ugeauxgirl
Thinks s/he gets paid by the post
Re: minimum wage and college costs- college cost has risen faster than nearly everything else- its not surprising that wages haven't kept up to that.
The reason an employer pays you to go to work is that its not always fun.
On the other hand, consider this article: The Bank of Mom and Dad: confessions of a propped-up generation.Speaking in terms of generations, boomers' parents (I'm a boomer) made it easy for their children to get educated through low-cost community colleges. We've failed to pass along that favor. I'm more than a little ashamed at my generation.
And in almost all such articles, Generation X doesn't merit even a passing mention ...Millenials vs Boomers is an endless topic of media.
But for much, perhaps most, of the developing world, the reverse holds true: the past four decades have seen substantial increases in accessibility to education and economic opportunities (employment, decent wages). Standards of living (consumption) have improved significantly under globalization.I find this an interesting subject. I am certainly no expert, but some thoughts on the differences between 1977 America and 2017 America:
I don't see the situation getting better anytime soon.
- college is much more expensive today -> more difficult to complete without loans
- in 1977, it was easier to obtain a middle class lifestyle without a college degree
- a bifurcation is occurring in wages - those without skills/training (ie college degree) are not seeing wage growth in real dollars, primarily due to automation
But for much, perhaps most, of the developing world, the reverse holds true: the past four decades have seen substantial increases in accessibility to education and economic opportunities (employment, decent wages). Standards of living (consumption) have improved significantly under globalization.
While Americans may be nostalgic for the 'good old days' of 1945-1975, that was an artificial, unsustainable era that saw the USA benefiting at the expense of most other countries. Things are more equitable ("better") now.
I paid most of my own way through college by working in high school, in college, and during the summers. My folks paid only 3 years of room & board, not including weekend meals. I worked in a restaurant in high school, so my folks didn't pay for my dinners for a year of high school, maybe that's why they gave me a break and paid some of my meals in college.I find this an interesting subject. I am certainly no expert, but some thoughts on the differences between 1977 America and 2017 America:
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- college is much more expensive today -> more difficult to complete without loans
I don't see the situation getting better anytime soon.
The idea that college is expensive seems to come from the NorthEast media where all the journalists want to send their kids to elite private universities.
I'm neither defending nor knocking millenials, but many employers can't be "loyal" to employees in same way they were when Boomers were 20-somethings. Lifetime employment and relatively generous benefits were far more common in the 70's than they are these days. Though necessary, the change in corporate culture led to much more job hopping.In a seminar on generational differences, they discussed the fact that the millenials (in general) are not ideal employees. They tend to be job hoppers, have poor work ethic, need lots of feedback on their job, not deal with conflict or criticism well (the trophy for showing up generation) and think that there is a job out there that they will love every aspect of. I have told more than one millenial that the job they are dreaming of is called a HOBBY. The reason an employer pays you to go to work is that its not always fun.
In a seminar on generational differences, they discussed the fact that the millenials (in general) are not ideal employees. They tend to be job hoppers, have poor work ethic, need lots of feedback on their job, not deal with conflict or criticism well (the trophy for showing up generation) and think that there is a job out there that they will love every aspect of. I have told more than one millenial that the job they are dreaming of is called a HOBBY. The reason an employer pays you to go to work is that its not always fun.
I have a lot of confidence in them. Granted, you can find a lot of slackers. But among them are still some truly fine human beings. Look at the military. Many branches of which are now pretty selective. Some of those kids are top-notch.
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No it doesn't. It's real. About 10 years ago I looked at the tuition at the state university where I got my degrees in the late 70s and mid 80s and I was absolutely floored at how expensive the tuition was 20 years later. Factor of 10+ as I recall.The idea that college is expensive seems to come from the NorthEast media where all the journalists want to send their kids to elite private universities. A public university in Texas is about $10,000 a year (not semester!) for tuition, fees, and books. Sure, room & board adds more to the cost, but one can live pretty cheaply either at home or with lots of roommates. Life is not meant to be a cake walk.
Job-hopping, lack of loyalty to a company. That is what companies themselves have created as they stopped being loyal to employees decades ago. I don't blame millennials for looking out for themselves. That is exactly what their employers do.In a seminar on generational differences, they discussed the fact that the millenials (in general) are not ideal employees. They tend to be job hoppers, have poor work ethic, need lots of feedback on their job, not deal with conflict or criticism well (the trophy for showing up generation) and think that there is a job out there that they will love every aspect of. I have told more than one millenial that the job they are dreaming of is called a HOBBY. The reason an employer pays you to go to work is that its not always fun.
Maybe they'll learn to save, learn to live without an $8 latte at Starbucks every morning, learn to suck it up and do a job they might not love, just to survive.
In particular with things like the texas core curriculum transfer rule (42 semester hours) a community college is still the cheapest route for the first two years. The core curriculum does ensure transfer of credits.The idea that college is expensive seems to come from the NorthEast media where all the journalists want to send their kids to elite private universities. A public university in Texas is about $10,000 a year (not semester!) for tuition, fees, and books. Sure, room & board adds more to the cost, but one can live pretty cheaply either at home or with lots of roommates. Life is not meant to be a cake walk.
Agreed! Let's not harbour any illusions about 'benevolent' employers.Job-hopping, lack of loyalty to a company. That is what companies themselves have created as they stopped being loyal to employees decades ago. I don't blame millennials for looking out for themselves. That is exactly what their employers do.
No it doesn't. It's real. About 10 years ago I looked at the tuition at the state university where I got my degrees in the late 70s and mid 80s and I was absolutely floored at how expensive the tuition was 20 years later. Factor of 10+ as I recall.