I’ve decided to jump back into participating in blog carnivals again this summer – I might even hop on the horse and host a few here!
This week, my post about making smart choices while buying my new cell phone was accepted into the Carnival of Personal Finance at Money and Values. The first post in my Graduating? series about job hunting was accepted into the Festival of Twenty Something Finances at My Beauty and Fashion.
Some posts from the carnivals that I really enjoyed:
Updating the college scholarship resume – This not only makes it easier for you to apply for scholarships, it forces you to think about what you’re doing (or not doing!) in school and how that will look to scholarship committees.
Student loans are not “good debt” and Are college degrees overrated?
These two posts echo my thoughts that a lot of people go to college for entirely the wrong reasons. I’m still not entirely sure whether or not I should be counted in that category! I think the over-valuing of the Bachelors degree in America has led to too many people getting them, which in turn causes too many employers “requiring” them for jobs that don’t actually need a four year degree.
Why? – Sarah at 20Saver beautifully answers the question that I get a lot too. When people try to argue I should spend money because I’m “only young once,” my response is “Yes. That’s exactly why I’m trying to save now.”
Thanks for the link!
I agree, it’s frustrating watching the campaigns encouraging high schoolers and young adults to get a college degree … when even a college degree cannot guarantee steady employment.
But the job my daughter would like to have does require a college education. So that goal keeps her focused and studying while we search for all possible financing options.
I think the overvaluing of the bachelor’s degree comes directly from our super-accommodating public school system. There are people who graduate high school who have no business graduating for any reason other than that the school needs to keep its numbers up. Because of this, employers can’t count on a high school diploma meaning anything other than “you didn’t kill someone while attending high school.” It means nothing about the capabilities of that person.
That role has been taken over by the Bachelor’s degree, which is now a measure of “can you perform under pressure.” Professors can still fail you and force you out of your program (and ultimately, college altogether) if you’re no good. Barring all the arguments about how “college doesn’t test for the right things” (most of which come from people who don’t understand the true benefits of a college experience) and etc, that’s the best measure an employer has.
Now, this doesn’t mean that you should be spending ridiculous amounts of money on the best of the best degrees or you’re not going to get a job. We need to keep the focus of these degrees on weeding out people who can’t think for themselves rather than handing them out to anyone who can afford one, lest it become a more exclusive high school degree.
Thanks for the shout out and kind words! It’s so refreshing to find other 20somethings who advocate for frugal living.