1. Yes.
2. Yes, but it took a whole lot of extra years and tears.
3. Absolutely, I switched career paths after paying off all of my loans and went to graduate school in music. None of the jobs that I have had for the past 35+ years would have been available without the pieces of paper from college.

Yes
Yes
Yes in the aggregate

I graduated 24 years ago when I was 20. I have never worked in my degree field. Obviously there are shit days but I've worked in manufacturing, infrastructure, hospital design and construction, and healthcare and its all been very interesting.

I've spent 75% of that time since graduation working overseas, the US, Middle East and Europe.

No degree and all of that would have, at the very least, been much harder, but more likely impossible.

Since graduating, I've been back to graduate school twice. Once a decade ago, again now though this time I am a bit shocked at the content relative to what I was expecting (and not in a good way)

Edit to add. The first two schools cost me nothing. (except opportunity cost)

I'm paying this time. Unless I was in a top school, I'd not shell out a penny more than necessary because no employer is going to give two shits you went to the most expensive middle of the table school.

I assume you mean "university". In Canada we have both and the resulting credentials are very different.

Yes I went to university, got my degree. Then I went to college to get a technical diploma so I was more employable. Years later I went to grad school, got another degree.

Currently underemployed doing work unrelated to any of the above credentials. So right now they all mean jack shit. (I blame a crap local economy). However, aside from wishing I had taken a different undergrad program initially, I am happy with my educational decisions.

1. Yes
2, Yes
3. Yes

Yes
Yes
Sort of, I would have had a different major as I needed to get a masters right a way for a meaningful job

There's no ROI with regards to college!

Wait, what were the questions? Oh, yeah...

1. Yes
2. Does an Associates Degree count?
2. Yes

My path into full time photography was unconventional compared to those of us who started out at RIT. It was expected that entering freshman would put their four years in, graduate, then get an assistant's job in NYC, LA or Miami (fashion). That didn't sit well with me, because my mentor taught me that any photographer could make a darn good living without having to go those large cities (I grew up in the Philly suburbs). Early into my second year, I figured out that I might not be getting the "education" - 90% of photography is business - so I left mid-way through my third year. I spent the better part of the next decade gaining the knowledge and valuable life skills college doesn't teach, before I became a full time professional photographer. Seeing my oldest son about to enter his third year in college (UNC Charlotte School of Engineering) makes me wonder if I would be further ahead if I had completed college. I say no, because I knew since I was a little boy that I wanted to work for myself, and since early high school that I wanted to be a professional photographer. If anything, I wonder if that 3.5 year's worth of money could have been better spent.

1. Yes, many times
2. No, graduated in 2013 at the age of 47, graduated with a masters in 2018
3. I'm happy to have my degrees now. I wish I would have done it younger so I could reap even more benefits. I was lucky because when I was young there was plenty of opportunity for a hard working person, with the right connections. I started out in manufacturing and learned a skill, that moved me up the ladder somewhat quickly because I was pretty driven. My ultimate path would have been much easier had I had my degree. There were many jobs I was not given the opportunity because I lacked a degree.

Regardless what many, many people tell you, a degree is very important. If you don't have it, those same people who tell you they are not important will not give you the opportunities without one. As I've seen said here a lot, now a college degree is as important as a high school diploma once was. To get a job today, many times a masters is required.

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_____
TEAM HD
Each day is what you make of it so make it the best day possible.

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. Not really

Yes
Yes
Yes regarding schooling TBD on career choices.

Yes

Yes. Graduated with a bachelors after 4 years. I was going to transfer after 2 years to somewhere closer to home but the credits didn’t line up right and would’ve had to take an extra 1-2 semesters so I decided to stick it out at the original place. After graduating I Took 2-3 years off of school and worked before going back to school and getting a doctorate in a similar field.

Yes. I’m happy where I’m at in life. That being said, If I could go back in time I would want to go down that education path in a different manner. Or do a wildly different major or career

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Matt

Yes
Yes
Yes, regarding going to college. Ended up working in the family business, which has nothing to do with my degree. Enjoy my work but having employees can sometimes be a pain in the ass.

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. Happy enough

Yes, yes, and yes. For the last one where I went had more to do with that than what I ended up with degrees in (fine arts and history) as I've spent almost all my career in an unrelated field (software engineering).

1.) Yes
2.) Yes
3.) Yes

But be warned on #3 for everyone.
There are scientific studies which say we are biased to think the path we've chosen is better than any counterfactual.

1) Yes

2) No. In fact, I didn't graduate at all. I felt s bit lost half way through my degree. I decided to take some time off to travel. When I came home I was beyond broke (maxed out my CC for a flight home) and decided to work in construction for a year to save some money. I ended up working for a very talented carpenter who offered me an apprenticeship, and I took that route instead.

3) Yes and No. While all my friends graduated with debt and most without great employment prospects, I finished my apprenticeship with zero debt, having earned around $150k over the course of my training, and was in high demand. I started a renovation business that gives me a good living in a very expensive city. I enjoy having and honing a skill or craft. When I finish a project, I feel a huge sense of pride and accomplishment in what I've done, and I meet some very interesting clients.

On the negative side, it is incredibly hard work, and without a degree, I'm more or less stuck in this career path. I think, as I get older, this may become an issue for me.

In retrospect, I wish I had finished my degree, then took the path that I did.

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Long Chile was a silly place.

1. Yes
2.. yes. And then a 2nd one
3. Yes.

I went to university for 8.5 years, undergrad and PhD.

I did both degrees at McGill University

I am very happy with the career path I chose and these opportunities would definitely not be available to me without a PhD.

I didn’t really know what I wanted after undergrad and I ended up in grad school because I wasn’t doing anything else but it opened a lot of doors for me in terms of employment and travel.

1. Yes
2. No, I transferred twice - once from an out of state school to an easy school, then from that easy school to a very hard school's professional program
3. Yes. Grad school is a different story.

I couldn't do what I do without my degree, and I've been doing it for 20 years, and I don't want to do anything else

1. Did you go to college? Yes
2. If you did, did you graduate from the first college you attended? Yes
3. Regardless of if you did or didn't go to college, are you happy with the path you chose? Yes


I chose to enlist in the Navy after graduating from High School despite the fact that I received three different scholarships to attend universities that I had applied to. I felt that I would not appreciate the opportunity and would probably be kicked out of school for hanging out a dorm window wearing a toga and other dastardly deeds.

I went to school after I left active duty although I did take a few course while I was on shore duty. Had I known better, I would have been able to finish my BA degree before going back to sea duty but I was not aware of several accelerated programs available in San Diego.

I found going to college after 11 years of active duty in the Navy was very easy for the most part. Discipline is a big part of school and the military taught me that very well. Being a supervisor also helped a lot, my degree was in Business Management and I had 5 year of experience walking into the first class. I graduated with honors in an accelerated program while working full time, a very doable task for someone with military experience like mine.

I am very happy I went for the degree, it enabled me to change my career from law enforcement (I was a Federal officer after I left the Navy), to the Contracting career field in the Federal government. That career change also allowed me to earn a graduate degree, paid for by the government. Those two have allowed me to reach a level that is very rewarding, comfortable and interesting. Without the degree I would still be in law enforcement and based on the friends I still communicate with at my last duty station, not a happy camper. The law enforcement job lost a lot of luster when DHS took over the US Customs Service.

1. 2 year technical trade school, came out with an associates degree in electronics

2. No. I pretended to go to community college for a year, dropping my classes shortly after each semester began, then found myself on a several year drug fuel bender in the earl 90's San Fransisco rave scene. I was 22 when I went into the technical school

3. Yes, I am probably an unusual example though. I was/am really good at what I do, learned a lot on the job, worked with some really smart people, took extra training along the way (programming classes mostly), and now while I think my official title is Senior Scientist, I am the principal electrical engineer designing and building some really cool stuff, making more money than I need. I got a little lucky along the way with layoffs becoming excellent opportunities to improve my job and pay. Ironically I might be getting laid off again here soon. Thats cool, I'm a little sick of St. Louis... maybe I'll go to Washington, or Colorado. I think I may have missed a little of the "college experience" but I am very happy with my life, even if i lose my current job, and wouldn't change anything.


ETA: I should mention that not having a 4-year degree has certainly limited my opportunities, some companies just cant look at my body of work and require that paper, no matter what. Which I think is very funny because 2 of the worst engineers I have worked with have their degrees from Stanford and Cornell (maybe you've heard of it).

1 - yes - several times
2 - yes - several times
3 - yes/no - I'm really happy with the end result now. But it would have been a lot better if 1 and 2 were only once and not several times

We've all met 18 - 21 year olds. They are generally idiots. But yet we expect them to know what they want to do for the rest of their lives. I would have been much better waiting a year or two to go to school out of high school, I just had no idea what I wanted to do. But the scholarships weren't waiting. But I was pushing 30 before I came close to knowing.

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I'm beginning to think that we are much more fucked than I thought.

y
n
y

always wanted to be a pilot. my degree is marketing. never had a marketing job in my life. i knew airlines would ask if i had a degree. a degree, generally, is not a requirement to gain employment, but it does make you more competitive. i'd guess less than 2% of the guys i fly with don't have a degree. imo, unless youre going into something specific, i.e. medicine, engineering, i don't think it matters what your degree is. the "norm" of today tho is much different than the norm of my day. graduated college in early 90s. i don't believe having a degree will ever hurt ya, but i don't think going deep in debt for something that is less than specific is smart either.

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ΜΟΛΩΝ-ΛΑΒΕ
we're doomed

1. Yes - I went to two colleges (one in Belgium, one in US)
2. Yes - one degree from each college
3. Yes, absolutely. I'm a materials scientist and 20 years after graduating I'm still building on my original education, having spent my entire career in materials science R&D.

That said - my education was my plan B, when my Plan A was still to be a pro cyclist. I simply did not have the immune system to handle sports at a high level so my Plan B quickly became the only plan.

1. Yes
2. No
3. Yes