Originally Posted by
Deathknightish
This is just out of sheer curiousity to compare how it is to here in Sweden.
Over here, university is good, but not really a necessity for a good life. Mostly for two reasons;
1) Taxes are so high here, that an average university degree nets you only about 5-10 000 SEK more than a high school degree, or at most 15 000. Or, in American terms, 547 to 1643 dollars. My two friends, where one is a doctor and one is an engineer only makes about 8000 more than me, after taxes, who only have a high school diploma and works as an IT technician.
2) There aren't really any jobs that pays poorly here. Even a cleaner, server and cashier earn 1752 dollars after taxes.
We don't really have college education either, so we lack that middle-ground between high school and uni. We have something called "högskola", but that's basically a university without it's own scientific branch. The level of education is still the same as uni.
I'm only high school-educated, and I make a tiny bit more than the average in Sweden, 29800 before tax or 3264 dollars. I work as an IT technician and graphical layout artist.
Personally I did try uni studies, but how it was shaped wasn't for me at all. I can't handle that kind of freedom under responsibility, and most of all I need to be able to raise my hand, get the teacher to come to me and help, when I'm in trouble. Something uni doesn't offer, sadly.
I get the impression that uni, or at least college, is more of a necessity in the states though, to get a decent life. Am I wrong about that?
To me, it seems like unless you are at least college educated, you are doomed to flip burgers at Wendy's. Hopefully I'm wrong on that.