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Universities ?!?
- Thread starter Baggsy
- Start date
Motorcycle Mike
Well-known member
I did an undergrad at Nipissing -- which was a great party school and felt like a high school with only 800 students or so. Small classes, and a college full of women right next door to pick up.
I then went on to do a Masters at Waterloo... which was great for a Masters; small classes and a tight group. I'm not sure I would have wanted to do my undergrad there in a sea of no name undergrads and 1000+ students in some classes.
Saying that, like Rockerguy I kind of regret not going into trades/college straight from high school... I kind of blew away my entire 20's either in school or travelling and now am not working in my field at all, nor do I need a university degree to do the job I am at.
The only history grads I knew at Uni are now teachers. Your son should do what he is interested in, but should consider his future employment prospects at the same time. If he can't make it in law, what is his backup plan? Teacher? Do another six years and be a professor? Subway sandwich artist?
I had no backup plan. I got a degree and masters in Environment Science majoring in GIS/Remote Sensing. Upon discovering those jobs were more often than not contract gigs and highly sought after, I ended up being an occasional contract GIS tech when I could get the work and an occasional ESL/Business English/University Prof. in Indonesia... none of which made much money or offered much stability.
Now I am a supervisor at a large company because the work is steady, not contract, and the benefits are decent. I don't like my current work, but my skill set is no longer recent and GIS work is no easier to get now than it was 10 years ago. It kind of sucks being in a job you don't like, but with a mortgage and toys that make it too hard to leave so every day is just pining for retirement (which is a long long way from now).
Red_Liner740
Well-known member
York U for IT. Finished just as mass exodus of jobs to India and Pakistan started to happen. Lots of my fellow students were left holding their balls/tits.
In retrospect, should have gone to College for IT as college and university graduates fought for same jobs.
Went back to Centennial college for Aircraft Maintenance. if you want the college/ uni experience, dont take this course. It felt like a small high school.
its nice that he want to study History but tell him to nut up and go o school for something useful. Not too many jobs in basketweaving or north american natives history out there.
In retrospect, should have gone to College for IT as college and university graduates fought for same jobs.
Went back to Centennial college for Aircraft Maintenance. if you want the college/ uni experience, dont take this course. It felt like a small high school.
its nice that he want to study History but tell him to nut up and go o school for something useful. Not too many jobs in basketweaving or north american natives history out there.
Went to Ryerson for HR and Training & Development. Worked for a few years in the field (corporate HR) and then decided I did not find this line of work challenging enough and I wanted to work outside instead and sweat. Went back to College at 30 and did an apprenticeship program in Horticulture. After that also did many courses at Guelph Uni. in horticulture. Now I work as a teacher at Humber college and as a gardener at the City of Toronto. I also did 6 years in private landscape design/build/maintenance right out of school.
The university education I took helped a great deal with my current teaching at Humber. It also provided me with some background HR, business and organizational skills which are useful to have in life.
I really liked Ryerson, Humber and Guelph for each experience and the knowledge gained. I have been fortunate enough to put them all to use every day and really enjoy my day jobs. I have always been of the mindset that everything we do can have a great impact on what we do later and this has served me well over the years. I am also a strong believer in volunteer experience in a field you are passionate about and searching for opportunities instead of being complacent.
The university education I took helped a great deal with my current teaching at Humber. It also provided me with some background HR, business and organizational skills which are useful to have in life.
I really liked Ryerson, Humber and Guelph for each experience and the knowledge gained. I have been fortunate enough to put them all to use every day and really enjoy my day jobs. I have always been of the mindset that everything we do can have a great impact on what we do later and this has served me well over the years. I am also a strong believer in volunteer experience in a field you are passionate about and searching for opportunities instead of being complacent.
if he wants history and then law its not a bad track. I`d look at business and then law but both routes could work. The business courses at even uni like Windor are getting harder to land a spot. All my friends kids are at this plateau right now.
How are the kids marks.
How are the kids marks.
drey
Well-known member
I went to Guelph and majored in History and minored in geography. I thought I wanted to be a teacher and then realized that it wasn't for me. I ended up staying where I worked during my summers off. Sadly I wasted about $40,000 on a degree that I'll never use. The partying was fun though haha. Out of high school I got accepted into a tool and dye program and didn't go for it because I thought that university would be better, I'm now regretting that decision haha.
University is a great time and is worth it if you go into it knowing exactly what you want to do. But if it's just a BA then that piece of paper doesn't get you much nowadays. Trades is where it's at now.
Good luck to your kid and I hope he gets into what university he wants to!
University is a great time and is worth it if you go into it knowing exactly what you want to do. But if it's just a BA then that piece of paper doesn't get you much nowadays. Trades is where it's at now.
Good luck to your kid and I hope he gets into what university he wants to!
not everybody can swing a hammer, turn a wrench or setup a CNC machine. The world will still need lawyers, financial advisers and insurance actuaries.
In a lot of fields in business, a degree shows you can focus and pay attention for four yrs toward a goal. Its a measuring tool, doesnt mean your smart, means you earned a degree. It can get you to the interview.
The other end is NETWORK, and co-op work. People hire people they know and like and trust first, the other chairs get filled when you run out a the first guys.
In a lot of fields in business, a degree shows you can focus and pay attention for four yrs toward a goal. Its a measuring tool, doesnt mean your smart, means you earned a degree. It can get you to the interview.
The other end is NETWORK, and co-op work. People hire people they know and like and trust first, the other chairs get filled when you run out a the first guys.
College diploma in Industrial Electricity. Now work in sales of a financial institution. My friend got a degree in History (at Western) and went on to be a teacher. Tough gig working in a union environment at times. Looks like he might jump to management. uni was good for him. Wish I took a major in business or marketing or in a second language.
If I lose my job, my work experience is impressive but, education lacking. Lots of folks in my space are uni grads.
The only thing that gives me some comfort if I lose my job is the network of contacts I've built and maintained over the years.
Another friend with a law degree, ( McGill)works for a financial institution in an unrelated field.
Western is a good school. I've got three kids and most will likely go there.
If I lose my job, my work experience is impressive but, education lacking. Lots of folks in my space are uni grads.
The only thing that gives me some comfort if I lose my job is the network of contacts I've built and maintained over the years.
Another friend with a law degree, ( McGill)works for a financial institution in an unrelated field.
Western is a good school. I've got three kids and most will likely go there.
I got a BSc in Computer Science, at Brock University, but this was the 80's, so my opinion is likely not too relevant.
My oldest son is just wrapping up a degree in history at Brock University, then on to Law school, I think the smaller university worked well for him, decent class sizes, access to profs was good, and a big advantage (for the parents) was that it was close to home.
I have my daughter at Ryerson. Since we live more or less downtown it's great getting there. She's in psychology and a few other courses with a path towards law. It's costing us about 6,000.00/yr. But when she gets into the law program, apparently that's about 25,000/yr. I'm not too enthused. I've seen the stories in the Toronto Star about graduates not even getting unpaid internships due to a glut of grduates. It seems everyone wants to go to university with the hopes of getting a high paying job after. I don't know what other options there are for these kids. Except for doctors. Many communities have a real shortage of them. I told my duaghter this, but she is not interested at all. Too bad, a doctor friend of ours is in Winnepeg making 600,000.00/yr.
msatrakkoic
Well-known member
Just finishing up mechanical engineering - mechatronics at rye and its been a grest journey. Ryerson is an awesome school especially when it comes to the atmosphere (the students and profs). Looking back i probs would have been morr diligent in school selection. For something like history it is even more important to get into a good recognized school
Wherever or whatever he does, get into a program that has a co-op stream. This will do 2 things: he'll get 16-20 months of experience while in Uni And, he'll have to maintain a B+ average to stay in that stream. Gives him a leg up compared to the next guy.
As for degrees, make sure he understands where he'd like to be in life. You can do a history or most arts degrees part time or later on. Business, Finance, Engineering (STEM) open more doors and options.
Everyone I know that finished BSc in Computer Science over a decade ago has been employed even before graduation and been doing well since.
As for degrees, make sure he understands where he'd like to be in life. You can do a history or most arts degrees part time or later on. Business, Finance, Engineering (STEM) open more doors and options.
Everyone I know that finished BSc in Computer Science over a decade ago has been employed even before graduation and been doing well since.
Went to Ryerson for Aerospace Engineering and graduated in 2003...since that day I've not done a single day of actual engineering! LoL Very few of my friends did stay in that field as it all went down hill after Sept 11. Since then I've basically worked in Technical Sales in various fields (cars at first, then water and wastewater supply) until I found a Sales Engineering position with a manufacturer of heavy equipment. Manufacturer got bought out by CAT, and then they shut down the factory. Now I work in the construction industry working on the machines that I sold (think tunnels under Eglinton) and I'm really enjoying the work. Every day is different and I deal with all kinds of issues, trades, sub-contractors that all need guidance and support which makes the job fun....and frustrating. I think my degree really helped me in learning to deal and THINK a certain way in order to solve problems and that I'm very thankful for.
Tell your son to take a field that's either directly in what he's interested in, or somehow ties into it. I took and Eng degree because I felt it would open the most doors...from learning about planes to working underground where I would have NEVER expected to be. History and Law are great options I'm sure, if you want to be a teacher or something similar. I always recommend technical fields because I believe that is where the demand will be in the future.
Currently I'm finishing up my Project Management Certificate at Ryerson as well. It's taken a long time, but I also believe that it will help open doors in the future so I wanted to take it. Will hopefully write my PMP this year or next as I want that designation.
Tell your son to take a field that's either directly in what he's interested in, or somehow ties into it. I took and Eng degree because I felt it would open the most doors...from learning about planes to working underground where I would have NEVER expected to be. History and Law are great options I'm sure, if you want to be a teacher or something similar. I always recommend technical fields because I believe that is where the demand will be in the future.
Currently I'm finishing up my Project Management Certificate at Ryerson as well. It's taken a long time, but I also believe that it will help open doors in the future so I wanted to take it. Will hopefully write my PMP this year or next as I want that designation.
Queens U. for life sciences. Lots of rich kids, I wasn't. The plan was medical school but I was having a bit too much fun. A few years as a hippy, then back to Queens for teachers college. Rewarding 30 year career, and now retired. Too many teacher candidates today and it's tough to get in, slightly better if you have qualifications for high school math and sciences, or French and music.
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I strongly recommend a "professional" degree as the first degree (Engineering, Architecture, Nursing, Accounting, etc.) otherwise your kid will spend a lot of money and time on something that will add little value to their livelihood (other than expanding their mind..). A professional degree IMO is any degree that leads to or is a requirement for certification in a specific field, and is required to work in that field. If he/she goes onto a second degree that is a professional degree like law, that solves the problem but many plan on doing it and after the first one they have had enough, now all they have is lib arts and a crappy job.
I recommend a hard discussion on what the degree leads to, how much it costs, what the jobs pay after graduation, return on investment type of stuff. The idea of all university degrees leading to big money is LONG gone. Something in demand, sure, otherwise forget it. Lots of people go the any degree route, realize they do not like flipping burgers then go back for some other degree or diploma trying to fix the problem, why not just go there in the first place?
For me, I went the college (Niagara) route for Engineering Technology. If I was to do it again I would have gone to university for Engineering instead. The college education was great BUT throughout my career not having the degree has held me back. I am a VP of Engineering now BUT the struggle to move up the food chain was just that much harder without the degree. I estimate the choice to do college instead of university has cost me about 300 to 400K so far in earnings (delayed promotion, lower pay for the same job, etc.), I am in my 40s.
I am going back to school part time to get the degree starting in September, not because I need it anymore just to prove a point to myself. If they choose the college route I recommend going to a school that has strong articulation agreements with universities which will make getting the degree afterwards much easier. I did not and it has been a real struggle getting into a decent university program with my college diploma (and getting at least some credit for my college credits). Most universities want me to start from scratch, if I went to a different college for exactly the same program they would have let me start in third or even fourth year!
I recommend a hard discussion on what the degree leads to, how much it costs, what the jobs pay after graduation, return on investment type of stuff. The idea of all university degrees leading to big money is LONG gone. Something in demand, sure, otherwise forget it. Lots of people go the any degree route, realize they do not like flipping burgers then go back for some other degree or diploma trying to fix the problem, why not just go there in the first place?
For me, I went the college (Niagara) route for Engineering Technology. If I was to do it again I would have gone to university for Engineering instead. The college education was great BUT throughout my career not having the degree has held me back. I am a VP of Engineering now BUT the struggle to move up the food chain was just that much harder without the degree. I estimate the choice to do college instead of university has cost me about 300 to 400K so far in earnings (delayed promotion, lower pay for the same job, etc.), I am in my 40s.
I am going back to school part time to get the degree starting in September, not because I need it anymore just to prove a point to myself. If they choose the college route I recommend going to a school that has strong articulation agreements with universities which will make getting the degree afterwards much easier. I did not and it has been a real struggle getting into a decent university program with my college diploma (and getting at least some credit for my college credits). Most universities want me to start from scratch, if I went to a different college for exactly the same program they would have let me start in third or even fourth year!
I have a Bachelor's of Computer Science from UofWaterloo. Graduated in 2006. The longest I've been without a job since graduating is 2 weeks and it was because I quit my job without having anything lined up and it took me two weeks to find a new job (actually had 2 different offers). ON the other hand my friend finished human biology and could not find a job with just an undergrad and had to go back to school (he posts here btw). As has been mentioned, University is worth it if you do something that directly links to a career. Something like History? I would not do it. Waste of time and money. If you're loaded and are willing to pay for your kid to have the "college" experience then sure, send him/her to western for arts, pack lots of condoms and send them on their merry way, but don't expect any return on this "investment".
suzuki2000
Well-known member
Way back in the day I completed my business Diploma through College, coming out of school it was a tough haul, I knew a lot about businessprinciples but had limited practical experience. The only way to get experience is seat timeand to get this you need someone to take a chance on you. Today my experience is of great value, mycollege schooling wouldn’t even get me in the door.
I started my last course to complete my BA thisweek. I have been working on it for the past 2 ½ years par tm. It does nothingfor me in my current role, but opens up future opportunities and more so if I choose to seek my MBA next. For me todayit is something to complete on my bucket list and to feed my own ego Many companies won’t even look at you withouta degree anymore whether in something useful or even just basket weaving. If you are seeking a technologist position,college is the route, it will get you in and started but in time it will be career limiting
I started my last course to complete my BA thisweek. I have been working on it for the past 2 ½ years par tm. It does nothingfor me in my current role, but opens up future opportunities and more so if I choose to seek my MBA next. For me todayit is something to complete on my bucket list and to feed my own ego Many companies won’t even look at you withouta degree anymore whether in something useful or even just basket weaving. If you are seeking a technologist position,college is the route, it will get you in and started but in time it will be career limiting
Fingers crossed! Got a kid finishing art school this spring.
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304402104579149060054918936
http://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052702304402104579149060054918936
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