The importance of having a degree

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complexintentions
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Re: The importance of having a degree

Post by complexintentions »

Add me to the list of folks vehemently opposed to debt. Did my level best to stay out of it throughout my life, but incurred a bit during the early career years as the job situation was..unstable. I'd get my head just above water and yet another employer would shut their doors. But after leaving Canada, paid off my modest debt within four months and have never owed a cent since nor payed one iota of interest. That was over ten years ago. And I will never be in debt again. Ever. To the point where I would rather never return to Canada than risk getting back on that treadmill.

There is a case to be made for modest debt if a proper cost benefit analysis has been done to justify it. But the vast majority of debt is absolutely, as rookiepilot says, a millstone around people's necks. And no, calling it "good debt" doesn't make it so. It absolutely blows my mind the amounts of money people casually chain themselves to paying back. Not an ounce of due diligence for six-figure loans for a dubious "education". I prefer to be beholden to no one. There is a massive amount of pain ahead for the indebted.

Anyone who thinks a conversation about debt isn't relevant in a discussion about obtaining a degree just isn't paying attention.

Also, if . gets his medical back I am SO getting my long-delayed float rating, and I know exactly where now! :mrgreen:
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rookiepilot
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Re: The importance of having a degree

Post by rookiepilot »

Complex,

There is an extremely stupid status symbol associated with having a degree, and perpetuated by a couple of posters on this thread, that if you have a degree you have made it and are someone.

If a boatload of debt is the cost, that's ok. I'm "someone" of importance, is the belief.

Frankly, that is the stupidest rational I've ever heard, and it's a lie that will make many, many young people a perpetual slave to debt if not careful.

I'd rather have my financial freedom.

Others can have whatever passes in their brains for "status". I mock this, openingly.

My best career advice to anyone, is ignore the idiotic advice to chase "status", and pursue "freedom" instead, by making wise, prudent financial choices in every area of life.
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Last edited by rookiepilot on Wed Apr 04, 2018 5:57 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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chris_h1976
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Re: The importance of having a degree

Post by chris_h1976 »

C.W.E. wrote: Wed Apr 04, 2018 5:15 pm
But I'm old fashioned compared to the wiser ones here, because I hate debt.
That makes two of us who try and avoid debt.

With regard to flying for a living I avoided debt by having my employers pay for most of my training once I started flying for a living, I payed for my PPL, CPL, instructors rating and my commercial Gyroplane license.

All the rest of my ratings and upgrades were payed for by my employers starting with the multi engine rating and then my helicopter license.

It is easy to get into debt in the flying business if you are not really careful about how you upgrade.
complexintentions wrote: Wed Apr 04, 2018 5:35 pm Add me to the list of folks vehemently opposed to debt. Did my level best to stay out of it throughout my life, but incurred a bit during the early career years as the job situation was..unstable. I'd get my head just above water and yet another employer would shut their doors. But after leaving Canada, paid off my modest debt within four months and have never owed a cent since nor payed one iota of interest. That was over ten years ago. And I will never be in debt again. Ever. To the point where I would rather never return to Canada than risk getting back on that treadmill.

There is a case to be made for modest debt if a proper cost benefit analysis has been done to justify it. But the vast majority of debt is absolutely, as rookiepilot says, a millstone around people's necks. And no, calling it "good debt" doesn't make it so. It absolutely blows my mind the amounts of money people casually chain themselves to paying back. Not an ounce of due diligence for six-figure loans for a dubious "education". I prefer to be beholden to no one. There is a massive amount of pain ahead for the indebted.

Anyone who thinks a conversation about debt isn't relevant in a discussion about obtaining a degree just isn't paying attention.

Also, if . gets his medical back I am SO getting my long-delayed float rating, and I know exactly where now! :mrgreen:
Also all great advice and words to live by.

I got sucked into the debt black hole a while ago when I was younger and immature, and am still taking responsible steps to get out of it. But no more; at 42 I see now how destructive it is to a person's life- physically and emotionally.
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C.W.E.
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Re: The importance of having a degree

Post by C.W.E. »

Also, if . gets his medical back I am SO getting my long-delayed float rating, and I know exactly where now!
It has been interesting the difference between the medicals I used to get when I was flying for a living and the one I just went through.

The doctor put me through every test known to man or beast the last one was a glucose tolerance test that took two hours of my time just sitting around doing nothing.

As far as I know I am finished with tests because I met the doctor in the grocery store a couple of days ago and he asked me if I had got a new Canadian Aviation document he could sign.

I told him I would start the process of getting one of those abortions in a few days, he is aware I don't really care if I get one or not.

But if Complex wants to get a float rating I will get at it and jump through T.C.'s hoops like some animal in a circus.

I had no problem finding my old abortion because it was in the back of my junk drawer where I put it when they first sent it to me in 2010.
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rookiepilot
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Re: The importance of having a degree

Post by rookiepilot »

http://money.cnn.com/2018/04/09/news/co ... index.html

For some strange reason I am inspired by this kind of story rather more than those partying though college and getting a liberal arts degree. Maybe it's me. This guy wouldn't never gotten hired in Canada, clearly.
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Rupesh
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Re: The importance of having a degree

Post by Rupesh »

rookiepilot wrote: Sun Apr 15, 2018 7:47 am http://money.cnn.com/2018/04/09/news/co ... index.html

For some strange reason I am inspired by this kind of story rather more than those partying though college and getting a liberal arts degree. Maybe it's me. This guy wouldn't never gotten hired in Canada, clearly.GBWhatsApp APK
Loved his line - A lot of the things that happened that went wrong, really wrong, were experiences and an education. That education was priceless.
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rookiepilot
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Re: The importance of having a degree

Post by rookiepilot »

rookiepilot wrote: Wed Apr 04, 2018 4:42 pm
-poor quality (in the book, law schools) diploma mills that promise the world and saddle students with an avalanche of debt. It's the debt I question the value of for young people where a degree really isn't needed.

But I'm old fashioned compared to the wiser ones here, because I hate debt.

Debt removes choices. It forces one into servitude, which is exactly why society -- define that as you will, banks ect... tries so hard to get one addicted to debt. Then they have you, and you work for them, (often) the rest of your life. I hate that, and refused to go that way.
Nothing has changed in five years, except,

Education quality is lower. Social Issues in schools are higher. Debt is much more expensive.

But the crowd still thinks a six figure degree and associated debt is the status symbol to success.

People laugh at advice to stay debt free.

They’ll stop laughing when their parents are too broke to help out, one day.
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