Higher Up Being Educated

[Wayne Goodwin]

When you graduated . Did you seek out College or was it your parents decide if you went to College or not ?

Do you feel it helped you where you are today mentally and financially stable ?

[Lifesighs]

All of my college credits I got on my own while working as an adult, I did get a promotion based on an associates program I did while I was in my 50's which contributed a lot towards my being able to retire at 59. I mostly always made good money while I was working, so yes it did make me more financially stable.

I took classes at community colleges most of my adult life, the classes were always subjects that interested me. My associates program was from UCLA although all my classes were at UCSB.

[crestofwaves]

I am the only one in my family to go to college and finish, then get graduate degrees.  I come from a working class family.

Here is my story. My parents did not push me to  go to college.  To them, it was my job to get married, keep a clean house, and have babies.   I asked my father if I could go away to college  and my father said "Absolutely not."  I had to go to a commuter school.  When I asked why, feeling upset because my brother went away to college for a couple of years, my father said, "You're a girl."  I swear to God.

When my kids were smallish and I was still married to my ex, I told my mother I was going to graduate school. I was working full time, but really wanted to go to school.  Her response was, "Oh stay home and take care of your kids."

Sooooooo, I can't say my family encouraged me at all.  But I got my Bachelor's degree and a Master's and 32 credits in counseling.  I would have had a Master's in that as well, but my personal life got in the way of my doing my field work.  When I was ready, they number of hours for field work quadrupled and I just didn't have it in me.  I was 50 at the time.

My education ABSOLUTELY helped me have a stable financial life, and helped with my pay when I finally switched over to public school. My salary jumped so much when I went from Bachelor's +32 to Master's plus 32, I thought somebody made a mistake--honestly.  Don't forget, I taught in CATHOLIC school for a little more than 1/3 of what I got my first year in public school.  I knew I'd never get rich, but I made a sweet salary for the last 13 years of my teaching career.

[Lucinda Stone]

I worked in the union shop factory for 10-12 years, made good money but wanted to get into management, so went to night school while working and raising kids. Got the associates degree, which the company paid for with tuition reimbursement, and progressed up the corporate ladder. Of course the the aerospace industry fell apart and that 30 year career was done. But yeah, the degree definitely helped...
My family never pushed the college issue, one brother went to a fancy school, loans and scholarships, got his Masters and now teaches at a private school, one sister got her Nursing degrees and now is a Director of Nurses, they both make a boatload of money. Another brother quit high school, now owns his own business and has a summer home.... The other siblings didn't go to college but are doing ok.
My son also quit school, and has a good job-- I have been after him to get the GED, that's another story for another day... My daughter put herself thru nursing school, does fine with that.

So like anything, it's kinda what you make of it.....

[Wayne Goodwin]

I myself never had a desire to go to any school but finish . I quit high school in half of the 12 grade because I got thrown out .  One of my teachers wanted me to come to him and he woulda helped me get back in . That was in 1969 . In 1972 a teacher came up to me where I was working at  a service station . Wanted to know if I would like to finish the 12th grade and get my Deploma . I said yes . He said if I came to school for 1 month , I could fiinish . I went and pasted my test and got my real Deploma . As I looked back to my working history . I can see finishing school wasn't needed in jobs I worked at . I am happy I got my Deploma . But the most I ever made an hour working was the last 10 working years at $10.00 an hour ..

The 1228 dollars  I receive on disability compairs to what I would draw working 40 hours after taxes . Still proud of how I worked the last 25 years I worked . I did good enough to suit myself ...

[blithe spirit]

My parent encouraged me to go to college but they couldn't afford the tuition... I was the oldest of five kids from 18 to 5 when I was ready to go. I applied and got scholarships that helped...a loan...and then worked for the rest. I earned a degree in industrial psychology and worked for a bank in data processing as a systems analyst..Thats back when computers were being introduced...my job was to design computers systems to process all the banking transactions...pretty good income for a girl at the time. I had to take a break for a few years because had cancer and became paralyzed for a time. After that, I decided to go back to school and get a graduate degree in education...and added on a certification for gifted, esol, in K6, middle grades, and high school.
I took a big pay cut to teach but was something I wanted to do...and I wanted stay nearer my family in FL and not have live in a big city.
It's all worked out ok I guess. I was married and divorced after 8 years. I own my own home..not rich by any means but not wanting for much materially.

[frenchy]

well my mom wanted me to go to college .. she was very pro education .. but i left home when i was 17 and moved to new york city .. got a job and was unloadin trucks .. got promoted to the dock supervisor and thought this is ok .. but what do you know when you're that young .. i thought anything that was outta the projects was pretty good .. i moved back to jersey a couple of years later and my mom begged me to at least get my ged which i did .. fast foraward a few years and i'm back in a warehouse again and i'm the inventory control supervisor and they pretty much made me take some college courses .. so .. i went .. they paid for it so i can't really cry about it and it never hurt me .. but for the most part i don't think it opened any doors for me that i couldn't open myself .. but then that was 1970 and 1980 .. things were different then .. we did bring in a computer program to keep track of our inventory and i was at the forefront of implementin all that .. but that was a very focused customized program that wouldn't really work someplace else .. anyplace else i went if they even had a computer i'd have to learn their system . so there really was no college class that would help me there .. now a days i think education is the key tho .. the world is changin so fast .. if you want to get ahead you need somethin to  help you get there .. don't get me wrong .. you can still be talented and find a way in .. but i don't think its as easy anymore .. they wanna see some kinda sheepskin or they ain't interested in you .. the world is full of educated derelicts but its that education that will open doors for you .. so you can someday rise to the level of your own ineptness .. if they'll let you .. i think there's still a place for the mavericks .. i don't think bill gates of steve jobs finished college , but they both had vision and took a risk .. sad thing is for every bill gates or steve jobs there's 10,000 of everybody else .. so . in the end .. education is the key .. if only we could get the kids of today to really understand that .. 

[Karin M Fichtner]

I graduated near the top of my class....but not near enough to get a decent scholarship.  And they said my dad made too much money to qualify for a student loan.  I went to the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee Campus  (UWM) for one semester.  I still didn't have all the books I was supposed to own for the classes I was taking.  I just couldn't ask my dad for the money; he would have gone without eating on the road to give it to me.  So I dropped out after the first semester.  I know they were disappointed.  I told my dad I didn't want to go to school.  Truth was....I just didn't want to go to school in Milwaukee; I would've been much happier going to the Madison campus.  But I went to work in an office at Cutler-Hammer, Inc., and moved into my own apartment.  I worked until I got pregnant.  My husband wanted me to quit, and stay home with our daughter.  I became a stay-at-home mom until my husband absconded when my oldest was 14.  That was the first time I really regretted not having a college education.  I had no good way to support my kids.  I worked two jobs to keep them fed and clothed.  I don't know if I could have finished the job by myself if I hadn't been lucky enough to remarry.  If I had it to do over again.....I'd have stayed single.....worked my way through school.....even if it took me a few years to get my education. Then, when my marriage ended ......and it would have ended.....they all do......I wouldn't have been left high and dry with no good way to support myself and my kids.  I tried to convince my daughters not to make the same mistake I did....but to no avail.  Now my granddaughters are in similar situations.  Well......that's not true.  One is a licensed massage therapist, who works for a chiropractor (part-time, but could find full-time employment).....and one is just now starting to go back to school.  I don't know if she's got what it takes to finish.  She has an upcoming wedding taking all her attention. Girls are so foolish.  We all put our lives in the hands of others, only to get the short end of the stick.  Education is where it's at. 

[T2Friends]

Although my mom was a registered nurse, I was the first in my family to get a bachelors degree.  It was important to my parents.  My Dad died just before I started college, so I received some survivor benefits which helped with the expenses, but mostly I took out student loans.  I absolutely believe that my degree has helped me in my career.  I have reached a level of responsibility that I never really dreamed was possible.  

[uno,dos,3]

I graduated from high school in 1963........206th in my class......but in the top 10 of fun guys. I went to college to avoid the army.........it seemed like a simple choice at he time 1) Do something I didn't like....get high and get laid. 2) Do something I didn't like.....get high and get shot at.  I was the first in my family to go to college and consequently the first to flunk out of college. Got drafted, had an army career more abbreviated then my college career. Eventually graduated from college (twice) Bachelors degree and Masters degree. I was married......yet was granted a bachelor degree....what a great country. I owe an awful lot to my somewhat surprising attainment of education........including a life and a retirement that exceeds my expectations. Sometimes the things a person does for the wrong reasons have the best results.  

[uno,dos,3]

I should add that I was honorably discharged from the army........it's the only proof that I have that I'm honorable...........and when they say 'higher' education I definitely lived the high life.  

[Wayne Goodwin]

That you did , thanks for serving .....