In asking the question is college a waste of time I am seeking to challenge my children to evaluate what their goals are toward college.
Before you get offended unnecessarily, I am in no way suggesting that people who have a college education have wasted their time. I only want to share that over the last few years, my personal views about post-secondary education, specifically as it relates to my children's educational future, have changed dramatically.
But instead of going into they whys and wherefores which caused my change of perspective, I'll let this opinion piece from the Wall Street Journal speak for me. Not that I agree with every word in the article, but I definitely agree with a lot of what Charles Murray has to say. You'll definitely want to read the whole article!
For Most People, College Is a Waste of Time
by Charles Murray
Imagine that America had no system of post-secondary education, and you were a member of a task force assigned to create one from scratch. One of your colleagues submits this proposal:
First, we will set up a single goal to represent educational success, which will take four years to achieve no matter what is being taught. We will attach an economic reward to it that seldom has anything to do with what has been learned. We will urge large numbers of people who do not possess adequate ability to try to achieve the goal, wait until they have spent a lot of time and money, and then deny it to them. We will stigmatize everyone who doesn't meet the goal. We will call the goal a "BA."
You would conclude that your colleague was cruel, not to say insane. But that's the system we have in place…
Click here for the rest of the article.
For some people college may be a waste of time. What do you think?
I agree – – for some people, college is a waste of time and money.
I agree…..I don't think I used any of my "education" in the real world. It did NOT prepare for my job at all. I think job shadowing really does a lot for a child to help them make sure they are going into the profession they love and not for the money. So many people say they are going to go to school for one thing and by the time they graduate, their ideas have changed and they end up in a different major. Such wasted time in my opinion.
Very interesting. There should definitely be more efficient (and inexpensive!) ways to learn what you need to know to do what you want to do!
I think college gets viewed as a personal achievement for many people. Something concrete to look back on and see what they accomplished.
"Our obsession with the BA has created a two-tiered entry to adulthood, anointing some for admission to the club and labeling the rest as second-best."
I agree with the author's above statement. I don't like the reality, but it is true. I wonder how many in college are there for approval from parents and/or from society as a whole.
Interesting article! It makes a lot of sense too! I also agree that those who don't graduate with a degree are looked at as second best. My husband has run his own business successfully for years but he doesn't have a college degree and in some circles, if they ask him where he went to school and they find out he didn't finish school, he is looked down upon. That's just insane! He's not less intelligent because he didn't finish college – he just realized that what they had to offer wasn't helping him in the least! He has done just fine without the degree.
I agree with the article.
I am currently a college student who recently got married.
My husband works full time.
Recently after our marriage, a friend of ours died unexpectedly in a tragic accident. He and his girlfriend were tentatively planning a December wedding.
Her loss has really made me re-think what is really important.
The realities in this article just further strengthen my desire to stay home and focus on building my relationship with my husband and starting our family. My husband somewhat worries that I will regret not finishing my education. I think the blessings of having my own family would outweigh any of the possible negatives of not finishing my degree.
I guess, to an extent, I'm looking from counsel from those who are already mothers and are busy raising their families.
Have you ever regretted your decision?
Anonymous, I truly believe that there is no greater thing to do with your life than be a great wife and mother. College isn't necessary for that. If you enjoy school and want to be there learning there is nothing at all wrong with that but you shouldn't feel like you have to get a degree because it's what everybody does. Know what I mean? I actually did go to college – a very non-traditional way. I went for a year after high school, quit and had a family, and then when my youngest was a year old I enrolled again and started going part time. It took me about 8 more years to finish but I enjoyed it at that point. I went to evening classes one night a week so it allowed me to get out of the house for a little while, work my brain, and soak up all the knowledge that I wanted. I don't regret doing it that way at all. 🙂 Hope that helps!
This is a great article. I was majoring in psychology and, quite frankly, not learning a thing about psychology that could be applied to a professional job. My husband recently finished his Master's which we joke that we paid for the right to list this credential on his resume.