Hot take: jumping straight into a 4-year degree was way worse for my career than starting with a trade certificate

I spent 2 years and $15,000 on a liberal arts degree before realizing I couldve just apprenticed with a local landscaping crew in Phoenix for free and been making $28 an hour by year two, so why does everyone still push college first without mentioning trades?

2 comments

2 Comments

josepha3210d ago

Holy crap, "making bank with zero student debt" from HVAC training? That hit me hard. My buddy did the same thing in Austin after dropping out of community college. He bought a house at 24 while I was still renting a room and eating ramen. @noaht15 your cousin's story is exactly what people need to hear, because nobody told me that path existed until I was already $10k in the hole.

noaht1510d ago

Oh man, I saw a video on youtube the other day where a guy broke down how much debt the average college grad has versus someone who did an electrical apprenticeship. The numbers were wild. Like the apprentice was debt free and already saving for a house while the college person was struggling to pay off loans. I think the whole system is broken honestly. Everyone acts like college is the only path to success but trades give you real skills and a paycheck right away. My cousin did HVAC training and he's making bank now with zero student debt. People just need to hear more stories about this stuff.