But they don’t likely make you an engineer if you’ve only taken some basic core classes over one year of college, either. So, again, it gets back to where the “magic line” is for “success”.
Yet, the testimony of many a college grad is that, “This kind of experience never prepared me for the ‘real world’.”
No, but you do qualify for more interesting things that they will train you on.
I’m a college graduate. (Art school.) The only differences I’m noticing are that I need to be more self-motivated than I was when I was in school, being self-employed, and I get paid in money for what I do, instead of just grades. And sometimes I have to take extra, unrelated work on the side, if things are slow - but I was doing that in college, too.
Such possibilities are not available for topical discussion or opportunity to those who don’t attend these college classes or experience campus life? Those who never went to college can’t appreciate them and take them up on their own or via other routes?
SIGH. Maybe there are some, but I have never met anyone with only a high school education who was even remotely interested in such things - they remain with the high school mentality of “how little can I get away with, and how much will I get?” along with what’s on television, and who of their friends is getting married, pregnant, etc.
I think that the discrepancy that you are noticing has less to do with the college education itself and more to do the demographics.
Hmmm… interesting that this would be your experience. I know both people who DO have college educations that very much have this “high school mentality” (as you call it) as well as fascinating people without collegiate experience who are often well learned and articulate (and, additionally, often speaking from experience and culture which the college educated only tend to ruminate about in the third person) beyond belief. Indeed, frequently I find that those with college educations tend to assume that, “I have my education” and quit, while among those without such a degree there can be a signifigant drive such that they become voracious readers, excellent conversationalists, and lifelong learners, seeking opportunities to enrich and discuss themselves and the world around them. Shoot, you’d be amazed at the homeless people (perhaps without even a high school diploma) I’ve met at the public library who take advantage of everything they can. Or hang out at a tavern sometime. Not the yuppie bars, mind you, but a real bluecollar neighborhood haunt. Wonderful wisdom, hard earned, to be found there that you’ll never discover in a classroom. Natuarlly, it goes the other way with both types, too, as you suggest. But I fail to see how this really has anything at all to do with how far someone went with formal schooling. Rather, it is just a matter of individual curiosity and culture, IMO. Now, what I also recognize are prejudices on each side of the divide about how the “others” live and view with scorn but not understanding “us”.
Perhaps she is simply reading what everyone has posted thus far.Have any of you still carrying this thread along notice that the mature 17 yr old (and I am taking a big leap here) has only 3 posts on this thread? Hmmmm…didn’t seem to like the advice of the sage women who posted.
Hope she remembers, that she who waits for her knight, cleans up after his horse.
I don’t know, since around here, we also classify polytechnical schools as “colleges” - “blue collar” workers do apprenticeship training and post-secondary studies, as well, which is basically what university college is for the “white-collar” class - an apprenticeship in life-long learning, experiential study (no books), etc. that is essential to the kind of work that they ultimately do.
When I say “blue collar”, I have in mind everything from the “skilled laborer” to the truck driver to the immigrant day laborer. Some of those have received “technical training” via an institution, some learn “on the job”.
It’s interesting that you essentially acknowledge something which Cardinal George has taken a lot of criticism for pointing out… namely that “colleges and univesities” of our day are really nothing more than trade schools.
Fair enough and I might agree with your assessment there. Indeed, I would advocate more of a mentorship/apprentice practice for fostering learning and job development, myself. However, I would also note that in the genuine world of schooling of job market these days, most people really do end up just biding their time to get whatever their needs are satisfied (economically or otherwise) and probably are not discovering the world around them in quite the way you suppose. Ultimately, therefore, I’ll stand by my position that this has much more to do with individual motivation and curiosity than anything educational related, even though the educational environment is certainly one way of opening up these possibilities.
He’s right. What’s interesting to me is that he’s taking so much flak for stating the obvious.
If I were in charge of the world, everyone would be required to attend at least one year of art school before being allowed to get a full-time “adult” job and before going on to either university or polytechnical college - but even art school is an apprenticeship, even though it’s an apprenticeship in creative philosophy.
I think this is good advice, especially if the OP is planning on running a business out of her home. It couldn’t hurt to have up-to-date training on business software, accounting, etc.
Going to school can make you a good mother and wife.
A great thing as it is already illegal to do so without an M.D. present.No offense, but most college students learn little to no skills that pertain to marriage or parenting. Unless you’re a major in a science, most colleges do not require biology or anatomy (I have a B.S. and never once took a bio or anat class, but rather physics classes). You learn how to balance a checkbook when you have a checking account, college doesn’t teach that either (I learned how to balance a checkbook in 6th grade math class and when I had my own checking account in high school, I already knew how to balance my check book). Also, college does not teach communication skills. If you decide to major in comm or psych, then you may learn these skills, but again, communication skills usually is learned by an individual on their own time and many do not seek to learn “proper” communication skills unless their in a failed relationship and realize that things (including their communication) need to change.
Everyone keeps saying get an education as if that is what the vast majority of people going to college get. I know very few college graduates who got an education–most of them got a “trade”. College is todays trade school. Met any well educated engineers or business majors or doctors lately? Not likely–they are in college learning a skill to market–not getting educated.
Good for you Kasi.
You are now officially allowed to choose your own adventure.