Occupy Wall Street: The Youth Perspective

The opportunities are still there for the 20-somethings who did their homework before deciding on a major. All I have seen in the headlines for the past 15 years is the increasing needs for engineers, medical personnel, accountants. And what did a lot of these protesters go and do? Pursue liberal arts degrees, studying the social elements of Peruvian civilizations in 1500 BC. Now seriously, who would hire a non-functioning degreed person? Not that those majors aren't interesting, but they really don't bring anything to the table in business. 18-year olds of today.....LISTEN no more degrees in Sociology. Pursue the fields where there will be job growth into the foreseeable future.

This did not clarify a single issue around the OWS protests. You could have made just as strong a message by saying "college students are sad."

How many of these students racked up $10's of thousands in debt getting majors in psychology, french, or gender-studies? There is a shortage of accountants right now... all the students who decided that getting an in-demand degree at a decent school are spending their time choosing which job offer is best for them, rather than camping out on Wall Street's front lawn, chanting about their dire situation. Nurses are being courted with hiring bonuses right out of school. Engineering students are being snatched up by tech companies looking to expand after the global retraction.

If you can tell me how your cultural studies major is marketable or worth anything to anyone, then you're already half-way done with a business plan for your own venture. Now take the energy you're spending by shouting, holding signs, and playing the bongo's on wall street, and use it instead to execute on that plan.

after college I waited tables, mowed lawns, dug ditches, and cleaned building after hours to make ends meet. I didn't expect the government to take money from someone else and give it to me. I worked at whatever I could find and eventually worked my way up in business. Now I am SE and employ 6 people. These kids have no sense of hard work and sacrifice.

Watched the news last night and there is a substantial shortage of apple pickers in Washington State. The problem with this 20-someting generation is that they think just because they get a college degree they are too good for manual labor or a job that "just pays the bills". One farmer in Washington pays $150/day for pickers. Note to 20-somrthings with worthless degrees in latin american studies, communications, gender studies, psycology, etc...--your degrees don't qualify you for doing anything other than picking fruit, sweeping floors or digging ditches so get your butts in gear and stop waiting for the dream job that will never materialize.

Im 22, posting from my office right now because instead of wasting time I actually worked hard for a 4.0 then did the work and talked to the people necessary to find a 50k job right out of graduation

My kids school has two whole different group of actors for the school play.. done on consecutive nights. Why? So EVERYBODY gets a part. Nobody is told they do not have the right or best skills, until they get out in the real world. Then they sulk and live in a park near wall street.

Their parents never taught these kids self-reliance, determination, motivation, work hard and play harder, earning a living has perks in life, start at the bottom and work your way up the ladder, the game of life isn't always easy, sometime you have to work outside of your career field, common sense matters, wearing masks in public places is illegal in most cities, learn the rules of the game before you start playing, professionals don't like amatuers trying to change the rules of the game when they have no experience.

There's plenty of jobs in Alabama working on the farms that used to employ hard working hispanics. Put on your big boy pants a work your #$%$ off for an honest wage!!!!!

Get ready for a Revolution. Its coming. I'd hate to be a Politician that Voted for Free Trade, NAFTA, or CAFTA, or a CEO that took the Bailout Money as a Raise & Bonus, or a CEO or Owner of a Big Company that Moved Their good paying American Jobs to a Foreign Country for Cheep Slave Labor. The Democrats & Republicans are the Same with different Names & Both parties are Owned by Big Business & Both Parties Voted for Free Trade & put America in this mess.

Did anyone tell them they are being used by Soros?

For such a motivated and educated group, it's unfortunate they advocate for stupid, self-interested things like total student loan forgiveness. Where's the self-responsibility? No one forces a person to throw thousands at an overpriced education. Learning a skill early in life, an ability to think on one's feet, working well with others and some willingness to follow directions and offer intelligent solutions are what employers want... And if there are no jobs, start your own business doing whatever people are willing to shell out for in this economy. There are literally millions of ways to serve others. Try some!

I hear violins !

Attention Generation #$%$ Just because you have been handed a degree for completing the four year party/baby-sitting service known as American higher education, you are not entitled to anything. Real jobs that make real money require real work. Just because nobody is offering you a free pay check to use your Sociology, Literature, or Art degree doesn't mean you can't work. There are tables to be cleared, floors to be swept, coffee to be served, copies to be made, phones to be answered, shelves to be stocked, pizzas to be delivered, etc. There is even a job out there cleaning up your #$%$ off of the park grass. I know that you feel that labor is beneath you, but maybe if you just get out there and work hard, have pride, and do it with a smile, better opportunities will come along. If you were on the other end of the interview desk, who would you rather hire? The hard working young person working two jobs, washing dishes and stocking shelves, or the smelly complainer camping in a public park and defecating in the bushes? You’ve had your “time off” from college. You’ve made your noise. Now it is time to go out there and find a job that is far beneath you and work hard. Every job you have from that point on will only get better. Then some day, you can take your kids to the park to play Frisbee with the dog and point out to your kids the spot that you used to sleep and show them where you used to #$%$ right behind the bush just like your dog, Barrack, is doing.

What happened to the times when people would take any work to support their college education. I know I worked up to three jobs at a time while going to school to pay for my education.Often having to work 3rd shift. But it did eventually lead to a good job after several years of working for a $1.85 an hour doing manual labor. Interest rates were at all times high....over 15% for a home mortage. I didn't always have the best grades, the nicest cars, none of the latest electronics....but a will to do whatever was needed to survive. I would have never dreamed of asking someone to forgive my loans. I am not any better than anyone else, but there are paths that you can take that will lead to success. I think they should deliver the daily paper to the OWS sites so the protesters can read the "help wanted" section that is in EVERY paper and simply get your foot in the door somewhere.

We need someone who is willing to stand up to big college and create paths to success that do not require a college education!! For thousands of years apprenticeships worked...In this country they are dieing!! Decades ago you could enter the workforce with a high school diploma and advance as far as your own initiative would take you. Learn on the job and end up with money in your pocket rather then tens of thousands in debt!! WAKE UP FOOLS!! The baby boomers that have raised the bar for you were the main benaficiaries of the land of oppertunity that WAS AMERICA!!

When did the "United States" stop being a plural term?

It's always been tough starting out in life and earing your way, so what else is new? Why is this generation - the generation where everyone gets A's just for showing up in class, and all get trophies just for participating in sports - suddenly unable to deal with life, without government intervention on their behalf?

yeah, it just sucks to be a young, college educated person living in the United States of America; bohoo and waaaaaaaaaa; what a bunch of spoiled, lazy, overeducated, brats: go get a job, shut the f___ up and get a life; its hard being a functioning member of society, get used to it!!!

OWS: pick your nose and pick your parents' pocketbooks

POOR BABIES, Waking up from that dream world you were living in was real hard. No more mon and pop paying all the bills, No more parties all weekend. Did you really not thing that some day you were going to have to pay all that money back? Oh, you thought that liberal arts degree in Asian Pottery would make you waelthy. Think again.