Do You Need To Go To Collage?

[shimmy]

Much harder to go to college if you don't go right out of high school. As someone a few months away from finishing a doctoral degree in clinical psychology, i will give you my opinion about college after my student loans are payed off in 200 years. 

 

One thing to consider, what you do now will greatly influence your kids in the future. Regardless of what you say, they will remember what you did as a young adult and they will use that to influence their decision (consciously or subconsciously). By all means, life is short, chase your passion, but don't be an idiot about it. Food for thought, a college graduate can always work in a blue collar job if they so choose, but a non-graduate cannot always work in a white collar field. Find out what you want and play it smart. 

[SirSnookalot]

Day trader here. If college isn't your thing. trading can be a good alternative. One day I made $140 sitting at the lake and trading on my phone. 

There is no guarantee of making $140 everyday and even if one did that's only $35,000 a year.  Quite true the market is in a trading range now but that is not always the case.  People that day trade for a living are not sitting at the lake, they are in front of a bank of monitors.  They do their homework every night prepared for the next day.  

Day trading in lieu of a career, no benefits, healthcare or pension plan.  

My boat partner is day trader, a retired stock broker he has grasp on what's going on.  Day trading like gambling can become addictive, in the long run a person without market experience is going to lose. 

[RSM789]

...but a non-graduate cannot always work in a white collar field...

 

Agreed, but only if you are looking at it as being an employee.  Anyone, with or without a college education, can work in any field, in any position, if they own the company.

 

Too many people limit themselves because they only view a career through the prism of working for someone else.  

[Choporoz]

There is no guarantee of making $140 everyday and even if one did that's only $35,000 a year.  Quite true the market is in a trading range now but that is not always the case.  People that day trade for a living are not sitting at the lake, they are in front of a bank of monitors.  They do their homework every night prepared for the next day.  

Day trading in lieu of a career, no benefits, healthcare or pension plan.  

+1

 

It takes a VERY unique disposition to do it.  And even then, day traders are the most stressed out people I know. 

 

I've known a number of people who gave it a shot.  I know exactly one person who I felt had a suitable frame of mind.  He made many millions in just over three years.  Late in the fourth year, he was barely making rent, renewing his real estate license and driving a car for hire at night.  Somehow neither he, nor his wife, EVER complained about their situation.  They understood the risks and took the bad with the good.  Few people can do that.

[gobig]

  One thing that is often not considered with college is the cost. I would guess that it runs on average around 20k a year or more by the time you get done with tuition, books, housing etc... Most people have to take out loans where interest is paid on top of the loan. I would guess that to be about 6%. Inflation should also be considered. Over the last 20 years that is roughly 8%. So over the course of a 20 year loan you should expect to pay about 14% on the money borrowed based on the past. If you were to fall on hard times or not find a job in your field after school you are still stuck with the debt. You cannot include student loans in bankruptcy either. Another thing to factor in is lost wages. The money you could be earning while in school. If you made $12 an hour with a 40hr work week it comes out to roughly 25k a year. So 4 years of school is about 180k and half of it will be loans. At 6% that 80k you borrowed is going to total to about 140k if payed back over 20 years. So in reality 4 years of school runs about 240k with out factoring inflation. Factor in inflation and its closer to 340k. You could buy a really nice house.

 

  If a large majority of being a professional fisherman is sales and public speaking I think it would make more sense to take a job or an internship with someone who is a master at sales. You could earn money while learning the craft. There are clubs like toastmasters that focus on public speaking. There are loads of books, cds and videos that focus on sales. The classroom and the real world are totally different. An architect can give you the blue print to build a house but with out ever pounding a nail in his life how well could he build it? However the guy that build houses for a living would probably do ok with out the architect. 

[EmersonFish]

You should go to college if a degree is required to work in the field you plan to work in, and you should plan on working in a field other than fishing.

 

I was listening to JT Kenney speak on a podcast, and he stated that out of all of the guys on the Elite Series and FLW tours, these being the top guys, maybe 20 make their livings solely from income related to fishing. I'm not saying that he is accurate in that assessment, but he's accurate enough to point out that "fishing" is not a way to make a living. So figure out what you want to do to make a living and bankroll your dream. It might be a career that doesn't require a college degree.

 

I worked in aircraft for 7 years. Then I went back to school, and now have a Master's Degree. I still make less money than I made in aircraft.

 

Ultimately, your most valuable resource, and the one that keeps 99.9% of the people on this forum from being able to compete with the big boys, is TIME. If you can find a way to make a real living and have the kind of schedule that allows you to be on the water, A LOT, then that might be your best bet.

[J Francho]

 

maybe 20 make their livings solely from income related to fishing

 

According an elite series pro I;m aquainted with, it's probably even less.

[Klebs01]

Inflation should also be considered. Over the last 20 years that is roughly 8%. So over the course of a 20 year loan you should expect to pay about 14% on the money borrowed based on the past...Factor in inflation and its closer to 340k. You could buy a really nice house.

You make a good point with most of what you are saying, however you are wrong about inflation. Inflation would make the debt cheaper, not more expensive as the dollars you are using to pay back the loan are worth less than the dollars originally provided by the loan. If I was able to get a loan at 6% when inflation was running 8% I would take out as much as I could just to invest safely and take advantage of the arbitrage play.

[Felix77]

"Need to" is a tad too strong. I would say that it doesn't hurt.

[curtis9]

According an elite series pro I;m aquainted with, it's probably even less.

I assumed it was closer to 10 guys.

[Phu Man]

I've read most of the responses here, and as a college drop-out, I can tell you that you don't need college.  However, you do need at least a trade school or military training.   Just like any other sport, very few anglers make it to a level where they are able to support their families and cover any expenses. 

 

Everyone I know would love to be professional fisherman, golfer, footbal, player...  Reality is though, you gotta pay the bills.  I went the military route and ended up with a well paying career after I got out.  

 

So, my advice would be, like many others, go to college, join the military, learn a trade.  I hope you don't need it, but more than likely you will need a back-up plan.

[joeblowwwww]

I think you answered this question yourself b4 anybody responded...

[ColdSVT]

I work with a guy who was drafted as a lineman into the NFL. He graduated with a pre med degree...after a few years on the practice squad for the Jags and Jets he was released...he is now a surgeon...and a good one at that!

Get your degree before you follow your dream just incase your dream doesnt come true

[SirSnookalot]

I work with a guy who was drafted as a lineman into the NFL. He graduated with a pre med degree...after a few years on the practice squad for the Jags and Jets he was released...he is now a surgeon...and a good one at that!

Get your degree before you follow your dream just incase your dream doesnt come true

Good point.

 

I have cousin that was a college football player in the 50's, tried out with Kansas City for baseball instead, didn't make it.  He went into an entirely occupation, his degree didn't mean much but it was the networking.  He hob nobbed with professional athletes and celebrities.

[Bankbeater]

A degree may make the difference in the amount of $$$ you make later on. 

[Lacustrine]

Great article.

http://www.artofmanliness.com/2014/04/17/is-college-for-everyone-10-alternatives-to-the-traditional-4-year-college/

[RSM789]

Great article.

http://www.artofmanliness.com/2014/04/17/is-college-for-everyone-10-alternatives-to-the-traditional-4-year-college/

+1

 

In addition, some of those suggestions can be combined (i.e., learn a trade & start a business)

[curtis9]

College was the best 9 years of my life. I'd probably still be a full time student if my wife would let me.

[ColdSVT]

College was the best 9 years of my life. I'd probably still be a full time student if my wife would let me.

Hated it lol

had some fun but Nursing School was all work and no play...sucked

[flyfisher]

Anyone else find it funny that a thread that is now 7 pages long asking about post high school education plans has the word "collage" in the title...i mean i know we all brought it up but it still cracks me up every time i see it.

[J Francho]

If anything, I now have a resentment for all the spelling drills. Turns out all had to do was get to the zip code in this day in age of spell checkers and auto correct. But, I suppose you have to know what is actually right. At least 75% of the time you're using your yours and you're right.

[Big C]

Anyone else find it funny that a thread that is now 7 pages long asking about post high school education plans has the word "collage" in the title...i mean i know we all brought it up but it still cracks me up every time i see it.

 

 

Everytime I scroll by the thread I cringe. 

[flyfisher]

If anything, I now have a resentment for all the spelling drills. Turns out all had to do was get to the zip code in this day in age of spell checkers and auto correct. But, I suppose you have to know what is actually right. At least 75% of the time you're using your yours and you're right.

I just taught a lesson on Homonyms to 4th graders....talk about a fun time!!!

[J Francho]

Awesome.

[SirSnookalot]

To this day I'm a terrible speller, some how I manged to get thru school and own a few businesses.  If one is fortunate enough to become the "top dawg", spelling not to worry, staff prepares correspondence.