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I have to wholeheartedly disagree with the notion that someone will be better off in life if they remain uneducated. Every study ever done shows that people with college educations are generally healthier, wealthier, happier, and more involved with their communities. Of course there are exceptions, but this author's making an argument that is plainly ridiculous on its face.
Not to mention the fact that education is about a lot more than making a buck. There is enormous inherent value to education, apart from the financial incentives.
That article makes too many assumptions based on averages. No one I know has made consistent 8% returns on stocks it is always up and down the only persons who have come close are people I know whose families have held the same stocks for generations. Who knows where the market will be when a person will need to draw from their savings for retirement. Secondly no one will ever get the average pay consistently all throughout their career, there are lay offs, transitions etc. not to mention it will take a while to find a job after college or high school especially in this environment, that will impact how much someone will earn so it is impossible to predict the return on investment for a degree with the certainty the article does. Finally it assumes a consistent savings rate this does not happen. Now the savings rate is around 5%, but that is the highest it has been in decades. I wonder what the math would look like for this problem if they used 2006 savings rates of -.02%. Additionally savings rates are not equal for all income earning categories the more you earn the more you save so chances are the higher earning college grad would save at a higher % then the high school grad. There are so many varibles this article doesn't take into account it is insane. People should decide whether or not to go to college based on what they want to do with their lives not on some contrived and faulty collection of averages that almost never apply in the real world.
The best thing to do is be a non-white minority and get someone else to pay the costs under some diversity program....like Obama.
Nobody helps disadvantaged Whites, ever.
What does this have to do with the article? Disadvantaged whites can apply for financial aid just like any other disadvantaged people. My roommate was from a poor family and she had all kinds of aid and then on top of that she chose to go to a HBCU on a minority scholarship. Quit whining.
That being said - this article is so stupid.
Quote:
Worst of all, bright citizens spend their lives not knowing the things they ought to know, because they've been granted liberal-arts degrees for something far short of a liberal-arts education
Exactly what is it that bright citizens ought to know? All the education in the world will never be the equivalent of common sense.
It's very difficult to get even an administrative job without a degree. Although a degree does not guarantee a job, employers would likely screen someone out simply because they do not possess the degree. It is better to get a degree in something that's marketable, obtain work experience or internships while in school and work on polishing your interview skills. So if everyone and their mamas are obtaining business degrees, look into another type of degree that will set you apart from the competition. Ultimately, it's how you market your product (your education, experience, skills, accomplishments, etc) that will get you the job. The goal is to set yourself apart from the competition. What a prospective employers sees that you have a degree, they will likely view you as someone who has discipline, hard work and persistence to accomplish that goal.
The issues described in the article can be avoided. I went to a State college. I worked while going to college. I only owed around $3000 when I graduated. I'm doing better than if I'd not obtained a college education. No problem.
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