Weddingbee boards

When i graduated from high school in 2007, I went straight to a community college and since I was the first one to go to college in my family, I had no clue what I was really doing. I was just taking classes that I was told to take, which lead to me getting an Associates Degree in liberal arts, math and science after 4 years of college! Other students that I knew took about the same time as me and, but they received like 3 degrees?! I felt bad when i realized that, because I worked hard for 4 years and I got one degree which seems kinda worthless because although I just found a job last month, I dont get many hours.

I graduated from college May 2011 and while I was in college I never worked so that I could focus in school. I regret it because it seems like experience is worth much more than a degree. I recently became employed in December as a tutor and I do get payed well, but I only worked 13 hours in December and am also working 13 hours this month and my check comes out to about $220 a month. I need a better job to help my fiance with paying for the wedding and so I can have money for myself because I am poor! Good thing I live with my parents!

I have applied to various job but usually the first thing they ask is if I have experience. I also applied to an agency where they help you get a job, but I was told I need experience. I feel like I pretty much waisted 4 years of my life. The good thing is that I paid for college with financial aid.

After college I planned to transfer to a university where i planned to get a bachelors in animal science to become a veterinary technician, but I was rejected because I need a 3.20 GPA and my GPA is 2.97. Then I found out that I actually don't need a bachelors degree to become a veterinary technician, but just an associates degree! I felt really frustrated when I found out because i told my counselors that that is what I wanted a career in and they never told me that I just need an associates for that. Now I already used up all my financial aid money and if I want to go back to college to get another associates, then I will have to petition so that I can recieve financial aid again, but since I'm already gonna be married by the time i go back to school, I might not qualify for financial aid again.

I have heard many people say that you need to go to college in order to get a good job and not find yourself working at McDonald's but I think that fast food places would probably be the only places where I could get a job, but I feel I deserve a better job. Not that theres anything wrong with working there, but I went to college for 4 long years and not to get a minimum wage job!

I guess, I don't really have a question here, I'm just looking for some words of advice. I haven't really told anyone how I feel because going to college is supposed to be a good thing that will make your life better and I wouldn't like my 13 year old brother hearing me say that I wasted my time, by going to college.

Also, if you have a similar experience, share. And do you think experience is worth much more than a degree?

@TopazWedding: Wow a bachelors and masters, did getting those degrees leave you in debt? And yes I think your correct, an AA degree is now like a high school degree. To think that I was soo proud for getting a degree, even if it did take me a long time. Now I feel bummed out.

@WantToBeM.E.: Wow, all those certifications and your masters and such a good GPA, it seems like my problem is minor now compared to all you. Hopefully you can get a job as a teacher where ever it is your moving too.

@redheadem: It took me so long because I did not really have a specific degree that I wanted to get and I was the first in my family to go to college so I did not really have anyone to give me advice about what to do or not to do. I also had about 5 different counselors while i was in college and they would tell me different stuff, thus me taking classes I did not need. At the end was when I was realized i needed to talk to a counselor and stick with him/her. I was very clueless about college and I did not even know i was going to get a degree until my last semester. I thought I was just going to transfer to a university and get a degree there.

I know many people who do not have degrees and they get payed very well. Like fiance's cousin works for some company that sells electronics and she gets payed very well. I m so jealous cause she is always going shopping and going to mini vacations and she has no degree and gets paid so well. Now she is taking some online classes, but because they told her that they would like to give her a higher position, but that she needs a degree, so now she is gonna get a degree in business and she will get paid even more.

@maureen9004: It seems like theres so many people going into the nursing field and they all find jobs. Maybe I should also do that even though its not my thing. Atleast not with people.

@pinkshoes: Maybe a degree isn't a waste of time, but people really have to think about what they want a degree in and if there is a lot of employement for that job, even if it might not necessarily be a job they love, but at least it will get the bills paid.

@Future_Mrs.H: 2 bachelors in 5 years is really good, but apperently not enough. Yes the economy is bad! =/ Thanks I will keep trying.

@zippylef: Yes your right, sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do. I would go back to school and take a few more classes but I dunno if I would get more money from financial aid. And also I did have planned to go to a college that is next to the university that I want to go but it's an hour from where I live and I can't afford to move over there or to drive an hour 5x a week because I don't have my own car. After I get married, I plan on moving to L.A., hopefully there will be more job opportunities there.

@Eva Peron: Lol, yes it seems to be so. There always seems to be open position in healthcare. I guess maybe its now more of looking for a job that gives high pay and that there is high demand for. I was looking for a job online a few weeks ago and there seems to be a high demand for human resources. Maybe I should get a bachelors in that, even if I have no clue what a job in that area would be like. But from what I saw, its very well paid.

@MrsNerdy: Sorry to hear that. So many unemployed people with degrees. I didnt think I would get many people with similar experiences.

@2ndtime: Oh wow theres actually colleges that do that?! Thanks for the advice. I live like 3 min. away from a Target and retail has never really got my attention, but I never know. I might end up liking it. And like you said, even if I don't, at least I earned some money, and I will have gotten work experience too.

@fiver: I want to work with animals. I love animals!! I love all kinds of animals big or small and I would like to become a veterinary technician and in the meanwhile I wanted to find a job working in an animal clinic or hospital and I have applied to several but they always say they are not hiring. I call all the clinics that I have applied to about 2 times a month, but they always say the same thing. I have even applied to volunteer at my local animal shelter but they have never called me and i have applied about 4 times. Maybe I have to insist more. I did have an interview for a animal clinic about 2 months ago, but they didn't hire me. But my dream job is to work with animals. I do want to go back to school and get my degree in veterinar technician but not until after I get married, because then I can move closer to the college I want to go.

@Iluvmydog: I have called to all the clinics that are in the city I live and some surrounding cities and they told me that they do not accept volunteers. They mentioned something about insurance not covering accidents.

@smiles731: Thank you very much! You are very right. I will be sure to try out your suggestions.  I have to go in person and not call through the phone like most people do. i have to stand out. The thing is that I am shy and I always have been so it's hard for me to be a leader. Maybe it's because I don't really have work experience and hopefully getting a job, where i work with people will help me get rid of my shyness. I hate being shy and I have tried to get rid of it and I have improved a little but not enough. When I went to the interview that I had, it was at a new animal clinic and it was very nice and I had never been interviewed before, but I looked online and prepared myself as much as I could. I asked other people what questions are usually asked at interviews and I wrote my answers down. I also went on the website of the animal clinic and I learned the veterinarians names and I read about the clinic. I felt I was very prepared and I dressed very professionally. I actually think I was the best dressed because there where some who where wearing jeans and even though it was my first interview, I knew wearing jeans and tennis shoes is a big no no. During the interview (it was a group interview) I made contact with all the staff members and I made sure that i answered all the questions they asked. I also took a list of my references and a copy of my resume ( I was the only one to hand in a resume). After the interview, we were all given a test that had math problems and some english problems, which
I was later told that i did very well on. When I got home I sent them a Thank you e-mail saying how I was grateful for their time and that I wish I could become a part of their staff. I got a call a few hours later and was told that they wanted me to go in for a working interview the next day and to wear scrubs. I was nervous because I was not sure what one does in a working interview, but when I got there I was told to follow certain staff around. In the working interview is where I made mistakes that lead to them not hiring me. They where very busy that day and I stopped following a receptionist around because she was walking everywhere in a hurry and I felt like I was geting in her way. I was also told by the manager that I was quiet, ,but that it was a good phone voice. But I guess I was too quiet and not loud and outgoing like the others. But I feel, that thats how I am and I'm not sure how to change. Do I just have to act fake and not myself?

I felt like I did great during the first interview and at the beggining of the working interview I was also doing good. They had first told me to follow a vet. technician and he showed me around and I told him how I want to become a vet. technician. We were also talking about the clinic veterinarians and I mentioned their names and he was like "how do you know their names" and I told him I looked up the website before coming in to the interview. After that I was told to follow a receptionist and it went downhill from there.