Student Loan Debt?

[scootr]

Kids can work their way up to 6 figure jobs without college. Without loans. Without drug and alcohol parties at Mom And Dads expense.
There will be lean times and hard work, both of which are out of style with the younger entitled generations.
It worked for me and I have no regrets for the path I chose.

 

[ultrarunner]

As a 12 year veteran of the Catholic school system... there are just as many social problems at Catholic schools as public schools. There just isn't as much violence. As for Catholic high school, lots of alcohol and drugs. Always was, still is.

Maybe dependant on location?

I attended Catholic High School in East Oakland... and it prepared me well for college.

The district public high schools had an abysmal college placement. The Catholic High School in the same neighborhood was 93 percent onto higher education.

My sister in law's fear was indoctrination and she was adamant... I did my best to reassure even saying my Catholic High School Invited Planned Parenthood, the Daughter of Malcom X and others to speak and mass attendance was optional...

One thing they didn't do was support Ritalin for students unlike the public school counterparts...

No experience outside Oakland CA.

In High School I worked the lunch room all 4 years... 3.5 as cafeteria cashier... plenty of opportunities to offset tuition for those willing.

 

[kozal01]

Kids can work their way up to 6 figure jobs without college. Without loans. Without drug and alcohol parties at Mom And Dads expense.
There will be lean times and hard work, both of which are out of style with the younger entitled generations.
It worked for me and I have no regrets for the path I chose.

They could, but they wont. There are SO many skilled trades jobs available that pay really really well and most employers will pay for apprenticeships to learn the trade but it takes drive and work ethic, of which many younger people and people my age are afraid of. (Im a millennial, I think? Born in 82) As an applications engineer for a large cutting tool manufacturer I spend a lot of time in many manufacturing facilities in my state and I see it daily. Employers cant get people in the door or if they do they dont stay, and these aren't general labor back breaking positions, its highly technical well paying jobs. People think that 40 hour work weeks are too much, and dont dare mention overtime! Its getting bad, the old guys with all the experience are retiring and leaving behind a massive skills gap. Ive been assisting with automation more and more as employers try to work around the labor and skill shortages. I wont go into how much I make but Its a lot more than most useless 4 year degrees will make me ever.

 

[two_bit_score]

the second grade teacher with the backing of the school said it’s not unusual to have students on Ritalin and my brother was having none of that.

The staff at public schools will do what is in their own interest more so than the child in about 90% of the cases. This is while I am a 100% supporter of school choice with money following the child. Real choice.

 

[two_bit_score]

Currently, in most states, the public school system is in real trouble. The only thing that will help fix it is competition from outside the public school bureaucracy.

 

[ultrarunner]

My father actually taught High School for one year and maintained his teaching credential until he passed away.

He left teaching because he found it wasn't about the students when the union voted to strike... being a new teacher he was expected to silently tow the line.

Years later he was PTA president at two public schools I attended... don't think he would be a good fit today.

 

[ultrarunner]

Students keep leaving a number of districts here... the cost per student is very high and money voted on to fund school infrastructure often goes to salaries... or frees up other funds to go to salaries...

Currently, in most states, the public school system is in real trouble. The only thing that will help fix it is competition from outside the public school bureaucracy.

 

[FriendwithTractor]

My college experience was far from what's been described in this thread.

I was fortunate enough to have my parents cover my cost, of which I am forever grateful.
However, I definitely was not living high on the hog. Many a time I scraped by eating plain rice out of a rice cooker in my dorm (Most students who lived in the dorms went home on the weekends, which I never understood, but it made for a lonely time)
Partying was far from an every night affair, in fact, the wildest I think happened was ski trips with the college team (Of which I paid my own way into) and that was only a spring semester thing.

Mainly, I remember being stressed out and broke. Many projects I had to do were done with whatever we could beg, borrow or steal. Rarely did we ever have all we needed or an excess.

I work with plenty of people who never went to college, some who truly are self-made and others who were fortunate enough to win the sperm lottery.
They all seem to think I had it easy by comparison, what I know is that even after school I struggled for years to find a decent job. College is far from a guarantee of a good job or the 24/7 indoctrination center some seem to think.

Then again, I do have a Bachelor's of Science rather than an Arts degree, so perhaps I shouldn't cast a broad net.

 

[ultrarunner]

I don't understand the Dorm requirement that is very much the norm today?

None of my siblings or myself hard the dorm experience or Frats but we all had jobs.

If you take the housing, meal and student health expense from the equation the cost often is significantly reduced to tuition, books and student fees.

 

[two_bit_score]

Years later he was PTA president at two public schools I attended... don't think he would be a good fit today.

Good for him!