LSCII
Cup driven
It's true, but in the same regard, I don't know anyone from my generation that needed to be sued by their parents to get them to move out of the family house.
OT: Off-Topic Thread - 2018 - It's summertime summertime sum sum summertime
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It's true, but in the same regard, I don't know anyone from my generation that needed to be sued by their parents to get them to move out of the family house.
Hell my generation couldn't wait to leave home.
The only reason you "know" this guy is because of the Internet. Doesn't mean it hasn't happened before.
It's like every other bad thing that happens in the world now that supposedly never happened before. The Internet and instant access to every little thing happening everywhere alters people's perceptions of the way things are now vs how they used to be. People think crime was non-existent in the "golden age" of the 50s and it's so much worse today, but in reality, most crime rates are the same or lower than in the 50s and most places are safer now than ever before. I always refer back to the year I spent in Europe back in the 90s. There were terrorist attacks in Spain and France practically every other week. Nobody back home heard a peep. Probably a good thing for my parents' sanity. Technology has its advantages, but it also has its drawbacks.
LouJersey
Registered User
I was flying home from Germany as a 16 yo in 1986 the day after there was a bombing in a West Berlin disco. Parents were slightly stressed lol.
I wonder if this is the son who was having health problems when Terry was coaching the Bruins- IIRC that was why he gave up coaching.
JRull86
Registered User
Obviously the story is an extreme case.
But if millennials are so "unprepared for life" as you said, wouldn't a large part of that be the fault of their parents, amongst other things?
Personally, I think there's a large number of my generation that are just absolutely pathetic humans. And they typically are the ones that had helicopter parents that would prop them up as being the greatest thing ever, and never scolding them, etc. But that's not my entire generation, not even close.
But it's hard to get out of your parents house when you graduate school with 50-150K in debt, are making 30K a year in an entry level position, and have to pay an exorbenant amount in rent every month.
Trust me, I did not want to be in my parents house as long as I was after college. It sucked, and it frankly put my life on hold. But it literally would ghave been impossible for me to afford to move out, pay loans, and then have money to feed myself.
yes, it is. from NYT 1985:
The lines of tragedy have extended beyond team members. Evan O'Reilly, the 18-month-old son of the Bruin captain, Terry O'Reilly, is fighting a debilitating liver condition.
According to O'Reilly, the baby's bile ducts, which drain the liver, either malfunction or don't exist. Two operations have failed to remedy the problem. Eventually, says O'Reilly, the only alternative will be a liver transplant.
''They're making great advances with transplants,'' said O'Rielly. ''The success rate for infants has gone from 70 percent to 84 percent in the short time since he's been born. But there's no easy decision.''
Clearly this is a huge issue. The truth is that for many, college is not the best choice. You can and will make more than 30k a year starting out in a lot of trades. I estimate of the college freshman I teach each semester, over half should not be in university- they don't have the temperments, the interest, the ability, the preparation. The majority of these "unfit" for college kids would have been far better off doing a vocational degree/certificate of some kind: IT, EMT, HVAC, Medical billing, LVN etc. etc. Yet, we have a society that tells these kids and their parents that college is a non-negotiable. Or, these kids and parent feel like they have to send their kids to Northeastern, BC, BU, Harvard (in my area of the country it's Rice, Baylor, TCU, SMU) that are far too expensive and don't provide the value for money that they claim to do. Even state schools have gotten pricey.
JRull86
Registered User
100% agree with everything posted here.
The bolded is a big problem. Growing up, all throughout grade school into high school, all you heard was that college was the way to go, and essentially anyone that didn't go was going to end up working at McDonalds forever, which we all know isn't true whatsoever.
If I have kids, I know my wife and I will be talking about this with them, and how there's other options, etc. In 18-20 years, it will not be worth it to go to a school with no idea of what you want to do. General degrees aren't worth the money.
Personally I wouldn't trade my actual college experience, but I have a degree in a field (Graphic Design/Digital media) that I've never used, and never will.
I wish I took a year off between high school and college.
DKH
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College makes sense for some, but you are right- college is sold as the way to go if you want to be successful. I have a daughter in college who is aiming for medical school and has the ability to do that, so we were okay guiding her down that path. At the same time, there is nothing wrong with going another way. I did not even start college until I was close to 30 and I never starved and I never lived in my parent's basement either
The college experience is a great one (so I've been told- at 30 with a mortgage, child, etc. I never got got it) but it isn't worth 100k.And to give an "insider" perspective on this, Colleges and Universities, especially public ones, are under enormous pressure to grow enrollments, or at least keep them steady. They've built a funding baseline over the years based on the idea you mentioned: your life won't be an economic success without a degree. Now the cat is coming out of the bag, so to speak, and enrollments are dropping, the pressure is kept up to dumb down curriculae, matriculate students, etc. so they can sell undecided students on "success." It's a strange thing to watch unfold.
BigBadBruins7708
Registered User
College makes sense for some, but you are right- college is sold as the way to go if you want to be successful. I have a daughter in college who is aiming for medical school and has the ability to do that, so we were okay guiding her down that path. At the same time, there is nothing wrong with going another way. I did not even start college until I was close to 30 and I never starved and I never lived in my parent's basement either
And to give an "insider" perspective on this, Colleges and Universities, especially public ones, are under enormous pressure to grow enrollments, or at least keep them steady. They've built a funding baseline over the years based on the idea you mentioned: your life won't be an economic success without a degree. Now the cat is coming out of the bag, so to speak, and enrollments are dropping, the pressure is kept up to dumb down curriculae, matriculate students, etc. so they can sell undecided students on "success." It's a strange thing to watch unfold.
big issue for public universities too is the ever decreasing levels of state support.
my alma mater, The University of Rhode Island only gets 7% of it's budget funded by the state...but on the flip side the state General Assembly still holds final say in all finance and budget items at the school.
seems too that a lot of the public universities are increasing their efforts to attract out of state students. Gets them more tuition money per head.
the not college route is getting tougher as well. the trades are still around, but nearly all of the middle class manufacturing jobs are gone.
Don't give Bettman any ideas
North Haven and Amity settle SCC playoff matchup with epic Rock-Paper-Scissors battle
North Haven and Amity settle SCC playoff matchup with epic Rock-Paper-Scissors battle
I went to a 4 year private, liberal arts college. Luckily I graduated with only about $30K in debt and I've cut that to half as I sit here 4 months away from turning 27. I could pay it all off tomorrow if I wanted but I don't have anything to substitute the tax write-off I get for the interest I pay and it would put a dent in my savings which I'm using to work towards a house (preferably a 2 or 3-family). I chose to stay at home after graduation because it is convenient for work, cheap rent (I pay my parents $200/month and help out with a lot of yard work and chores) and because my parents don't mind having me. They'd rather me stay there and save for a place of my own over paying $1,000/month in rent. Everyone and every situation is different. I don't want to be the kid that moves out after college, lives it up for a few years, then has to move back home in my late twenties because I have no savings.
My father is a journeyman lineman and has done extremely well for himself (it helps when you do 30 years on the T). If I could go back to high school, I would probably have taken that route over the one I did take but its hard to say no to college as a high school student from a wealthy suburb.
My father is a journeyman lineman and has done extremely well for himself (it helps when you do 30 years on the T). If I could go back to high school, I would probably have taken that route over the one I did take but its hard to say no to college as a high school student from a wealthy suburb.
Texas is also seeing decreased state support, and what there is, is tied to enrollments, so yeah, it's tough. Attracting out of state students, raising tuition (but more commonly the adding in of fees is a way to get around some legislative hurdles at least here), and selling the school to rich alumni are what they have to do. It's almost shameful the way college Presidents have to go out and beg money, especially at state schools. Some of the ways they can sell it is by touting enrollments, matriculation rates, the vague but ever popular "student success," none of which bode well for the quality of the education received. I will say that I have been indirectly pressured to "go easier" on students in the past and it was made clear to me that student retention was the primary reason. Not in so many words, of course.
I should also clarify what I mean by the trades. Not necessarily manufacturing jobs but service industry trades, which a lot of community colleges and state technical schools offer training in- medical, IT, hospitality, etc. I'd add in construction trades- the skilled ones (plumbing, electricians, HVAC) still have value here in Texas- but the majority of the construction jobs from carpentry, to masonry, to roofing, drywalling, are filled by Mexican workers, a huge percentage of whom are in the country illegally and who work more cheaply and don't require employers to pay SSI, workers comp. etc. I'm not making a political statement at all, but merely pointing out that some of the traditional job routes for HS grads or even dropouts are now closed off.
To keep it on topic in an OT thread
, I am not surprised the 30 year old in the article is having a tough time. I have a number of friends whose adult children are still living at home in their early and even mid-20s. Almost all of them have college degrees, too.
LouJersey
Registered User
I have mixed thoughts on these things since I have two millennials living under my roof. While I do think my kids have a certain since of entitlement, they are pretty productive members of society. Son is in the police academy and worked three jobs before that, after going to school. My daughter is a vascular sonographer and will have 30+k of student loans, currently doing her externship (for no pay) so she works two other jobs as well. It's literally impossible for them to move out right now IMO. House/condo prices are double what they were when I bought, rent around here is 1600-2000 per month. Their car insurance is 300 each per month. I don't think they particularly love living at home (24 and 22) but it's a calm atmosphere where financially the four of us pull our own weight.
My kids would be able to live on their own if they could afford it, they are prepared, just not financially possible for them yet.
Also, my parents were of the "traditionalist" generation, and I'm Gen X.
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It's also a prestige issue- many if not most parents want to be able to brag about my son/daughter the financial analyst, not my son/daughter the HVAC technician.
I agree that not all students should go to college. My sister's nephew by marriage is a great example- he was struggling with the college prep HS courses to the point where he nearly failed freshman year. He's intelligent but not academic. The following year he enrolled in the local trade school- he did very well there and is now a successful machinist pulling down over $50000 a year in salary & benefits in his middle 20s. And no college debt either for him or his parents.
LSCII
Cup driven
Wow. That's terrible news. Thoughts and prayers to Terry and his family. Burying a child has to be the worst thing any parent can have to endure.
Middle class and up parents, especially, yep. I talk to my students pretty often about these sorts of things, especially the ones that are struggling, and probably 7 of 10 say that they are in college because their parents pushed them to into it. I love to hear stories like your nephew-in-law's, because it shows there are other things out there.
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