In today’s world, especially in the US, we’re told that we need to go to college and get an education in order to have a decent living. But nowadays it’s not so easy, and it’s only boomers telling us how easy it was. College is causing many students to get in debt so early in their life. There are scholarships, however for some that’ll be a hassle to obtain considering other factors in life. What would you suggest?
The number one predictor of adult hood wealth right now is the wealth you were born into.
I still get boomers yelling at me about college.
If you have a roof over your head than you are fine. 20 years from now and the world capitalist system is on chemical fire. your quality of life likely wont be contigent on some shitty imperial degree at that point
But it hurts me a lot that kids are suffering with this capitalist bullshit. All this caused me a lot of physical and emotional pain when I was younger.
At the risk of sounding like a tech bro cliche, A lot of tech job dont require degree if you are tech savvy, a lot of them are fairly low entry points (IT) and can set you up to make good wages in just a few years.
I have a friend who has a degree in biology but has been building PCs since he was 8 yrs old. Did his own electronic repair “job” off the record for years until he finally landed a “real” IT job. He never got a real programming degree till after he made it into IT. He was making bank before and now idk how much he makes now but I know he’s pretty much set. He’s gotten so much free hardware he resells it’s stupid. He has a server he uses as his personal PC that is the most OP shit I’ve ever seen and it was free because the company was throwing it away because a hard drive failed. That’s it. lol.
I’m gonna get into repair because there isn’t an easier job option rn.
My first job was an internship in san francisco was an internship for $18 when I was 16…
$18 a day?
An hour. This was like 2018… not too bad. Didn’t have to work too hard either. my dad was respected at the company…
Wow, that’s basically what I make now
Trade jobs are everywhere and thanks to the “go to college and get a desk job” push there was a pretty big shortage of new workers for a while. From what I understand it’s left a worrisome gap in the experience as the “old guard” are retiring and there aren’t enough experience workers to replace them. So I’d look into trade jobs. I know a guy that was able to get in as an electrician with little background experience. It’s rough starting out especially if you aren’t part of a union but once you get a few years behind you back I hear the pay can get pretty good.
This is just what I had heard some years ago. I do not know if that situation has changed.
In my area of the US it has changed for the better. There is definitely the age gap you describe. Employers are looking at (and experiencing) massive retirements from the baby boomers and are trying to compensate with cash incentives and training programs. Employers are starting to accept that if they want anyone working for them in 5 years they have to start training immediately and make that training an entry to a viable career.
Personally, I think we are set for a major labor shortage that will empower worker improvements that were put off through the whole career span of baby boomers. Employers are pouting right now saying that nobody wants to work, but they know that it is actually that nobody wants to work a shit job for shit pay for the next 40 years of their life.
In short, ‘the trades’ are a good way to go. Tons of openings for plumbers, electricians, and any other niches like that. These are jobs that simply won’t be allowed to disappear.
It’s really hard to suggest anything, you’re fucked either way, heavily depends on your current situation and circumstances. College gives you a bigger potential ceiling in terms of income but you’re taking a big risk and even after you get your degree you’re going to have to tolerate being stepped on and abused by your superiors when trying to climb up the ladder. Without college there’s not much easy options besides going into the service industry, which pays like garbage. I would say trades, but they’re really not that much better and come with the same issues, having to tolerate being paid like ass for a couple years before you get up in the ladder. My cousin is a plumber, he’s not going to school, but currently he isn’t paid nearly enough to move out of his parents house and is waiting to move up. He’s been a plumber for four years and nothing’s changed for him yet. It sucks. Also your location matters a lot to. I grew up and live in the south where right to work is king and there are barely any good union jobs, which makes going into the trades MUCH less appealing.
Anyways, good luck, I hope you find something. I’m sorry I can’t really give you a specific answer.
It’s really hard to suggest anything, you’re fucked either way, heavily depends on your current situation and circumstances.
Yep
Can’t help but feeling a lot of boomers are gonna be eating cockroaches in the the old ages.
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Yeah but their working conditions suck and it is pretty much impossible to have a family because of the irregular long hours and the travel.
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Join a trade school. Electricians. They have a prominent union, too. That’ll be more and more important. I was gonna do that, but I was already too deep in college lol.
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If you have the money, support, and desire to do so, go to college. If not, trade school is a pretty good option. It’s a better return on your investment, anyway. Those jobs will always be needed. Tech can get you pretty far too, if that’s your thing.
You could always spend a couple years in community college and finish out your undergrad at a public university if you’re broke, and you’ll probably be able to go on to grad school without too much financial difficult due to stipends and what not, but you’ll be poor all the while. Don’t get any ideas about starting a family until you’re a bit older. That’s just the reality of living under capitalism right now, unfortunately.
I think you should follow your heart on this one. If you’re gonna be working forty hours every week for decades, you should try to enjoy your work. That’s probably a little bourgeois, but it’s just my two cents.
