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Why did you stop going to school?


Rabbi
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Unless you are going now, we all stopped going to school even if after a terminal degree  

 

Why?  Why did you stop where you did?   

Do you wish you went farther?

What would it take for you to go back?

 

(for this spirit of this thread we are mostly talking about normal academics and trade schools, not job related CE or the like)

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In one degree program, the available Ph.D. student billets went to mostly better qualified applicants and in the second program, I have a house, a wife, and enough obligations that I am not free to relocate to whatever university would grant me entrance into a doctoral program. I'm virtually too old to be a viable candidate now. 

It's been an interesting journey, none the less.

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21 minutes ago, Brad said:

Terminal degree and not interested enough in any other area to consider another.

Ditto.

Plus, once I learned how to learn, I didn't need the pedagogical overhead anymore.

Mainly went so I could get a piece of paper that said I went so other people would know that I went.

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2 minutes ago, tous said:

Ditto.

Plus, once I learned how to learn, I didn't need the pedagogical overhead anymore.

Mainly went so I could get a piece of paper that said I went so other people would know that I went.

 

Yeah, that is pretty much it.  Higher degree does not offer enough more pay to justify the expense at the time.  I have been doing edX online which is VERY good but having difficulty finding the discipline to do that when I should.  Theoretically I would like to learn by working on my own projects but often end up just pissing time away.  Getting pretty tired of it.  Going to go throw myself a good beating.

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I needed a piece of paper stating I had a college degree to qualify for certain jobs; I got that. I think my major was ekonomix. Anyway, it got me some jobs. Also, I always wanted a college ring (catseye peridot 14k gold) and I got that too! Mission accomplished; other than that it's all nonsense.

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Here was the problem with my doctoral program.

I was working on one of the most advanced aircraft ever designed and built.  Concepts that were years ahead of textbooks or a professor's knowledge and experience.

I worked in a building with people that had been designing high performance aircraft for 50 years.  I asked them questions, they answered them.

Plus, I couldn't exactly write my dissertation on my current work; it was sort of classified.

As I said, graduate degrees were considered 'professional development' and required if you wanted to move on up and I did learn a lot in the graduate program, especially on the mathematics side, but I much preferred to design the aircraft than learn how to design the aircraft.

Good thing the company paid for it.

T'weren't cheap.

:biggrin:

 

 

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9.5 years and 3 degrees was already way too much retrospectively seen. Wish I could start over. I'd only sign up for single semesters in different faculties ranging from accounting, mathematical economics, statistics, HR, business administration / management, industrial logistics, etc in order to learn how to run a business properly, and finally a bunch of dedicated semesters in the field I want to start my own company in. Never needed my degrees, could have easily wrapped everything up in 2 years, leaving me with more time to grow the business. Unless you want to be a MD or lawyer, degrees are overrated IMO.

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Thinking about it, I miss college. Had a great time all around, good friendships, really great teamwork in group assignments, had several worthwhile GFs in those years, good professors, and parties being available basically every night.

That being said, one professor really sucked. He was teaching database design, but he was also constantly infusing his personal, religious perspectives. At that time I was basically an atheists, because I refused everything that wasn't logical to me. Anyway, he soon found out and let me literally fail the finals in his class, twice. Luckily he was assigned to a different location within the university (has facilities in 4 cities) and I was finally able to pass that crap. Because of this asshat I can now code SQL and Oracle in my sleep, in the dark, backwards.

I have to look up some old GF now.  :biggrin:

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I got to Associates degree. Shortly before completing the degree I discovered there was little market for it the area. As I had just met the woman who has been my wife for 28 years now, I did not want to leave.

I found something else to do & have never worked in the field of my degree.? I have done a lot of volunteer work in that area, but nothing that has paid.  But she was worth it. ?

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1 hour ago, tous said:

Ditto.

Plus, once I learned how to learn, I didn't need the pedagogical overhead anymore.

Mainly went so I could get a piece of paper that said I went so other people would know that I went.

Ditto,

Plus, I work in the academy. I am surrounded by hypocrisy. Knowing, understanding, and discovery need no licenses. 

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Criminal Justice degree and 2 years law school (They invited me to leave and in hindsight I agree). While I don't know if I'll ever set in a classroom again, I am always seeking out some new bit of knowledge or skill.

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