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To the college graduates out there if you had to do it all over again would you go back to college? Bryan Caplan
That is a good idea. However, many for-pay vocational schools are quite expensive scams. I remember the days when there were vocational Sr. High Schools, but those days are, sadly, gone in the US (but not in many European countries).
The game is rigged and it's difficult to get any job without a college degree. The exception would be working in the trades, but you have to be physically fit and have a knack for that type of work.
That is a good idea. However, many for-pay vocational schools are quite expensive scams. I remember the days when there were vocational Sr. High Schools, but those days are, sadly, gone in the US (but not in many European countries).
Most trade unions offer their own apprenticeship schools, for free. You just have to know about them, and have the aptitude to get in. My husband went through a 5 year apprenticeship program to be an electrician. There is a certain about a math involved and many cannot pass the test or make it through years 1 & 2 because of the math.
Conservatives think too many people go to college and wish fewer would, but then complain that professors tend to lean left.
Funny how that works....
The article brings up legitimate points. Lots of students attend college and don't graduate and are back out with no college degree, but lots of college debt. Is the college failing to teach up their students or were the students not college material?
Bernie Sanders praised Germany's system, because it is free college. However Germany tracks its students. If you don't score well on academic tests, including tests at young ages, you are tracked AWAY from college to vocational schools (the vocational schools that many liberals are upset the conservative article is pushing). Only 30% of Germans aged 25 to 34 have a college degree, while 45% of Americans in that demographic do.
Germany has a vibrant economy...with far fewer kids getting college degrees, but most degrees that are paid for are to jobs that are specific to the real world.
Meanwhile, our colleges have kids failing out left and right and have far more kids getting degrees that then can't find a job....and these two groups leave with massive student loan debt, because colleges are funding their sports programs with tuition money and trying to be cool, by building what amounts to water theme parks on campus.
P.S. I find it funny how many liberals have won the college drop out vote by landslides for years and years portraying it as proof of their great big heart...and now are elitist and bashing Trump for winning blue collar workers with only HS degrees.
Every County College(CC) should offer the top 10 or so STAND ALONE bachelors degrees as measured by EMPLOYER requirements. IE a degree that leads directly to employment and does not require an advanced degree to be more than a big box store supervisor. The sole directive should be "prepare people to contribute a higher value to potential employers" Further the degree shall read, "State University of [State]" or "University of [State]" and be indistinguishable and have the same requirements of the main campus degree.
Those wanting passion degrees like gender or ethnic studies can attend universities but we have far too many of them.
Sample list of stand alone bach degrees:
ME
EE
CE
ACT
MGT
RN
Teacher
Network Engineer
etc.
Actually, that info needs to be made available to high school students, at the latest. College/career planning begins then, and academic prep begins even earlier.
For those who excel in academics in high school (and have already accrued significant college credits by HS graduation), several universities with top 10 engineering programs offer 3+2 (5 year) concurrently earned BS in engineering plus a Masters Degree in certain fields. I know a millennial kid who did a 3+2 in Industrial Engineering plus an MBA with a concentration in Global Supply Chain Management, and because of having several years of pre-graduation internship experience, was HEAVILY recruited by multinational corporations. Kid's first post-grad job starting salary was nearly 6 figures. Earning much more now.
Last edited by InformedConsent; 12-28-2017 at 06:03 AM..
Community College. They usually offer 2-year Associate's Degrees, but the good ones have articulation agreements with state universities so a kid can do 2 years at CC, finish the Gen Ed requirements, and then finish a 4-year degree at a state university.
So can we please end this "too many go to college to study gender studies" non-sense? That's a figment of the conservative imagination. A lot of schools don't even offer a major in ethnic or gender studies and those that do have a minuscule number of people majoring in them.
That is a good idea. However, many for-pay vocational schools are quite expensive scams. I remember the days when there were vocational Sr. High Schools, but those days are, sadly, gone in the US (but not in many European countries).
Not here. Im pushing hard for my son to get into the electrician program at our county tech school. The acceptance rate is only 66% AND DROPPING as more and more parents get real and realize perhaps little Johnny is not going to be an astronaut but might just make a damn good diesel mechanic. Because of the demand and the fact a decent number of kids are not getting into the tech HS the regular HS is about 2/3 of the way thru reorganizing for similar programs. Currently they have construction trades, CAD/CAM, a couple mechanic programs and a few others I forget. They are working on more including I hear a nursing one.
Quote:
Originally Posted by InformedConsent
Actually, that info needs to be made available to high school students, at the latest. College/career planning begins then, and academic prep begins even earlier.
For those who excel in academics in high school (and have already accrued significant college credits by HS graduation), several universities with top 10 engineering programs offer 3+2 (5 year) concurrently earned BS in engineering plus a Masters Degree in certain fields. I know a millennial kid who did a 3+2 in Industrial Engineering plus an MBA with a concentration in Global Supply Chain Management, and because of having several years of pre-graduation internship experience, was HEAVILY recruited by multinational corporations. Kid's first post-grad job starting salary was nearly 6 figures. Earning much more now.
Love hearing about the kid. I love hearing about working success. Thanks.
Quote:
Originally Posted by BajanYankee
Do you know exactly how many gender or ethnic studies degrees were awarded out of the 1,894,934 bachelor's degrees conferred in 2015?
So can we please end this "too many go to college to study gender studies" non-sense? That's a figment of the conservative imagination. A lot of schools don't even offer a major in ethnic or gender studies and those that do have a minuscule number of people majoring in them.
Ethnic and gender studies are just an example. Add in many arts degrees, history, social work... just google "Worst ROI college degrees"
Not here. Im pushing hard for my son to get into the electrician program at our county tech school. The acceptance rate is only 66% AND DROPPING as more and more parents get real and realize perhaps little Johnny is not going to be an astronaut but might just make a damn good diesel mechanic. Because of the demand and the fact a decent number of kids are not getting into the tech HS the regular HS is about 2/3 of the way thru reorganizing for similar programs. Currently they have construction trades, CAD/CAM, a couple mechanic programs and a few others I forget. They are working on more including I hear a nursing one.
Excellent plan! Definitely moving in the right direction.
Quote:
Love hearing about the kid. I love hearing about working success. Thanks.
You know, THIS is what people need to understand about success: It's EARNED. It takes a lot of planning, commitment, and hard work. At any level. Anyone who thinks the trades are easy needs to get a clue. Think about that the next time you have to call a mechanic, an electrician, a plumber, or for HVAC repair.
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