<p>I just had the revelation that perhaps college was a waste of time/money. If I worked at starbucks or barnes and nobles instead I'd start making a decent amount that would only increase, get vacation time, benefits, etc. As a manager I could wind up making upwards of $75-80,000. I could then save money to do the things I like: read/write/intellectual activity, travel, and go to baseball games. That might be the smarter thing to do. I have realized I am currently in debt (ie: credit card) and also will be in debt with student loans. I mistakenly thought attending a rigorous and prestigious university would open some doors, but I don't know many people who graduated with jobs. I know that a humanities major at a liberal arts school will certainly not be getting jobs offers, even for summer internships I rarely got responses (and all those responses were a resounding no). Just something i found interesting.</p>
<p>It’s only a waste of time if obtaining money is your only priority. I want to become an engineer because I love it. I can’t learn engineering as a shift manager at Wal-mart.</p>
<p>Exactly. And I can’t learn about the television business at Charlotte Russe. College is definitely over-priced, but for me it’s a good investment. For others…maybe not. I certainly don’t care about just the money. Just want to do something I love and meet those who love it too. :)</p>
<p>There is money to be had in engineering and business, good amounts of money, so it really isn’t the same situation. It just seems that pursuing history as an academic discipline (which I want to do) is impractical, although thats what I want to do. I could still learn, read, write, and travel outside of a job.</p>
<p>^ You could become a History teacher/professor, or work at a history museum. If not, chances are you’re going to have to settle for a non-historical career, but you could spend your life reading and writing about history and traveling to historic places and stuff. </p>
<p>I work at a bakery. I enjoy baked goods, but I don’t want to spend my life buttering people’s muffins. I like studying neuroscience and genetics and while I spend my summers arranging cupcake displays, I dream of becoming a neuroscientist or neurologist, both of which will be extremely costly, put me in extreme debt, and not allow me a salary till late twenties…yep it’s impractical but dammit I will not work in the bakery for the rest of my life. :p</p>
<p>My sister works at Barnes & Noble, and she says her managers all have Bachelor’s degrees, one in History. 
And they don’t get paid anywhere near $75K, maybe half that. sorry to dash your plan!</p>
<p>that’s not my plan really, it was just a thought. i’ve worked there and I don’t particularly like it. the salary of store managers ranges between 50k and 85k, maybe they are assistant managers–they make like 30-40k. my real goal is a PhD in history, but that is very impractical. the job market sucks and most of my professors tell me that their graduating students who get jobs will make more than them.</p>
<p>Have you considered secondary teaching? North Carolina teachers have a decent salary, automatic salary increases each year, and good benefits. My AP English Lit and AP Calculus teachers in high school were both Wake Forest alums. They were the most intelligent and highly qualified teachers we had at my high school. :)</p>
<p>Wishful thinking on the $80,000 salary as a Starbucks manager. (Also, much easier said than done, in terms of even having the job)</p>
<p>Teachers don’t always make a lot of money but you’d have the summers to travel, go to baseball games and read.</p>
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<p>Unless you choose to have your salary evenly spread throughout the entire year, you also don’t get paid during the summer. (At least not here. It may vary by state.)</p>
<p>You know, I don’t know why teachers get the bad rep for low pay and such. Here in MA, they work only 9 out of 12 months, and get paid 9/12ths of the normal 40~50k to start off, so around 30k. Their salary slowly increases, and when they retire they get paid a pension that’s like 80% of what they were earning when they retired…so if you average all of that out teachers really start off making like 60k and end off at like, 140k. Not bad really.</p>
<p>OP, you must live in a very high-priced area like NYC because NO store manager around here makes anywhere close to $75-80K. $50K is about the top level for a chain like Starbucks or B&N, and that’s for a manager with many years of experience – who usually has a college degree! Assistant managers get about $35-40K – and most of them have degrees too. It’s the stock boys and cashiers who do not have degrees, not the managers.</p>
<p>Here on Long Island, the teachers literally get paid like $100K a year to work for 9 months a year…it depends how high taxes are around your area. Hahah meanwhile, i’m going to live like a hobo off of student loans til i’m 28 before I start making that much, whereas my education major friends are snoozing through college and will make that much right away! 
lol so teaching’s pretty good, you’re guaranteed a job and decent money in the right area. But it’s neat that you’re aiming for a History PhD. Obviously you don’t just care about money. 
And working in retail just sucks. </p>
<p>Worried mom is right, managers and assistant managers generally have college degrees. A Bachelor’s is a requirement for so many jobs now, whereas our parents could become cashiers and work their way up to management with just a HS diploma.</p>
<p>It really depends on what kind of job you want to get. I’m dropping out of college after this semester because it’s nothing but a waste of time to me. I’m studying business and I get more experience actually OWNING a business. The things I’m learning in school are things that I’ve already done in a real life setting so it’s pretty much a waste of money to continue. I also do some investing so money will never be an issue to me.</p>
<p>I wouldn’t recommend this path if it is necessary to acquire job-related training. College should be used as a way to get the training that you need to get into whatever field you desire. If you are not that passionate about your studies, maybe being a store manager is more appealing, though, in order to become a store manager you must have years prior experience. Most store managers take several years to be placed in that position so you won’t start off making 80k within the next five years.</p>
<p>My cousin is a history major and teaches so there are definitely jobs out there. I’m not sure how good the pay is.</p>
<p>I guess maybe it is just the fact that I go to a good, expensive school, and have worked my ass off. Whereas you could go to community college + state school for free with a NJ state program and have less work and no debt. I’m just realizing that it really doesn’t open many doors having a degree from a good school.</p>
<p>Have you ever worked at Starbucks or another store part time? Ever? First of all, it’s usually not a lot of fun. Second of all, it’s usually tough to get the hours you NEED, much less the hours you WANT. Third of all, it’s difficult to get managerial positions - after all, the people who finally get into those positions don’t often leave. Fourth of all, for many years (until you were salaried or unless you got a really, really good position), you’d have no health insurance, no vacation time or sick leave, etc. Starbucks is a little better than other places with this, but that’s luck of the draw. Last of all, have you ever tried to make a living on $8.50 an hour? At a full forty hours per week, that’s about $1360 a month BEFORE deductions. If you graduate from college and only make $30,000 per year, that’s $2500 per month (BEFORE deductions). If you take out $45,000 for an undergraduate degree (go somewhere where you can get financial aid - this is definitely doable at a merit-aid packaged private school or state flagship), you estimated monthly payment will be $504. So, your pay would still be $1996 (BEFORE deductions). That’s $636 more per month than you’d be making at $8.50 working someplace like Starbucks or the grocery store. And keep in mind that you’d be making $8.50 or marginally more for a long time before you’d get a significant raise. Also, keep in mind that most managerial jobs are around $40,000 per year, NOT $80,000 (maybe in NYC…?).</p>
<p>I’ve worked part time since I have been 14, sometimes multiple part time jobs.
You all are looking too into it, it is more of a general observation.</p>
<p>And what exactly is your observation? That people who work after high school while foregoing a college education earn more? Empirical findings refute this. </p>
<p>You also seem to forget that a BA is becoming a prerequisite for many jobs. Even if you plan to work your way to the top, seniority alone will not ensure the position. Those positions often require a Bachelor’s degree to reach a higher pay scale. </p>
<p>Your argument would be more plausible if you were talking about being an entrepreneur and starting your own business, but you’re not. You’re talking about working for other people who frequently put lots of emphasis and value on a 4-year degree.</p>
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<p>Once you’ve established your career, your school’s rank probably holds less importance. </p>
<p>However, starting out, it could certainly get your foot in the door–the rest, of course, is up to you. But most employers are probably going to do a double-take if they see an applicant graduated summa cum laude from Harvard versus the applicant who had a 2.2 from Alabama State. </p>
<p>That said, if the applicant from Alabama State has extraordinary experience while the Harvard grad is without any experience, then Alabama would probably get the job–and yes, you would be right.</p>
<p>It seems like catch-22, a bit. Each side has its negatives and positives. Are you thinking about dropping out completely or going to a cheaper school?</p>