Poll

What level of education do you have?

High School Only
Vocational Education
Associate
Bachelors
Masters
Doctorate
Professional Degree

Author Topic: What level of education do you have?  (Read 21810 times)

little_owl

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Re: What level of education do you have?
« Reply #50 on: October 17, 2013, 04:22:39 PM »
HS Diploma - Came from a blue collar family with no pattern of higher education.  Hustled since I was 14.  Served 6 years in the military.  Started and sold my first technology company before I was 30.  Working now because I love it.  NONETHELESS - I am still in awe of those with higher educations.  Tip of the hat.

You rock.  I think formal education is WAYYY overvalued in the United States.  Hustle and smarts (not education, necessarily) count for a lot, and I'm always worried about parents who are so laser-focused on college.  IT IS NOT THE ONLY WAY!  Very cool journey, Franklin, thanks for sharing that!

legacyoneup

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Re: What level of education do you have?
« Reply #51 on: October 17, 2013, 08:21:14 PM »
So, it just seems interesting to see most people here took a different approach.

Going to college can be a mustachian decision too. The total cost of my 4 year engineering course was 1 months pay for my dad. Not a bad deal at all...

Russ

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Re: What level of education do you have?
« Reply #52 on: October 17, 2013, 08:38:19 PM »
bachelor's (engineering, FWIW)

I learned a lot, but very few of the things I was supposed to. It opened the door to my current awesome job, but I use literally nothing I learned in the mandatory curriculum at work, which makes me question the degree's worth a little. I would do it again though.

kmm

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Re: What level of education do you have?
« Reply #53 on: October 17, 2013, 08:50:07 PM »
I have an MA in journalism, which I've never applied in any sort of professional capacity. It was paid for by my employer (I was in PR at the time) and I'm glad to have the advanced degree, but if I had to do it over again I'd get an MBA. I've worked in marketing for the past 6 years and a business degree would be more applicable. But ultimately, I learned on the job.

dragoncar

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Re: What level of education do you have?
« Reply #54 on: October 17, 2013, 09:59:28 PM »
bachelor's (engineering, FWIW)

I learned a lot, but very few of the things I was supposed to. It opened the door to my current awesome job, but I use literally nothing I learned in the mandatory curriculum at work, which makes me question the degree's worth a little. I would do it again though.

The degree shows that you can complete arbitrary tasks for four years straight without losing your mind... Perfect engineering credentials :-)

RobertBirnie

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Re: What level of education do you have?
« Reply #55 on: October 18, 2013, 01:23:10 AM »
I sort of like the fact that I'm technically in the "high school only" crowd. Although I'm graduating this fall and only have one class. Been working on a bachelors for almost a decade now off an on.

My wife's a teacher and won't let me come talk to her class, she can just see me saying: "you don't need a bachelors kids! Learn lots on your own! Get a job! I did it!"

Adventine

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Re: What level of education do you have?
« Reply #56 on: October 18, 2013, 03:52:18 AM »
Well why not Dr. Dragoncar!  Dr. Totoro has a nice ring...

I have a legit Ph.D., and even I don't go by Dr.  I think it sounds presumptuous.

Well, on the internet anything is possible.  I'm a large blue presumptuous magical creature known as "Dr. Totoro" to you.

It's actually Dr. Agoncar.  I went to school with Dr. Acula.

Heehee!

Franklin

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Re: What level of education do you have?
« Reply #57 on: October 18, 2013, 11:26:01 AM »
HS Diploma - Came from a blue collar family with no pattern of higher education.  Hustled since I was 14.  Served 6 years in the military.  Started and sold my first technology company before I was 30.  Working now because I love it.  NONETHELESS - I am still in awe of those with higher educations.  Tip of the hat.

You rock.  I think formal education is WAYYY overvalued in the United States.  Hustle and smarts (not education, necessarily) count for a lot, and I'm always worried about parents who are so laser-focused on college.  IT IS NOT THE ONLY WAY!  Very cool journey, Franklin, thanks for sharing that!

Thanks little_owl.  I'm sure you rock too!  As an employer, I have hired smart people with a degree, dumb people with a degree, smart people without a degree, and dumb people without a degree.  But I have only fired dumb people.

ricric

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Re: What level of education do you have?
« Reply #58 on: October 20, 2013, 08:12:02 PM »
Trade school certification here (Stenography).  Make more than most of my friends and get to travel for work, take vacations, and ramp up/down my earning potential on my own schedule or not at all.  Wouldn't trade it for the world!

I'm assuming that fits into the "Vocational" box option.

cats

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Re: What level of education do you have?
« Reply #59 on: October 20, 2013, 10:32:02 PM »
Im surprised the poll skews so high in education level.  Why do you guys think that is?

I have heard from MMM haters that his practices are not possible without a high level of income (we all know they are just being complainypantsy)...but do you think that his message just resonates more with those who are burnt out, well educated, and looking for a higher purpose in life beyond the 40-90 hour+ workweeks??

What say you, MMM followers?

I know for us (a pair of PhDs), a big part of developing the frugal tendencies WAS being in grad school for 5+ years.  You aren't earning a lot of money, but unlike many "real people" in low-income jobs, you have a lot more free time and flexibility, so there's more potential for figuring out lifehacks or the best ways to reduce spending while maintaining a comfortable standard of living (whereas if you are busting your ass earning $20k/yr while working retail or similar, you're probably a bit shorter on the luxury of time).  Students also tend to get a bit of a societal free pass in terms of conspicuous consumption.  Driving an old car, wearing old clothes, eating rice and beans, delaying kids: you can just chalk it all up to your "student" lifestyle and people won't get onto you as much about how you should just grow up and get an SUV or a fancy phone or whatever.  Also, I would say that at the PhD/aspiring academic level, people do tend to place less value on the usual forms of bling (this is not to say that all aspiring academics are frugal, but that the ways they spend money tend to be less mainstream and often quite individual, so there's not as much pressure to fit in with everyone else via your spending).

Of course, there are also the cases where a lot of education = a lot of debt, thus more incentive to seek out resources such as MMM.  I'm sure there's a certain amount of that here also....

 

Wow, a phone plan for fifteen bucks!