I barely graduated High School, and didn’t understand the importance of education or specialized knowledge until a few years later. I’d started to see friends and peers get ahead, economically, and gave college a try in my early 20’s (community college and then that POS school, University of Phoenix). I was pretty much flying blindly and getting in debt fast with no direction or guidance, so I stopped going to college. After a few years of fumbling from job to job, I decided that I needed specialized knowledge/ skill and joined the Marine Corps. Thankfully, I scored very well on the ASVAB, and was able to get into the USMC as a Radar Repairman. Radar required a lot of specialized schooling (electronics and electro-mechanics), and I was able to jump into technical jobs when I left the Corps. At first, I was a technician and then moved up to engineering. I’m now and engineer, by title, but still don’t have a college degree.
I see college as a good way to get specialized knowledge but I don’t buy into the idea that expensive schools are necessary to be well educated. Trade schools, military training, or even certification programs are all great alternatives to conventional college programs. If I were more ambitious, I’d take advantage of the free online classes at Harvard or MIT, or even go back to school (and get paid for it, utilizing the MGIB). One of my co-workers, that’s prior Air Force, is in an accelerated program to become a commercial pilot.
A strange takeaway for me, regarding college in my own family: I have 3 brothers, and only one has a college degree. The brother with a degree works 3 jobs (by choice), and makes less than the lesser educated brothers.