Under my roof we have eight degrees, my wife holds the fancy ones though. Double doctorate in education and mathematics. I have my degrees in mathematics which is how we met. She get's paid to get more education continuously.

When I want to annoy her I say, "Yes Dr. I will take out the trash."

I'm a PCA DE instructor.

Wouldn't that make me (and other PCA instructors) as the most educated Pelican??http://forums.pelicanparts.com/support/smileys/wat5.gif

School of hard knocks...worth far more than the degree paperwork now lining life's proverbial birdcage.

which areas of math, Scott?


BTW - maybe I can distract you guys with another thread:

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/786058-what-drives-people-become-more-educated.html#post7796277

Calculus and trigonometry mainly. I mentioned in another thread that I did my thesis on calculating Lagrange points in space (aka L-points). I wanted to work in that field, however computers and banking found their way instead.

Uni grad here.

Getting degrees is one thing; using them to make money - or to make one's self happy is another.

One example is my father who was a real fu cking idiot. Had two psychology degrees and never had a job.

I used to work for a family friend's construction co in the summers during college. I was applying to grad schools and med schools at the time, one of the other guys had an MBA (left business, burned out) and the boss was an engineer with a master's who got tired of the stress at GE engines and started his business. The housewives in a few wealthy areas would always talk down to us like we were idiots. Insulting to us and tradespeople everywhere (which is another thread, I know.)

I think knowledge is power, and education of the institutional type give one the most intensive injections of knowledge. It can all be learned, but college motivated me to learn faster. I've always thought of college as a foundation for life, not job training.

My daughter is a licensed union (IBEW) industrial electrician.
She has been put down by both men and women. She might then disclose her average wages. It will certainly cause some of the University grads in the beginning of their careers at least to think twice

I flirted with Richard Feynman at a cocktail party once...

About what?

And Linus Pauling was good friends with my grandfather. His , and Irwin Stone,s vitamin C megavitamin work is based on my GF,s research in the 1940/50,s
Name dropping works best when the name has credentials like a PHD, Nobel prize or both, doesn,t it. Better than that "slept at a holiday inn stuff"

While in general I believe college can really introduce people to more worldly thinking, I have a problem with many college professors who are doing this have a VERY small view of the world. It also pisses me off when most of them take liberties in class and basically step on the soap box to profess less about their chosen field and more about their extremely liberal tendencies that are entirely inappropriate in the college classroom. It is also sad that when I taught in college I was one of the few people teaching business classes that actually worked in business at some point in time.

There are professors and colleges that do a wonderful job opening up students minds to thinking about different things and also joining different fields in unique ways. Especially when these profs can do this for students who may not have had this type of experience elsewhere. My love and respect for the scientific method and critical thinking happened in college which I hold as probably the most important thing I have learned in the last 30 years (other than how to tune my 911 engine of course). In addition, I do think education is important so that people can make informed decisions and aren't easily tricked.

That said, I do think that it is overemphasized as "the only choice". I recently read a great article written by Mike Rowe (from Dirty Jobs) in Popular Mechanics that sums up my thoughts on this. Here is an example of what he spoke about. http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/10/23/mike-rowe-of-dirty-jobs-speaks-about-hard-work-how-many-are-following-the-worst-advice-in-the-history-of-the-world/ There are a number of people who are talented but for whatever reason don't "get" how to do school. Because they are convinced it is the only choice, they get a feeling of failure. Also, you can be just as successful or more without going to college.

The put down specifically came from some beginning teacher "friends" . all with undergrad degrees, who put her down because she dropped out of college . They were floored when they started comparing wages.
She and I both have a respect for those with and without formal degrees.

It is the mark of an educated mind to be able to entertain a thought without accepting it. -A

It certainly isn't me.

I get a little bit smarter every day.....that's my measure of knowledge, always looking always learning. I have nothing more than my high school diploma. If I spend more than a couple minutes per month in PARF I feel like I'm going backwards!!!!:D

I have a DVM degree but 40 yr of practice taught me a lot more about medicine, people, and life than 7 yr of college. Like Moses said, and I've said it before, I'm not really educated....just highly trained...almost as well trained as my dog ;)

Good for her. I use two electrical contractors exclusively for my jobs. One of them is just the two girls. They are great at what they do and nice to deal with. One of the girl was a rock singer at one time and stills sings in a local but mellower band now and then. They make great money. I never question their bid because I know they will get the job done without any issues. As a matter of fact, I am meeting up with them tomorrow bright and early to look at ddrawings. Tell your daughter thumbs up for me.

I taught high school shop class for a few years, while I was running a contracting business (my tenth year). My second year there, a young English Lit. teacher with a master degree wsa having a fit because he can't qualify for a loan to get his newly purchased home repaired (foundation issues). Some people knew that I had a contracting business and was already a home owner. This little man said" How can you own a house now that you've had a real job for a year?:rolleyes: Carpenters can't make that much money doing what you do before this and you are young. I don't know how you made down payment?" I was 30 and I am not smart with no advance degrees but a BS, a few certs. needed for my business and a teaching credential. Little did he know, if I drove my 930 to school, he would have been really pissed. He's never liked me and always making noise about tradesmen making too much without any degrees. I did explain how to repair his foundation but ask him to get someone with a advance degree to do the work. :D

My experiences are that many people in education have been blinded sides by the achievement of that piece of paper so much that they have tunnel vision and missed the rest of the world going by them. Many have never had a job outside of a school. The ones that do or did, are so much different in their thinking. This included a few of my college professors.