WHAT IS THE PURPOSE OF A COLLEGE EDUCATION?

#CollegeEducation #education #colleges #EducationDecisions
Does one get a college education simply to get a good job? Or, does one get a college education to expand his or her mind, and learn to think critically?
It appears most students today view a college education in practical terms: what’s the (employment) payoff at the end?
But, should they?
Maureen Downey, education columnist for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, explored this topic in her May 10, 2022 column.
Downey quotes from the book “The Real World of College: What Higher Education Is and What It Can Be,” by Wendy Fischman and Howard Gardner of the Harvard Graduate School of Education.
The authors accuse college of “mission sprawl” and abandoning their main purpose, which they describe as enabling students to analyze, reflect, connect and communicate on the critical questions they will encounter in their lives and in the world, Downey writes.
“You go on a college tour and you hear about 100 different things,” Downey quotes Gardner. But what they don’t hear enough, in the authors’ minds, is how colleges develop the mind, Downey writes.
“If students don’t leave college better thinkers, writers and communicators, the colleges fail their core mission, Downey attributes to the authors.
Let’s break down what a college education is, and should be.
First, let’s establish that no college education is wasted, if the student vigorously pursues his or her studies, regardless of what his or her major is.
But, if a student, or his or her family, is paying dearly for that education, the student and family can reasonably expect a payoff at the end. Usually, that’s defined as a good job and career launch for the student. Worse yet, if the student incurs thousands of dollars in debt for that education, he or she had better have a good income to pay it back.
Today’s political environment might describe what the Harvard authors say the colleges’ mission should be as “indoctrination” of a certain political position. Or, as Downey calls it, “political correctness and free speech.”
A college education today also involves fun, new friendships, sports and other entertainment that can help mold a young person’s life.
This begs the question: why can’t a college education accomplish both the academic and practical goals students may have?
Certainly, some students’ studies can focus on critical thinking. Others can focus on the practical skills and knowledge that will help them launch the careers they want.
It boils down to choices. A student first must figure out what he or she wants to do after college. That requires him or her to take a certain batch of core courses toward that end. But in every semester schedule, there are usually electives that a student can choose to take that may have nothing to do with his or her major, but are of personal interest.
The smart student will choose those electives to help him or her develop his or her mind and make him or her a more well rounded, or well grounded, person.
Remember, too, that a college education isn’t for everyone. So, students and parents must determine whether the prospective college student is suited to college and ready for college (academically and financially).
The choices the student makes if he or she goes to college will determine how he or she uses his or her degree after graduation, and what kind of person he or she becomes.
Peter

IS COLLEGE WORTH THE INVESTMENT? DEPENDS

#CollegeEducation #colleges #education #investments
“If you are sending (your child) here (prestigious college) to get a job, you are sending them to the wrong place.”
That’s the likely response you would get from the admissions director of a prestigious college if you questioned him or her about a return on your investment, according to Maureen Downey, education columnist for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
Downey discussed the return on investment for a college degree in a column published Nov. 16, 2021.
Meanwhile, that same day, cnn.com published an analysis by Ronald Brownstein, a CNN political analyst, that concludes that the infrastructure bill approved in Washington that same week is heavily weighted to create jobs for blue-collar, non-college-educated workers.
What should we make of all this? First, college is not for everyone. Most advisers tell young people that college is the key to getting a good job.
But as Downey’s column points out, it largely depends what a student majors in that will determine his or her post-graduation job prospects, and likely salary.
So, especially if you are planning to go into debt to go to college, think long and hard. Some college majors, mostly in the science, technology, engineering and math fields, may be worth it.
Others, particularly in the liberal arts, may not – presuming you are expecting a dollar return on that investment.
But, if you just want an education, and money is not going to be a concern, then college could be a great learning experience and, perhaps, a fun four years.
If you are not suited to college, and are more suited to a trade, there will be a need for plumbers, electricians, carpenters etc., for the foreseeable future.
If neither of these paths suits you, there are a number of programs out there that could give you a potentially lucrative income, without having specific education, experience or background.
These programs, too, may not be for everyone. But if you have ambition, an open mind and are willing to be coached, they may be a very good alternative.
To learn about one of the best such programs, message me.
Education of any sort is never a bad thing. The more one learns, the more one can grow.
But college is expensive and time-consuming. Four years in college is four years of earning little, if anything. You have to see the payoff – not necessarily financial – at the end.
Remember, too, as Downey points out, in general, the more education you have, the more you are likely to earn, vs. the person with less education.
But getting back a lifetime of great earnings in exchange for going through college may not necessarily happen.
Therefore, careful choice is required. You have to know who you are, and who you want to be, to make such a choice.
The same path does not lead everyone to the same destination. Learn where you not only want to go, but also what best would suit you.
There is a path for everyone. Your path may not be the same as your friend’s. You have to find your own way.
Peter

CLASS OF 2013: FEAR THE DEBT REAPER

It’s early, but Kyle Wingfield, columnist with The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, thinks it’s time to address graduates.
His October 2012 column suggests that graduates – mainly high school graduates – think about their options before going to college.
Wingfield suggests that they not end up like Katie Brotherton, a young Cincinnati woman who is $190,000 in debt from college and graduate school. She’s living in her parents’ basement.
Brotherton is “looking for answers.” As Wingfield points out, it started with her decision to go to college with borrowed money.
You can envision a pattern: a person goes to college, thinking she would get a good job when she got out. She doesn’t. So, she decides to go to graduate school, thinking it might broaden her qualifications and buy her time for the job market to improve. Meanwhile, she’s incurring more debt.
She gets out of graduate school with no good job and lots of debt. She moves back home. She doesn’t want to be living at home, but she has no choice. Her debt and lack of employment leave her unable to afford to live on her own. Her parents sympathize with her plight, but they, too, would rather see her out on her own.
A few decades ago, we were told to go to the best college we could possibly get into. The best schools would open more doors, we were told. The best schools, often, were usually the most expensive. But if those schools opened more doors, you’d be able to pay back your education fairly quickly with a good job.
Many of the “good” jobs that students thought would be there are not. In fact, they may have disappeared permanently.
As Wingfield points out, education inflation is rampant. There could even be an education “bubble” getting bigger by the day. We all know what happened with the housing “bubble.” It’s not that students should not get an education, it’s that some education does not provide a great return on investment, in terms of career opportunities.
Certainly, there is nothing wrong with getting a degree in history, literature or some of the other liberal arts. No education is really wasted. But students have to evaluate whether that education is worth the debt incurred, or, worth the sacrifices your family might make to provide it.
ARTS, HISTORY MAJORS: YOU HAVE OPTIONS
If you love history, the arts or psychology, you can still pursue them. But you can do so at less expensive schools close to home. You may be able to parlay those degrees into a good career, but you have to understand that most people with such backgrounds cannot convert them to real dollars.
All is not lost, however. You can get one of those degrees without using it as an income producer. There are many excellent ways to produce income outside your educational background. To check out one of the best, visit www.bign.com/pbilodeau.
Even if you have a degree in engineering, the sciences, technology, mathematics or other fields in great demand, you might want to have a Plan B if your career plans don’t turn out the way you want them to. There are excellent income streams that can get you out of your parents’ home as an adult.
So, as Wingfield addresses the class of 2013, he suggests that they not lower ambitions, just understand the reality. Not all college degrees are the same. Most college degrees can be obtained from schools that are not cripplingly expensive. Remember that as you get older and proceed in your career, or life, where you went to school becomes less important in terms of whether you get hired. A degree is a degree. You will succeed largely on your experience.
Success comes in many forms. Being a great historian may not produce lots of income, but it may produce great successes. Just realize that you may have to find another way to make a living, or create wealth for yourself.
Educational institutions need to be aware of the “bubble.” It could burst, and they could find themselves with great, expensive programs, and no students that can afford them. Students need to be aware that there are ways to make an income regardless of education. You just have to be willing to check them out.
Peter