Just randomly curious

[Jenne]

Sounds like it.  Only a few have gone into business for themselves, mostly selling Polish food for those missing the taste of home, but most tend to work the shitter end of the job spectrum for others.  In town here, one of the biggest employers is a factory, and about a quarter of their workforce is Polish.  Or was when I was there, at least.

That's exactly how the Middle Eastern (read:  everything from Iranian (Persian is what they call it), Arab, Indian and Pakistani) stores down here started out.  You talk to the shopkeepers and find out, oh, they were higher-ups in their regional government, or oh, they were engineers in the 70's and 80's.  Very sad, but in a way, good, because they landed on their feet, and they usually own the businesses they are bleeding life into.

And their kids usually end up either running the businesses with them or getting a grand education as well.

I've noticed that from over there, money breeds money, if the first generation are willing to work for it.  A lot of them send the money back, too (it's not just the Mexican's, Folks!  ALL immigrants with families overseas are sending the cash back!), especially if they have wifes, fiancees, children and elderly parents that need upkeep and/or bringing over here still.  In fact, my husband's RICH Afghan family keeps making the mistake of asking for money from their so-called "rich American" brothers over here who actually make less than they do as a collective for the rent in Kabul.

They'll probably be poor again, though, once that real estate bubble bursts.

[Jenne]

Personally none of my family has been to University, myself included. Of my high school friends, I know of one who has graduated and is now working in the field, and another who keeps dropping out and going back. Beyond that, I wouldn't put the number of people in my High School class who have continued their education past 10%, mostly due to the town my high school was in offering nearly guaranteed, high-paying jobs at the mine whose company owns the town and trains the schoolkids to love everything about working in the mine.

So in my case, higher education is rare, and doesn't necessarily pay off even if you do it. I make a decent living at a white-collar job despite my lack of formal higher education, but I have no illusions that I got here by any means other than luck (the 13 sacrificed virgins may or may not have influenced it).

I'm curious as to what's considered "decent" from your second paragraph.  And I'm curious as to what your colleagues who might be degreed have in common with you re: age, experience and salary.  In my experience, the younger you are, and the more degreed you are, in the white collar job sector, you tend to get hired low and paid higher faster, considered for job perks faster, etc.  Whereas the guys with no degrees have to prove themselves more, even if they got paid more initially due to (possible) more experience in what they're doing.

[Cain]

Poles sent back a lot of money too.  They'd make here in three months what they'd make, in their old jobs back home, in a year.  So it's a no brainer really.  Lots left when the economy crashed though, and while a sizeable number are still earning a living here, I'm sure they realize in the long term there isnt much of a future for this country and so are just trying to wring as much out of it as possible before leaving.

Personally none of my family has been to University, myself included. Of my high school friends, I know of one who has graduated and is now working in the field, and another who keeps dropping out and going back. Beyond that, I wouldn't put the number of people in my High School class who have continued their education past 10%, mostly due to the town my high school was in offering nearly guaranteed, high-paying jobs at the mine whose company owns the town and trains the schoolkids to love everything about working in the mine.

So in my case, higher education is rare, and doesn't necessarily pay off even if you do it. I make a decent living at a white-collar job despite my lack of formal higher education, but I have no illusions that I got here by any means other than luck (the 13 sacrificed virgins may or may not have influenced it).

Who wouldn't love working in a mine?  I mean, miner's lung, interminable strikes and having the shit beaten out of you by the police?  Where do I sign up?

[tyrannosaurus vex]

Personally none of my family has been to University, myself included. Of my high school friends, I know of one who has graduated and is now working in the field, and another who keeps dropping out and going back. Beyond that, I wouldn't put the number of people in my High School class who have continued their education past 10%, mostly due to the town my high school was in offering nearly guaranteed, high-paying jobs at the mine whose company owns the town and trains the schoolkids to love everything about working in the mine.

So in my case, higher education is rare, and doesn't necessarily pay off even if you do it. I make a decent living at a white-collar job despite my lack of formal higher education, but I have no illusions that I got here by any means other than luck (the 13 sacrificed virgins may or may not have influenced it).

I'm curious as to what's considered "decent" from your second paragraph.  And I'm curious as to what your colleagues who might be degreed have in common with you re: age, experience and salary.  In my experience, the younger you are, and the more degreed you are, in the white collar job sector, you tend to get hired low and paid higher faster, considered for job perks faster, etc.  Whereas the guys with no degrees have to prove themselves more, even if they got paid more initially due to (possible) more experience in what they're doing.

By decent I mean I'm able to afford a morgage, 2 cars, various electronic doodads to amuse myself and my family with, and not starve or freeze to death. Also, it's a single-income household. Money is tighter than I'd like it to be sometimes but that's going to be true no matter how much you make (for most people).

Right now my salary ceiling isn't determined by education or experience but by the amount and types of work that the company has to do. Admittedly I'm feeling a little underutilized, but it isn't because somebody has checked my education record and determined that I'm unsuited for advancement -- there just isn't any advancement to give out without robbing someone who has been here longer than I have. It's also a small business, not a corporation (and I wouldn't want to work for a corporation anyway).

[Jenne]

Personally none of my family has been to University, myself included. Of my high school friends, I know of one who has graduated and is now working in the field, and another who keeps dropping out and going back. Beyond that, I wouldn't put the number of people in my High School class who have continued their education past 10%, mostly due to the town my high school was in offering nearly guaranteed, high-paying jobs at the mine whose company owns the town and trains the schoolkids to love everything about working in the mine.

So in my case, higher education is rare, and doesn't necessarily pay off even if you do it. I make a decent living at a white-collar job despite my lack of formal higher education, but I have no illusions that I got here by any means other than luck (the 13 sacrificed virgins may or may not have influenced it).

I'm curious as to what's considered "decent" from your second paragraph.  And I'm curious as to what your colleagues who might be degreed have in common with you re: age, experience and salary.  In my experience, the younger you are, and the more degreed you are, in the white collar job sector, you tend to get hired low and paid higher faster, considered for job perks faster, etc.  Whereas the guys with no degrees have to prove themselves more, even if they got paid more initially due to (possible) more experience in what they're doing.

By decent I mean I'm able to afford a morgage, 2 cars, various electronic doodads to amuse myself and my family with, and not starve or freeze to death. Also, it's a single-income household. Money is tighter than I'd like it to be sometimes but that's going to be true no matter how much you make (for most people).

Right now my salary ceiling isn't determined by education or experience but by the amount and types of work that the company has to do. Admittedly I'm feeling a little underutilized, but it isn't because somebody has checked my education record and determined that I'm unsuited for advancement -- there just isn't any advancement to give out without robbing someone who has been here longer than I have. It's also a small business, not a corporation (and I wouldn't want to work for a corporation anyway).

Sounds like a pretty rare company in a flexible field, which again, seems rare.  I hope it lasts and lasts, especially as you're single income and carrying all those large, non-consumables.  That's a really cherry outfit you're with.  I'm serious about that.  Unless you're skilled labor, and that's not considered white collar per se, though I notice that it's not really considered blue collar anymore, either, it's really tough to find a flexible enough job that you can carry one household income on to any successful degree, without 2-year or 4-year college behind you.

Kudos, man.  Esp if you LIKE the fuckin' job to boot.

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

I'm the  least educated person in my family by far, but in my peer group about 80% have graduate degrees or higher, and the remaining 20% have bachelor's degrees or no degree.

[East Coast Hustle]

if by "higher education" you mean a college degree, it's fairly uncommon among my peer group aside from the wealthier ones. Though several of my friends have gone back to school to get technical certificates when they hit their salary ceilings. Ironically, I make alot more money than just about every one of my friends and I only have my GED. But I also have a serious drive to educate myself even if that education comes outside the formal system, and I have a work ethic that would make a japanese salaryman cry mercy. There are all kinds of factors that go into your income potential, formal education level is just one of them.

[Fredfredly ⊂(◉‿◉)つ]

All my immediate family members have gone to college (except one cousin who is a professional dancer)
My high school had a 100% college attendance rate.  I think they would have murdered anyone who didnt go because it would ruin their statistics 
My parents would also murder me if i didnt go. and now they want to murder me for taking forever to finish 

[Juana]

In my family, it's expected that you go to college. My parents and their siblings, grandparents, a great grandfather (on my mom's side), and great-great grandfather (also on my mom's side) all went to college of some kind, either for a 4-year or to study law, in the case of the last two. My mother and stepfather would have killed me if I hadn't gone on.

That said, so far, three of my cousins and I are the only ones in college or have graduated from college, out of the ten of us who are old enough to go, and one other cousin is now a plumber. Of everyone else, there are three who I have no idea what they're doing and two who are programmers for Blizzard and Valve. Nearly all my friends from high school are in college, either at the community college level or regular 4-year. Not going makes you the black sheep.

[Whatever]

My parents and their siblings all went to college.  As for the kids, most of us went for a time, I think only about 5 of us actually continued and received our degree.  I went for 2 years, took 2 years off to work, then went back and finished with a BS in math and business.  Not that I use my degree for shit tbh, I can't do the banking and I would never be able to teach without going to jail for smacking someone.

I want my kids to go to college or at least a trade school.  I really think my oldest will do the military route, the others both have set career goals so college is their best option to achieve those.  I'm not going to force the issue though, my parents did and now I have dual degrees in subjects I really have no desire to pursue in the professional realm.