People treating you differently since you've graduated?

[Vle045]

I think it's different for me. I'm pretty much the only person in my immediate family circle who didn't have a degree. Both of my parents, my wife, and my SIL have Master's, my MIL has a D.Ed., my brother has a Bachelor's in Engineering and is a PE, my aunts and uncles and cousins, etc. all have their degrees. So I've received nothing but support and praise for finally finishing.

I think they're more excited about it then I am, to be honest. For me, it was just a piece of paper that was holding me back in the job-seeking world, for them, it's a 20-year journey that's finally complete.

That kind of support must be wonderful!  My experience has, unfortunately, been the opposite.  Outside my spouse, children, and a couple of relatives, the rest of my large family sees education beyond high school as a complete waste of time.  I have completed both my ADN and my BSN, and many times received derogatory or hostile comments about "getting above my upbringing" or being "too big for my britches."  My relatives are quite rural and enjoy putting down "educated idiots" while feeling superior in their small pond.  After the year I've had working in a pandemic, I've changed my mind about my MSN and have recently started taking classes for a MHA instead.  I'm already a DON, but decided that I want to go into administration full time.  A cousin I'm close to recently found out I'm getting my masters, and couldn't help but get a few digs in about what a colossal waste of time it was.  Of course, I got to remind her that I'm already laughing all the way to the bank while she works her second shift job at the local BK. 

It’s amazing how people think they are experts in things that they have literally no knowledge about whatsoever.   Hopefully you don’t let them drag you down.

[collegechick]

I think it's different for me. I'm pretty much the only person in my immediate family circle who didn't have a degree. Both of my parents, my wife, and my SIL have Master's, my MIL has a D.Ed., my brother has a Bachelor's in Engineering and is a PE, my aunts and uncles and cousins, etc. all have their degrees. So I've received nothing but support and praise for finally finishing.

I think they're more excited about it then I am, to be honest. For me, it was just a piece of paper that was holding me back in the job-seeking world, for them, it's a 20-year journey that's finally complete.

That kind of support must be wonderful!  My experience has, unfortunately, been the opposite.  Outside my spouse, children, and a couple of relatives, the rest of my large family sees education beyond high school as a complete waste of time.  I have completed both my ADN and my BSN, and many times received derogatory or hostile comments about "getting above my upbringing" or being "too big for my britches."  My relatives are quite rural and enjoy putting down "educated idiots" while feeling superior in their small pond.  After the year I've had working in a pandemic, I've changed my mind about my MSN and have recently started taking classes for a MHA instead.  I'm already a DON, but decided that I want to go into administration full time.  A cousin I'm close to recently found out I'm getting my masters, and couldn't help but get a few digs in about what a colossal waste of time it was.  Of course, I got to remind her that I'm already laughing all the way to the bank while she works her second shift job at the local BK. 

You just described one of my former friends who has this mentality and is what ignited this thread.  What is a DON?  I don't think you're referring to a mob boss. 

[Flelm]

Reading some of the responses in this thread, if you haven't in the past, you should look at crab mentality, or crab-bucket mentality.

[jamshid666]

Reading some of the responses in this thread, if you haven't in the past, you should look at crab mentality, or crab-bucket mentality.

I reckon that makes this forum the mastermind group that helps us escape from that. 

[collegechick]

Reading some of the responses in this thread, if you haven't in the past, you should look at crab mentality, or crab-bucket mentality.

This is excellent and exactly what's going on!  Thanks for sharing.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crab_mentality

[eLearner]

Cut any and all haters out of your life as soon as possible. Their presence in it is nothing but limiting at best, destructive at worst.

[CatsDomino]

I think it's different for me. I'm pretty much the only person in my immediate family circle who didn't have a degree. Both of my parents, my wife, and my SIL have Master's, my MIL has a D.Ed., my brother has a Bachelor's in Engineering and is a PE, my aunts and uncles and cousins, etc. all have their degrees. So I've received nothing but support and praise for finally finishing.

I think they're more excited about it then I am, to be honest. For me, it was just a piece of paper that was holding me back in the job-seeking world, for them, it's a 20-year journey that's finally complete.

That kind of support must be wonderful!  My experience has, unfortunately, been the opposite.  Outside my spouse, children, and a couple of relatives, the rest of my large family sees education beyond high school as a complete waste of time.  I have completed both my ADN and my BSN, and many times received derogatory or hostile comments about "getting above my upbringing" or being "too big for my britches."  My relatives are quite rural and enjoy putting down "educated idiots" while feeling superior in their small pond.  After the year I've had working in a pandemic, I've changed my mind about my MSN and have recently started taking classes for a MHA instead.  I'm already a DON, but decided that I want to go into administration full time.  A cousin I'm close to recently found out I'm getting my masters, and couldn't help but get a few digs in about what a colossal waste of time it was.  Of course, I got to remind her that I'm already laughing all the way to the bank while she works her second shift job at the local BK. 

You just described one of my former friends who has this mentality and is what ignited this thread.  What is a DON?  I don't think you're referring to a mob boss. 

A mob boss...that's funny!  I feel like some days that might actually help motivate my staff!    I'm a Director of Nursing (DON) for a surgical floor.

[dfrecore]

This is strange - I guess because I come from a "mixed" family in that some people have degrees, some don't - so if you get one, everyone says "congrats" and if you don't get one, nobody cares, and knows you can get wherever you want without a degree if you work hard at it. It's just pretty much a non-issue - both sides of my family, same with my husband's family.

[gerbert]

I did briefly hang it up at one point, but I didn't want it to be a conversation piece for church members who came over my place and saw it.

[MrPanda]

Universal Life Church- PhD Philosophy in Religion (I'm an atheist & this was a funny vanity degree)

I was a PSYOP Specialist when I was in the Army.  Because the PSYOP community is rather small and almost exclusively located at Fort Bragg, we got to know each other quite well, and frequently referred to each other on a first-name basis.  We ended up getting a new First Sergeant that was an extreme stickler for rules and regulations, so he came down on us for using first names as Army regulations specify that you address each other by rank and last name.  Well, we discovered a loop-hole in the regulations dealing with clergy members, where first-name usage was acceptable.  Suffice to say, almost my entire detachment got ordained with the ULC just so we could call each other Brother Steven, Brother Craig, etc.  It irritated the First Sergeant to no end, but it was within regulations!

This is hilarious and ingenious!  Thank you for sharing.  I'm also ordained. The PhD was only twenty questions and volia - Dr. and Minister.  I've used the parking placard and parked in the minister's spot at the hospital when visiting a friend.  It was an official ministerial charity visit after all.  Still cracks me up.  Nice to meet a fellow brother in the ministry! 

Hello fellow Reverend. I´m also a Universal Philosopher of Absolute Reality, that was the most pompous one that they had

---

Did any of you experience this as well?

I had seen a secretary having some difficulties at one of my previous jobs:

She earned a Bachelor in Administration, and also got her "Título" (here you get that after your bachelor, if you write a Thesis  or take comprehensive exams) of Licenciada en Administración.

However, for the moment I arrived to that company, she already had been a Licenciada for some time, and she was still a secretary, even when she had asked repeatedly for a position change, and her boss was fully aware of her new education.

Later I was told that her boss had said (to some other .person): "Yeah, but she studied as an already grown person, not when she was young, it´s not the same, it doesn´t count" (the secretary could have been between 37 and 45, I´m not so great calculating age ranges).