SkyHigh

An aviation degree doesn't teach anything of value. At least a business major will be able to balance a check book when they are through. Aviation is more of a trade school subject anyway.

If a degree in aviation is such a good idea then why not have majors like Outdoor Wilderness Sports or maybe a Nascar Appreciation degree with a minor in Turkey Hunting Practices?

Skyhigh

Cubdriver

That's funny, but the tragic truth is that reputable universities already have such useless, unjustified subjects. As an 18 year old I enrolled on full scholarship to a degree called "bachelor of arts of studio music" which was aimed at making one able to occupy a small number of such jobs in an even smaller number of places on the earth. No harm no foul I didn't have to pay for it, but it was a useless degree and a waste of time. I quit after two years. Aviation degrees seem too specialized to be of much value considering the costs involved.

I am not especially proud of my abilities in engineering, I knew lots of guys and gals who were better, but one thing I observed in engineering school was the ones who couldn't cut it for real or imagined reasons, always went over to business. This is not to inflame, but to point out that people generally do what they can do. You have to have degrees for people that are easy and require less skill.

What's wrong is to have them wrack up huge debts in pursuit of degrees that cannot repay those debts.

BoilerUP

That is not necessarily true...at least not any more so than any other highly specialized degree program.

cbire880

This is a very important distinction to make. An Aero Science degree (aka Professional Pilot) is what most people are really criticizing. Any of the other Riddle/UND/etc programs can give you a pedigree that can be used if and when your medical fails, the market tanks, Mesa rules the world, or any other pilot doomsday situation occurs. The point to be made is don't get your degree in flying airplanes! Airport management, aviation busines, aviation safety, etc are all great ideas for someone who loves aviation and doesn't have the sadistic nature to suffer through an engineering program.

Cubdriver

It takes a determined mentality to get through engineering school, I will verify. Even when things go ok, one has put in 15-hour days 6 days a week, plus an all-nighter or two every single week. Many of my pals worked on class work on Friday nights and Saturdays too, although I got a reprieve to fly and work a job. It's basically a 5 year bootcamp. When finals are over at the end of a semester one is pretty much wasted for a while. Students know they have to limit and control their diet to stretch the most out of themselves, so one tends to lose weight from missed meals. The only way to keep this up for 5 years is to be driven for success, and some pretty ambitious people are found in engineering.

87iroc&amullet

I read an article once about the meth and cocaine dependencies rampant among CalTech students to help them through those constant all-nighters. Scary stuff...

bla bla bla

I still like real-estate, kind of a no-brainer. Of the 1800 dollars paid on one land investment this year, if I sold today I would make aprox 8500 dollars. Not a bad return for six months. Believe it or not real-estate is still going strong in many parts of the country. In contrast that 1800 dollars would have net about 125 dollars so far this year in my 401k. I still contribute to the match of my 401k for the employer match ("free money"). The tax deductions for a 401k are nice, but remember that interest on investment properties is also tax deductible. It’s all about leverage, and taking every tax break you can find.

blastoff

I don't know about some schools, I had to take Calculus, Physics, O Chem, Accounting, Meteorology, Organizational Management, etc... Doesn't sound like trade school stuff to me. Your major is only about 1/2 of your 4 year degree anyways....And I picked up Business and Science minors because many Business and science classes were required prerequisites. If you go to a real brick and mortar University, I fail how to see its a trade school program. In fact, your position is pretty baseless when you look at other degrees at major Universities. Aviation is pretty middle of the pack when it comes to actual Collegiate information being learned. Do you even have an Aviation degree Skyhigh? Ever looked at a course catalog (At a school other than ERAU)? Or do you just throw stones at things you don't understand?

cbire880

That sucks. I have an engineering degree and although it was difficult and royally sucked at times, I did not endure most of the hardships you have mentioned. Don't know about losing weight from missed meals, never had that problem. My roommates and I must be the exception. Perhaps I tempered all that with the copious amounts of beer I consumed. You can still have a good time in college with an engineering degree. Just be prepared to feel stupid a lot and be royally frustrated regularly. If you take it week by week and make the time to relax, you will get through and not be the total burnout described above. Besides, industry sucks far more than school does. At least you can skip class if you want in most engineering schools. No one will fire you for showing up hungover to class either!

poor pilot

Lets cut the crap Back in the day pilots made a killing. What are you major guys really taking home when its all said and done????????????????? I know we can just go to the airline page and try to figure it out but thats to much work. I don't want to see your W-2 but I do want to know what the real Numbers look like. I promise i won't ask you to lend me twenty bucks even though I know you can spare it.