... "Career Advice == 'Just A Political Rant'?" Gosh, I wish it WAS.

I am sure that this thread will be immediately closed … “as a political rant.”

Maybe, it will simply be deleted, by those with the power to do so.

However: “it is not ‘a political rant,’” although by definition it does involve what would be called ‘politics.’

If you (once again) “merely exercise your Moderator prerogatives” on this matter, then you evade … and perpetuate … the very brutal economic realities of this situation:

Why should I accept $140,000+ in student-loan debt, in order to achieve the educational plateau that cost my grandfather at-most a tenth as much, in order to compete unsuccessfully(!) for a job that I will never actually get?”

I’m sorry, but (on behalf of what would now be my grandchildren’s generation … if I had had them …) I have serious problems with that proposition. Problems that I cannot simply sponge away.

When I went to college, “the first big debt” that I planned-on was for my house, not my degree. And this house was an asset, which I sold at a profit.

I actually expected … and, actually, it was true … that my first-job would be waiting for me because “I was a college graduate.”

I never expected … nor did I ever expect my grandchildren to expect … that my job would be displaced by seventeen young men from … literally … ten-thousand miles away … in a two-bedroom apartment. (Nor did I ever expect seventeen human beings to accept such conditions, no matter where they came from. Which conditions I nevertheless personally witnessed.)

And, today, “I am not ‘cool with that.’”

And: if that is (nothing more than …) “a poltical rant, worthy to be summarily Closed,” then: So Be It.

“Houston, we have a problem here.” We simply can’t keep presenting, to a new and fresh-faced generation of hopeful artists, that we do not. If you’re going to take-on $140,000+ in debt, then at the very least you should have a house … and a profit … to show for it.

Sun, Have you considered offering advice that is actionable? Yea are things fucked up, Yes. But are you pounding keys so you feel better and can feel the victim when the mods give you a time out. Or are you wanting to help the kids?

If you have issues with college debt, Well do something about it. Put together a bootcamp for cg artists. Do something to improve the situation,

And don’t get me wrong. From what interactions I have had with the mods here, I would not say I have happy feelings for them, BUT I also respect that they bust their ass in a real job day in and day out and them doing the mod things on these forums is just a public service. Don’t abuse it for them.

As I said before, most of the information and training material that used to only be found at colleges can now be found for a very low price (or no price) online. The only thing though is that business still look for that certain thing known as a degree.

And just some advise, you’re not talking to a pre-teen audience here. We’re more than intelligent enough to figure out what you’re saying without all of the annunciation and annotation all over your posts.

It seems to me that you’re just trying to justify your own argument where you have been ousted by an authority rather than actually do something or change anyone’s minds as, obviously, at this point I don’t think anybody is going to just have an epiphany and decide to completely change their previous statements.
Not trying to be rude or to disregard anything you’ve done on this forums, but this is purely for the sake of argument, and has absolutely no constructive value.

I will “take ownership of” all of these criticisms … and see them all as constructive, as they were intended to be. Thank you.

I wish that I, myself, had a solution. The first step, though, is to square-off against the fact that we do “have a problem,” and that it is not a problem that the artists, themselves, can necessarily solve. They are “busting their asses off,” and doing quality work, but at the same time, they are being victimized by something much larger than they are.

It used to be that the United States valued “a professionally trained work-force,” and “national autonomy.” After World War II, it pased the “GI Bill” and was promptly astounded at how … and, how well … it was received. Higher education was offered at a very affordable price, and opportunity was available to those who rose to the occasion. “Baby Boomers” lived in the glow of that, benefited from it, and promised it to their kids and grandkids … but, someone stole the promise clean away.

… and the folks “from (or in) far-away lands” are discovering that they have been robbed, too. Grievously so, because they are the least able to resist.

I “lived in that glow.” When I discovered just what had happened in 30 years, I was floored.

I think, first of all, that lots of us need to realize that we are on a race to the bottom, that there’s nothing but sewage down there, and that we need to start pushing the “Up-arrow button” on this nefarious elevator.

In the short run: “NO college. Wait it out.” A college degree might be worth an $11,000 investment, but there’s no hope of a $140,000 return anytime soon. In a very short time, the effect of a sufficient people making that very-pragmatic decision will be felt, and, for most of those people, the window of opportunity will not have closed. (I probably don’t have 20 years left … you do.) Neither will this country permit it to remain closed. It’s just gonna take “a pie in the face” to change things. Bring on the pie.

“I agree with you. Now, make me do it.” – FDR