The college epidemic of the last 15 years?

ForeverYoung90 · 09-03-2014 05:25PM #1

I am a two time college drop-out.I was your average student in school with average grades.
Over the last 15 or so years in leaving cert year, its a case of what are you doing in college next year?I believe it is sad that every student is pushed towards the college option after school.
In the 80s and 90s only the academically inclined were encouraged to further their education and rightfully so.
There has been a high drop out rate over the years as a result.There are other options out there and school students should be made aware of this.

hairyprincess · 09-03-2014 05:26PM

I need to shave

RobbingBandit · 09-03-2014 05:27PM

Why shave I like a little mystery.

aphex™ · 09-03-2014 05:28PM

ForeverYoung90 wrote: »

I am a two time college drop-out.

Can I ask why you dropped out? A staggering number of people never make it into 2nd year in any course I've taken and I always assumed it was because of drinking....

littleblackDRS · 09-03-2014 05:29PM

But in the 80's, you only needed an intercert to get a job. Now you need at least a Masters to get many entry level jobs. This kind of thinking really annoys me. It's not the 80's or 90's anymore. The world has moved on.

pajor · 09-03-2014 05:29PM

One of my college lecturers (ironic?) has touched on this.

In Ireland at least 80% of school finishers go to college.

In Germany this figure is less than 40% (or something like that). The main reason for this being, that there are about 3 times more vocational and skills courses available in Germany.

His main example is that we're an island nation and there's no marine mechanic courses at all.

thestar · 09-03-2014 05:30PM

You definitely do have a point, I will be finished college this August after 5 years and would not be very confident of getting a job. On the other hand, I have friends working out in Australia that I went to school with. A couple of these have very poor leaving certs while more have the Leaving Cert Applied. This said, they are making twice as much money as I will when I'm qualified and IF I get a job. They are working hard but education is not the be all and end all

Diabhal Beag · 09-03-2014 05:42PM

Thought this would be about chlamydia

Eoin247 · 09-03-2014 06:05PM

aphex™ wrote: »

Can I ask why you dropped out? A staggering number of people never make it into 2nd year in any course I've taken and I always assumed it was because of drinking....

It's usualy because of drink and pot. At least that's the case for the people i know for the mostpart.

Bubbaclaus · 09-03-2014 06:10PM

ForeverYoung90 wrote: »

I believe it is sad that every student is pushed towards the college option after school.

Why so? Going to college should be encouraged.

kneemos · 09-03-2014 06:16PM

pajor wrote: »

One of my college lecturers (ironic?) has touched on this.

In Ireland at least 80% of school finishers go to college.

In Germany this figure is less than 40% (or something like that). The main reason for this being, that there are about 3 times more vocational and skills courses available in Germany.

His main example is that we're an island nation and there's no marine mechanic courses at all.

Germany has a huge industrial sector,apprenticeships are needed and there's a job at the end of it.

Femme_Fatale · 09-03-2014 06:21PM

I regretted when I dropped out too OP. Don't worry, you can go back.

Thomas D · 09-03-2014 06:23PM

The amount of dole wasters I know in their 30s going to college is pathetic.

Tooooo · 09-03-2014 06:23PM

Bubbaclaus wrote: »

Why so? Going to college should be encouraged.

It should be encouraged only if it suits the aptitude of the individual.

The Diabolical Monocle · 09-03-2014 06:27PM

pajor wrote: »

One of my college lecturers (ironic?) has touched on this.

In Ireland at least 80% of school finishers go to college.

In Germany this figure is less than 40% (or something like that). The main reason for this being, that there are about 3 times more vocational and skills courses available in Germany.

His main example is that we're an island nation and there's no marine mechanic courses at all.

Yep. The mittlestadt. Europe needs more of these and less of made in China.

Femme_Fatale · 09-03-2014 06:29PM

It's because of the abolition of fees in the 90s too I suppose.

I see people go on about people being forced into going to third-level, but there are still plenty of people not doing so and getting trades, doing PLC courses, working straight after school etc.

In my personal experience, it's only as you get older that you realise how beneficial having a third level qualification is.

Czarcasm · 09-03-2014 06:52PM

There are always options OP, but further education gives you MORE options in the long term, regardless of what you term "academic ability". The reason for the high drop-out rate in third level education is because young people aren't being spoon-fed any more and as young adults are expected to fend for themselves and be responsible for their own future.

Many young people are unprepared for this particular "revelation", and are unable to cope with the responsibility, so they take the easy option and drop out rather than put in the work required. In order to prevent this, students should be preparing early in secondary school for third level education and have a definite career in mind before they go playing "pin the tail on the donkey" with their CAO choices in fifth year.

weirdspider · 09-03-2014 06:52PM

ForeverYoung90 wrote: »

I am a two time college drop-out.I was your average student in school with average grades.
Over the last 15 or so years in leaving cert year, its a case of what are you doing in college next year?I believe it is sad that every student is pushed towards the college option after school.
In the 80s and 90s only the academically inclined were encouraged to further their education and rightfully so.
There has been a high drop out rate over the years as a result.There are other options out there and school students should be made aware of this.

Students with a university-level education will be more likely to build Ireland's economy so of course secondary school students should be strongly encouraged to enter third level education.

weirdspider · 09-03-2014 06:56PM

Thomas D wrote: »

The amount of dole wasters I know in their 30s going to college is pathetic.

So? Perhaps they didn't value further education in their younger days and have only learned its significance from their days "dole wasting". At least they're going to college. I can't imagine its easy for a 30+ year old, particularly those with commitments such as a family.

UtopianWarlord · 09-03-2014 06:57PM

I think a lot of people go to college too soon, when they'd be better working for a year or two out of school. The dropout rate in Carlow IT was 23%, which is massive, not sure what it is in other colleges but you always notice a big drop off from first to second year in particular. But its not that, there's a lot of people I know who have gone back to college to study a different degree, something totally different from what they did first time round

steddyeddy · 09-03-2014 06:58PM

Thomas D wrote: »

The amount of dole wasters I know in their 30s going to college is pathetic.

That's a pathetic statement. Fair play to people who have the balls to go back to college.

Idbatterim · 09-03-2014 07:03PM

they would think twice about it if werent as massively subsidized as it is...

Femme_Fatale · 09-03-2014 07:03PM

How can a person who is in full-time education be a "dole waster"?

MadYaker · 09-03-2014 07:07PM

Theres a push towards going to 3rd level in Ireland because its pretty much impossible to get anything other than a minimum wage job if you don't have a good degree.

Thomas D · 09-03-2014 07:07PM

steddyeddy wrote: »

That's a pathetic statement. Fair play to people who have the halls to go back to college.

Nah, they're wasters. Same people have had a few cracks at "college" over their lives.

Thomas D · 09-03-2014 07:10PM

Femme_Fatale wrote: »

How can a person who is in full-time education be a "dole waster"?

They're worse than a dole waster. At least hte person on the dole is being honest about their status. These are people that would see themselves above minimum wage workers and welfare. But they've likely spent 80% of their 20s on welfare. You get to tell people you're going to college rather than telling them you're an unemployable waster. Back to education is the biggest scam going. It was meant to be lip service for knackers that never got a shot at education in their younger days.

MadYaker · 09-03-2014 07:11PM

I'm almost finished now. I have always had good grades so I should be coming out with at least a second class honors degree. However job prospects for me in Ireland are still not great, about 60% of people who finish my course go on to do postgrad which I'm not really interested in so I haven't a clue what I'm going to do but at the moment I'm thinking Canada or New Zealand for a few years anyway.

But if I didn't go to college at all id be on the dole unless I emigrated.

Menas · 09-03-2014 07:11PM

There were high drop out rates in the 80s and 90s too. Back then we were lauded for the high education levels of our workforce. Good that we did not rest on our laurels and more are getting a 3rd level.
But, some people are not suitable for formal 3rd level courses and I believe we need a better focus on helping those aquire the skills they need to flourish.

Thomas D · 09-03-2014 07:13PM

MadYaker wrote: »

I'm almost finished now. I have always had good grades so I should be coming out with at least a second class honors degree. However job prospects for me in Ireland are still not great, about 60% of people who finish my course go on to do postgrad which I'm not really interested in so I haven't a clue what I'm going to do but at the moment I'm thinking Canada or New Zealand for a few years anyway.

But if I didn't go to college at all id be on the dole unless I emigrated.

How do you not know what you're doing?

Surely you've been researching graduate employers since second year? Have you applied to any in September?

MadYaker · 09-03-2014 07:14PM

Thomas D wrote: »

They're worse than a dole waster. At least hte person on the dole is being honest about their status. These are people that would see themselves above minimum wage workers and welfare. But they've likely spent 80% of their 20s on welfare. You get to tell people you're going to college rather than telling them you're an unemployable waster. Back to education is the biggest scam going. It was meant to be lip service for knackers that never got a shot at education in their younger days.

Or maybe they are people who never went to college, got jobs in construction during the boom straight after school and are now unemployed so they are going back to education to better their lives and make themselves more employable?? I've met a few of these in college myself and thats usually the backstory.

Why are you being so cynical and ignorant? You sound extremely bitter. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get over it someday.

Thomas D · 09-03-2014 07:16PM

MadYaker wrote: »

Or maybe they are people who never went to college, got jobs in construction during the boom straight after school and are now unemployed so they are going back to education to better their lives and make themselves more employable?? I've met a few of these in college myself and thats usually the backstory.

Why are you being so cynical and ignorant? You sound extremely bitter. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll get over it someday.

They have no chance in the employment market so why bother?

The college epidemic of the last 15 years?

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