I knew a man who was working retail and going to college at the same time. He got a law degree and stayed in retail for years. I ask him about going to college and getting the degree when he stayed in retail for many years. He said he enjoyed what he was doing in retail but felt his college education gave him a better understanding of problems.

Same experience here. My state license wasn't merely an excuse for taxation. It took a lot of training to acquire it and was absolutely required knowledge.

I’m thinking of the youngest daughter’s MiL as I ‘say’ this. The woman is stupid, and that’s not a joke. She has a PhD and simply can not run her life. A degree will not make you any smarter than you already are. She’s in her early 70’s. Owes about $250,000 in student loans still. A couple of years ago she sent thousands of dollars to some guy in the Middle East that said he loved her and needed airfare money to fly to be with her. My daughter and SIL are having to support her and manage her money for her. Just bought her a house so she’d have a place to live.

A degree or multiple degrees will not turn a loser into a winner. I can’t stand that woman. A complete idiot. Rant over…

Still, the person with the license is more important than the license, just like a degree. I know apprentices that I will take over a journeyman, any day. Some people cannot live up to the license they carry. The lazy guy that guessed on half of the test to get a 70%, carries the same license as the guy that works his butt off and got an 85%.
And continuing education is good, but these guys can always find a site with a four hour video that plays while they are on youtube.

I know nurse practitioners that know more than most doctors but I want both of them to have a license. The discussion was about the license not being anything more than taxation by the state and I couldn’t disagree more.

I didn't say by the State. It's an excuse for taxation by ANY organization that requires it. Licensing is a self-feeding moneymaker. I have a few licenses and I'm not offended by the facts. The notion that a license indicates skill and knowledge is laughable ... but it doesn't go the other way around. Just because a license (or degree) is not proof of proficiency doesn't mean that most license holders aren't skilled and knowledgeable, they likely are.

Heck to get your CPA you have to have your MPA, which pisses off my wife because they are seeing a decline in kids wanting to become accountants. That isn't the only reason why, other bureaucratic bs that factors into it.

My daughter is a corporate CPA, they don’t know what they’re missing. She also went to McCombs as a few on here have mentioned. The RIGHT education pays dividends.

Case in point: a driver license.

I fine CE for trade jobs are useless

It doen't teach you anything, just a money grab set up by the licensing authority.

So, you’re fine with receiving service from a nurse who couldn’t pass NCLEX, doctor who failed the board exam, or lawyer who failed the bar?

Threads like this are nothing more than class warfare mostly on the part of those without degrees, disguised as genuine questions. They always go the same way with the same comments about how so and so’s cousin has a degree but uses a rock for an ID card because they’re so dumb. Then it’s about how a non degreed worker earns so much more without factoring in longer hours and wear on the body.

You said out loud what many notice; those that have not, more than happy to denegrate those with....As I said, not necessary but I'm not knocking those with or without. Many different ways to dress and skin a deer...

This thread is laughable.

The median household income for Texas in 2022 was $73,000. That’s household not individual. I would be willing to bet that of the individual people making over 100k, over 50% do not have a college degree. Yes, hours and wear and tear, etc. we send far too many kids to college that have no business there.

It doesn’t matter how much schooling you have, you either have it or you don’t. You’ll either come out on top or always be complaining.

100%. The cream will always rise to the top.

I agree. And my son would be just fine I’m sure because he has that drive to succeed. But his first passion is law so I want him to see that through. If that don’t work, I don’t worry about him he will find his way

I’m sure we do send many kids to college that won’t benefit from it. My best buddy in high school went to college for one year and passed only Bowling 101. And then he went to the oil fields, and he made a good life for himself. We sent our daughters to college for two reasons. The first was to get an education so that they could forever be self supporting. The second reason was that we wanted them to be able to take care of themselves in the event of divorce. A college education is simply one tool you can use to succeed in the world. Use it or don’t use it, but when someone says you need a degree to apply for this job, you can indeed apply for that job.

When I was in corporate America, I had folks without degrees that were well qualified to be promoted, but with no degree, they weren’t promotable. Really that made me mad, but I was told that “the rules are the rules”.

Here in the countryside, when I helped with high school tennis, I had many chances to talk with the kids on life after high school. The tennis kids were normally in the top 10 percent in their class. Most went off to college and some to technical school. But one of my favorite kids said he was just gonna stay here in town and take over his dad’s lawn mowing business. He said “I can make $20 an hour”. His dad, at 56 years old was a physical wreck. Just watching him walk was painful.

I used to tell the kids “you can work 40 years with your back, but 70 years with your mind, so use your mind to make a living”.

The state license is so that some nerd can't just wake up and announce "I'm a doctor" (and gives you medicine that kills you), "I'm a police officer" (and violates your civil rights) "I'm a lawyer" (and fails to represent you properly and you go to prison). The license is the best the state can do make sure there is minimum training required to possess the license and continued training to keep it. No, it doesn't mean the person is a Rockstar in that field but there have to minimums. If you think people can just do it own their own, we already tried that and had barbers performing surgery.

I’ve always admitted that that I was over educated but under smart. I’ve learned a lot by doing stupid stuff and getting some hard, and often painful, lessons. Hold my beer and watch this type of stuff.

I was dang good on pool and poker. But I was taught by exceptional coaches(hustlers) who taught me that there was a game within the game. I no longer play either because, at 81 yoa, I no longer have an intellectual edge.

Now, I’m just Grandpa and Great Grandpa with arthritis and forgetfulness.

Depends on the industry, Leave the oil field, IT and trades out you have a point.

There was more to that story, I promise you....probably pressure from his family who didn't want him to do any better than they did.

Hell No! It’s just an expensive indoctrination.

My best bud flunked out of UTSA, Arkansas, A&M and then Blinn. He was both a dog and a player. It was prior to the full computerization of school records and he kept applying as if a first timer. I think he was a millionaire somehwere near 25/26 and then retired at 31.

TxTro, is that sarcasm or a joke?

Yep. Almost all upper offshore Oil & Gas hands in Commissioning make > than 100k or 200k/year, working 6 months a year sometimes/normally. Most have no degrees, just lots of hands on field experience learning your stuff and using a brain that works. I've had to work with many "educated" young engineers and a few have been very beneficial with computer skills. Most are egotistical hard headed and worthless. I like young college educated engineers that understand that they bring something to the table, but open your ears....this ain't a book you can study and call yourself a pro. Our industry revolves around young folks that are smarter than us in a lot of ways, and old seasoned hands that have seen people die in the field and want to correct the reason's why....attitude means an awful lot.

I know a good Engineer when I see him. Unfortunately the title of engineer gets thrown around like hunting guides...