Degrees | Imamother

amother

Thu, Jul 27 2023, 7:44 pm

if u have a degree was it financially worth it? just spoke to someone who has Masters for 21 years and she said its not worth it financially. she needs to pay 50,000 taxes a year plus insurance each month...

wife101

Thu, Jul 27 2023, 7:46 pm

amother OP wrote:

Isn't tax income based? What type of degree does she have that requires insurance?

amother

Latte

Thu, Jul 27 2023, 7:50 pm

work backwards when you are researching degrees and educational pathways. If money is most important, look on indeed.com for jobs making however much you want, and look at the requirements for education and experience.

Personally, I think it's very important to consider what kind of work life balance and personal life someone can have with any degree. again go with the job openings and their requirements, not what people tell you.

I cannot emphasize enough the importance of researching based on the job market and not word of mouth alone.

signed - someone who was told that a degree in mental health would allow me to have a flexible schedule and make enough to support my family and husband, but real life showed me that there's no truth to it at all.

amother

Magenta

Thu, Jul 27 2023, 7:50 pm

amother OP wrote:

I don't have a degree and have to pay >50k taxes a year and insurance each month.

Mah hakesher?

wife101

Thu, Jul 27 2023, 7:53 pm

amother OP wrote:

im talking abt health insurance.

If there was no degree, would there be no insurance?
If there was no degree would there be less tax? Tax is income based - so if there is over 50K in tax paid and non returned on the tax return I would think the income is pretty large... If that's the case - obviously with the above assumptions, I would guess the degree was worth it.

icedcoffee

Thu, Jul 27 2023, 7:54 pm

I mean we all have to pay taxes - she doesn't pay 50k because she has a masters, she pays 50k because that's what gets taken out of her salary. Seems like a weird angle to focus on. The actual question is what would her salary otherwise be if she didn't have a masters.

My masters was worth it to me and I have excellent health insurance.

wife101

Thu, Jul 27 2023, 7:57 pm

amother OP wrote:

if she wldnt have a degree she wldve been able to get govt programs such as medicaid,food stamps or worked off the books

Those are all still choices if she does not want to use her degree.

amother

Amethyst

Thu, Jul 27 2023, 8:18 pm

wife101 wrote:

Those are all still choices if she does not want to use her degree.

Exactly. Nobody is forced to take the highest level job they qualify for. If she prefers a low wage job, she can switch jobs.

amother

Sunflower

Thu, Jul 27 2023, 8:33 pm

[quote="amother OP"]if she wldnt have a degree she wldve been able to get govt programs such as medicaid,food stamps or worked off the books[/quote]

You mean stealing? A degree is worth it if it will stop you from sinning.

amother

Silver

Thu, Jul 27 2023, 8:37 pm

amother Latte wrote:

Same! I’m finding social work impossible since I’m bh married with kids. Incredibly high stress, inflexible and I make very little with all that.

I love what I do, in theory, by the burnout is real.

amother

Foxglove

Thu, Jul 27 2023, 8:37 pm

amother OP wrote:

She’s upset because she’s earning a good living?

notshanarishona

Thu, Jul 27 2023, 8:39 pm

It depends what degree. I have a Masters in special ed and truly feel that it was a waste of money when I see how all the local schools hire special ed teachers with or without degrees for similar salaries. If I would have known how little extra it makes me I wouldn’t have done it.
The only advantage it does give me is that if I ever wanted to leave the frum school system, I can get a job in a public school paying decently.

amother

Crimson

Thu, Jul 27 2023, 8:59 pm

amother OP wrote:

if she wldnt have a degree she wldve been able to get govt programs such as medicaid,food stamps or worked off the books

She can still do all this funny business even if she has a degree. She chose to get a job. I think you mean to question‘Is being gainfully employed worth it?’

My answer is yes nahama dechesufa…

amother

Powderblue

Thu, Jul 27 2023, 9:36 pm

I think my degree was worth it cuz bachelors and masters together was around 30k and I make a nice living as a special ed and regular ed teacher. It wouldn't have been worth it if I would've went to 4 year college and spent 125k+ on a bachelors and then another 50k or whatever on my masters. I paid for college as I went and am more established in my field due to my masters, I can also ask for decent raises every year and I also don't feel like an idiot cuz I know a little bit about special ed now Smile

for a regular teacher, I think a classroom management course and high selectivity would be enough and you don't really need to have a masters or whatever to succeed in the typical classroom.

amother

Clematis

Thu, Jul 27 2023, 9:39 pm

amother Silver wrote:

I’m a social worker too Bh but I find it to be the perfect career as a mom. Plus I don’t pay a cent for my health insurance

amother

RosePink

Thu, Jul 27 2023, 9:47 pm

amother Foxglove wrote:

She’s upset because she’s earning a good living?

Sometimes people talk like that to downplay what they have, so as not to make others jealous of their high income.

amother

Coral

Thu, Jul 27 2023, 9:52 pm

Complaining about the large amount of money your income requires you to pay to taxes is just like complaining about how much maaser you have to give because your income is so high.