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If you're not targeting a specific career field and didn't get into Harvard, you might think of a few options:
1. Start with community college. It's much cheaper and the classes are probably smaller. You can probably transfer credits.
I know quite a few community college profs. It's remedial High School and the classes are taught to the level of the students. If you have the intellect and academic background to handle a better school, you're totally wasting your time spending two years at a community college.
As a family financial planning thing for someone in the top-10% of their class, the best choice is to live commutable to the flagship state university. Log the first two years there living at home without borrowing any money. Then transfer to the best school where you can get accepted. Ideally, get involved with a co-op program so you graduate from a school that opens doors for you and you already have work experience in your field. Some places, the flagship state college is also the best school so you don't have to transfer.
If you're not in that top part of your class, then yeah. The college degree is a checkbox for jobs that used to only require a High School diploma. 2 years at a community college and 2 years living at home finishing at the local state college. You're unlikely to generate the earnings to warrant big school loans.
I know quite a few community college profs. It's remedial High School and the classes are taught to the level of the students. If you have the intellect and academic background to handle a better school, you're totally wasting your time spending two years at a community college.
As a family financial planning thing for someone in the top-10% of their class, the best choice is to live commutable to the flagship state university. Log the first two years there living at home without borrowing any money. Then transfer to the best school where you can get accepted. Ideally, get involved with a co-op program so you graduate from a school that opens doors for you and you already have work experience in your field. Some places, the flagship state college is also the best school so you don't have to transfer.
If you're not in that top part of your class, then yeah. The college degree is a checkbox for jobs that used to only require a High School diploma. 2 years at a community college and 2 years living at home finishing at the local state college. You're unlikely to generate the earnings to warrant big school loans.
If we are honest the whole concept of higher education is flawed and unnecessary. 2 years of college is dedicated to remedial core courses that have no bearing on a person’s career endeavors. Very often these courses are the antithesis of intellectual stimulation and development because memorizing useless and biased information for tests and essays is just another mundane task. Even courses with subject matter of personal interest, instead of actually learning about it, one studies for the test. One way to eliminate a lot of cost and wasted time is to have professional schools (engineering, medical, coding, architecture, etc.) where people focus on their field instead of putting money into the pockets of career academics and huge complexes.
If we are honest the whole concept of higher education is flawed and unnecessary. 2 years of college is dedicated to remedial core courses that have no bearing on a person’s career endeavors. Very often these courses are the antithesis of intellectual stimulation and development because memorizing useless and biased information for tests and essays is just another mundane task. Even courses with subject matter of personal interest, instead of actually learning about it, one studies for the test. One way to eliminate a lot of cost and wasted time is to have professional schools (engineering, medical, coding, architecture, etc.) where people focus on their field instead of putting money into the pockets of career academics and huge complexes.
Some of us were prepared when we went to college. We did not just goof off during high school and we did not need to spend time on remedial courses.
For some of us education is not just about a career. I spent a lot of time learning outside of my career field. I studied art, music, history, philosophy, literature, poetry, and a host of other areas that had nothing to do with my final career choice.
I don't remember spending much time memorizing information. I spent way more time on understanding, reasoning, critical thinking and creativity and intellectual discussions. I do not remember spending much time studying for tests. I went to classes, paid attention and learned the material that was presented. That went a long way towards learning the material covered on tests.
Sadly many people are just not interested in learning. They go to college as an excuse not to go get a job. They think that partying their way through four more years in school will get them a good job.
If we are honest the whole concept of higher education is flawed and unnecessary. 2 years of college is dedicated to remedial core courses that have no bearing on a person’s career endeavors. Very often these courses are the antithesis of intellectual stimulation and development because memorizing useless and biased information for tests and essays is just another mundane task. Even courses with subject matter of personal interest, instead of actually learning about it, one studies for the test. One way to eliminate a lot of cost and wasted time is to have professional schools (engineering, medical, coding, architecture, etc.) where people focus on their field instead of putting money into the pockets of career academics and huge complexes.
Very well said. I have long said this same exact thing. We just recently went to my second son’s college orientation, and the first 2 years had literally ONE class that was remotely related to his interests (and it was only an introductory 2 credit class). Colleges are essentially wasting 2 years making kids take useless classes. I know this is how it’s always been, but when the cost of college has gotten so out of hand, that process needs to be re-evaluated (of course it won’t though, because that would either affect the college revenue stream, or result in professors getting laid off).
There are trade schools for those who want to learn specific job related skills. College is supposed to be about broad knowledge, reasoning, critical thinking, analysis. For kids who are not interested, then college is indeed a waste of time and money. If they are not interested, then most kids will not learn much anyway. These kids typically just drag down the opportunities and standards of education for those who are interested.
There are trade schools for those who want to learn specific job related skills. College is supposed to be about broad knowledge, reasoning, critical thinking, analysis. For kids who are not interested, then college is indeed a waste of time and money. If they are not interested, then most kids will not learn much anyway. These kids typically just drag down the opportunities and standards of education for those who are interested.
It is impossible for there to be critical thinking, analysis and reasoning when one is tasked with pleasing professors on tests and essays and adopting the professors’ biased worldview to succeed in that environment. If you can’t develop critical thinking and analytical skills on your own yes I do guess you need to be institutionalized and programmed with a thought process. The danger is you will operate based on the programming and not your own thought process one cultivates on his or her own. Just another robot then who thinks the same as the programmer.
I have worked in higher education for many years now and from what I hear students talk about, the debt averages are much higher than the "average" numbers discussed by many. Student loan debt is a much bigger problem than many think. There are numerous students who major in worthless undergraduate degrees serviced by debt, and then when they can't find a job after undergrad, they receive poor advice to jump into an unmarketable graduate degree while taking on more debt. These are problems that continue to compound themselves and are very common today in higher education. The fallout from the student loan crash is going to be a big one.
Very well said. I have long said this same exact thing. We just recently went to my second son’s college orientation, and the first 2 years had literally ONE class that was remotely related to his interests (and it was only an introductory 2 credit class). Colleges are essentially wasting 2 years making kids take useless classes. I know this is how it’s always been, but when the cost of college has gotten so out of hand, that process needs to be re-evaluated (of course it won’t though, because that would either affect the college revenue stream, or result in professors getting laid off).
It is all a business and there is a ton of bloat in higher education today because colleges have guaranteed money coming in from the lenders. It has been the ultimate gravy train with little accountability. Administrative ranks have skyrocketed. Many administrators work less than 10 hours per week. There are numerous tenured faculty members who teach 2 classes per semester and put in less than 10 hours per week of real work. Many of these individuals make over $100K. Then you have all of the "extras" on college campuses today that cost millions of dollars per year and are paid for by skyrocketing tuition and fees. The current higher ed system is very near critical mass and it will implode.
I know quite a few community college profs. It's remedial High School and the classes are taught to the level of the students. If you have the intellect and academic background to handle a better school, you're totally wasting your time spending two years at a community college.
As a family financial planning thing for someone in the top-10% of their class, the best choice is to live commutable to the flagship state university. Log the first two years there living at home without borrowing any money. Then transfer to the best school where you can get accepted. Ideally, get involved with a co-op program so you graduate from a school that opens doors for you and you already have work experience in your field. Some places, the flagship state college is also the best school so you don't have to transfer.
If you're not in that top part of your class, then yeah. The college degree is a checkbox for jobs that used to only require a High School diploma. 2 years at a community college and 2 years living at home finishing at the local state college. You're unlikely to generate the earnings to warrant big school loans.
Depends on the state. In Washington, CCs have a larger role including serving as FR/SO years for a lot of four-year students. They also get a lot of returning, older, and part-time students. (The names have been changing...often "community" is being dropped.)
Earnings depend on the industry. In some industries things can transition to performance-based pretty quickly.
I do feel bad for those with massive student loan debt and degrees that aren't getting them into high paying jobs. We need to stop thinking that everyone should go to college because it's become an expensive joke for many people. It also led to watered down degrees and pointless majors because we insisted that people who weren't actually college material get that diploma! No 4 year university should ever offer remedial courses btw. I'd like to blow up the whole system of education and start over from the ground up because most people should be fine with a high school diploma or an AA, and those should MEAN something!
I don't know how to fix the mess we created.
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