Should you go to college?

You can't excel without education. But that doesn't mean you need to go to college. Mike Rowe explains.

[davesmith]

I have a 2 year degree in electronics and make $90, 000 a year repairing medical equipment. I stay nice and clean, not all dirty like other trades.

[ominous]

Go to college, end up with 50k+ student loan debt. It's only worth it if you find a job that pays more than 60k a year. Otherwise, learn a trade or skill.

[Butterflywings]

I do agree on what he said. I mean hey, I didn't go to college. 1. Because I don't want to be in debt. 2. Because I didn't know what i wanted to do . Do i regret not going to college? No. I learned so much from people Ive met in the last couple of years, and I self taught myself many things as well . We all live different lives, and saying we should all go to college.. wow.. just stop, some either can't afford too, or don't want too, or both. Plus I'm sure that some people that went to college, just did it to get their parents off their back, and just to get it over with. Saying they new what they wanted, when they might not off.

[gwit]

I think a lot of it depends on what kind of education you go for and if you actually finish. Seen people over 50 grand in the hole with nothing to show for it because they went for some art degree.

[paawansagar]

It depends on what you take to get a job in future, dont take some stupid art classes take doctor, IT, law majors.

[dstorm]

Rowe is a graduate of Towson University, which is a good but low cost school.

[MrWaalkman]

I didn't. I went through an electrical apprenticeship, got both my Colorado Journeyman's and Master's licenses, and then got a "field promotion" to engineer after I hacked into a PLC at Goodyear and fixed it. My promotion amounted to Goodyear chewing me out, and then saying that I could continue to program the machine "until I f*cked-up". No raise, however. But that directly led to a job starting up conveyor systems at Saturn, and then to a job at Saturn as a Controls Engineer.

[johnpelham]

I went to college . Then to Trade School . Yes I have degrees. I made a career of Tower work. It turned out to be what I like doing. Money is not bad either.

[fordfiveohh]

Don't go to college unless its math or science related... I'll tell you the truth, others won't. Pick a career in math or science or you'll be poor - college or not. There are many reasons for this - first of all, consider how reading my post was even possible - math and science... case closed....

[phillipsmom]

I'll go to college if Mike Rowe goes with

[banditman]

Don't go to college it is a giant waste of time and money.  The biggest reason for this is that ninety percent of the classes you are forced to take to get your degree are complete bull shit that you will never use ever!!  When i think of all the years i wasted getting my degrees and think about how many of the classes that i learned any thing useful i get sick to my stomach. 

[MrWaalkman]

A big part of the problem is the trend towards "Multi-Craft" maintenance workers. These guys are expected to be able to do electrical, welding, mechanical, plumbing, HVAC, as well as programming and cleaning out the bathrooms. What you get is someone who is reasonably good at one of these crafts, poor at the rest, and will tell you to go to hell about cleaning the bathroom.

[juanmaza]

If I went to college right after high school I would have probably dropped out early so the best thing for me was to join the Marine Corps and get life experiences first

[imonsulpher]

Unless you want to work in the mines I recommend to go to college

[LubeRocksFan]

Four-year College is a waste of time and money. I have a degree and made more money as a bartender working one day a week than working full-time in an office.

[onlineoffgrid]

Really good for someone to be backing the working man ‘the forgotten species’

[TheNdh]

If you are a average to below average student then yes most definitely go to trade school.

[paawansagar]

People who say that college is wortheless their wrong education is the key to the future.And people you say that 80% of the time probably just took dance class

[ZFKATNBADGER]

Go to a cost effective university and you’ll be alright.

[leodahvee]

I wanna do computer programming, should I go to college?