Yeah, this is an interesting topic. Do we use our "degrees"? Maybe not from a technical standpoint at times, but obviously just having a degree listed on your resume can very well potentially open up some doors. Sometimes that's all employers really need/want to see (at least for the younger folks). Is that really fair, and the best way to judge talent? No, not necessarily. I'm sure there's also people who list degrees on their resumes even when they don't have them. It's probably helped some to slide into a job, while at the same time, you occasionally hear the horror stories of someone getting caught lying about having a degree, and then they're even more screwed...
Do we use the knowledge and ideas that we learned in college in our everyday jobs? Occasionally, but I'd guess a lot of folks never do. But there is something to be said for the experience of learning how to "learn" or expand your mind at a more advance level. College can perhaps open up the doors for a lot of people, but a lot of times you just wind up getting thoroughly trained when starting a new job anyway. Training that you could likely get, and a position you could probably handle, with or without your college experience. I'm sure there's plenty of exceptions to that idea, but there's also plenty of examples of it as well.
It varies for everyone and every place of employment I suppose. As for me, I'm sure that seeing UCSB on my resume helped get my foot in the door at my auditing firm, but I've used practically nothing that I actually learned in college here at my job. I've learned the ropes through a lot of training and practice. Granted, I seemed to be ahead of the class when it came to such things as business writing and such. So perhaps there's a few things I learned that have helped. But if I hadn't been to college, I'm rather doubtful that my bosses here would've given me a second look way back when I first applied. I believe everyone in my office sans one has a degree.
There's definitely a lot of truth to the notion that many people feel pressured to go to college though, and if they don't that they're some type of failure who will never stand a chance in the real world. I know most parents want what they think is the best for their children, and society even dictates this is what you
should do, but that's not always fair, or even what's best for everyone on a case by case basis.
I always planned on going to college, just 'cause that's what everyone else was doing, it's what my parents wanted, and it's what I figured I had to do if I wanted to get into business. But once I got to college I quickly became distracted, and my studies became the last of my priorities. If I didn't feel like it would completely let down my parents, I would've probably quit on numerous occasions. But I stuck with it, on and off for NINE years...
Glad I did, but like I said, it's not for everyone, and people shouldn't be made to think that it is, or that they're less of a person without it...
I sure can drink a helluva lot beer pretty easily now though!
