Y'all ever wish you would have gone to college instead?

[UPSER1987]

A little too self-reverent for me. In the end we deliver stuff to peoples/businesses homes/places. We have a a good. steady, high paying job with relatively free health care. Generally it's stable and secure(for now). I have 4 degrees in Aviation. They have been earned over the 40 years I've worked at UPS. Mainly when I was in Automotive and then Feeders. Pkg car didn't allow for anything but Pkg(too unpredictable). I've never used my education. We can't transfer and UPS isn't interested. My Brother is a degreed Civil Engineer. I make substantially more than he does and have better retirement and benefits. I make more than anyone I know with a few exceptions. Most likely more than anyone on my cul de sac. Would I do it differently? Absolutely. I would have moved heaven and earth to finish my 4 year degree as soon as possible after high school and went rotc military career active. Probably even receiving college credits in high school. Although I don't know if that was possible then. I didn't really have any kind of guidance from my parents. They just said you are going to work and go to college. And that's what I did.

Regrets? a few...

You forgot...shrug shoulders...

 

[35years]

I loved college and have a useful degree but decided to drive instead of going to law school. I use my college education every day and have no regrets. If I didn't enjoy this job I'd just go to law school (and that can be done without going into ridiculous amounts of debt). All of my friends have degrees and make similar or more money but work in offices and that's just not me. They pay eye popping premiums for health insurance and retirement is a decade further off than mine. They work a lot less but have stresses I can't relate too. They envy my vacation time while I envy their bank holidays and that they can make happy hour every day.

I'm tired of the "college is not for everyone" argument. That's a cop out to avoid admitting you are afraid at failure. I took 4 years of Latin and sucked so bad at it but I was there every day doing the work and putting in the effort. College basically teaches you critical thinking skills and that is a value in every facet of your life.

Go to college early, go late when the opportunity is available or when an unplanned opportunity presents itself. Just go.

"I'm tired of the "college is not for everyone" argument. That's a cop out to avoid admitting you are afraid at failure."

Could not disagree more.
College is not the only way to obtain critical thinking skills; and yes, I did attend a 4 year University.
In fact, considering the state of higher education these days, I would argue most institutions do a very poor job.

I am quite adept in a certain area of expertise. So much so, that the last PHD candidate who came to me to try out her thesis was more nervous presenting to me than presenting her formal dissertation. I did not acquire this expertise through my formal education.

To look at everyone who did not go to college as some how being afraid of failure, is being arrogant.

My time at the University was a waste of time and money. I can only think of one course I took that used the Socratic method, and was useful for bolstering critical thinking skills.

Bill Gates, Mark Zuckerberg, Steve Jobs never graduated college, to name just a few current people who are apparently afraid of failure.

College is not for everyone!

 

[104Feeder]

"I'm tired of the "college is not for everyone" argument. That's a cop out to avoid admitting you are afraid at failure."

Could not disagree more.
College is not the only way to obtain critical thinking skills; and yes, I did attend a 4 year University.
In fact, considering the state of higher education these days, I would argue most institutions do a very poor job.

I am quite adept in a certain area of expertise. So much so, that the last PHD candidate who came to me to try out her thesis was more nervous presenting to me than presenting her formal dissertation. I did not acquire this expertise through my formal education.

My time at the University was a waste of time and money. I can only think of one course I took that used the Socratic method, and was useful for bolstering critical thinking skills.

College is not for everyone!

I think you're confusing expertise with critical thinking skills. Very few have innate critical thinking skills but even those can be honed with university experience. I will agree that the Socratic method is the best way, in fact I feel if I had been taught that way all along my life path could have been very different.

I would make at least 2 years of college mandatory for everyone.

 

[oldngray]

"I'm tired of the "college is not for everyone" argument. That's a cop out to avoid admitting you are afraid at failure."

Could not disagree more.
College is not the only way to obtain critical thinking skills; and yes, I did attend a 4 year University.
In fact, considering the state of higher education these days, I would argue most institutions do a very poor job.

I am quite adept in a certain area of expertise. So much so, that the last PHD candidate who came to me to try out her thesis was more nervous presenting to me than presenting her formal dissertation. I did not acquire this expertise through my formal education.

My time at the University was a waste of time and money. I can only think of one course I took that used the Socratic method, and was useful for bolstering critical thinking skills.

College is not for everyone!

If your reason for going to college is to improve critical thinking and just learning to improve yourself you can save a ton of money by learning on your own and not worrying about getting college credits for it.

 

[Analbumcover]

I'm a college educated, white collar immigrant to the blue-collar UPS world and would never, ever go back to being white-collar salaried. I hear a lot of the old timers drivers who came in on the preload at 18 complain about everything. Honestly, the grass isn't always greener. This job can be a ball buster but it doesn't follow you home. You're compensated for your overtime and have benefits that rival that of federal employees.

My supervisor doesn't ask me to go to conferences on my vacation and if I don't feel like working one day, I can give my route to someone lower in seniority and go home. There's pros and cons to everything but don't think that the white-collar salaried world is any better. Personally, I felt that college was highly overrated aside from all the drinking and boobies.

 

[oldngray]

I'm a college educated, white collar immigrant to the blue-collar UPS world and would never, ever go back to being white-collar salaried. I hear a lot of the old timers drivers who came in on the preload at 18 complain about everything. Honestly, the grass isn't always greener. This job can be a ball buster but it doesn't follow you home. You're compensated for your overtime and have benefits that rival that of federal employees.

My supervisor doesn't ask me to go to conferences on my vacation and if I don't feel like working one day, I can give my route to someone lower in seniority and go home. There's pros and cons to everything but don't think that the white-collar salaried world is any better. Personally, I felt that college was highly overrated aside from all the drinking and boobies.

Most drivers have at least some college and many have degrees. They make more money driving a truck.

 

[ouanling]

Most drivers have at least some college and many have degrees. They make more money driving a truck.

Yeah, most non-new drivers ive met at my center are really above average in terms of inteligence. There's obviously a few low-class guys and the new guys are mostly brain dead.

Why sit in a ing office for 40-60k when base salary after 4 years is 65k+ to be outside and listen to .

Im not gonna stay long myself, but i would never quit for an other job. I'll just be going back to working for myself when covid is over.

 

[Overpaid Union Thug]

Traditional college is more or less a scam. Some critical careers, such as nursing and doctors, require it as a steppingstone/prerequisite for their medical training. And a few going into the financial field or scientific studies. But everything else is a waste of time unless your goal is to be top dog and some mundane administration job that doesn’t pay well.

The claim that college is required in order to learn/access critical thinking skills is a bunch of hogwash. Want proof of just how irrelevant the majority of college degrees actually are? Just look at our government. Something like 80% of our elected officials have college degrees of various types and they, obviously, are pros at making stupid decisions and fracking up this country.

Meanwhile, people that learned skills through OJT and/or trade schools tend to be more valuable to society than the majority of people who wasted their time, and sometimes they’re own money, on traditional college.

 

[35years]

I do not distain the pursuit of intellectual knowledge.
The search for truth, beauty, reason, and love are integral to human existence.
I just disagree that the modern college experience facilitates the development of the intellect for the vast majority of students.
It is more of an indoctrination camp in relativism and political correctness.

 

[1BROWNWRENCH]

I already did. Now I'm here after choosing a major I fooled myself into thinking I could do.

 

[quad decade guy]

I do not distain the pursuit of intellectual knowledge.
The search for truth, beauty, reason, and love are integral to human existence.
I just disagree that the modern college experience facilitates the development of the intellect for the vast majority of students.
It is more of an indoctrination camp in relativism and political correctness.

Well, it can be an indoctrination. Or not. Its depends. I would say an aviation or technical type school would not be(probably) liberal. Probably. It is possible to go to college and not become liberal or change your views. It's not an automatic conversion. I have a friend that I haven't seen in 30 years. We recently reconnected. He hasn't changed one bit with 30 years of life experiences.

I don't think most people go to college to facilitate their intellectual development. They go because they are told it is needed to get a better job and be successful.

My experience with college(to be successful) was to give them(profs) what they want. You can lie your way through the whole thing. Find out what they want and it will be a smooth ride with good grades. Play the game.....kind of like at UPS. Or not.

 

[quad decade guy]

I think you're confusing expertise with critical thinking skills. Very few have innate critical thinking skills but even those can be honed with university experience. I will agree that the Socratic method is the best way, in fact I feel if I had been taught that way all along my life path could have been very different.

I would make at least 2 years of college mandatory for everyone.

Ok. Who would pay for this college and what would be taught and by whom? Liberal , Conservative, Communist? What if you didn't/couldn't go? Then what? Serious questions. Who pays for your living during this time? You going to mandate this also? What if you are truly too stupid to go? Thought this all the way through?

 

[burrheadd]

Ok. Who would pay for this college and what would be taught and by whom? Liberal , Conservative, Communist? What if you didn't/couldn't go? Then what? Serious questions. Who pays for your living during this time? You going to mandate this also? What if you are truly too stupid to go? Thought this all the way through?

Oh not this again

 

[Hot Carl]

I did go. I do this because I enjoy it more and it pays better. I don't regret getting my degree, but if I ever went back to a desk job I would probably just get fat again.

 

[Netsua 3:16]

Hey great stuff guys. I’ve enjoyed the read this morning.
What’s unique about myself is that I’m the only member of my immediate family without a college degree. Dad, mom, sister, brothers all finished school. All have good jobs.
But I make more than all of them to drive around and drop some boxes off. Me, the one who was “smarter than everybody” but lazy through school.
College is a good thing. Education is a good thing. But not all of us are wired to be good little sheep our entire lives. Some of us just make money. That’s what I know how to do, and I always have and always will.

 

[sailfish]

Did go. Wish I didn't. Actually, wish I didn't go to UPS either. I got more out of a six month adult class at the local votech than I did pissing around with a number of jobs and colleges and certifications for ten years. Hindsight is 20/20 I guess.

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

Did go. Wish I didn't. Actually, wish I didn't go to UPS either. I got more out of a six month adult class at the local votech than I did pissing around with a number of jobs and colleges and certifications for ten years. Hindsight is 20/20 I guess.

But you gain valuable life experience and you know what you do not want to do
I got a job here working night turn here just because it is paying more than many other jobs that I was working before that
I never thought it would have been my career
But here I am..

 

[sailfish]

But you gain valuable life experience and you know what you do not want to do

That's the one disclaimer I've always maintained. If I became an electrician straight out of high school, would I know without a shadow of a doubt that there was no job I'd rather be doing? Or how to handle people's bull? Probably not.

 

[IVE GOTTA PACKAGE 4U]

That's the one disclaimer I've always maintained. If I became an electrician straight out of high school, would I know without a shadow of a doubt that there was no job I'd rather be doing? Or how to handle people's bull*? Probably not.

Now you know
!!!

 

[sailfish]

Now you know
!!!

Wouldn't have met my dad either.