Did you attend a college or university?

[eightbore]

Awhile back, the Wall Street Journal called college a very expensive IQ test. They've written other editorials about what a ripoff higher education is these days.

Consider the source. To justify the cost of higher ed, the WSJ would just as soon have everyone major in Accounting because Plato, Wittgenstein, and Sartre just arent "profitable". As a true test of the WSJ perspective, I'd love to know how they screen new hires or what the educational levels of their top editors happen to be. Something tells me they lack the courage of their convictions.

As for myself....

BA-'93
MBA - '96
PHD- '03

 

[pgoat]

I definitely know there is one at UCLA, where I would like to go (who knows if that will happen!), and I believe it's an MLIS degree. I haven't really researched other grad schools that offer a specialization in Archival Studies yet, as I've only recently become interested in it. I'm going to try to get a job in the UCLA Special Collections department soon though. A friend told me they'll pay your tuition if you get into the UCLA grad school for information studies if you work for them!

Just fwiw, I did an MLS and got an Archival Certification; essentially that required a few archival-specific elective courses and a one-semester internship at an archival repository. It's a cool field with a wide variety of opportunities (it overlaps quite a bit with records management) - not always the best paying, but can be lucrative, depending on what you do with it. I'm organizing an academic archive currently - fascinating work, but I won't be buying any Jaguars or Rolexes anytime soon!

Having said that, you can really have fun (and do okay with $$) at the right job - if you ever need any advice or info feel free to pm.

 

[PADDY]

Intelligent bunch of folk in here...

But 'then' that doesn't surprise me

(And I was 'never' basing or measureing that on any letters after folks' names)

 

[Paisley]

Consider the source. To justify the cost of higher ed, the WSJ would just as soon have everyone major in Accounting because Plato, Wittgenstein, and Sartre just arent "profitable". As a true test of the WSJ perspective, I'd love to know how they screen new hires or what the educational levels of their top editors happen to be. Something tells me they lack the courage of their convictions.

I haven't found that to be the case in their other editorials, or even the rest of their news. For example, every one or two weeks, they recommend a list of five books that generally don't have anything to do with business. As for the rest of their newspaper, the world is their beat. I've seen articles on everything from the latest translation of The Three Musketeers to rodeo.

The WSJ sometimes complains about the lack of appreciation for the classics in higher education. One editorial had a proposal for a group of parents and students to get together and hire a few tutors to learn the classics from. I don't think most people could pull this off, but it was in interesting idea.

Edited to add: James Taranto, editor of their opinion page, does not have a degree.

 

[Rooster]

Graduated Dupage Horticultural School in '76. By '78 I figured out there wasn't any money to be made in the greenhouse business unless you owned the place. So then I continued my education at the School Of Hard Knocks until '96 when I went into business for my self as a custom gunstocker. Life has been a gas ever since.

 

[warbird]

Attended several universities including:
Middle Tennessee State University
Vanderbilt
St. John's College
Virginia
George Washington

Areas of study
Undergrad:
Aerospace
Political Philosophy

Grad:
Classics
Political Management

I also took several courses in culinary arts at Johnson & Wales.

I did utilize my aerospace degree for a time as a pilot. I spent considerable time working for an aircraft recovery service, going the world over to look for WWI- Korean War aircraft. That was fun. I spent some time as well flying DC-3, Beech 18's and other old haulers for cargo companies, as well as some bush stuff in old Beavers. Unfortunately there was no money in either of the above. I NEVER had any intention of using an aerospace degree to be an engineer, yuck, and didn't want to be a glorified bus driver flying a computer, so disillusioned, I left that world and entered another I had grown up in, politics. The aeropace stuff did help me get into some aviation lobbying positions.

My political philosophy degree is pretty much worthless. For people who don't know the stuff it is useful to learn different forms of government and such. However it teaches you nothing of the way politics works. Since graduating I have had numerous opportunities to guest lecture and I have found the professors actually know even less about the process than I remembered. If you really want a job in politics you're better off majoring in communications or journalism and learning how to write, that's what most organizations need , someone who can write well, oh and sell, they all have to be fundraisers.

 

[hepkitten]

BS in Physiology from Univ of California Davis, '86.
Dr of Veterinary Medicine, same place, '90.
Fourteen years ago, took Fiction Writing for Beginners through the adult ed dept. of a local community college. Ten years ago, lucked into an ongoing fiction workshop taught by a local novelist. Thought about going for an MFA but circumstances don't permit.
Currently working in both fields and having a ball.

 

[nyx]

BA in English from Northern Kentucky University
MA in English from the University of Cincinnati
MS in Pharmaceutical Drug Development from the University of Cincinnati Pharmacy school

I used to teach English at the college level part time, but stopped when I was about 6 months pregnant. I've been working in drug research for about 8 years now.

 

[Barbigirl]

...weren't such a little hottie, you wouldn't have been invited to all those parties that got in the way of studying.

Ha ha, thanks! I was in love and 17 years old, therefore I was an imbecile. (no offense to any 17 yr olds out ther!) You are right there was not a lot of school attendence going on that first semester. What a culture shock for me.

 

[Tango Yankee]

University of Maryland

But I've never been to the University of Maryland campus in Maryland!

I have a BS in Information Systems Management which only took about 20 years to obtain.

I first started attending University at Bellevue College (now Bellevue University) when I was stationed at Offutt AFB in Nebraska in the early 80s. Was an undeclared Fine Arts major with a English minor, going by the classes I took. In my third year I had to switch from going nights to going days, which meant a change to semesters and a higher number of course hours to maintain my pace. Tried carrying 16 credit hours while working full time. Crashed and burned.

First University of Maryland course was at Osan AB in Korea; my unit sent me TDY in the middle of the course so I didn't do so well. Took a couple of courses while stationed in Austin in the late 80s, then transferred to Germany at the end of 1990. Got back into school (UofM) taking programming courses, was moving along, had a major motorcycle accident and got off track. On Guam in the mid-'90s I started up again, taking UofM courses and continued through the late '90s in England. In England I often had to drive an hour to get to class as they didn't offer many courses where I was stationed so had to go to other bases or take online courses. Finished up my last two courses for my degree from transient quarters at Shaw AFB in SC in the summer of 2002. Knew I had to finish my degree before I retired as I am one of the veterans out there that have NO education benefits after leaving the service. On-line courses were a Godsend!

I wasn't able to attend my graduation ceremony as it took place in Heidelberg, GE.

I often wonder what it would have been like to have had a "normal" college education, four years at one location! lol

Cheers,
Tom

 

[Marty M.]

Thanks Patrick.

So, so true. I wish that they would teach common sense and entrepreneurship. And how about sticktuitiveness and follow through? These are life long lessons.
Marty Mathis

You're about my age, I think, Marty, late forties? I think that part of the issue here may be that you and I were educated before differences in learning styles were well understood or incorporated into teaching practice. I suspect that nowadays, in the right school and with sensitive teachers, your particular learning style would be recognized and you would fly right through high school and college, too. We understand these things a lot better nowadays; this is one area in which progress has been made.

As it happened, my own learning style was ideally suited to the educational paradigm that then existed. So I was lucky in that respect, and I know it.

 

[Marty M.]

Marty,

Given what you've accomplished as a entrepreneur and have added to the cumulative sum of your craft, I'm sure that I am among many would trade their degrees for your business acumen. Respect and awe, my friend. :cheers1:

Thank you my friend for your kind words.
Marty

 

[staggerwing]

Not that it did me any good...

I still voted wrong! Know those folks who are double majors? Well, I'm a double drop-out. Dropped out of engineering school, then dropped out of law school. Someday I'm going to finish my law degree though, just don't have the time.

 

[Josephine]

Graduated Dupage Horticultural School in '76. By '78 I figured out there wasn't any money to be made in the greenhouse business unless you owned the place.

That's the situation I'm in.

 

[Quigley Brown]

I'm an Iowa Hawkeye alumnus. Currently being satisfied in my career as a photographer (not my major) doesn't give me any desire for a higher degree in anything.

 

[Harp]

Started at Michigan State University, transferred to Madonna University for my B.A. in Sacred (read: Catholic) Theology.

Cur hic tablinium--et sunt Thomist ad Madonna?

 

[patrick1987]

Transferred from Kent State University to SUNY Binghamton. Working two jobs during the break right now.

 

[eightbore]

Edited to add: James Taranto, editor of their opinion page, does not have a degree.

Do the other editors/staff-writers have degrees? What percentage? Can your children look forward to being denied higher ed in the hope that they become WSJ opinion page editors?

 

[Pilotguy299]

Were you fortunate enough to attend a college or university? When did you attend and at what age? Where was the school located? What was your major/minor? If you finished a graduate program, what was your field? Are you working in your field of study?

I attended Northeastern University in Boston, Mass from 17 to 21 years of age and graduated with a BS in CJ and an undeclared minor in economics. I'm not really working in my field of study and looking forward to retirement in 4 years or so.

 

[eightbore]

So, so true. I wish that they would teach common sense and entrepreneurship. And how about sticktuitiveness and follow through?

A prof of mine used to say that an undergrad degree generally proves to employers that you are "capable of sitting in one place for a really long time" so there is an element of determination involved there. For the vast majority of students I think he was right. For some however, the BA/BS serves as a good broad intellectual foundation for the time when those students can really learn things about the world via empirical or rationalist analysis (Doctoral Programs). If you want to see people who have learned real "sticktuitiveness" talk to people finishing a Ph.D.

M.As.....well, those are just consolation prizes.

(just kidding)

eightbore