Looking for some opinions on higher education. (not detail related)

[ryance39]

I am looking to hear some opinions of people on the board on higher education. I’m currently in the halfway point of my Jr of college. Pursuing Bachelor’s degrees in business marketing management and public relations.
My question is what do you all feel/ believe/ know a BA in public relations is worth? And what is the strength of that degree in a business environment.
Do you feel that a BA in public relations is respected?
I am asking about public relations as a degree on its own! Not coupled with something else like I am doing.

Thanks.

[dsigmon]

OK, you asked, so I'm going to tell you!

Being more educated is always a good thing.

I've been a business owner for over 25 years. Prior to that I was in industrial sales for 12 years & made sales calls on everyone from CEO's, to Electrical engineers, to maintenance managers, in some very large corporations. Most of these folks had advanced degrees.

When your schooling is finished that shingle may open a few doors for you. However, bare in mind that no school can teach you the most valuable tool you could ever posses in your life. That tool is the ability to think & reason on your own. It is something you were born with or you weren't.

In my sales career I called on guys at General Electric who had engineering degrees from MIT University. Before I met them, I felt a little intimidated. After about a year of getting to know them, I began to wonder who tied their shoes for them in the morning.

In my present business I have dealt with many doctors & medical office business managers. If you got to know your own Dr. as well as I have gotten to know many Dr's thru my business & find out what they really know & don't know, it would scare the hades out of you.

My point is this: that shingle on the wall tells me only one thing- Your Mom & Dad sure paid alot for you to party for four years. It really doesn't tell me much beyond that. Walmart now has more college grads working in their local stores than ever before.

A college degree tells me nothing about a persons intelligence level. How can you determine a persons real intelligence level? An IQ test will give some indication. However, a really intelligent person has the ability to think & reason on their own.

Here are some examples:
You go to your DR with the classic symptoms of the flu. He prescribes the right meds & in a few days you’re better. Years later you go to the same Dr with strange symptoms & he can’t figure out your problem so he sends you a specialist. Ah, now you’re going to get some relief. He runs tens of thousands of dollars of tests but has no clue what is wrong. None of your symptoms are anything like what he studied in school, so you continue to suffer.

The engineering dept at the plant is designing a new machine to increase efficiency on the production line. The project has come to halt because the engineers can’t figure out how to overcome this one obstacle. One of the maintenance mechanics stops by to see how the new machine is progressing. The engineers explain the problem & suddenly it dawns on the mechanic how to solve it & he explains it to the engineers. The problem is fixed & the machine is finally a success. (BTW the maintenance mechanic was not even a high school grad) How did the mechanic solve the problem? Was it something he read in a book? No, he just had the ability to think & reason on his own. It’s what I like to call good old fashioned common sense. Unfortunately in todays world there is a severe shortage of it.

Public relations can be an honorable career. People respect honesty & openness. Don’t be a Chemical Ali (Iraq war) or a spin Dr like the spokesman for most politicians. Strive to be a professional in your field. And above all, be knowledgeable in your field & learn to think outside of the box and people will respect you.

[ryance39]

Thank you for your view on things, it means allot.

I completely agree with you on the fact that a piece of paper an institution gives you is still just a piece of paper.

In my short time in adult hood (currently 21) I have started two small businesses, at 18 I was running a one man company that creates and updates golf course and country club websites. At 19 I started another company that is essentially a company that photographs cars, and creates custom books, posters, calendars, and so on. (I can PM you the website if you’re interested). My earnings from that, is what has paid for my education. two years at a CC and now two more at Central Washington University.

The reason I’m here getting these degrees is so that When I apply at large companies they will not turn me down based on a lack of degree, sometimes it seems as if its more about putting time in at a school and showing that you can stick with something for 4 years than it is actually about the degree you earn.

thank you for your opinion and time

[imranhakro]

dsigmon is very right that being more educated is always a good thing. And i stand second to that.

I am Assistant vise President in a bank and designated as Risk Manager. I am MBA, and persuing FRM (Financial Risk Manager) exam this year. My personal suggession is that you do specialization in what you are intrested in. Something that u have passion for. Don't just study to get a piece of paper that the university provides. You surely get respect for the degree that you hold, but in the end of the day its what your own analysis/intelligence that counts.

[bl3ujay07]

I would have to disagree with dsigmon. I am sure there are a lot of book smart people with little to no common sense in each profession, and i do agree that you need common sense in order to really apply the knowledge learned from school.

Regarding the doctor not knowing whats wrong with the patient and sends the patient to a specialist, no one is going to know everything, that's why there are specialist.

Engineering, again, same thing. Without the engineers, no mechanics would be needed.

I think it can go either way, it all depends on the person and how passionate they are about school and their field of study.

[dsigmon]

It is important to find a career you are interested in. Some people pursue a career just because it pays well, not because they have an interest in it. Unfortunately that's why we have many subpar physicians today.

No matter what you do, be good at it & do it well.

It sounds like you have a good head on your shoulders. You're already off to a good start & I believe you'll go far. You have a good attitude as well, & that will take you a long way.

[diablojota]

As a professor, I try to push my students into programs that they are truly passionate about. That's the only way you can really feel successful. First, you're doing something that you love (which is a form of success). Second, you'll be more interested in learning more and more about what you do, thus always improving and honing your skills. I really could go on and on.
Bottom line, the BA opens doors to that first job. That first job opens doors to the next job. After a couple of years, go get an MBA and open more doors. Ultimately, it is up to you to always try and be the best at your job that you can be. If you pursue it with passion and listen and learn as much as you can, you'll make better decisions and choices moving forward.

[Kevin Cullen]

If you have passion for what you choose to do then you will succeed and be the best you can be at it. Without the passion having more degrees than a thermometer won't help you any except trap you in financial prison because of the debts you have to pay off for the degrees.

If schools would teach financial management and passion starting at grade 9 we would have more millionaires and less government dependence in the world.

This is, or course only my opinion, and yes I have a degree from secondary schooling.
Think and grow rich is all I can say

[ryance39]

^ I agree schools should begin to teach different things at different grade levels.

This post wasnt about me, wasnt about go to school vs. dont go to school. It is about "Public relations" and how it is viewed and known in the business world.

Butttttt since everyone likes the topic of College/ no college, whats your story? how do you feel about it?
Did you go to college?
Did you go to trade school?
Did you grow up in an expanse of wilderness and live off the land?

[4AudiQ]

We each need to Find The Job The You Love(there is a book by that title on Amazon).
Here is a web site from a friend of mine, John Warder. You can sign up for his free email updates called "The Strenghts Minute" . Here is the link: TopTenTalents - Home