B:)

impulse418 wrote: They see no way out, no way to get ahead. They were promised if they got good grades, went to college, everything would be great. But nothing is improving, daily we hear the next crisis, more doom and gloom.

 

I got ready to make a pissy reply to Impulse's post, but instead I find myself wholeheartedly agreeing with him. The college system in America isn't working for alot of college students, and while we can point the finger in a dozen directions nothing changes that fact. If college were free you could just shrug and say "whoops, wrong degree buddy" but the fact is that college is incredibly expensive and even the "safe" degrees aren't safe anymore.

First:

EMT's and Paras' make garbage, they're not in it for the money and can't be compared to nurses on pay scale. I also promise RNs are starting at least over 20$.

The rest I agree with.

First:

EMT's and Paras' make garbage for what they do, but they're not in it for the money and can't be compared to nurses on pay scale. I also promise RNs are starting at least over 20$.

I'd complain with my starting pay being 18hr after four years of school, if it weren't for the fact it's an incredibly easy job almost 100% of the time. Work life and satisfaction weigh heavily into the equation, and often these entry level jobs which pay high do so because it's nightmare. 

The rest I agree with. 

They're lucking to be pulling in $13.00.

 

Yeah CNA's where I work make quite a bit less than I do, and I barely hit 16/hr most of the time even with my night / weekend differential. I wouldn't do it for that kind of money unless it was just a stepping stone to a nursing job.

 

RN's do well, but even still I'd imagine that the market is going to become saturated at some point. Nursing is the new military around here.

 

I don't complain about my pay mind you-I make good money for what I do. Any monkey with half a brain could do my job. I clear around 23K a year working over the weekend with full time school, it's not bad all things considered.

 

But if I had to stay here-and that's the reality for alot of post-graduates-I couldn't afford a "normal life." And that's why so many college grads have been looped into the "GO GET A JOB AND GET OUT OF MOM'S BASEMENT" ideology unfairly in my opinion.

 

I do agree that the occupy movement is on the silly side though, because it's kind of like pointing out the obvious. Other than forcing wealth redistribution from the government, the only fix I see is to buck up and find a way back int to college.

I can't believe I just said that.

However, it is worth noting the medical profession runs in cycles, of high and low demand. So this isn't the first time the Nurse profession has went through this. 

Even if they can't afford it. I saw a statistic that the average car in America is 10 years old now that we are in the Obama depression.   http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2012/01/average-age-of-us-cars-up-again-in-2011-may-now-head-down/1#.T7zpLNxYuSo" rel="nofollow - http://content.usatoday.com/communities/driveon/post/2012/01/average-age-of-us-cars-up-again-in-2011-may-now-head-down/1#.T7zpLNxYuSo

We put people in power that have ZERO fiscal discipline, and the only person who could balance the budget is slammed by the democrats and media (Paul Ryan). It is pathetic, and will result in utter failure.

People just can't DO stuff for themselves anymore... I get so many strange looks when I am working on some project. People are like "why don't you hire that done, or buy a new one". America used to be the place were YOU did ALL your own stuff, today that is gone. When was the last time any of us went out and killed our dinner?

What if the grocery stores were gone tomorrow, would you be able to put food on your families table without the government... 

Sure some of us could, but the sad fact is, our society would fall apart VERY quickly in that situation, as people have lost the ability to fix stuff, take care of themselves, and live with little to no money. We don't have manufacturing like we used to, and the democrats are trying to tax the few remaining ones out of business, (that whole redistribution thing). While our "education" system doesn't teach true life skills anymore. 

 

My brother just turned 18 and he just became employed. His first real, full time, no **edited**, job. He'll be working his own hours and be making $15+ an hour. He'll be working on high preformance, aftermarket engines for a garage. These engines will sell anywhere from $8,000-$12,000 a pop, in which he will additionally be making 20% off of each engine sold. He hasn't even graduated highschool yet and he is already making more money in one summer than I did in a whole year. The last time I went on leave, I saw help wanted posters everywhere... In both California AND Texas. The overall fact of the matter is that the people simply don't want to work at a grocery store, or fast food, or waiting on tables. Everyone of the people in "Occupy Wallstreet" thinks they deserve better than a "mediocre" job. It's just sad.

Most in America CAN'T afford dual new cars, and mortgage along with their other obligations. I've never had a car break down on me, and I drive them at least 10 years each. (put 300,000 on my TL before I sold it, and my MDX has around 180,000 right now). 

but, I don't let others touch my car, I do all the work on it myself so I know it was done right... The only thing I hire out is tires.

Getting a new car every two years is a waste of money. 

And they stopped making them with cords a few years ago (government regulations...) They are too high for my kids (or wife) to reach without a ladder, so having cords is a must, as we open and close them everyday. 

Well, one of the cords wore out (corner window, kids must have been pulling it when it wasn't unlocked and frayed the cord until it broke). 

What are my options? 

1. Buy new blind that is the same kind but without cords, and I will have to open and close it everyday. Costs $60. 

Color will NOT match, even though it is the "same" color, stuff fades, and my original blinds are 7 years old. 

2. Take blinds down. FREE! (you can guess which one I would do on my own... but not an option). 

3. Hire someone to restring blind for $75 (blind only cost $50 when I bought it...)

4. buy string and restring it myself. 

Guess what, I went EVERYWHERE looking for blind string, wal-mart, Lowes, Home depot, Menards, Sears hardware...

NONE of them carry blind string, and they all looked at me funny for asking. 

I should have just gone online first, as I found the string I needed for $14.50. It will take about 10 minutes to fix it when it arrives, as I took it apart and checked it out, and it is an easy fix. 

THAT is practical knowledge, but we don't teach stuff like that anymore, we just throw it away, and buy new.

From a younger person's perspective (we are complained about, a lot):

In a lot of industries, it's not the wisest thing to do. When you spend years on a degree (whether or not misguided) and are looking for a job, you tend toward work in your chosen industry. You have to use the investment of getting your degree to your advantage before enough time passes that the diploma becomes completely useless (and all that time and money goes to waste). Being unemployed and job-hunting/interviewing full time gets you more hits than putting all that stuff off until after work. Hell, missing a phone interview because you're hammering nails can mean losing a prospective job in the industry you worked so hard to break into.

You must also consider that some blue-collar employers don't hire people who recently earned degrees because they never know how long the new hires will stick around. I was explicitly told this in two interviews immediately after the "Where do you see yourself in 5 years" question. When I said flying, the interviews were pretty much over. Both of those were for waiter positions - I had previously worked as a waiter with a very good recommendations from my former employer (one of the busiest restaurants in Daytona).

I would love to have secondary employment now, as is so often encouraged on this forum... but there's no way to budget time for proper rest (so I can be awake and safe while flying) AND exercise (to meet future goals of which you guys are aware) when I can be kept for 14 hours at my flying job... while trying to work somewhere else.

The state of the American people is a much more complex issue than everyone is making it out to be. We've already seen what happens when the nation's people lose their drive and ambition. When your pay is hardly enough to feed a yourself and pay the bills, and you're watching wealthy people tell you that you are the problem for not working twice as hard as they do to earn in a year what they get in a week; when you find out about companies that specialize in buying businesses, firing everyone, and selling all the assets for a profit; when you need put yourself in debt to prove financial responsibility; when your value as an employee doesn't satisfy your value as a human; it's hard not to be pissed off at the situation and those who created it.

Human nature got to us. The people haven't gone lazy. They're in an entirely different state of mind.

They've given up.