The Joy of Education

I've been editing and revising my endnotes for three days solid, so I'm taking a break.

Before I begin, let me preface my opins with this. Janet not only has a BA in Education, but also her Masters. Bothe Jesse and Kate graduated college: it was right for them and they thrived. And Jan and I are very proud of them for achieving it. but college isn't for everyone, even tho I regarded as highly commendable, and indeed its one prerequisite for success in a well-paying career. Almost all good job opportunities today require a BA or BS in something; and often that something has to be very specific to even apply for that job. So with that said, here I go:

College, college, college.  May be overrated.
I don't mean you shouldn't go if you can "afford" it, you absolutely should. but... $25,000 a year tuition room & board, is steep for middle class like us, especially if you have more than one sharp kid like us. It's becoming to close to a privilege reserved for the wealthy elite, with an in into a big corporation upon graduation.

First, high school. We all need to get thru that, and its the job of the individual, parents and society to make sure that happens. What's that mean? First a decent home life and food, clothing, shelter and enough wealth. A safe and secure environment.

Because of the times (the '60s and 70s), I was able to get a low paying, entry-level job with the State of NJ with just my high school diploma. As a stock clerk, which started my 39-year career, ending up as a purchasing and contracting manager responsible for over $100 million of the State's; your money. But that's another story.

In those days and years it was still possible to progress professionally if one worked hard and had some smarts. It's very difficult now, but can be done with kind and mentoring bosses and some organizations, social welfare and government being two. For me it was never a question of wanting to earn a big salary; no, enough to support my family and have a little spending cash was enough. And sending our academically-inclined children to liberal arts colleges was a struggle and a gift.  College is worth it.

But now, according to Wikipedia:
The United States has a total of 4,495 Title IV eligible, degree-granting institutions: 2,774  4-year institutions and 1,721  2-year institutions. As of 2010, the US had 20.3 million students in higher education, roughly 5.7% of the total population. About 14.6 million of these students were enrolled full-time. In 2006, 19.5 percent of the adult population had attended college but had no degree, 7.4 percent held an associate's degree, 17.1 percent held a bachelor's degree and 9.9 percent held a graduate or professional degree. The historic gender gap had practically vanished. 

There were over 226 million adults over 18 in 2006, so millions more now. (Source: Answer.com) So actual college graduates, as a percentage, is abominable.

My point? 2 year schools can be  fine, and relatively cheap,  for millions more Americans. I attended two junior colleges, in southern California and here, but am 16 credits short of an AAS. Work became to demanding, and I wasn't required to have a degree for my jobs. I was just in the right places at the right times. That's just luck, and nobody can count on luck to work. Or unforeseen circumstance like earning a living for your family, or getting married to do the right thing. And goin' to work fulltime.

Besides, from a 2-year school you can transfer credits to a 4-year one if needed or wanted. An absolutely viable path. A leg up. That's why all job applications have a check box for "Some education."

So I don't get this over exclusive emphasis on 4-year schools. And the 4-year liberal arts colleges are also cheaper (especially if a State school), and seem to be excellent, and I can say that from our own experience. (I won't go into speciality schools like Business or Education).

Why start with a 2-year college? 1. When 18 or 19 or 20, you may not be sure what you want to do. 2. You can mix up minors and majors, and figure it out. 3. You can save money. 4. For the vast majority of jobs, the degree with a college's name on it is enough to help you earn more from the get go, if you can find a job (tough these days). And its a window of opportunity into a 4-year school. 

In the 60s and 70s, the newspapers carried tons of jobs, and all employees were willing to give you a chance if you were half way coherent no matter college degreed or not (that's why the high school diploma is so important, it's the foundation for everything else). After a 2-year college you definitely have a leg up, it's easier to make a transition. Plus the junior colleges are much more closer to home. So night school may not be that tough if working days. Most of today's websites with job openings seem to require a 4-year degree.

But college isn't and needn't be for everyone. Many of us are smart and like to work with our hands. Carpenters, auto mechanics, plumbers and electricians.  They all have specialized training and are in demand. And always will be, like IT positions are now. Thousands of possibilities. But guess what, the college industry and government have conspired to a "degree" to eliminate technical schools. 

I learned wood shop in high school for example. Thank God there's hundreds of private tech schools, and some lasting public votech schools, mainly at the county level. But you have to be careful selecting one. (P.S. The US Dept. of Ed website is closed for the gov't shutdown, so I can't tell you how many tech schools there are.)  Maybe it tech school was the first outsourcing. And technical is also an entirely viable way to go, they are all honorable professions.

A degree from college is not a profession. It only may help you get there. A degree from a technical school can get you a job quicker, and almost anywhere; you don't have to be a New York City MBA, altho there's nothing wrong with that! If you can hang in and give your company or government what they need, honestly; and are loyal, it'll work. In my opinion.

There's a reason we have cliches. "There's more than one way to skin a cat," whether getting something done, overcoming a roadblock, or getting a job.

You have my very best wishes in your endeavors at votech or college.

by Rodney Richards
Subscribe or email me at 1950ablia@gmail.com