March 18, 2008

Defenestration of Altruism

You know, it's funny - wait, no you don't, I haven't told you yet. Even then, you probably won't find it funny per se, I just find things like this funny because I'm like that. I'm on the cutting edge of funny. Months from now, years for some of you, you'll suddenly remember one of the little things I've said that goes along this line, and you'll bust up laughing. Just you wait. I know I will.
Oh, yeah, the whole reason I'm writing this blog entry. Maybe I should get back to that. The funny thing. If you don't know by now, I hate school. There's quite a lot of reasons why, too many to just list off the top of my head, but the one that I had been thinking about is that I won't be done jumping through (sometimes useless) hoops for at least 2.5 years. That really gets me down.
While trying to get over that, I decided I needed a goal besides the contemptable diploma. It really doesn't drive me. I need something better to shoot for. Whilst I was driving in my car the other day, a little factoid came to my mind. It's a little thing called the National Average Starting Salary for Engineers. For my degree? In 2007 it was $54,587. That's when a little smile crept across my face. The funny part of it all is that I knew that before I ever started the program, and that just now it actually appeals to me as a "goal."
Yeah, okay, so using "altruism" in the title was more than a little much, but you get the point.

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

50K does sound like alot. Of course after insurance for a family of 4 and taxes your take home is more around 35K a year. That equates to roughly 1300 dollars a paycheck on a bi-weekly system.

Sure, it still seems ok right? but what if you want to buy a house? Well based on Utah's current market your mortgage payment is probably going to be half of your income per month (assuming you have 20% or 80K dollars down payment for a typical salt lake home). Uh oh.. too expensive? Ok, move to the suburbs such as kaysville for a cheaper home. But now you have a commute.. an EXPENSIVE commute. car payment + Insurance + gas + wear and tear + tickets/accidents + time it takes to commute (which is really the most valuable asset when you have a family) and you are looking at about the same cost as buying close to work.

Of course, all of this is assuming you have EXEMPLARY grades during your career in school because any legit firm that pays 50K a year to an entry level engineer is going to ask for transcripts.

Jim said...

Wow, whoever you are, thank you. You are just a happy go lucky individual, and we really need more of you in the world. I'm just curious now...did you actually have a point you were making there? Or is it just your life calling to randomly spread the joy and happiness that you do?

Anonymous said...

Ok, who peed in Anonymous' Wheaties??

Love the new blog skin, bro. Much more easy on the eyes.