Graduation

[kraft-t]

What amazes me that some folks think that $35K per year is a great job and they can live well and pay off their debts.

This is america and 2012 and 35K is a good job?

[GoredHusker]

This is one of the big problems.  People go off to college and get a degree in something that has very little use in the real world.  There was a kid that graduated back in the late 80's from one of the local high schools.  I believe he still holds the record for the amount of scholarship dollars awarded.  He was extremely smart and even skipped a grade or two.  He went to college to get an english degree.  While he didn't have any student loans, he basically wasted what was given to him.  He worked for a paper for a while, but the last time I knew he was bagging groceries because there's just not much demand for an english degree unless one becomes an english teacher.  Several kids locally went on to college to get a psychology degree.  Most of these people once they graduated learned that their degree meant very little when trying to find a job. 

I tend to believe some sort of education beyond high school is very useful.  However, I see so many people go into fields where there really isn't much future.  If a kid is good with his hands, there's absolutely nothing wrong with using what they have and going to a trade school.  Here locally, a person could make a very good living being a plumber; electrician; welder; etc because they are very few and far between.  Auto body and paint guys make a fortune out here because there's very few, and we are in a somewhat high hail area. 

Too many people go off to college without the slightest idea of what they want to do in life.  They compound this problem with taking student loans and then changing majors several times while in college.  I almost compare this to a person not really knowing what kind of car they want, so they just go out and buy one.  After a while, they decide that wasn't for them so they get another one.  Five years down the road and three cars later, they finally get what they wanted.  However, they now basically owe twice as much as the car they have would have cost if they'd have just bought one car and stuck with it rather than continually trading until they found the one they wanted. 

[kraft-t]

some universities have endowment specifically for that purpose.

Rich college students go to school and pay their own way and don't need  free school or reduced rates. Yet somehow feel cheated because they didn't get a discount.

It's kind of like the farmer that didn't get a debt write down in the 80's but is jealous of the guy that did. I guess One can't help the unfortunate without helping you to.

Do you go to the John Deere store and ask for $1000 rebate on the tractor you bought because your neighbor paid less for one just like it.

[GoredHusker]

You almost have to go there.  I've read several articles over the past year or so stating employers are having difficulties finding qualified workers.  Without some sort of chanelling young people into the right field, we have what we have:  a lot of people educated in things that employers don't want or need and not enough educated in things that are desirable. 

I wish you could point me in the direction of a welder only charging 8 bucks an hour.  Around here, it's quite a bit higher than that.  Welders welding aluminum is over ten times that rate. 

[hardnox604008]

I happen to know a number of english majors who have done very well as they were literate people who are valued in communications, PR, politics, advertising etc. However they all started in low paying crappy jobs and then proved their worth.

The problem is when people start thinking their too artisitic or something to do plain work that pays. True also of say, music majors as there is some demand for teaching etc. in music but have known more than few divas who couldn't bring themselves to do such lowly work.

[GoredHusker]

35K based upon a 40 hour work week isn't bad.  I know hired hands making 50+K, but this is based on a work week well above 40 hours.  It's all a matter of perspective.  A couple of years ago, a friend of mine's son started a banking job.  The starting salary there was 30K.  I've kind of fallen out of the loop, but I believe the starting salary for a teacher locally is somewhere around 30K. 

[kraft-t]

There are bound to be thousands of people to fill those jobs. If only they were willing to compete for them. Pay the price and hire someone away from another business if you ca't get an applicant.

Quit complaining about not being able to hire a competent employee for 35 cents an hour. They cost more than that . Advertize at $35 dollars an hour and see who shows up.

It's a market based economy and no one is entitled to cheap labor.  It's capitalism. Pay what the market is or do without.

[Jim B. in Iowa]

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@kraft-t wrote:

some universities have endowment specifically for that purpose.

Rich college students go to school and pay their own way and don't need  free school or reduced rates. Yet somehow feel cheated because they didn't get a discount.

It's kind of like the farmer that didn't get a debt write down in the 80's but is jealous of the guy that did. I guess One can't help the unfortunate without helping you to.

Do you go to the John Deere store and ask for $1000 rebate on the tractor you bought because your neighbor paid less for one just like it.

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How much debt did you get written down in the 80s don?  The reason it upsets some folks is those same guys who over extended in the 80's, got it written off, many also have a bankruptcy under their belts, are now going whole hog running up rental rates and land prices.   Either everyone should have gotten a deal, or noone.  Its the same with the current banking system, where the govt picked the winners.  Same with the new energy tech fields, where the govt picks the winners (or losers, I guess, if one looks at the solyndras). 

If my neighbor bought a tractor for $X, I'd damb sure ask for the same price for the same rig. 

[Jim B. in Iowa]

Its a hell of a starting wage...its far more than the average person in rural Iowa makes.  If the wifey works a little they are pulling in $50K ... if you can't make your payments on that as a young family, you've got spending problems.   Oh, thats right...its NEVER about  the spending, always about the income. 

[Jim B. in Iowa]

God forbid folks be responsible for their own debt, right?  One thing to remember...they can't really walk away from this...can't dispose of it through bankruptcy...only death gets rid of the debt.

I blame some of this on our current societal mindset to borrow for everything, worry about payments later.  The kids see their parents do this with all their cars and toys, why not do it with student loans?  With a little pushing from parents, many of these kids could have alleviated some debt load by working more while going to school.  I know it doesnt fit all fields, but not everyone is in med school or law school.