Level of Education?

Highest Level of Education?

  • Never finished high school

    Votes: 10 1.4%
  • High school diploma / GED

    Votes: 101 13.7%
  • Trade school / Technical school diploma

    Votes: 42 5.7%
  • Associate degree

    Votes: 66 9.0%
  • Bachelor degree

    Votes: 331 45.0%
  • Masters degree

    Votes: 127 17.3%
  • Ph.D (doctorate) / MD

    Votes: 59 8.0%

  • Total voters
    736
I have my masters degree, I actually got my bachelors and my masters while already in my career. I figured I already had my associates and was half way from attaining my bachelors why not? Self accomplishment I suppose. Co workers and a few supervisors told me not too, since I would be making the same amount I was now rather than attaining debt. They were right $56,000 worth of student loans and two pieces of paper and a pat on the back. The misery!

I couldn't pinpoint if the last sentence was sarcasm…

I think in this day and age… and depending on that type of work you do, it’s probably not a bad idea. Things like that may end up being valuable if/when you move jobs. Having a 4 year college degree is pretty much the norm.

On the flip side, from an employer standpoint, you might end up being overlooked because you could command more money, and there could be more affordable candidates that can do the same job with lesser qualifications, but it of course completely depends on the industry.
 
I couldn't pinpoint if the last sentence was sarcasm…

I think in this day and age… and depending on that type of work you do, it’s probably not a bad idea. Things like that may end up being valuable if/when you move jobs. Having a 4 year college degree is pretty much the norm.

On the flip side, from an employer standpoint, you might end up being overlooked because you could command more money, and there could be more affordable candidates that can do the same job with lesser qualifications, but it of course completely depends on the industry.

Thanks for the reply Bumbo, there was definitely sarcasm in my last sentence! I do believe having a furthering your education past a bachelors degree is a good idea and does make you more competitive in the right position. I work in Federal Law Enforcement, so there is little pay incentives for advancing your education. I'll have a slight edge in a supervisory role once I'm done having fun in the field. Its funny you mention being overlooked, years ago my sister finished her JD and passed her BAR exam, she had a hard time finding a job, either too little experience being a new attorney and over qualified in other positions.
 
Education required really depends on person/need/profession. There are many people who earn ample money without a college degree and many who earn ample money with a basic trades degree. However, not everyone is suited for the trades and not everyone is suited for that corner office white collar type job either. Everyone has their own abilities and needs to do what makes them happy.

I appraise commercial real estate and in my profession, due to financial regulations, a bachelor's degree is required to attain a certified general real estate appraiser license. It is also required in order to attain the professional designations offered by the various industry groups.

Having spent 6 years in the military (2 of which were in military schools), another 5 years in college (switched majors and was in between majors for a semester), there was absolutely no way I was going to bother getting a master's degree. However, I did attain one of the professional designations offered by my industry, but that was just a matter of taking some classes, a test or two, and writing an appraisal, all at the same time as working full time.
 
If I am honest with myself, I also left school because I had some of that entrepreneur bug in me. It wasn't just the debt at the end of the tunnel, but that is how I justified it to myself at the time.

I started a business or two, maybe a bit too early and without the formal background and foundation because they stemmed from hobbies or interests I had; not all worked out the way I wanted. I should have worked jobs in the industry that I wanted to be in before trying to tackle it myself.

Not going to lie, its been an uphill battle with a lot of personal challenges, growth and learning along the way but things are looking up.

I really appreciate the different points of view... and I sincerely mean that. Partially because I didn't go to school, and partially because I wanted to be my own boss and lack the insight of what its like to actually work for someone. Not jobs, but long career level employment working for someone else.

These days I am now and employer, and to be honest, I think its even harder than being an employee, but it's what I signed up for, and what I wanted from the start.

Running your own company is probably a lot like having kids, you have to care about everything and everyone except for yourself first. Diplomacy, politics, needing to be able to put others before you really comes first. Being your own boss has it's perks, but I never though this level of responsibility came with it when I started the journey.

Still not sure if I would have did it any other way.
 
Last edited:
I made sure that my school debt would be manageable after I graduated.
That decision forced me to work while getting my degree and that limited the opportunities for me getting internships. Many internships never paid when I was going to school.
However, I had many opportunities to start a business and even take over my father's bar and hotel. But the thought of having to deal with people constantly made me reconsider.

I happily go home everyday when the clock strikes and I don't look back.
If I don't want to deal with anyone I avoid them.
 
I happily go home everyday when the clock strikes and I don't look back.

I thought I could do that... but I can't... Working for someone I always felt like "whats the point".

I thrive on the fact that what i'm building is mine and it's quite rewarding.

But I do come from a family of workaholics that do what they love, and love what they do.

Both models apparently have their pros and cons, but lots of perks come with owning a business as well.
 
My 2 cents

The only way I would go to school is if you have a set plan, a career in mind. Going to school especially 50-70k schools to find yourself and figure it out is a waste of money. I own my own business also, I can take fridays off and go fishing and make it up some other day. I could not and never could have a boss.
 
I wonder how this compares to average level of education for Jeep ownership, or other body-on-frame / off-road focused vehicles
 
Although I technically never graduated high school, I have my bachelor's in finance and am working towards an MS in Business Analytics.

Lord knows I need to hit the trails to retain my sanity! :car:
 
Who cares? A college degree doesn’t mean you’re smart.

Sure it does, you are book smart. It is also one of the most definitive ways to demonstrate your commitment to a long term project.

Then there are street smarts, which is an entirely different curriculum.
 
Last edited:
Depending on your career path, advanced degrees tend to open more doors for those that just graduated, and allow for higher pay rates than their colleagues who may not have the same credentials.

I don't think degrees have any correlation to "intelligence"....it just demonstrates to employers that you are more dedicated to a specific subject matter, and/or you have the knowledge to be considered a "expert" in your field.

Only advice is don't pick a stupid subject matter to become a expert in..........

Yes, you can get a PHD in all kinds of subject matters these days, and many of these titles aren't worth the paper they are printed on.
 
I have two higher educations, pedagogical and legal. I am a professional writer whose goal is to help scientists improve their academic performance. I have a master’s degree in foreign languages ​​and am passionate about editing and directing students and graduates with their college papers and you can find help by clicking here. I believe that every student can succeed, but some only need a little help, and I like to give this help to those who seek it. As a tutor, I share my knowledge with students, but as a guru writer, I help them to achieve better grades faster. Our goal is to help all students easily and quickly handle their college papers. I hope that students who study in colleges and universities will definitely receive assistance in the field of education if they need it, because it is very important. When I studied, I did not have access to the Internet and I could not easily find the information I needed, but in the 21st century, everything is much simpler.
 
Last edited:
Personally, I majored in Math and Economics and got a Masters Degree in math. I dropped the PhD program, finally recognizing that math is not for me. Would like to have majored in engineering and business. Management, finance, marketing, sales and international relations - I thought about this but made the wrong choice. As the result to finish education, I often used third party services (like paper writing services reviews ).

I love engineering and business… it’s by far the most interesting to me on a personal level with finance not too far behind.
 
I've always wondered about this demographic for 4Runner owners/fans. What is the highest level of education you've achieved to date?

Edited for clarity: Please vote for the highest level of education you've ALREADY achieved. This poll isn't about what you're working towards or what you may have in the future. If you're currently enrolled in college, but don't yet have your degree, then just choose the option that best reflects the diploma or degree that you've already earned.

This is an anonymous poll, so we won't know how you voted.


I just finished school. To be honest, I was not a very good student, so I used the help of Pro-Papers.com: A writing service that will cover your back professionals. And that's why I managed to finish school with normal grades. I think that good grades are not the most important thing in life.
 
Never went to college but did graduate trade school. Was a lineman in the Seabees in Nam. Went to trade school after I got out of the Navy and became a journeyman lineman. I then went on to a multi craft maintenance system where the company I worked for would provide all the training you could handle. Schools I have had or attended during my 31 years at this job included electrical control systems, welding, machine repair, millwright training, instrumentation, Allen Bradley integrated discrete control systems, Parker hydraulics, just to name a few. Never was one to learn from a book. Practical application training was I liked the best. But that's just me.:)
 
I went to community college for a semester.
Wasn't for me. I didn't know what I wanted to do, and didn't want to waste my time getting a degree in nothing.
Now that I have somewhat of a career, I keep thinking of going to take certain classes...like accounting and some business classes.
But...are they worth it? I've taken some continuing education classes that were a complete waste of time, and i left with no more knowledge than I started with.
 

Members online

Forum statistics

Threads
278,316
Messages
3,554,113
Members
248,016
Latest member
Advally Service

Trending content

Back
Top