The title sounds too dismissive - it's for catchiness purposes...:)
I agree with a lot of his arguments. :)
College is a waste of time - CNN.com
"I left college two months ago because it rewards
conformity rather than independence,
competition rather than collaboration,
regurgitation rather than learning
and theory rather than application.
Our creativity, innovation and curiosity are schooled out of us.
Failure is punished instead of seen as a learning opportunity.
We think of college as a stepping-stone to success rather than a means to gain knowledge.
College fails to empower us with the skills necessary to become productive members of today's global entrepreneurial economy.
College is expensive.
The College Board Policy Center found that the cost of public university tuition is about 3.6 times higher today than it was 30 years ago, adjusted for inflation.
In the book "Academically Adrift," sociology professors Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa say that 36% of college graduates showed no improvement in critical thinking, complex reasoning or writing after four years of college.
Student loan debt in the United States, unforgivable in the case of bankruptcy, outpaced credit card debt in 2010 and will top $1 trillion in 2011."
Cape buffalos need to stay with The Herd...But do YOU?
Seize the opportunity when you have the chance, not when you would PREFER.
Timing.
Think Facebook.
Listen to the "music/vocation" deep inside you.
If possible.
Imagine that you CAN do it - what would you like to do with your life?
Do your thing...
Later on, you might consider also doing what OTHERS would like you to do with YOUR life...
Maybe.
Best wishes to YOU, with or without college studies and degrees!
"A major function of college is to signal to potential employers that one is qualified to work.
The Internet is replacing this signaling function.
Employers are recruiting on LinkedIn, Facebook, StackOverflow and Behance.
People are hiring on Twitter, selling their skills on Google, and creating personal portfolios to showcase their talent.
Because we can document our accomplishments, and have them socially validated with tools such as LinkedIn Recommendations, we can turn experiences into opportunity.
As more and more people graduate from college, employers are unable to discriminate among job seekers based on a college degree and can instead hire employees based on their talents.
Of course, some people want a formal education. I do not think everyone should leave college, but I challenge my peers to consider the opportunity cost of going to class.
If you want to be a doctor, going to medical school is a wise choice. I do not recommend keeping cadavers in your garage.
On the other hand, what else could you do during your next 50-minute class? How many e-mails could you answer? How many lines of code could you write?
Some might argue that college dropouts will sit in their parents' basements playing Halo 2, doing Jell-O shots and smoking pot.
These are valid but irrelevant concerns, for the people who indulge in drugs and alcohol do so before, during and after college. It's not a question of authorities; it's a question of priorities.
We who take our education outside and beyond the classroom understand how actions build a better world. We will change the world regardless of the letters after our names.
The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of Dale Stephens."
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Happy PFF (Postcard Friendship Friday)!
Please visit: http://thebestheartsarecrunchy.blogspot.com/ (wait until Beth posts the today's Linky tool for the meme, then make your entry, if you want to join).
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10 comments:
Hey, Dorin! I think I agree, at least in part. I started (1st year), and then quit because I could not afford to pay my own way. So - I ended up spending four years in the Navy, and consequently got four years of college out of the deal.
I never used my degree (History), but did manage to learn A LOT when I set my mind to learning.
Great post!
Great cards...I especially like the grizzly!
I guess there are people who are not cut out for schooling but are successful in many other ways. I guess I'm one of those people who wanted a formal education and I consider myself lucky because the state paid for my entire university expenses.
Great post, as usual. I love how you incorporate your social commentary into the whole post and with the cards. Love the Spank your mind and Lennon maxis the most.
To think of college as a trade school is pointless; it's so much more. I've never heard anyone say they wished they'd never gone to college, but have heard a lot of people saying they wish they had.
I suspect people who don't get much from a university are people who won't get much from anything. It's up to the individual to get what he or she can from formal education of from being self-educated. Formal education does not preclude insight and independence and creativity unless you allow it to.
Actually I do agree with some of what is being said. I have come across some systems of education which are hell-bent on beating any individuality out of a pupil, though that often happens far younger than college stage.
I'm with Mr. Cachet, agree, but don't..... (how's that for sitting on the fence). I went to university ... took me 5 years to get a degree .. it was the time of the VietNam War and sit ins and classes being canceled. As I look back, I think about all the time I wasted ... playing cards in the student union instead of feeding that area between the ears. I do a lot of feeding now.
I love learning and will never stop learning. If given the chance, I would love to go back to school and learn a new field. But with its cost right now, I may have to pass that up for now and let's see in the next coming years.
Lovely postcards. I would love to received one from Alaska. I love sending and receiving postcards. Mine is up - My PFF Entry. Thanks for sharing and Happy PFF!
Wonderful comparison of postcards and commentary! I personally benefited and enjoyed and understood the value of my college education. I was already working and it enhanced my career opportunities to a degree. I was also a mature adult not faced with the big question of what do I want to do which plays a large part in the decision of whether the education and the huge cost of the education is worth the effort and money. Putting college off for later or taking courses offered for specific jobs is a good option - education is always the best decision.
That was a very interesting read! I am a firm believer in education as a right, not a privilege, and I cringe at the thought of extremely high cost of less than acceptable quality of education these days. I do not think though, that the institution is completely useless and corrupted. I still find purpose in the systematic way of the academic life. And although sometimes studying is not done for the sake of knowledge-seeking per se, students still learn fundamentals, and might find them useful someday.
Back when I was in university, it taught me all sorts of skills an theories. From that I learned critical thinking which I continue to use to this day. I haven't worked in my field of study for many years, but that doesn't mean I don't use the skills I learned.
Interesting conversation. No one answer here. I will say that further education is not for everyone and that's okay.
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