Why College Matters

Very well-said. Thank you.

Yes, it is very grim these days. We have to start looking out for each other.

Thank you. Very succinct and accurate.

Very well put. An education is also something that cannot be lost or taken away, which makes it not only a gift but an investment in one's self.

not everyone has an opportunity to go to college, forcing them to be self educated. just because i am not able to pay the educators, does not mean i am unable to obtain information and knowledge! It is a shame that a lot of jobs automatically disregards ones application simply because he did not attend college, even though he is a lot more qualified and experienced then the other applicants. i know many people whom have been very successful and educated with out attending college, i myself find, in a lot of cases, i have to walk a college educated dimwit step by step through procedures because if its not in their college books, its not in their brain!

Excellent comments. I teach my students that I cannot possibly prepare them for their future jobs; I only prepare them to continue learning every single day. Hopefully they'll leave school with the ability to think critically on the job.

Most colleges are currently designed as institutions that exist solely to provide a piece of paper to aid in acquiring a middle-management office job in the future or better. It is the barrier of class mobility that is the last stage of adolescent liminality for most who enter it. Ideally and historically, it would be/has been an institution for thinking critically and challenging popular tenets for the sake of moving society forward, but I doubt many still see it that way. Tenure is a rarity, restricting academic's ability to study topics freely, and corporate interests already have a large presence on campuses, from product deals to "partnerships" in which classes focus on conducting studies that benefit companies.

Ultimately, college sets up a false paradigm that privileges those who attend next to those who don't, when many can't. I feel like I would be learning a lot more about my "major" through independent study and reading than within the confines of busywork and required reading of the institution. While discussion with professors should be the outstanding benefit, they mostly assume I'm another ignorant undergraduate funneling through the system, or too naive to say anything meaningful. But then again my school's greatest "academic" program is business and it's most known for its sports team, so maybe I just made a horrible decision in attending the school that offered me the most financial aid.

well put, I like "The idea that a higher education is meaningful or worthwhile only as a means to some future job is Bullshit." Life should be more than a job.. It should be about learning and experiencing

Give it a rest. I know first hand more than a few business owners, and individuals who are more successful than many college grads. An education can be obtained by ones self preservation. Thank You.

Please forgive me the crude analogy, because it does not apply to your lovely (and, I am sure, intelligent) children: would you rather chain your dog to a tree or teach him to negotiate his way through the neighborhood without getting hit by a car?

Well it must be obvious the decision that I have made. Education levels the playing field for all people. Education, also gives your children one small step forward, in this competitive world.

I've been thinking about this as I've gone about my day, and I realized that it is not money that made my education worthwhile. It is the fact that I have an idea of how long and interesting human history has been, that I am not alone, that the world is an ancient and fascinating place, and that each person lives an entire universe in him or herself. That is what I got from all those hours listening to lectures, taking notes, watching films, doing research, and writing papers. My life has been enriched immeasurably, and I feel sick at heart for the young people who now face a wall of financial horror to even think of going to college. It is morally wrong and incredibly shortsighted for our country to spend billions in Afghanistan and block an entire generation from a college education.

i think that would be foolish

well put!

I don't see how that analogy applies to her and her children. If she buys her kids a house maybe they will have the money to go to college instead of paying rent. Negotiating is a skill you can learn in or out of college. Wondering how much you're going to pay for college is a serious issue that shouldn't be tossed aside, because some people on this forum believe that there is no other way to be a successful person, other than to pay an arm and leg for a liberal arts education.

Education is important, but I don't understand why there are some who believe that the only place you can get an education is by having a professor jam knowledge down your throat. You can appreciate the "intellectual fruit of civilization" by doing "your" own reading and "your" own research, just like they make you do in college. All this disadvantage bull crap that your talking about is a result of not having some stupid title to impress your superiors. A surplus of intellectual curiosity is all you need to attain greater knowledge and we should be instilling this in our children as soon as they hit their first year in primary school.

If you had the experience for the job and impressed them that way I doubt the school you attended is going to matter. At one point in our history a high school education was enough to get someone a job--a bachelor's degree at one point guaranteed you a job, now some people have to continue onto graduate school in order to get that high paying job they desire. It's not fair. People should have access to a good education without breaking their back and that simply is not the reality. I know a lot of well to do people who went to adult school or got certified through a college class and begin their careers right away. For people who can't afford college this is a valuable option for them and to say they can't get an education and become full intellectual beings any other way I feel is a little a narrow minded and inconsiderate of their situation.

You make some really valid points:

-You don't have to have someone else jam knowledge down your throat to become learned.
-Colleges in the U.S. are way overpriced and people should have access to education without having to break their backs to get it.
-"Success" is a subjective thing.
-Titles don't determine the person's worth.-
-Full intellectuality is not dependent upon a person's college experience.

I'm glad I got to go to college simply because I got to sit with other people whose views were exactly opposite my own. I found out that my prior word view was very limited. The college I attended provided a safe place for me to find out what it was I wanted to do.

I think if we could solve the challenge of the cost of education and, at the same time, take away the perception that college is something only for the elites, we'd be a lot better off. No one should be forced to attend college, but when he or she wants to go, there has to be a way to make it happen. No one who is truly educated uses that education as an excuse to belittle other people. People who use their credentials that way obviously did not pay attention in class, and their degrees aren't worth the paper they're printed on.

I agree with you, But you must also see that MoonLoon is looking for more promising ways for his/her investment to benefit his child. This would stem from the distrust in our colleges to give the children a promising future. Due to the fact that there are more unemployed individuals with college educations now than ever before.

Yes, I get that. I worry that people will blame the colleges for our economic disaster when, in fact, if people had been better-educated, they might not have assumed mortgage loans at ridiculous rates or run up mountains of credit card debt. It's my belief that now, more than ever, we need ethical college graduates with a larger world view to take control of our businesses and governmental agencies. Slick business types without liberal education backgrounds ran our country off a cliff.

You have touched the essence of good education. Perhaps the internet can increase our access to higher learning without bankrupting our families.

Hello Friend,
My parents were great supporters of education. We could never watch TV on a school night. One of our greatest Christmas gifts was a set of World Book Encylopedias. About 50% of our gifts came from the Edmunds Scientific catalog. I still enjoy reading encyclopedias, even though my daughters think that it is weird. Education and self awareness go hand in glove. I know that the job market is tough for young people and I sympathise with their hardship.After my graduation with a business degree in 1974, the OPEC'ers had driven the U.S. economy into recession and almost no recruiters came on campus. So I worked as a heavy equipment operator, warehouse laborer ($2.00 hr. in 100F heat), debt collector, jewelry salesman, insurance salesman (I was terrible), night stocker in a grocery store, and any other odd jobs that no one else wanted. But I finally found my niche at 30. I am telling this story to encourage young people to get an education, work hard, don't expect too many favors, and never give up. When I would go on an interview, they would ask, " are you sure that you can do this job"? I would look them straight in the eye and answer, "I can do this job and you will not regret hiring me". Keep on teaching values to your students, as it is values that carry students through life.

I completely agree with you in terms of what is going on in our high schools. It upsets me that students are not expected to do high level work until they get to college. Young people can be very smart if you push them and cater to their unique learning style. However, I understand your concern. Some students that come out of high school are unprepared even for basic administrative work. Part of the solution should be not just sending more kids to college, but preparing them in primary school as well. We don't even attempt to teach our children a second language until they reach high school.

There are some jobs that a degree is required ( i.e education or medical fields) but a number of jobs out there only require basic training, including administrative assistant jobs. The key is to be pro-active. Build relationships with people in your field--go to job fairs. There are a lot of jobs that offer on site training. Build your own entrepreneurship or patent an invention. I have many family members and friends who have started small businesses and art ventures.

Higher education is absolutely important, but I completely disagree with submerging yourself in debt to achieve a title at some prestigious school/brand, especially considering the economic climate. A lot of people are graduating with loads of debt with no jobs for them to jump into, let alone jobs that have anything to do with their major (so much for dream jobs). To sum up my point: There are many options in life, pick the one that best suits you. The best option is not always a 4 year college.

Thank you. I hope you find ways to pay for school and find a path that will interest you, pay you well, and allow you to serve yourself, your family, and the community.

dont do it for us, do it for you.

Thanks, I'm actually going to pursue a career in television. The family's a little disappointed that they're not getting a doctor, but you can't argue with your passion. ;)

I'll watch for you.

Tele is so 2010.

Your experience is valid for you, but I think you're missing the point of this particular article which is, in my opinion, that there are many jobs that require specialized skills for which too few Americans are qualified. Community colleges serve a valuable and relatively inexpensive role in getting people ready to work. Four-year colleges and graduate institutions are incredibly expensive, so we have to find ways to make it possible for the non-rich to get the degrees they need to become rich; otherwise, we'll have a permanent underclass and most of us will be in it.

I strongly suppport communiuty colleges, as I attended one in my Freshman year and should have for my sophmore year. The education offered by them is equivalent to most Universities, and much cheaper.. However, the fraternal and social interactions were lacking, compared to a 4 year University. Thus, the justifications for ETON and other class oriented schools throughout he World. ( Harvard-Yale-Princeton) Of course their graduates have been singularly undisguished, as compared to their accomplishments.

too true! you know they have a wawa school? how lame is that................

also what is a problem is that a lot of Americans are highly qualified for positions that they dont even get interviewed for because of no college credentials....

Very true.

I love the Brit sense of humor. Thanks for taking the time to tweak our noses.

Wait until you get a job and see the U.K. taxes. You will then know who has paid for your education.

Excellent comments, Nick. Thanks.

i agree with you very much, but the private school thing.....some kids just cant emotionally or mentally handle public school

what needs to happen is the government pays for the tuition at public schools.

A little extra in taxes so that everyone can go to college isnt a bad thing. It benefits this nation economically, and thus everyone.

Thank you. I teach at a community college, where literally desperate people are showing up to get the very basic skills they need to so something besides wear WalMart smocks. It's one thing to make a go of your own business when you have at least a basic knowledge of your community and how it works; it's quite another when you've never traveled more than 10 miles out of town, have never read a novel, can't understand basic math, and don;t have the slightest idea how to break out of the poverty cycle.

Education allows people to see where they are, shows them how to plan for the future, and gives them the tools to try. Not only that, education gives us knowledge of what we are, how we got here, and why our lives have meaning. How do you put a price tag on that?

I worked for two years as an executive recruiter (a headhunter), and I placed high-earning computer software engineers in positions at consulting companies. Average starting pay for those folks was $90k base salary with a 10-20% bonus potential. Guess what- 90% of the ones I placed were born in India, studied their asses off in Indian schools, came to America, and took those jobs that Americans are not qualified to do.

I also tried to find electrical transmission engineers to service our power grid. The old guys are retiring, and without engineers, we ain't gonna be typing no blog on no Internet, my friends. One retired electrical engineer told me he has taken his house off the electrical grid, because he foresees that not too far down the road, the power is just going to go out. Why? because American schools are not graduating qualified electrical transmission engineers. What's that worth to you?

I went to public school and there were a few teachers I didn't like, but I didn't let that stop me from slogging through the hoops and getting my undergrad and graduate degrees. I suspect some of the folks that are so grouchy on this posting are still mad about something that happened in the third grade: maybe the teacher didn't let you stay out at recess, or perhaps she scolded you; get over it and face the reality that our country is second rate in the brains department, and it's not because of terrorists.

To Corndog and Progresshiv, I support your views 100% my two daughters are 50% supported by me in graduate school; physical therapy and speech pathology. I send them $2000 per month as an investment in their future success. They have grants and loans to help them move toward graduation. My 34 year old step son has a fantastic financial controller job with a major International oilfield services firm in Eastern Europe. All due to education and social networking. I encourage everyone seeking success to strive for 3 things. Education,Social involvement, and making friends. Read 'How to Win Friends and Influence People', it is still relevant.

"How to Win Friends and Influence People'"

I was given a copy of that book that was found in my grandfather's attic. It was printed in 1937. It seems to all but guarantee to improve your charisma.

Haven't read it yet but I am considering doing so.

But it is still relevant today?

I read it in 1964, when I was 13 years old, it changed my life. Take my word for this; Carnegie's observations are still relevant today.

Thanks. I think i'lll give it a read of over Christmas break.

Please let me know what you think after reading a few chapters.

By all means read the book. Another book to bring it into perspective is "The Art of Loving" by Erich Fromm from the 1950's. These two books are best-sellers of the last millennium will be remembered into the next.

I will have to read it as well.

LOL, don't feed the trolls. It just makes them feel relevant.

It cost seven times as much to go to school now than it did 25 years ago... BUT weed makes so much more sense!

I just read the first few paragraphs... You were in beginning English classes? Didn't you take placement test?

Yes, I did and the English class that I was taking was actually supposed to be advanced. This cemented my decision that I was not going to pay for this class.

There were quite a few things that took place that made me roll my eyes. Because I had a GED, I was considered for a program to help people with learning difficulties. However, because I scored close to a perfect score on my GED test (and got it before my scheduled graduating high school class), I was considered for an advanced program. The professor that interviewed me acted as if these two things could not exist at one time.

One "watermelon sucking uncle Tom" ? Wtf.! That guy is absurd. What does he teach?

Michael Davis, Associate Professor of Education, St. Cloud State University. Great right? I like how he uses "worse" instead of "worst". He totally makes my case for me.

Another name for a university is a plantation? LMAO!

@ edjoyproductions: I absolutely love this. I took a similar course of action, by leaving UCSC. I love learning so I continue to read and write on my own without having someone tell me what I should read or write. I love the freedom and I love that I saved myself several more years of debt. College can be a great experience but it shouldn't turn you into a wage slave for years on after. There are a lot of resources on the internet that are available for people to study without the price tag. ;-)

Thanks for sharing.

i actuallly think penn and teller made your case. i love their show, but this one is bullshit. kinda oxymoronic sounding. i go to a community college. it is 3000 dollars a year and my english classes require me to think about themes to do with humanity, literature analysis, current events and doing research. this is also english 110, nothing too fancy, a freshman level class at a "shitty' community college. i don't know how you compare your college experience to a 4th grade level unless you were some fucking prodigy.

Perhaps I was a "fucking prodigy" but that was my experience and my opinion was formulated about 18 years before this Penn and Teller episode aired.

Good luck with your community college endeavors. To his his own path.

Your welcome. :)

wow.

-4 and no comments?

What's so disagreeable about that statement?

I don't know, it's true.

Beats me. Have you made some enemies? :D I voted you back up.

Maybe the spammers are utilizing their voting rights.

True. I've seen the spammers vote themselves up. Maybe they're voting people down just to add offense before they are deleted.

It is true. I agree.