College: Worth the cost?

  • Thread starter Thread starter mjs1987
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
College was most certainly worth the cost for me. I was agnostic when I started college, and I came out a Catholic–mostly thanks to my philosophy classes (at a *public *university). When you seek the truth with knowledge, you will find it.

As for additional opportunities in college? As a previous poster put it, these must be sought out. They are not a part of the curriculum. As an undergraduate, I published a philosophy piece, assisted with cutting-edge scientific research, collaborated with an amazing professor for a thesis, and even grew a Catholic ministry! I also met my husband and a network of Catholic friends. 🙂

So, is college worth the cost for everyone? It depends on that person’s calling, goals, opportunity costs, and initiative. From a practical standpoint, it is usually much more economical to get a scholarship from a large, public research institution that draws the most grant money and more research-focused professors. The opportunity for research-assisting and taking graduate level classes will also be much higher. From a faith-based standpoint, what’s the fuss? I guess I don’t understand this because I converted while in college. A tested faith is a stronger faith, to me.
 
mjs1987 said:
Is a college education worth the cost not just in terms of the price of college but more importantly in the risk to the soul
.
Click to expand...
well… you CANNOT be a doctor, and many other professions, like engineering, without a college degree. so if college is out of the question, where will we get Catholic doctors?

so, yes, a college degree is worth it.
that said, you have to 1. know the risks, and 2 know what campus you go to and 3. stay in touch with the Catholic community
 
mjs1987 said:
Is a college education worth the cost not just in terms of the price of college but more importantly in the risk to the soul from activist professors with anti-life and anti-religion philosophies that contribute to students loss of faith as well as the general moral decay that is present on many college campuses that encourages sinful activities such as sex and drinking? Is the economic advancement that comes from paying for a degree worth the risks to the faith? Today, many secular economists are arguing on economic grounds to NOT go to college since the costs are higher than the pay offs these days and that investing the money elsewhere and building work experience should mean more than a degree. However, in my view the threat to the faith of a young person should be the greater question. Is economic advancement and educational achievement worth the possibility of losing your faith and possibility eternal salvation?

I would extend this discussion to public high school but in those years parents have direct control over what their kids learn and the parents can counteract some of the bad teaching and influences to a greater degree. In college, this is not a possibility and the new found freedom contributes to the loss of faith and sinful behavior.

From my experiences, the worst classes are philosophy and comparative religion classes in college followed by science courses. Philosophy and comparative religion in Jesuit colleges and secular universities teach errors such as that all religions are pretty much the same and morality does not exist. Teaching like this with a cultural of peer pressure for sinfulness puts youth in a high risk to fall and many do fall. So it begs the question about the benefits compared to the risks of college.
Click to expand...
Pray that the Lord may send good intelligent catholic men & women to teach the youth in schools
 
Yes, definitely.
Regardless of the major, college makes a person well-rounded, able to think critically, and opens many doors. A college educated person looks at the world differently. A college educated parent sees value in opportunity (not to say all non-college educated parents do not - I am speaking on that from my family!)

My SIL is an excellent example. She graduated from high school and found work as a secretary immediately following gradution. Never attended college, even though she grew up literally blocks from a state university. She met my BIL who attended this state university, they got married and have kids now.

He is a pilot and is frequently gone, so most of the time she is alone with the kids (now elementary school age). He would love for her to take his kids to the museums - science, art, children’s theater, etc. He really can’t, because of his travel schedule.

She refuses to take the kids to art or science museums because “she hated science in school and doesn’t want to subject them to it.” :eek:. She thinks art museums are too “stuffy” and does not “get it”. She cannot (or refuses to) see the value in teaching her kids to love this stuff or even just experience this stuff. She cannot see beyond her little world and expand theirs. It is very frustrating to watch!

Our kids have grown up expecting to attend college. It’s a given they will go someplace. Where is up to them. If they do not, there is not much opportunity for them long term!
 
flyingfish said:
Either you’re a genius or you were in an easy program. I’m not stupid myself, and that definitely was not my experience. I had to work very hard, and found my classes to be very challenging.
Click to expand...
I studied Philosophy (two classes away from a degree - had to drop this major due to finances) and Computer Science (my actual degree). I attempted the Philosophy partly for personal growth, and partly because otherwise my CS classes would be too dense for be to handle the workload and also work part-time. I spent 50 to 70 hours a week on schoolwork. I spent maybe 5 to 7 of those hours each week on my Philosophy class, including classtime, and the rest of the time on CS - even though the Phil. classes were over 1/3rd of my credit load, they were about 10% of my workload. I aced my Philosohpy classes (4.0) and did well in my CS classes (3.5).

My degree paid off for me, financially. However, I don’t think it’s the only good option and I won’t push my own children into college (although it would be my preference that they do go). DH and I will give some financial support if we can afford it (50 to 70 hours of school work plus 20 or more hours of paid work and still building credit card debt while eating for $20 a week, no entertainment budget at all, no health insurance . . . not something I want my own kids to experience, and I had scholarships and financial aid, just not enough for the high cost of living where I studied!), but I will also encourage them to at least look at the other options out there.

Spiritually, I think the attacks I underwent actually helped, in the long run. I had no idea how weak my faith was until I went to college. I thought I loved God before then, but while in college I learned that I had no idea what it meant to love God; I realized how easily I put people before Him. The suffering was worth it, and my faith was so much stronger by the end. I know not all college students experience this - and many fall. But I think many of those lukewarm souls would have fallen anyways, as they were tested by the world at a later point in life. Those who would have been strengthened by a few more years of shelter are, IMO, few.
 
A huge mistake is to consider education and career as inextricably linked. Your major focus in life (according to the gospel) is to live in faith (making active choices which further the Kingdom of God) and charity which would be to give all for the love of God and love for your neighbor. A job is a job is a job as long as you have enough to eat and that you might not be divided in heart because of your work. Of course we need doctors and in the minds of some people to become a doctor or nurse…or some other “helping” profession is the “Christian thing to do.” However, one can be a godless, hedonistic, self-centered doctor and be twice the child of hell because of it.

This is why a life of prayer is so important. “Seek FIRST the Kingdom of God and all of these things shall be given to you!” I would take the advice of Jesus Christ. Once you’ve done this, that is given all to Christ you will already be doing the right thing…and you will have greater clarity. Give yourself to the world and it’s evil desires first…and that is all you’ll end up with in the end.

All of that said, I hope you are able to view education as a means of expanding your appreciation for God’s creation, His divine order, His wisdom and His majesty and as a means to become a servant who is better equipped to give your life more completely for the sake of others…that more and more might inherit salvation and eternal life BECAUSE OF YOU!
 
robdaddyf said:
A huge mistake is to consider education and career as inextricably linked.
Click to expand...
I know they aren’t 100% linked, but do you know many people in recent years who have done very well for themselves without going to college or the military?
 
Something else…

I’ve read some of the other replies on here and I’m a bit troubled by the advice some have given you.

First, all education is, at it’s core, a search for greater truth. It is true to assume that much of what atheist/agnostic/faithless people might teach you will be rubbish…but you are clearly going in with this in mind…this will protect you. It is true that many people (liberal/anti-god professors included…as they are people too! Ha!) attempt to sway arguments and clearly edit “truth” to fit their preconceived notions of a Godless universe…but they are stupid. They are intelligent, yes, they are learned to be sure…but still stupid. Education does NOT make one more wise, discerning, good, pure, holy or certainly does NOT make one more charitable! In fact, take C.S. Lewis for an example found himself logically, methodically following truth where it led. He once said, “A young man who wishes to remain a sound Atheist cannot be too careful of his reading.” I couldn’t agree more. Search out all things but don’t sidestep truth and you (even if you wander off the path) will surely find your way back to God…you don’t need to be afraid of what you’ll find because God’s truth cannot be contained or obscured if one is truly seeking and accepting of the truth he finds…it is when we choose to close our eyes to truth and not accept GREATER truth that we forget God and His Christ. You can go and be a source of light in a dark place if that is where the Lord so leads…just don’t give yourself to the evil practices of those who do not know God…stay close to His Church at all times…you’ll have no reason to worry. If you hear something that seems contrary to truth…examine it…do the work…be prayerful…seek the help of the faithful…you will surely survive! May many follow you to Heaven!
 
Jay82 said:
I know they aren’t 100% linked, but do you know many people in recent years who have done very well for themselves without going to college or the military?
Click to expand...
Great question. Let me answer (first) by asking you a question…What do you mean by, “do well for themselves?”
 
robdaddyf said:
Search out all things but don’t sidestep truth and you (even if you wander off the path) will surely find your way back to God…you don’t need to be afraid of what you’ll find because God’s truth cannot be contained or obscured if one is truly seeking and accepting of the truth he finds…
Click to expand...
+1 👍
 
robdaddyf said:
Great question. Let me answer (first) by asking you a question…What do you mean by, “do well for themselves?”
Click to expand...
To earn a salary where they can support and raise a family in a decent neighborhood (or better) and provide all members of the family decent opportunities in life.
 
I went to a small Catholic college for Elementary Education and when I graduated I had over $40k worth of student loans to repay. I’m currently unemployed. But, when I was employed I was making less just shy of $30k a year.

Is college worth it? Depends. Financially, I should have gone to a smaller state school. But, I did meet my husband. Who is priceless 😉
 
Well, on the moral front, I was a sort of unformed agnostic when I went to university, where I studies philosophy and counted comparative religion among my credits. I became a Christian as a result of my studies.

In fact, I really think everyone should have a good liberal arts education, and the fact that they don’t is why many have such primitive and uninformed ideas about religion. That’s why doctors and military officers used to study liberal arts - to give a context for making important and difficult ethical decisions.

I also don’t think the university exists for the purpose of career education. If that is why someone goes, he should know just how he hopes it to assist in that goal or he may well find that it isn’t an economic advantage.
 
Jay82 said:
To earn a salary where they can support and raise a family in a decent neighborhood (or better) and provide all members of the family decent opportunities in life.
Click to expand...
Surely there is nothing positively wrong with what you mention here and indeed they are good things. However, I think the tendency for people to seek for these things with greater diligence, focus and heart than they do things like prayer, intimacy with God…silence…etc. creates situations of idolatry. Of course any good thing can become, for us, an idol it just seems that the things you mention have become the acceptable idols in our culture because we have access to such comfort, education and wealth. Unfortunately our “opportunities in life” are rarely aimed squarely at opportunities to serve our fellow man but are aimed at or own amassing of wealth and security over and above (and often in heart against) our neighbor.

I am NOT criticizing anyone or attempting to say that I don’t fall into the same trap. However, it is something I’ve been really praying about before the Lord and it seems that college, though a potential good isn’t an absolute good. Which is why we all need to be in prayer for ourselves, one another and for the good of the Church.
 
robdaddyf said:
Surely there is nothing positively wrong with what you mention here and indeed they are good things. However, I think the tendency for people to seek for these things with greater diligence, focus and heart than they do things like prayer, intimacy with God…silence…etc. creates situations of idolatry. Of course any good thing can become, for us, an idol it just seems that the things you mention have become the acceptable idols in our culture because we have access to such comfort, education and wealth. Unfortunately our “opportunities in life” are rarely aimed squarely at opportunities to serve our fellow man but are aimed at or own amassing of wealth and security over and above (and often in heart against) our neighbor.

I am NOT criticizing anyone or attempting to say that I don’t fall into the same trap. However, it is something I’ve been really praying about before the Lord and it seems that college, though a potential good isn’t an absolute good. Which is why we all need to be in prayer for ourselves, one another and for the good of the Church.
Click to expand...
Very valid points…however, I think my original question was missed. Here it is again below:

"Do you know many people in recent years who have done very well for themselves without going to college or the military? "
 
What does it profit a man go gain the whole world and lose his soul?
 
Jay82 said:
Very valid points…however, I think my original question was missed. Here it is again below:

"Do you know many people in recent years who have done very well for themselves without going to college or the military? "
Click to expand...
Your point wasn’t missed. To simply seek to do “well for oneself” is what I’m pointing out as the potential problem. And, yes, I know many people who have enough to eat, a place to live and have are very generous with their time, talents and treasure…do you not know people like this? Really?
 
To me, it’s a relative question based on each person’s desired goal…

Costs in dollars? Perhaps if someone get’s to ultimately do the work they want as a result… Will they earn enough to pay it all back? Another entirely different view of the question. For some it may be earned back quickly - for others it may not.

Cost in time? Again a much higher price since there’s no bank account for time - once spent it’s gone. Personal opinion.

I do think some people incur financial costs unduly if they live in an area where quality local colleges (not private) are available.

I can’t tell you how many people I’m familiar with find a rationale to live on campus when they live 20 - 30 minutes away. :confused:

I can’t tell you many many people decide to pay for the exact same course work and degree at a local state college versus a local private college. Unless it’s there’s a unique specialty at the private versus the state school - I see no value nor benefit.

I do believe many people don’t need to go to a “university” type school but should be in / have access to some form of trade school/program for truly skilled labor.

People who are bricklayers, mechanics, HVAC, plumbing, auto repair, etc… need to have access to programs to advance their potential should they desire so. We all need these folks in our daily life and many of these occupations can’t be moved oversees.
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top