Why is a college degree more valued than experiance?
348987
From my experience and where I'm from (Malaysia), I've found that employers use paper qualifications to easier slot employees into the salary grade scheme - it's not that it's necessarily valued more, just make it easier to justify how much they should pay you.\n\nOf course, your paper qualification also indicates to your employer about what you've been trained on and to a certain degree (at least according to your cgpa), how well you know your subject.  Of course, theory never really lives up to the real thing.  Similar to what you said about your internship, a lot of what you learn in college can't really help you solve actual problems you encounter when you work.  You actually learn more from the experience yourself.\n\nI've also met employers who, unfortunately, "grade" people's abilities according to their academic achievements.  Those without college degrees are sometimes \na) labeled stupid (didn't score high enough to get into college) \nor\nb) lazy (didn't want to waste time going to college and probably loafed around too much)\n\nGood luck your senior year!
283109
Graduate degrees usually require more coursework and/or some kind of thesis.  In some places (like the UK) the difference is your performance in your classes:  if you don't do well enough to qualify for a master's degree you may get a certificate instead (there are other possibilities, too, like no degree or one with "honours").\n\nThe cynical answer is that degrees look better on a resume and are more likely to qualify you for a higher salary.
775756
Advantages...\n-a chance for higher salaries\n-be around all types of people (opens your mind to new things)\n-increase your career and future opportunities\n-gain much more knowledge\n-greater sense of responsibilities\n-enjoy your young adult life\n\nDisadvantages:\n-does not guarantee success\n-costs too much\n\nI think college is a good way to really learn about yourself and to learn about other people.  But the career opportunities is up to you, if you intern or study abroad, you have a greater chance at getting a great job upon graduation.  I think it's a good opportunity,  but go with your heart.  I thought college was worth it, even though Im doing something totally different than what I graduated in.
1050761
An AS in something specific, such as medical technology or automotive engineering can be a very useful degree.  An AS in something more general still shows you have better education than a high school graduate, and should help you compete with them for jobs that don't require a degree.  For example, you can probably compete for sales jobs where the product is pretty technical if you have an AS that's at all related to the product.  Of course, once you get the job you will only keep it if you can produce, but you can probably get it.
202345
Usually means more pay.  Best to get degree while you can.  If marriage/kids are in the future, might be more difficult.
85399
You can do anything you want.  College degree is proof that you are capable of learning and acquiring new skills.  Beyond that you have to rely on your work experience.
632463
A degree is practically essential. Most "professional" jobs require it.\n\nYou can substitute experience, to some degree, for education, but not as an equal exchange. 4 years of college is roughly equivalent to 10 years direct on-the-job experience in many fields, so your time is better spent earning that degree, whenever possible.
613092
None is better than the other. It's about the major you fit in. I'm not sure what specific technical background you have. Sometimes one doesn't have to choose which one you want, because one only fulfills the requirements for either, not both.
6981
Don't let these people mislead you.  On average, having more education results in better life outcomes along many domains of interest, starting with monies earned.  That does not mean that you cannot succeed without a high school diploma or college degree- it does mean, though, that an MD will be much more likely to succeed than someone with a GED. \n\nIf you are asking about the marginal benefit of obtaining say, a master's degree over a bachelor's degree- there are still often benefits, but they do become more limited after a point, so it depends on your life circumstances.
597982
A diploma is what you get out of high school.  It is also a certificate of some form of completion/graduation.\n\nA degree means you have been educated at a college or university in some specific field and you are now well educated in that area. (ie, a college degree in biology or something)\n\nA degree is better.  You can get higher ranges of degree, associate, bachelor, master, doctorate.  That is the ranking of degrees.
453719
Firstly, common sense does not get you a degree. Some of thee stupidest people I know have all kinds of degrees. A degree is nothing more than a piece of paper. It does not show you have any intelligence at all. The degrees only purpose is to help you gat a job. All it can do is help. Common sense is more important than a degree.
1061815
Yes 100%.  Once upon a time, by having a degree it opened doors for you and you were one of the elite but nowadays there is so much competition, employers are choosy and having a degree doesn't always guarantee you a top job.  \n\nBut maybe because Graduates are slightly over confident and unrealistic after completing their degrees and then become depressed because they are not reaping the benefits straight away.  I mean why should you get that top job just because you have a degree? Do you have enough or real work  experience in the job you are going for? Have you proven yourself in that career/job to justify top wages?  The answers are probably no and employers will want someone that has good work experience, good results and performances as well as a sound academic background.  This doesn't mean that studying for a degree is a waste of time because what it proves to an employer is that you are academic, disciplined, methodical and have gained a vast amount of knowledge of a variety of subjects so you should have more advantage over someone who didn't do a degree.\n\nI know people that finished their degree only to work in fast food restuarants and temp jobs earning the minimum wage to make ends meet and get some work experience but eventually (after a year) landed high flying jobs with excellent wages and benefits. So the key here is patience is a virtue, everyone has to start at the bottom and if you work hard you will get there.
546226
They sell you a degree for money, but the degree has no real validity. You might be able to get a job with it, since some employers won't check, but when they find out what kind of degree it is, they won't respect you, and you can forget about any kind of future in that company.\n\nIt's mostly a scam. Think about it - would you hire someone for a job that required college, if you knew they had that kind of degree?
257025
Colleges care more about your academic achievements, rather than where you go to high school. After all, aren't all high schools, from the public ones to the parochial ones, suppose to be accredited by a qualified educational agency ?
308527
Yes, Virginia, Associate's Degrees are real degrees.  I have an Associate's Degree, but I didn't stop with it.  It's not useless and it's not necessarily "just a certificate".  It is a degree and having a degree comes certain rights and responsibilities.  Holding a degree gives people a sense of accomplishment. Often people who earn an Associate's degree will not stop, but are building blocks in obtaining higher levels of education.  Having an Associate's degree is much more than most people in the US hold.  Sometimes in certain fields, an Associate's degree more education than is necessary.  Trade and technical schools generally offer the widest selection of certification programs that are available.\n\nTo exand a little bit more, I have an Associate's degree in Business Management, a Bachelor's degree in History and a teaching certificate.  I obtained my certificate as part of my 4-year (which really amounted to 6 years LOL) degree.  Having my Associate's degree actually does more for me than my 4 year degree!
1051641
I got a BS degree and the whole point was to get a job that pays a lot more than without a degree. The drive was to never have to live paycheck to paycheck and to be able to have a very leisure lifestyle plus with a degree you get respect and a better class of job. More vacation, better benefits, an office, etc.
659330
I think it's better to have a degree. It gives you the license to go over board to any of your dreams. And companies and many organizations involving travel and tourism prefer those with the degree.