03-23-2021, 05:20 PM
I think the university system in US is completely broken, Brad. It's being used now as an outrageously expensive trade school, though almost 3/4 of grads work in a field outside of their major. I am one of them. So viewing college as a place to prep for a specific field of work is rather naïve.
The university idea was built to be schools of higher thought. Philosophy, theology, law, logic. Things to be debated, theories to be created and formed. The liberal arts education was supposed to be a bridge between these high-level thought areas and practical knowledge (hence the foreign language, art and philosophy you and I both studied in college alongside those accounting and technical classes). But I don't believe it either a) prepares anyone for the world after college (in terms of true job assistance outside of a purely technical field like the sciences) or b) provokes thought and mental growth beyond what is learned to pass exams.
Unfortunately, many have bought into the thinking that to get a job, or a raise/promotion, a college degree is needed. Once the market was overly saturated with bachelor degrees, master's degrees were the next target, because it was a more selective group of people who'd achieved "extra." I had someone tell me about 5 years ago I could never get a job in management in a business setting without a master's degree. Which is preposterous.
My personal opinion? If you're pre-disposed to being successful in life (that is, you have a strong worth ethic, drive to be successful, possess "soft skills" and an ability to learn), you can be just as successful in life with or without a college education. The tools for learning these days are at everyone's fingertips with the internet. Spending $80,000 for a state school might even put you behind in that scenario as you leave crippled with debt. Again, this is my personal opinion for the masses that are currently feeling forced to attend college.
My oldest is 12 and while I don't think colleges should disappear, I don't think by the time my kids are to head to college it will matter like it did when I attended. Already in the tech space (where I work) I've seen college requirements drop off for jobs in the past few years, including from some of the major corporations. Fewer and fewer employers are looking for classroom experience. They want the soft skills, they want transferrable skills from internships or other jobs, they want a person who gives them an edge. While there are many, many companies still hiring with requirements on education, the number is thankfully dropping.
The other side is that as more and more people attend traditional colleges, the trades are getting less interest. The feeling of "I'm a college grad, I'm above the work of a electrician" is something I've heard before. But an electrician will make just as much (and likely more) than a recent graduate at the same age, and without a $600/mo college loan payment that could be invested wisely. Depending on investment, that $80k for college loans paid out over 10 years (not even looking at interest) could turn into more than $100k savings in the same timeframe. I told two younger brothers of mine to consider skipping college. They did. They both make six figures and never had the stresses of an entry-level job after college with a painful monthly debt.
I think colleges and university are great and serve a purpose. I think the way they're utilized now is a shame and completely broken.
The university idea was built to be schools of higher thought. Philosophy, theology, law, logic. Things to be debated, theories to be created and formed. The liberal arts education was supposed to be a bridge between these high-level thought areas and practical knowledge (hence the foreign language, art and philosophy you and I both studied in college alongside those accounting and technical classes). But I don't believe it either a) prepares anyone for the world after college (in terms of true job assistance outside of a purely technical field like the sciences) or b) provokes thought and mental growth beyond what is learned to pass exams.
Unfortunately, many have bought into the thinking that to get a job, or a raise/promotion, a college degree is needed. Once the market was overly saturated with bachelor degrees, master's degrees were the next target, because it was a more selective group of people who'd achieved "extra." I had someone tell me about 5 years ago I could never get a job in management in a business setting without a master's degree. Which is preposterous.
My personal opinion? If you're pre-disposed to being successful in life (that is, you have a strong worth ethic, drive to be successful, possess "soft skills" and an ability to learn), you can be just as successful in life with or without a college education. The tools for learning these days are at everyone's fingertips with the internet. Spending $80,000 for a state school might even put you behind in that scenario as you leave crippled with debt. Again, this is my personal opinion for the masses that are currently feeling forced to attend college.
My oldest is 12 and while I don't think colleges should disappear, I don't think by the time my kids are to head to college it will matter like it did when I attended. Already in the tech space (where I work) I've seen college requirements drop off for jobs in the past few years, including from some of the major corporations. Fewer and fewer employers are looking for classroom experience. They want the soft skills, they want transferrable skills from internships or other jobs, they want a person who gives them an edge. While there are many, many companies still hiring with requirements on education, the number is thankfully dropping.
The other side is that as more and more people attend traditional colleges, the trades are getting less interest. The feeling of "I'm a college grad, I'm above the work of a electrician" is something I've heard before. But an electrician will make just as much (and likely more) than a recent graduate at the same age, and without a $600/mo college loan payment that could be invested wisely. Depending on investment, that $80k for college loans paid out over 10 years (not even looking at interest) could turn into more than $100k savings in the same timeframe. I told two younger brothers of mine to consider skipping college. They did. They both make six figures and never had the stresses of an entry-level job after college with a painful monthly debt.
I think colleges and university are great and serve a purpose. I think the way they're utilized now is a shame and completely broken.
![[Image: 4CV0TeR.png]](https://i.imgur.com/4CV0TeR.png)
