College...not worth it....?

[Toulle]

I would not send my child to the military in exchange for an education. A college degree is very valuable, but not worth risking my child's life for. I would rather go into debt.

Much safer in the military than driving a car

 

[Nichole]

I am finishing my associates degree in business management. Not because I always dreamed to go to college, but quite the opposite. I had to go to stay on my parent's insurance to pay for VERY expensive medications. Now that I am almost finished, I do understand the benefit of a college education, but there are other ways to go about it other than $60,000 a year. Start out at a local comm. college. Getting your assoc. there is a LOT cheaper! Then, move on to a 4 year college to finish it out. That's what my DH did, and it saved him a lot of money. I do agree with those that say work to pay for it. Times are too hard for parents to be going into debt to pay for college educations. JMO

 

[~gd]

Consider this, If one is really college material, they would have their choice of branches of service. If he stays away from the Army and Marine recruiters, The Navy, Air Force and Coast Guard are much less risky. If he scores well on the exams, he can usually have his choice of his first school/training assignment after boot camp. Usually after the service has invested in his training and he performs well in that field he is in that field for his service career. In many practical fields employers are looking more for that practical experience than a college degree. If he ends up with both a BA and experience, his first job could easily be as a Supervisior or Manager rather than the usual entry level employee who has either one alone.
Many that go off to college right from high school, fail because they are too busy learning about real life rather than their studies. I admit that I took the Navy/college route. Of the 10 of us in our dorm unit I was the only one that made it through the first year due to such factors as homesickness, learning to drink, or chasing after girls. I went through that in the Navy, it was out of my system and I was ready to hit the books. The drawback to that was that many of my school skills had grown rusty during the 4 years in the service. I just went to the profs and told them about my problems and they cut me some slack as long as I was showing progress. By the end of the first semister I was up to speed in everything except spelling.
This was early in the Vietnam war and some of the drop outs got drafted into the combat arms and were injured or killed, but I didn't feel guilty because I had already served. The military benefits paid me enough that I did not need a loan or even a part time job during the school year, summers I spent filling in for employees on vacation, much better paying than the average summer jobs.~gd

 

[OrganicKale]

I would not send my child to the military in exchange for an education. A college degree is very valuable, but not worth risking my child's life for. I would rather go into debt.

Much safer in the military than driving a car

I would rather see my child driving a car to college than marching off to war. I guess I am odd.

 

[Wifezilla]

Soldiers don't cause wars...politicians and bad guys do.

 

[~gd]

I would not send my child to the military in exchange for an education. A college degree is very valuable, but not worth risking my child's life for. I would rather go into debt.

Much safer in the military than driving a car

I would rather see my child driving a car to college than marching off to war. I guess I am odd.

Not really, the vast majority of people have to take the risk of driving so we are used to it. Only a small percentage ever see combat (even in the military). It isn't an either/or choice, if you go in the military you still have to take the risk of driving. In this war more people are wounded/killed in vehicles than those on the ground. I live in a military town and we all know of solders that returned safe from an overseas tour only to be killed/injured in a traffic accident. Apples & oranges compared to just apples.~gd

 

[mrscoyote]

Be thankful the soldiers don't get to pick and choose who they think worthy to fight and die for, you might be left out. Freedom is not free for all of us.
Nancy

 

[FarmerChick]

freedom is an illsuion

I truly believe this....cause no one is truly free. we believe we are free and sure there are degrees of 'freedom given' ...but geez

 

[curly_kate]

Right now, I think college is worth it if you are pursuing a degree that will likely get you a job. Unfortunately, some degrees that SEEM like they are really useful are not so much now. I have a teaching license (elementary and special education), and I can't find a real classroom teaching job, so I'm stuck teaching online (not what I want to do). My brother took out loans for law school, but is not working part time for DHL, sorting packages.

My parents said they would pay for our college, up to a certain amount, because they weren't going to go into debt over our education. My brother & I both got partial scholarships to the same (private) college, and then when my dad lost his job, my mom got a job at that university so they only ended up paying for 10% of the tuition. My older sister went to the local public university, which was very inexpensive, and my younger sister got a full ride to college. There are plenty of options out there, and it's important to think about what you really want to do, and what education you need to have to get there, instead of just assuming you will go to college for 4 years and figure it out as you go. There are much less expensive ways to "find yourself," if that's what you're wanting. (Not that I'm saying that's what the OP's kid was looking for.)

 

[OrganicKale]

Be thankful the soldiers don't get to pick and choose who they think worthy to fight and die for, you might be left out. Freedom is not free for all of us.
Nancy

the point is that if no one was willing to fight there would be no war. I am not blaming the people who do chose to serve, but it is a fact that there is no war without soldiers.