How is it possible that only 50% go to college?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only people I know who didn't go to college are family members who don't make much. How could it be that only 50% go? Everyone else I know has at least a bachelor's and usually more.

I bet you wonder what all those seats are for on the other side of the curtain on an airliner, because you never met anyone who didn’t fly 1st class.

Holy crap. Get out more.

Plenty of people who went to college and beyond dont fly first class

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The only people I know who didn't go to college are family members who don't make much. How could it be that only 50% go? Everyone else I know has at least a bachelor's and usually more.

It’s time to leave your bubble.

It's harsh out there. It really is going anywhere outside from inner DC + inner suburbs

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This is why I get upset when people tag on FCPS or MCPS

While they both need improvement and constant attention a significantly large percentage go to college.

Look at red states then stop complaining

Or, you know, blue inner cities.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:How is it possible that 50% do go to college? When I was growing up only 5% of Americans had a college degree.

What are you like from the 1600s?

[Anonymous]

When I worked in NYC all
my family, neighbors and co-workers had college degrees.

Yet most of people on interacted with did not. Train conductor, garbage man, cop, guy who made me coffee, my breakfast sandwich place, my lunch place, my mechanic, my landscaper, my roofer. So easy to believe even in NYC half had. I college degrees.

[Anonymous]

My husband was a first gen college student, even though both sides of his family had been in the US since the 1800s.

On his dad's side, they were farmers and owned a lot of land around NYC. As the area built up, they (great-grandfather, etc) developed projects (shopping centers, apartments) and leased land to the state (e.g., a post office.) This provided a pretty comfortable stream of income for my husband's grandfather and father and their siblings (my husband's aunts and uncles.) Some of his uncles had other businesses as well; e.g., one owned a fleet of trucks.

On his mother's side, they were all tradespeople (mostly carpenters and other union jobs.) All of them lived well and owned second homes - even ski houses.

When my husband was in high school, both of his parents tried to talk him out of going to college - they thought it was a waste of money. No one around them ever "needed" a college degree and they all did well. They would probably be surprised to learn that 50% of people *do* go to college.

[Anonymous]

I graduated high school in 2002 and about 30% of kids from my public, inner city school in a large city went to college. I’m sure even fewer actually graduated from college/obtained degrees.

Think about your community and those you interact with regularly and I’m sure you can quickly come up with lots of people you know or interact with who don’t have college degrees. Obv some in the jobs I’m about to list did go to college but many did not:
-cashiers, salespeople
-delivery drivers, mail carriers
-mechanics
-receptionists
-customer service
-restaurant workers, baristas
-garbage collectors
-plumbers, electricians, HVAC workers, construction/contractors
-paramedics, LPNs and nurse’s assistants
-bus drivers and others who work in public transport
-paraprofessionals and education aides at schools

[Anonymous]

And now back to DCUM where we can continue to argue about which of the top 0.5% of colleges are more prestigious…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The only people I know who didn't go to college are family members who don't make much. How could it be that only 50% go? Everyone else I know has at least a bachelor's and usually more.

Just think of all the people you scold on a daily basis: retail, food service, laborers, tellers, etc

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:When I worked in NYC all
my family, neighbors and co-workers had college degrees.

Yet most of people on interacted with did not. Train conductor, garbage man, cop, guy who made me coffee, my breakfast sandwich place, my lunch place, my mechanic, my landscaper, my roofer. So easy to believe even in NYC half had. I college degrees.

But how do you know they didn't?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I graduated high school in 2002 and about 30% of kids from my public, inner city school in a large city went to college. I’m sure even fewer actually graduated from college/obtained degrees.

Think about your community and those you interact with regularly and I’m sure you can quickly come up with lots of people you know or interact with who don’t have college degrees. Obv some in the jobs I’m about to list did go to college but many did not:
-cashiers, salespeople
-delivery drivers, mail carriers
-mechanics
-receptionists
-customer service
-restaurant workers, baristas
-garbage collectors
-plumbers, electricians, HVAC workers, construction/contractors
-paramedics, LPNs and nurse’s assistants
-bus drivers and others who work in public transport
-paraprofessionals and education aides at schools

Well you don't really know they didn't go to college, but I would agree you don't necessarily need a college degree to do those things.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:My ILs don't think going to college is all that important. DH went but his two siblings did not. His nieces and nephews did not. According to BIL, in his experience, most people who start college drop out and are left with debt so it's a waste of time. Our 20-30ish yr old nieces and nephews include: one learned auto mechanics in HS and now has his own business, one is in the military, one works for a commercial builder, one works for an insurance company that trains so staff can advance without a degree, one did community college to become a medical assistant and works at a doctor's office.

They live in a pretty affordable East Coast city. Some have kids. They are generally doing fine in life.

My kids are in college and I wanted that for them but I understand there are others paths to a happy, productive life

Yes. Many ways to a happy, productive life.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:A 2022 Fed Survey found that about 37% of Americans could not cover an unexpected $400 expense. How do you think families in those situations (or those doing only slightly better) are going to pay for college?

Tbf, those families usually get the most aid

Unless it covers the cost 100%, chances are they can’t afford college.

Yes. This is the person who is $500 short for tuition junior year and has to drop out.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I graduated high school in 2002 and about 30% of kids from my public, inner city school in a large city went to college. I’m sure even fewer actually graduated from college/obtained degrees.

Think about your community and those you interact with regularly and I’m sure you can quickly come up with lots of people you know or interact with who don’t have college degrees. Obv some in the jobs I’m about to list did go to college but many did not:
-cashiers, salespeople
-delivery drivers, mail carriers
-mechanics
-receptionists
-customer service
-restaurant workers, baristas
-garbage collectors
-plumbers, electricians, HVAC workers, construction/contractors
-paramedics, LPNs and nurse’s assistants
-bus drivers and others who work in public transport
-paraprofessionals and education aides at schools

And a few of these people will have a college degree or some college too.

[Anonymous]

My large HS had a 40% drop out rate. I have no idea how many who graduated went to college. That was the mid 90s. The area has gotten worse since I moved away with poverty and unemployment. You live in a bubble, OP.

I know a lot of people who had babies or died while we were in HS.