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Has the value of a degree gone down? Possibly a little as a "status symbol". It used to be that only the rich could afford to get a degree, now it's a lot more accessable to everyone.

I think it depends more on the degree. Arts, commerce, business....are all rather general. In my mind, there is more "value" in a specific degree - Dentistry or teaching for example. Of course, once you've been working for a few years and have work experience in a field, I think that out weighs most degrees. In my mind, a degree is proof that you can learn.

I would also recommend that you "dumb down" your Resume, Kekadu, for when you're applying for jobs you know you're over quallified for. I know it's hard to ignore all that work you put into getting your degree, but think of it from their view. I'd not give someone the job if they were too qualified for the job because I would assume that they'd leave as soon as they found something better (Which means having to find someone else to fill the position again...and the costs involved, time wasted etc etc)

It took me 13 months and 11 interviews before I got my current job. It was worth the effort too.
Hang in there, Kekadu!

here in Germany the first bachelor program of study started about 4 years ago. i haven´t one, i´m still in a degree program of study.
the first thing about bachelor i taught was : "WTF?" then i saw the timetable and it looked much easier than mine , but it isn´t there are some nice traps that make you study very hard.
the problem is that if you are looking for a job most of the employer doesn´t know what kind of title bachelor is. most say it´s not good and they are looking for someone with a degree.
many people say a bachelor is just a half finished study, if you really want to get a job you need a master. thats the main opinion here, not my opinion!
i think there are some good things is the bachelor system, because in our old system you have a lot of those long run students who will study until they are 40 and then sit on the street because they never get finished and now are too old for another try. at the bachelor system you have a time limit if you need twice as long as normal and still have a lot to finish they talk to you.

i bashed my study because it was more difficult than i taught and i didn´t want to end up as the others : be in they 8th semester and listen to thigs from the 1st semester that i didn´t pass for the 3rd time, there are a lot of people in this situation at my subject and we all just get older and older.
now i´m looking for a vocational education.
wish me luck.

Myself I see too much of college education (on the bachelor's level at least) being "dumbed down". There days I feel it's become a pay-for-degree. It's so expensive!! I wish colleges had stricter entrance requirements. Nobody wants to be stuck in class with (pardon) dumb but rich kid #5. Even worse, nobody wants to be viewed as an intellectual equal with dumb but rich kid #5. I think because so many people lie about their rank on applications (and that some interviewers didn't have a good rank themselves) it means nothing to have graduated the top of your class anymore.

I had a 4.0, and (granted my undergrad college was small) only 5 other people had tied with me for first. Not one employer has paid attention to the words "Summa c** Laude" and said "jeepers miss, you must have worked hard for that! Perhaps you'd work hard on the job as well!"

Bah Humbug. I myself like the idea of cheap but really, really hard college. No rich kids paying their way and more poor but brilliant kids getting ahead. That way we have the best of the best out there. Nobody wants a half-witted doctor or a mediocre lawyer.