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I agree with Katiana, a little real life experience is so very much more important and relevant than a thousand teachers and other adults giving their opinions about what one should do.
There is plenty he can do without a degree, though, and much of it does not include flipping burgers. He can learn a trade by apprenticeship, he can start his own business, he can talk someone into giving him a job that normally would be reserved for one with a degree, he can decide to live very frugally and work minimally, he can write a book, he can marry someone with money... people all define success differently, and there are many people who don't define it be having a degree from a college. He might decide that he does in fact need a degree for whatever it is that he wants to do, and suck it up and go to college after all, of course... but it's not necessarily necessary for him.
well its like they told me huck its not enough to be a genius and let it go at that you have to be a genius at something.
i turned out a pretty good clown.
Love the quote! Very useful advice.
Congrats on taking the advice and doing what you loved and are good at. So many don't.
I don't think we can blame schools for not instilling common sense or becoming a handyman. My husband is an engineer AND knows his way around hand tools. This weekend he fixed our dryer. Last weekend he fixed the brakes on my daughters car. In the past he has finished a basement and an entire second story of a house including adding a full bathroom and two dormers to the house. My BIL is an executive with an insurance company but can fix about any computer. You can be good with your hands and your head.
I think it's all about what you are interested in. I've always liked to cook and am pretty good at that but have no interest in knowing how things work - does that mean that I'm not smart or lack common sense?
Finding out how to make a living at what you like to do is the key, no matter if it's with your hands or with your head or a combination of both.
Our school does career exploration in both 8th and 10th grades where students get a career assessment and explore what it takes to do different careers.
I agree and you are lucky you have a man that knows both. My husband had a great opportunity to go to college paid for by his parents. He spent 6 years on and off partying until his dad cut the cord. I did not have that choice. I wish I would have.
He is a painter-one of the best-and makes great money. It is hard work, but he is very good at it. I think he could have been good at many other things too, but it is what he got into years ago and has been good to him.
That said, what I think the other poster was referring to is that there are so many "junk" courses that don't have squat to do with your major that you have to take. I think if they stopped wasting people's time and money and just required you to take the classes that you NEED to do the job, it would be better all around.
Many times I think I want to go back to school, but I don't need some of the classes they require-so that stops me.
Agree with other posters, A few years in the working world supporting himself (not living free at home), is a great motivator for self-advancement. It also gives a closer look at opportunities that are available or directions he would want to peruse. I really think the key is to get the kid out on his own. I have seen a number of folks flounder through life (well into their 40s) as the parents kept providing them opportunities and bailing them out when problems arise.
I'd respect universities more if they would find a way to get rid of useless courses as well as useless professors in order to reduce student cost. Get rid of courses like "life according to the Simpsons" or the series of courses I label as "blame American and blame the white man" courses. Do universities really need courses on pornography? Except for the basic Freshman required courses, once the student has selected a major then all those other garbage unrelated courses should drop by the wayside.
Courses like that are electives. I doubt any universities require any students to take courses on the Simpsons or pornography. Students often have a few free electives, where they can take whatever they want, and take classes like this. Some choose to use them on courses in their field of study, others take them on something which interests them personally.
Freshman courses are designed to make you a well-rounded individual. That is why you learn about subjects like history, political science, literature, english composition, etc. I can't think of a single class I took in as an undergraduate engineering major that I haven't used (and yes I know how to use hand tools, I put all new brakes on my car recently).
If you want an education without any "filler" classes, and just want to learn about a certain field....go to tech school.
Courses like that are electives. I doubt any universities require any students to take courses on the Simpsons or pornography. Students often have a few free electives, where they can take whatever they want, and take classes like this. Some choose to use them on courses in their field of study, others take them on something which interests them personally.
Freshman courses are designed to make you a well-rounded individual. That is why you learn about subjects like history, political science, literature, english composition, etc. I can't think of a single class I took in as an undergraduate engineering major that I haven't used (and yes I know how to use hand tools, I put all new brakes on my car recently).
If you want an education without any "filler" classes, and just want to learn about a certain field....go to tech school.
Maybe those classes you named should be electives unless otherwise required for their field of study.
Most of the classes I HAD to take that were not directly related to my field of study were classes that I had already taken in high school. And those were required. I had already done 4 yrs of English, 4 years of math/algebra, 3 yrs of science, and Gov't, Econ, history and geography. Why should I be required to retake them. For money. It is all about the bottom line. Well, unfortunately not every kid can afford that.
That said, what I think the other poster was referring to is that there are so many "junk" courses that don't have squat to do with your major that you have to take. I think if they stopped wasting people's time and money and just required you to take the classes that you NEED to do the job, it would be better all around.
I agree with that but in order to change college/univeristy, then high school has to get tougher. That is the way college/university is in Europe. They pretty much do the equivilant of our freshman/sophmore year when they are 16-18 then when they get to the university, they almost completely focus on their major. All those "junk" classes are important as someone mentioned for a well rounded individual though. They need them at some point, if not college, then high school.
I think most people would rather be hands on than in a classroom but I think for a whole lot of people it shows that 1. you can complete a goal and 2. You can do things that you don't necessarily enjoy and do it well. All jobs have the bad with the good.
Noone has ever said that a college degree means intelligence or that it guarantee's a well paying job but let's not downplay it's importance just because some people are not cut out for it (and that is OK). Someone who isn't cut out for school probably needs to start their own business or work super hard for a few more years to prove themselves.
Maybe those classes you named should be electives unless otherwise required for their field of study.
Most of the classes I HAD to take that were not directly related to my field of study were classes that I had already taken in high school. And those were required. I had already done 4 yrs of English, 4 years of math/algebra, 3 yrs of science, and Gov't, Econ, history and geography. Why should I be required to retake them. For money. It is all about the bottom line. Well, unfortunately not every kid can afford that.
Tech schools work out well for that reason.
High school courses generally just glaze over a subject, and don't get in to any real depth of understanding. In high school, the teacher has a BS/BA and possibly a master's in the field. I college, you are being taught by someone who usually has a PhD in the field, and you go into much greater depth and cover material much faster. I too had 4 years of english in high school, and still struggled with my english composition class as a freshman...the difference in what the professor expected from me versus my high school teachers was amazing! I turned in a few papers that would have gotten me a solid "A" in high school only to get a "C" on them. It was not simply re-taking something I had before, and if we went over the same things it was for the first week or two of class, and then it was all new subject matter.
A actual college degree is about more than learning about a certain area....it is about becoming a well-rounded individual who not only knows about their field of study, but also knows how to read, write, think independently, and understands other concepts such as economics and psychology, all which are useful in daily life.
I agree with that but in order to change college/univeristy, then high school has to get tougher. That is the way college/university is in Europe. They pretty much do the equivilant of our freshman/sophmore year when they are 16-18 then when they get to the university, they almost completely focus on their major. All those "junk" classes are important as someone mentioned for a well rounded individual though. They need them at some point, if not college, then high schoo
Maybe those classes you named should be electives unless otherwise required for their field of study.
Most of the classes I HAD to take that were not directly related to my field of study were classes that I had already taken in high school. And those were required. I had already done 4 yrs of English, 4 years of math/algebra, 3 yrs of science, and Gov't, Econ, history and geography. Why should I be required to retake them. For money. It is all about the bottom line. Well, unfortunately not every kid can afford that.
Tech schools work out well for that reason.
I disagree. The english, math science and all those other classes you mentioned in high school were NOTHING like the classes I took in college. Some of the content might be "review" but a good bit of it was much more extensive than in high school. While I will probably never use calculus (also my worst subject), I too agree that most of what I took in college WAS important. Probably the subject that I use least is the science but I think there needs to be much more focus on writing and communication skills, math, history, government, and economics in high school and college.
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