Good Choice buddy.. School/Education is much more important than a car.. When ur done and up there.. then u score ur self a 370z.. haha.. Im a college graduate, and recently purchased a Z.. And im loving it.. I use to envy Z owners, but now im one of the Envied.. hahah.. good luck towards ur success in life.. peace

 

its ok man, finish school and then you can buy a 370Z

 

Congrats on the school acceptance and good luck with it. I'm glad I went my route. I have my bachelor's and still over $70,000 to continue school after I get out.

 

master's in finance is a great choice, you will learn a ton. i have a MSF and it was the best educational decision i made and opened up a ton of doors. your first job after grad will afford you a 350z and then some. the best of luck and be prepared to work hard.

 

The next president can't fix the fundamental problems of our economy. Only time and revaluation can fix that. Any money that the government throws at this problem is like putting money on a sinking ship.

UC Berkeley seems pretty expensive. $30,000+ per year is decent amount of debt. Too bad California doesn't have something similar to NJ State Tuition Waiver Act for National Guard members. I'm paying $4000 per year (fees and meal plan) for a PharmD at Rutgers U.

 

There are no bargains when it comes to top-tier MBA and MSF programs.

 

You should talk some sense into that kid who thought it would be a good idea to sell his Z to lease a bimmer and live at home.

 

I'm in the same position as you! I'm selling my car for school tuition...

and it will only cover like half of one semester

 

I agree. I was looking at it from a ROI point of view.

To be honest, I haven't done any research of the ROI on MSF programs. It would appear that what used to be the more lucrative and commonly sought after fields of finance such as ibanking aren't doing too hot right now. I've always thought of that as a specialty that I wouldn't really want to get into with a great amount of effort myself.

However, you're right that top-tier (top 10) MBA programs are no bargains when we're talking about entry cost. But usually the opportunities you get from being part of that elite group pays for the cost of the program.

I may be wrong, but without any special connections going for a PharmD at a state university program right out of HS might be your best bang for your buck. It's a 6 year program. I pay $4000 per year in fees, books, and meal plans (no tuition because I'm in the National Guard so tuition is waived). If you graduate and pass the license exam, it's a guaranteed $100,000 job right after graduation for a relatively easy and flexible work schedule in any locale.

To the credit of the OP, any advanced degree is better than none at all. Obviously if finance is your passion, then follow your passion and interests. Hopefully when the financial industry recovers, it'll be worthwhile. UC Berkeley is an excellent school. I would have thought that it would be cheaper. Are you an out of state student?

Betting on your education is always a good bet and in the long run, it is idiotic to think that you are making anything but the RIGHT choice in giving up your Z for higher education.

 

education = porsche > Z

 

Not exactly. In most cases education gives you the technical knowledge and opportunity to get promoted which then = Porsche.

I notice that you are from EB. You can probably tell where the last 5 digits of my zip code comes from. Strangely enough I have a lot of family that lives in South Pasadena, CA. I go out there every summer. It's definitely a place that I would like to live later on in my life when I'm a LOT more financially sucessful (student right now).

 

by no means did i mean to belittle what you are doing. it is definitely a stable and rewarding career choice that i know many people are happy with. but $100k was just the signing bonus for post grads in the past few years with some buldge firms retroactively paying for your education costs. those days are gone in the short term, so i think this a great time for someone to go back to school. but eventually when people can borrow money again, top finance talent will be in demand by investment banks, hedge funds, and private equities.

 

I did not interpret what you said to belittle the profession of pharmacy in any way. But I know you're probably thinking in the back of your mind (like most people), "There is no upward mobility as a retail/community pharmacist compared to finance." That is true.

But there are a few that have gone on to acquire additional degrees while working part-time at a retail pharmacy. After which they have either pursued in the corporate ladder in the pharmaceutical industry or maybe even changed career paths altogether to a different sector. Potential earning power was never the strong suit of pharmacy as it is for finance. It's advantages were always stability in different market situations and ability for a 24 year old to make around $100,000 a year working 40 hours a week.

I for one wouldn't be satsified with that income in the long-term. I think most people on this forum feel the same way. Higher income is, afterall, the only way to fund our expensive hobby

I was interested in going for either a PhD Chemistry, MS ChemE, or a MS IndustrialE after graduating while working at a retail pharmacy full-time. It's hard to beat acquiring another specialty and making 6 figures at the same time because there is literally no opportunity cost. You have nothing to lose and everything to gain. The reality is that the pharma industry like all other industries when you want to command salaries greater than $100000 is extremely competitive. Having the ability to combine rare, different, and critical technical expertises will make you a in-demand commodity on the market as well as more recession-proof than others.

Speaking of recession-proof, I've always looked highly upon government/military service. I'm currently in the National Guard and it has great benefits. If you stay in for 20 years, you'll have a pension and healthcare for you and your family for the rest of your life. Once you have those, you can afford to take risks in terms of investments because you that you can always maintain a certain standard of living for your family. The downsides are the deployment cycles nowadays. They are tough, but I believe that if you rise in rank quickly, it is worth it. What I have heard is that if you are capable of performing a medical specialty your rate of promotion very quick (due to the lacking manpower % in the Medical/Medical Service Corps and if you have served as a traditionally commissioned officer with command time) and the living conditions of your deployments are much better.

I think it is certainly up for debate whether the financial sector will ever pay the same levels of compensation again. Most of them have changed forms into something that is going to be more highly regulated and therefore they will not be able to leverage as much as they did before. The only way they could compensate employees the way they did in the past was based on their ability to make record profits due to leveraging I would presume. However, you are right that top talent will be in demand in financial sector. Top talent is in demand in every industry. I would bet that top talent in the financial sector has and will continue to make more on average than the top talent in most other sectors (ie. pharma). But once you are the top talent in any industry, it is likely that you'll live a very very comfortable life. That is all I can really ask for in an industry that hopefully is more resistant to market fluctuations.

 

thats what happens when you go from Ballin to Stallin!! Do what you gotta do man to get ahead in life. Good luck with school. Make us proud!

 

Congratulations and good luck! There'll be other cars, but educational opportunities like this don't come around every day.

 

You are not going to make a 100k coming straight out of the basic 4 year college. I believe the highest paid bachelor degree's are chemical engineers or perhaps petroleum engineers. Unless the company really wants you, and is willing to spend 100k on a fresh grad, then in most cases you will not be making that much money out of college. A lot statistics are used to lure people in, promising students a high paying salary. The fine print that most students overlook is that those statistical averages are waged on people already in the industry. People that make way over $100,000 are incorporated into those averages. Basically, if you want to make more money, you have to go beyond a bachelor's degree. Besides, most PharmD programs required you to have a bachelor's degree to enter their program. Or, in some cases, they put you in a program, which basically adds more years to your regular bachelor's program.

If you want to make money, you don't even need to go to college, start a business. If you want something reliable to fall back on, then go to college. If you want to enrich your mind, go to college. If you want to compete in this society, get a Master's or Phd.

 

everything you learn in college can be found on the internet EVERYTHING(subjects, critical thinking, etc)

 

Just rob a bank, keep your Z, and go to school. Simple plan.
Okay, not really. School is the best option. But remember! School isn't life, there is always something else out there you'll want to achieve. Enjoy the journey, not the end. Of course, that doesn't mean you need to enjoy it in your Z

 

wow guys. stop cracking judgment son the guy. He's taking the steps to becoming a successful in life. No need to beat on the guy.

 

Incorrect. You are going to make $100,000 a year as a pharmacist. It is an in-demand profession and supply is tightly controlled. I have many friends who are just average or below in their class and easily get a job as a retail pharmacist after graduation. For 40 hours a week, most of them are making anywhere from $90,000 to $120000 a year.

Most pharmacy programs require you to have a bachelor's degree first. Some don't. Those are the programs that you need to find. They save you time and money. I was admitted to a 6 year PharmD at a state school right out of high school. There simply aren't too many paths that can beat the immediate ROI like that.