strongly disagree with this.

Me too, and the "useless" label.

I really don't want to get into a huge college/ education debate. But that comment made my blood boil.

 

Why?  I was at an in state school that was very cheap (and had the degree program I wanted) and transferred to an out of state private school, for interior design.  I thought the private out of state school would give me a better education.  Upon finishing, interior design never paid me enough to live on, but I have TONS of debt for it.  My career now is something I didn't even need a degree for (and I started doing it to make extra money in college).  

Hence, to me, it was useless.  I thought this thread was about our own life lessons we have learned?  So, why would my life experience make your blood boil?

thisismynickname2

Here's my advice---

When trying sushi for the first time, that little green blob that is likely to be on your plate is HOT- proceed with caution.

The little canister of red and orange flakes when you get pizza is also not all-spice. It's HOT. .... Ruined a perfectly good slice of cheese pizza once. << sob >>

KatWAG

julieanne912 said:

Go to an in state public college.  Especially for a useless design degree.  

KatWAG said:

lolo883 said:

KatWAG said:

julieanne912 said:

Go to an in state public college.  Especially for a useless design degree.  

I strongly disagree with this.

Me too, and the "useless" label.

I really don't want to get into a huge college/ education debate. But that comment made my blood boil.

 

Why?  I was at an in state school that was very cheap (and had the degree program I wanted) and transferred to an out of state private school, for interior design.  I thought the private out of state school would give me a better education.  Upon finishing, interior design never paid me enough to live on, but I have TONS of debt for it.  My career now is something I didn't even need a degree for (and I started doing it to make extra money in college).  

Hence, to me, it was useless.  I thought this thread was about our own life lessons we have learned?  So, why would my life experience make your blood boil?

Your blanket generalization made my blood boil. Education isn't one size fits all.

badbnagdway

thisismynickname said:

FiancB said:

I'd take the in-state thing a step further and say to start at a CC.  Much cheaper.  Obviously that isn't for everyone, but I do think it's for the vast majority.  When I was in high school I thought the people that went to CC were losers, and I felt like if I didn't run off somewhere and live in the dorms that I'd miss out on "the college experience". LOL no. 

Also I don't think it's necessarily the best idea to immediately go to college as soon as you graduate from high school. Not if you're not sure what you want to do.  I wasn't mature enough for college at that time, I didn't appreciate it, and I had no real feel what the job market would be like (didn't help I entered pre-recession and graduated post). 

I got a bachelor's in animal science from a state school. Recently I went back for an associate's in nursing and will probably continue and get my bachelor's in that as well. I'm finding the quality of education to be just as high, and it's a lot more hands-on. 

H and I talk about this all the time.  He went to college when he kind of didn't want to, started out for music, switched to English, worked for a little while, then went back for a master's in teaching.  And he kind of hates it.  There are people with 2 year certificates in some trade or another that make a lot more money with a lot less stress. 

That's kinda my soap box. I love education. I'm glad I have one. But I think the whole thing is pushed a little too hard on a lot of people.  And I think for those that are young and don't know better, there's sort of this fear that you need to go to a "good" school and state schools are looked down upon.  I can see why Ivy would matter for some fields, but it doesn't matter for most.  In nursing, private schools are downright looked down upon because it's surmised that you weren't able to get into a more competitive public school, so you forked over a ton of money instead.  Private nursing schools tend to have insanely low NCLEX pass rates. 

I agree with you so much.  I had two different desired majors, both of which I knew wouldn't pay much (journalism and music). Most of my classmates were going to private schools; I applied to and got into several private schools, but in looking at all the tuition I realized, "Well, this is a lot of money for a low paying job."  I chose the public school.  I'm working right alongside people with "more prestigious" degrees and I know, because they talk about it, how bad their debt is. They regret their choices. 

 

Your field matters a lot both in return on investment and in job competitiveness for the market. I have no desire to work in a Fortune 500 company, and if I did, I'd probably be at a disadvantage right now. But how would I know at 18 that to work for such-and-such industry, I'd be better off with a prestigious degree? Or, conversely, how would I know that a fancy degree would be pointless?

I don't think most high schoolers are equipped with enough of the right information to make the right decisions.  Nowadays with sky-high tuition and states cutting educational funding, teenagers need so much more information than "go to the best school possible regardless of cost."   My public, low-cost college was well known for education, and some of my best friends are making exactly the same amount of money as the teachers who paid for, and went into a lot of debt for, "fancy" schools. (Again, they know this because their coworkers talk about debt.)

I agree, there is no one size fits all recommendation. It depends a lot on your field. I am in a prestige driven field where the price of admission is graduate school. I have two graduate degrees from programs with very prestigious pedigrees, and that has made a huge difference in my employment. No one cares where I went to undergrad though, and that really didn't have bearing on getting into grad school. The reality is that a bachelor's degree is pretty devalued in today's market place as it is not the terminal degree in any given field. If you know there is a high likelihood that to get the job you really want, you'll need to get a master's or above, it makes more sense to spend less on undergrad and then go to a more prestigious graduate program. 

On the other hand, one of my little sisters is in college and getting an engineering degree. She could certainly continue on to get a grad degree, but engineering is a field where you can earn good money just with a bach degree. I would think it would make a pretty big difference in your job options whether you went to a top engineering school or not in that case. 

julieanne912

KatWAG said:

julieanne912 said:

Go to an in state public college.  Especially for a useless design degree.  

KatWAG said:

lolo883 said:

KatWAG said:

julieanne912 said:

Go to an in state public college.  Especially for a useless design degree.  

I strongly disagree with this.

Me too, and the "useless" label.

I really don't want to get into a huge college/ education debate. But that comment made my blood boil.

 

Why?  I was at an in state school that was very cheap (and had the degree program I wanted) and transferred to an out of state private school, for interior design.  I thought the private out of state school would give me a better education.  Upon finishing, interior design never paid me enough to live on, but I have TONS of debt for it.  My career now is something I didn't even need a degree for (and I started doing it to make extra money in college).  

Hence, to me, it was useless.  I thought this thread was about our own life lessons we have learned?  So, why would my life experience make your blood boil?

Your blanket generalization made my blood boil. Education isn't one size fits all.

Did I say it was?  Again, this whole thread is what we learned from our own personal experiences.  That is what I learned.  Chill out

wandajune6

One good friend is better than an army of casual buddies.

If your gut says the relationship isn't what you want, don't waste your time.

We all define "home" differently- a place, a person, an object, etc. Don't assume that everyone agrees with you.

And a bit controversial-- sometimes settling isn't so bad. It's not a long term solution but there's nothing wrong with occasionally settling for "good enough" while you get your bearings.

KatieinBkln

FiancB said:

I'd take the in-state thing a step further and say to start at a CC.  Much cheaper.  Obviously that isn't for everyone, but I do think it's for the vast majority.  When I was in high school I thought the people that went to CC were losers, and I felt like if I didn't run off somewhere and live in the dorms that I'd miss out on "the college experience". LOL no. 

Also I don't think it's necessarily the best idea to immediately go to college as soon as you graduate from high school. Not if you're not sure what you want to do.  I wasn't mature enough for college at that time, I didn't appreciate it, and I had no real feel what the job market would be like (didn't help I entered pre-recession and graduated post). 

I got a bachelor's in animal science from a state school. Recently I went back for an associate's in nursing and will probably continue and get my bachelor's in that as well. I'm finding the quality of education to be just as high, and it's a lot more hands-on. 

H and I talk about this all the time.  He went to college when he kind of didn't want to, started out for music, switched to English, worked for a little while, then went back for a master's in teaching.  And he kind of hates it.  There are people with 2 year certificates in some trade or another that make a lot more money with a lot less stress. 

That's kinda my soap box. I love education. I'm glad I have one. But I think the whole thing is pushed a little too hard on a lot of people.  And I think for those that are young and don't know better, there's sort of this fear that you need to go to a "good" school and state schools are looked down upon.  I can see why Ivy would matter for some fields, but it doesn't matter for most.  In nursing, private schools are downright looked down upon because it's surmised that you weren't able to get into a more competitive public school, so you forked over a ton of money instead.  Private nursing schools tend to have insanely low NCLEX pass rates. 

I agree with you so much.  I had two different desired majors, both of which I knew wouldn't pay much (journalism and music). Most of my classmates were going to private schools; I applied to and got into several private schools, but in looking at all the tuition I realized, "Well, this is a lot of money for a low paying job."  I chose the public school.  I'm working right alongside people with "more prestigious" degrees and I know, because they talk about it, how bad their debt is. They regret their choices. 

 

Your field matters a lot both in return on investment and in job competitiveness for the market. I have no desire to work in a Fortune 500 company, and if I did, I'd probably be at a disadvantage right now. But how would I know at 18 that to work for such-and-such industry, I'd be better off with a prestigious degree? Or, conversely, how would I know that a fancy degree would be pointless?

I don't think most high schoolers are equipped with enough of the right information to make the right decisions.  Nowadays with sky-high tuition and states cutting educational funding, teenagers need so much more information than "go to the best school possible regardless of cost."   My public, low-cost college was well known for education, and some of my best friends are making exactly the same amount of money as the teachers who paid for, and went into a lot of debt for, "fancy" schools. (Again, they know this because their coworkers talk about debt.)

Re: the first bold, I agree that not everyone should go to college straight out of high school, but the second part, "not if you don't know what you want to do" doesn't really work for me. I was mature enough for college, and I was (am) a DORK. An academic setting full of general courses in topics that interested me? I was in heaven! I had NO idea what I wanted to do for work once I graduated, but that didn't matter. I was there to learn; I loved to learn. And I maintain that liberal arts degrees (vs. hard science or "training" degrees like engineering or business or nursing) prepare a person for a wide variety of jobs. Even a theater degree could be useful in sales.

Re: the second bold, I think this is so true. Partially it's a product of a culture that insists that you must have a bachelor's degree if you ever want to get anywhere before you die (untrue) while simultaneously experiencing an economic contraction that resulted in fewer jobs for everyone, including those bright, educated college grads. A university degree used to be a better investment, A. because there were more jobs, but B. because it was actually cheaper. I can't recall the source right now, but I was recently reading that back in the 70s, a person could reasonably expect to work part-time at minimum wage and pay for their tuition. That is simply not possible today; hence the ballooning debt that young people are basically forced to go into (because remember kids, a BA is the only way!). 

As for how to prepare a high school student in a climate like this...oof. Who even knows? It's easy to say "start at a cheaper CC, major in something specific, go to work in that field." But even if I believed in my heart that that is the right course for a majority of people, the simple fact stands that the world doesn't need unlimited business/nursing/engineering majors. The country's economy keeps turning because of the wide gamut of different jobs available out there. The country's culture keeps going because of the wide gamut of different skills people have--but to hear most people talk today, we should all squelch any desire we have for history or graphic arts or literature or anthropology in favor of a short-term plan to avoid debt. Why is no one questioning the debt-holders? Why should the people suffer? It's bullshit, y'all.

julieanne912

I used to give my older brother a hard time because he spent a loooonggg time at the community college.  Like, 6 years.  But, it took him that time to figure out what he wanted to do, and he spent about 1/3 of what I spent going to school.  He didn't get his bachelor's until he was 28, but now he does a job he loves.  I'm a bit jealous of him now

iloveotters2014

julieanne912 said:

Go to an in state public college.  Especially for a useless design degree.  

I don't post that often but this one really ticked me off. In state public college is great for a lot of things, but I most definitely would not have received the design education I have been given, and I most certainly would not be in the job I'm in today without my private design school education.

The degree I busted my ass off for is not at all useless.

julieanne912

iloveotters2014 said:

julieanne912 said:

Go to an in state public college.  Especially for a useless design degree.  

I don't post that often but this one really ticked me off. In state public college is great for a lot of things, but I most definitely would not have received the design education I have been given, and I most certainly would not be in the job I'm in today without my private design school education.

The degree I busted my ass off for is not at all useless.

That's awesome it worked out for you.  It didn't for me, so that's why I say it's useless.  The most I've ever managed to do with my degree is take on side work to earn a few thousand here and there.  So I guess it's not entirely useless, but certainly not overly useful since it's never been enough to live on long term.

NowIamMrsKlein

Ou. I have an education related one:

Even if you don't end up in a field that's in anything related to your education, don't forget the reason why you initially chose that subject.

I work in payroll administration for a survey company. I've been in payroll administration for 8 years.

I went to college for Theatre Acting, followed by Arts Management, so obviously my career is pretty far from my education.

The reason being is pretty simple, I didn't have the acting chops or the drive to be able to succeed in the business. And once I graduated from the management course there just wasn't any jobs in the field that would allow me to afford my mortgage. So I got a job that paid the bills and 8 years later here I am.

For a long time I pushed that artistic side of me down and out of sight. I had failed. I didn't want to be reminded of it so i pretended I was no longer interested in it. 

But it was a huge part of who I was, and thats what made me audition for school to begin with. And I was good enough to get in. So to ignore that side of me for so many years lead to pretty major identity crisis. But once I allowed myself to find other artistic outlets while still staying in my job that paid the bills, I finally refound myself;

kmmssg

When making your boss ' travel plans DO NOT have him flying back to Lansing when you flew him OUT of Detroit. Didn't go well.

sarahufl

iloveotters2014 said:

julieanne912 said:

Go to an in state public college.  Especially for a useless design degree.  

I don't post that often but this one really ticked me off. In state public college is great for a lot of things, but I most definitely would not have received the design education I have been given, and I most certainly would not be in the job I'm in today without my private design school education.

The degree I busted my ass off for is not at all useless.

oh, FFS. This is in no way means YOUR degree is useless. It means she thinks hers was.

Jells2dot0

if you think something about your health is off, don't ignore it. Even if you are in fantastic shape, eat all of the right foods, and are young, you can still have a serious health problem.

Shit happens my friends.

iloveotters2014

sarahufl said:

iloveotters2014 said:

julieanne912 said:

Go to an in state public college.  Especially for a useless design degree.  

I don't post that often but this one really ticked me off. In state public college is great for a lot of things, but I most definitely would not have received the design education I have been given, and I most certainly would not be in the job I'm in today without my private design school education.

The degree I busted my ass off for is not at all useless.

oh, FFS. This is in no way means YOUR degree is useless. It means she thinks hers was.

And I'm saying that her choice in college in no way makes her useless degree any more or less useless. It may not be the degree....

ETA: Just so there is no confusion. Quite a few people in my school did nothing with their degrees. That is by no fault of the eduction and everything to do with them. Going to a state school wouldn't change that.

If she didn't want to be offensive she could have said...."Go to an in state school for a career I actually want."

plainjane0415

thisismynickname said:

Here's my advice---

When trying sushi for the first time, that little green blob that is likely to be on your plate is HOT- proceed with caution.

The little canister of red and orange flakes when you get pizza is also not all-spice. It's HOT. .... Ruined a perfectly good slice of cheese pizza once. << sob >>

Both points you have made are so important in life... Made the mistake of taking a large piece? of the wasabi off my sushi plate once.  Everything was burning... Including my nose. Ouch.

plainjane0415

iloveotters2014 said:

julieanne912 said:

Go to an in state public college.  Especially for a useless design degree.  

I don't post that often but this one really ticked me off. In state public college is great for a lot of things, but I most definitely would not have received the design education I have been given, and I most certainly would not be in the job I'm in today without my private design school education.

The degree I busted my ass off for is not at all useless.

This.  I wish I would have had the courage to say, no mom and dad, I'm not getting a business degree, I want to go to fashion design school.  But I didn't..

It irritates me because I would kill to have gone to school for design and you kind of discount it as usless.  To a lot of people who make their life in that industry, it is NOT useless.

lovemesomemonster

thisismynickname said:

Here's my advice---

When trying sushi for the first time, that little green blob that is likely to be on your plate is HOT- proceed with caution.

The little canister of red and orange flakes when you get pizza is also not all-spice. It's HOT. .... Ruined a perfectly good slice of cheese pizza once. << sob >>

I will add to this! When eating sushi in Taiwan, they manage to hide chunks of wasabi INSIDE the sushi or under fish.. that's one way to open up the sinuses! Especially fun when you are eating with work people and silently dying inside.

flantastic

KatieinBkln said:

sarahufl said:

sarahufl said:

KatWAG said:

julieanne912 said:

I don't! My in-state, public bachelor's and master's degrees are long since paid off. I now manage a graduate program at an ivy league and I see the debt these folks are absolutely drowning in.

I make more money than they will when they graduate.

I'm an in-state university grad, too, but I think where I disagree with the advice above is in its unilateral certainty. State schools are right for a lot of people; Ivies are right for a lot of people; tiny liberal arts schools are right for a lot of people; community college is right for a lot of people. 

And frankly, I hate the idea that college is meant to be job training. I realize that we live in a world that pushes that notion, but a liberal arts education was never meant to train you to do X thing. It's meant to teach you to think critically, make connections, and be a thoughtful, informed citizen. Schools of all stripes can offer this kind of education.

As usual, you are correct

But I do think more people need to think more critically about how much debt they are going into. It isn't sensible to be 22 and thousands and thousands in debt for a fine arts degree. I meet so many people who can't afford homes or vacations or basic necessities because they wanted to go to a college they couldn't afford. As @magicink says above, free community college! Awesome! That is a smart financial decision to make.

Different schools suit different people, no doubt. That is why there are thousands of colleges in the US. But being debt free is so much fun.

Totally agree with the bolded.

It makes me so sad though, to think that fine arts degrees should be limited to a certain privileged class (not that there aren't affordable schools that offer these degrees, but many of the really good programs are from small, pricey schools). I don't have a solution; I just hate it.

(I think I am in a box? For a second we were both OUT of the box. I don't know. I'm html-challenged).

Just to add here: I think the Program of Liberal Studies (or "Great Books") major at Notre Dame and a few other places should be an option everywhere, especially community colleges. There's no reason they can't. They're the great books - literature, philosophy, economics, etc. They're available wherever. Double that major with accounting or whatever, or minor in it, but read and discuss these things.* I didn't major in it, but I think everyone should have that option.

*You also do not have to attend college to accomplish this, but it facilitates good reading and thinking and can guide you towards the truly society- and history-altering works.

chibiyui

SoontobeMrsKlein said:

Ou. I have an education related one:

Even if you don't end up in a field that's in anything related to your education, don't forget the reason why you initially chose that subject.

I work in payroll administration for a survey company. I've been in payroll administration for 8 years.

I went to college for Theatre Acting, followed by Arts Management, so obviously my career is pretty far from my education.

The reason being is pretty simple, I didn't have the acting chops or the drive to be able to succeed in the business. And once I graduated from the management course there just wasn't any jobs in the field that would allow me to afford my mortgage. So I got a job that paid the bills and 8 years later here I am.

For a long time I pushed that artistic side of me down and out of sight. I had failed. I didn't want to be reminded of it so i pretended I was no longer interested in it. 

But it was a huge part of who I was, and thats what made me audition for school to begin with. And I was good enough to get in. So to ignore that side of me for so many years lead to pretty major identity crisis. But once I allowed myself to find other artistic outlets while still staying in my job that paid the bills, I finally refound myself;

Thank you.

I'm in an art funk right now, and that comment was just the right amount of pep-talk and fire under my ass.

julieanne912

iloveotters2014 said:

sarahufl said:

iloveotters2014 said:

julieanne912 said:

Go to an in state public college.  Especially for a useless design degree.  

I don't post that often but this one really ticked me off. In state public college is great for a lot of things, but I most definitely would not have received the design education I have been given, and I most certainly would not be in the job I'm in today without my private design school education.

The degree I busted my ass off for is not at all useless.

oh, FFS. This is in no way means YOUR degree is useless. It means she thinks hers was.

And I'm saying that her choice in college in no way makes her useless degree any more or less useless. It may not be the degree....

ETA: Just so there is no confusion. Quite a few people in my school did nothing with their degrees. That is by no fault of the eduction and everything to do with them. Going to a state school wouldn't change that.

If she didn't want to be offensive she could have said...."Go to an in state school for a career I actually want."

The thing is, I would love to work in design full time, but I was never able to work that out and make a living, especially in a city like Chicago (where I went to school).  Had I kept going to the in-state public school (in their design program), I would be in debt about $10,000.  Instead I went to the private and my debt is $60,000+.   Had I stuck with the state school, I could have afforded to work for less in the design field.  But, I was 20 and thought that I could get an exponentially better education by going to a private school.  Hence me saying, at my older and wiser age... stick with the state school.  So, like I've said a few times now, my degree was useless FOR ME.  I never once said that design degrees were useless for everybody.

mikenberger

I have a useless History degree. But I know there are women on here that have worthwhile History degrees. But my degree is useless because I've rendered it completely useless. I no longer care to work in the field full time, I'd much rather just dabble in History and kick ass at bar trivia. 

And community college FTW. Took me four years on a two year. 

And then there's FI who has a liberal arts degree and makes a damn fine living. Education is what you make it. And how it applies to your life and future is how you apply it. 

My life experience to share:

Never wear tight underwear. You will never win a single battle in tight underwear. Daily life is best fought in comfortable well fitting underwear or none at all.

Dreamergirl8812

I have poked myself in the eye with string cheese on two different occasions. But I didn't learn a damn thing.