JonBoy

I took a similar path, though I was in a university the entire time but it was pretty inexpensive (under $2K for tuition per semester - gotta love a provincially-funded university). I worked full-time for two years while in university and walked out with $10K in debt. I didn't make the kind of money I initially thought I would but it ramped up quickly (doubled in the first two years) and then more than doubled again over the next eight years. Lived below my means the entire time and learned a good lesson - don't spend it if you don't have it!

Students need to be clearly taught that they DON'T have a job guarantee (much less a well-paying job!) and they DO have to pay back every cent they borrow. Living it up in college means living it down afterwards, for most of them. Moderation goes a long ways in those situations.

Zkata

[left]im actually a full time student and have 2 jobs as well. And I always get B’s and A’s. Very rarely do i get a C or lower. Im also not getting the STI for any reputation or anything, i just like the car, and i see no problem with that. But thank you for your reply, I appreciate it

JonBoy

You nailed it, in that you stated that there are only certain fields where an education is worth it IF you hope to make a living by using your education. In my mind, those areas include STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics), healthcare (we always have sick/dying people) and legal. Education should always be a decent choice, at least for the next 20-40 years, but I expect that will start to change fairly quickly as well. Some of the other degrees can be made to work but you'd better know what you're aiming for up front. As you said, a social science degree doesn't do much for you except in one or two narrow areas and they often require more than that (including work experience) or they take people with a Master's because it's the only differentiating qualification they have to separate them from the rest of the herd.

Trades will always have a place and I do believe they're under-represented in many areas. I make a really good living and I have friends in the trades that make as much or more, though they do tend to work longer hours (and put in a much more physical day). Stuff breaks and stuff is always being built, so you can usually do pretty well, especially if you save in the boom times. That said, I also have friends in the trades that couldn't find steady work for quite some time in some of the recent (localized) downturns. Not everyone can run a business (can't handle the stress, can't keep things straight, don't have the mind for it, can't tolerate the risk) and so tradespeople that require someone else to find them work and keep them busy make quite a bit less money and are less able to survive downturns.

No one is immune to a changing economy, that's for sure.

vader1

Well it would not be the first time I have heard that load of crap proposed. Sure, you can show up and get the "Write a 5 page paper on why you are ashamed to be a white male" assignment I got my first week in freshman comp, and be told the entire SJW curriculum one gets in a liberal arts degree makes you a better person. The flip side is it might just make you a psychopathic horror show that nobody wants to be around for all the virtue signalling about perceived racism, sexism and whatever else that makes one no fun at parties. So there's that.

People can become well rounded by getting out in the world and experiencing life and other people just as they might in some BS college course. Nobody needs college to go read some books, got two by russian authors here on my desk that I am reading by choice and not because it was part of my coursework. I learned more about world culture by going to Europe than I ever learned in four years of college, and it was way more fun.

College is overrated in its present form unless you are going into a highly technical field.

vader1

Sti or S2000 matters not, if you are spending big coin in school, engineering, chemistry, or learn to code. That's the best advice I can give you. Good luck to you. I chased skirts all through college (successfully, thank you very much) but still ended up ok. Things are a little tougher these days.

eight

I have had my 2012 STi hatchback for 2 years now. Loved it. Did mod it slightly to make it more fun. Ohlins coils, cobb stage 2, cobb intake, cobb exhaust/downpipe, sway bars and some more stuff. It is honestly the ideal fun little hatch.

The pros of it is: You can definitely still tell it's a sports car somewhere hidden behind all those interior trims and bulky exterior, it takes some proper modifications to really liven up the sporty side of things. You absolutely won't lose traction if driving normal/slightly spirited. It takes you getting your hands dirty to keep it happy so I did oil changes every 2500 miles, trans and diff every 6 oil changes, just because of the horror stories I've read and friends have experienced; I look at this as a pro. I like when a vehicle's condition directly correlates with how much care was put into it. There's a sense of pride to be had in that. I used it to take my bike up to the mountains and has done it's fair share in mild SoCal dirt. It's gone from people hauler to toy hauler very easily and to a fun canyon car by just dumping my payload and going for a drive. I'll miss that about this car the most.

The cons of it is: (this may depend on your area) EVERYBODY TRIES TO RACE YOU!!! Everything from 330i's to m4's to chargers... oddly enough, most evo's leave you alone.. There's quite a few rattles in the vehicle that have plagued it since new. I stopped worrying about this fairly quickly since I honest to god don't care about it. The paint is very thin... Subaru paint is god awful and is thin as all hell. It's been a chore to keep the white as white as possible. I've spent countless dollars on expensive paintless dent guys because the cheap ones will chip the paint. Horrible on gas both stock or tuned.

I'm sure ringland is a thing. I haven't seen it. Never experienced it. Never had a misfire and it's been on cobb stage 2 for about 80,000 miles now. Again, take care of your car and it takes care of you. Some people look at the upkeep of a car as a chore, I enjoyed it thoroughly.

My verdict on the 2012 hatch STi.. I wouldn't trade it for anything... except for a family.. which is what I'm about to have so it's gotta go. I would've kept this car until it falls apart.

engifineer

Kyle

zeroptzero

I would rather have a WR-X over an STI , I think it is plenty good, save some money. The WR-X is a better daily driver than an S2000 if it was my choice, as a second car for pure enjoyment the S2000 would be my choice. The S2000 is not a great daily driver, and the WR-X is not as fun. That's my opinion.

Canadian144

I had my STI before my S2000, and just to tie into the thread... I actually got it in university. I commuted to all of my internships with it and took tons of roadtrips with it (10hrs Toronto-Boston several times, plus Boston-NYC, etc). I still love the car to this day, even after adding an S2000 to the garage. It's a blast to drive and very practical. I've managed to squeeze 3 friends & all of our ski stuff for aweekend trip to Vermont without any issues.

Is it as "pure" of a sportscar? Absolutely not. But driving it everyday in the summer (to work, to the gym, to the cottage, etc) still puts a smile on my face. I've never had any ringland issues and the car has been modified most of it's life.

To the "college is a scam" comments - I did my undergrad in business (concentration in finance) and had a well paying job lined up at a firm in Boston prior to graduating (despite being a non-American citizen requiring a work visa). I did/do see a lack of work ethic in many of my peers. I'm taking my GMAT now to go back for another 2-year MBA. Fun times.