Formal education levels of ATS readers and posters

Thanks for the great post, I started my career in nursing after finishing a associate degree in nursing from associate degree nursing schools

I have no idea what my "iq" is.....don't care.

I've learned more from life and its school of hard knocks than I ever have from an academic setting.

High School drop out here.

I have spent the last 15 years being a mommy and now a new grandma.

I attribute my expanded knowledge to the internet. Everyday I find I am looking up and learning new subjects.
My husband has an associates degree in business but tells me all the time how smart I am compared to him. He can sit and discuss his work day in and day out but when it comes to politics the stock market etc. I lose him and find I spend a lot of time explaining these things to him.

So I do not believe your degrees determine how smart you are.

No formal qualifications past leaving school although I will state this that most people who I interview for software development roles or server administration that do have diplomas or other graded qualifications are generally sh*t. I think though that is just specific to the IT sector.

[edit] By poo I mean they don't seem to be able to what their qualifications state. In IT self taught people who started young are a whole lot better than those who decided to take a course later in life. This maybe similar in other areas??


[edit on 3/12/2008 by spitefulgod]

British education - CSE's and 2 'O' levels.

Other qualifications since leaving school:-

Trained and worked as airline cabin crew. Travel and people taught me a lot.
Full time mum - results not yet in but 1 at 6th form (college) and 2 still in school.
Trained and worked as a child minder (so could stay home with my own child).
NVQ in interior design.

Also fully trained in life's hard knocks and set up and running 2 businesses in our adopted home of Spain.

Edit to add - I've never been asked about my formal qualifications apart from the very first job I had when I left school (junior clerk/typist/receptionist). I was biding time, working in offices, until reaching 21 and being able to work as cabin crew.

[edit on 3-12-2008 by Maya00a]

There was one teacher in my final year of college who told us all the following...and I believe it to this day.


"A degree is merely a piece of paper. It only means that you are now ready to learn about the REAL world and its just like being back in preschool...good luck!"


Cheers!!!!

[edit on 3-12-2008 by RFBurns]

Besides the fact that I am currently employed full time.

I have a certificate for studies in theology and I am also a part time student in my first of a 4 year university program studying theology.

Barring any setbacks, it should take me another 5 years to complete my BA.

Not that it matters but when I was 13 my IQ was 131.
Lots of moves since then. I think some of those points got lost in transit.

Almost forgot...that professor also said..."And remember to think outside of that 8x11 piece of paper"



Cheers!!!!

wan docterate in speling and a 2 ba's in blacksheep.

okay, nothing, nada, zip. thanks to a mixture of laziness, apathy and youthful exuberance (these days it's called ADD or ABC or some other makey upey thing that requires you become a speed freak) i have zero functioning formal edumacation.

I'll play along!

4 year degree in something unrelated to what I'm doing now (Management. Can anyone actually tell me what that means? I still have no idea).

When I got hired by my company, my manager at the time told me he did not care what my degree was, but he LOVED the school I went to!

[edit on 12/3/2008 by CeltAngel]

Certified bicycle mechanic (UBI )
Certified pistol instructor
Certified Range Safety Officer

B.S. Library Science/Information Technology

Things I started and never finished:

EMT certification (took the final tests and didnt bother to find out if I passed because I got a better job while waiting for the results)

A+/Network +/Security + Certifications (took classes for a job and apparently my experience was enough to get hired so I saved myself the $200 and skipped the tests)

Judo (got a couple of belts and got bored)

I get bored really quick and have to move on to the next thing as soon as I lose interest. The library world so far has been varied and random enough to hold my interest but we'll see how long that lasts.

I've been thinking about getting into auto mechanics a lot lately. And forestry.

High School Graduate
AA in Computer Information Systems - Windows Networking
AA in Computer Information Systems - Sun Solaris Networking
Various computer related certifications
and soon to be working on my Bachelors in business

I dont need to advertise my educational credentials because I wont play the stature game for what this thread is.

But I will say this... I know enough to know when BS fills the air..and forum.

Put yourself so high up on a pillar, the fall hurts the more when you come crumbling down.

Lets hope all those pieces of paper do some good when it comes to practical real world problem solving.

Where did all the elected officials get their pieces of paper from? And how messed up is this country again? Hmm......sounds to me like the piece of paper failed....as did the people who have it.

Theory and reality rarely mesh. Another thing my professor told me.

Find knowledge out there, not in a pile of books or answers on cheat sheets for sale via the internet.


Cheers!!!!

I graduated High School but with only with par grades.

I'm going to university to study psychology which'll take me 3-5 years depending.

OK I'll play this game.....

Finished high school - very good grades excepted to all universities I applied too. Met a girl went to college instead (I'm Canadian) went to 3 classes in three years got banned from college for 3-5 years... long story! Worked a full time job from age of 17 and on (two when I was supposed to be in school) worked my butt off for a major Canadian retailer and worked my way to the head office. Now making more money than friends with degrees (money isn't everything my wife, home and life is much more important). NEVER once gave up hope on my future (others did parents, friends etc.) Not trying to brag or say I'm better but that there is hope for a good life and future without formal education. (Although I would be much further along in my career if I had it and if you can get IT make it easy on your self and do it) After all my debt and money troubles I could not go back to school so I took courses in things I could manage and enjoy.

- one year AutoCAD course - 2 week crash course (now design retail stores)
- Life guarding courses - NLS, instructors, Beach and water front, CPR, First Aid many others.
- Nation coaching certificate in baseball and hockey
- Certified fork lift driver, and lift truck operator
- Propane handling license
- Many others...

Although only one of these things actually applies to what I do they help when an employer wants to see what you have done with your life. My ability to talk to people and keep myself neutral has always been my best asset and in this world of I pods, game systems and computer realities these skills are very valuable if your willing to work hard for them.

Good luck to everyone and congrats to everyone who worked hard and got your degree's it is hard work and I don't want to belittle what you have accomplished in your life.

Originally posted by RFBurns
I dont need to advertise my educational credentials because I wont play the stature game for what this thread is.

But I will say this... I know enough to know when BS fills the air..and forum.

Put yourself so high up on a pillar, the fall hurts the more when you come crumbling down.

Lets hope all those pieces of paper do some good when it comes to practical real world problem solving.

Where did all the elected officials get their pieces of paper from? And how messed up is this country again? Hmm......sounds to me like the piece of paper failed....as did the people who have it.

Theory and reality rarely mesh. Another thing my professor told me.

Find knowledge out there, not in a pile of books or answers on cheat sheets for sale via the internet.


Cheers!!!!

And by your public denouncement of this "Stature Game" you place yourself on a higher pillar than the rest of us.

I graduated highschool in '05 and I'm now studying forensic psychology (Psych Bachelor of Science) at Texas State in beautiful San Marcos. I'll be graduating in about a year and then I'm planning on trying my luck at getting into grad school for a Masters and PhD.

I just want to make money for doing research.

I have a BS in Psychology.

My husband, who also posts here, has two masters.
One in Engineering.
One in Business.

My daughter, who also posts here sometimes is 12 and in school.
(She skipped a grade and is a little smarty! )

reply to post by jam321


I have always said that I have met dumb doctors and smart garbagemen.
I think it is a crime for everyone to require a degree, because in my office, it seems to have no influence on capabilities whatsover.
I could do everyone's job here but because I have not finished my degree, I will always be low man on the totem pole.

reply to post by nixie_nox


Degrees will never trump experience in the real world. However, the real world has been beat to death by various unions and associations and miscellaneous self-serving 'professional' institutions that only exists to push forward this mythical value that degrees have.

The American Library Association states I'm nothing but a tech unless I go forth, drop two years salary and get my Masters. Jokes on them because I have been hired as a professional. I was hired for my experience. I have a friend who went straight through to his Masters and nobody will hire him for anything other than page work because he has no experience. Of course, he has obscene student loans to pay back and cant afford to take a low paying page job but he also cant afford to be unemployed much longer.

I still get 'professional' peers that look down their nose at me for not getting a Masters.

It's all crap and college is a bigger scam than the federal reserve. Big U does more damage to peoples lives than Big Oil or Big Pharma could ever do.