#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
Author Archives: pbilodeau01
JOB MARKET HOT, BUT WORKERS STILL HAVE TO BE AT THEIR BEST
#jobs #JobMarket #employment #employees #employers
Despite talk of recession, layoffs among tech companies and others, the job market is still hot.
In fact, a remarkable 517,000 jobs were created in January 2023, according to reports.
“Employers are having to work harder – in some markets – to attract talent.”
So says Sarah Johnston, founder of Briefcase Coach, as quoted in an article by Andrew Seaman, senior editor for Job Search & Careers at LinkedIn News.
“You are seeing shorter job applications, more recruiter outreach and in some cases compensating candidates to interview,” the article quotes Johnston.
Still, she says in the article, applicants have to put their best foot forward.
Sure, jobs are plentiful at most levels. Walmart plans to hire 50,000 associates. Dell plans to hire 5,000 workers, Raytheon needs 3,750 more employees and Wells Fargo says it hires thousands of entry-level people each year, the article says.
In other words, yes, employers need workers. But they are still particular about whom they hire.
Therefore, as a prospective employee, you can perhaps be more confident, but you still have to impress.
Employers need more bodies, but they also need dependable bodies.
There are many stories floating around about workers reporting for work one day, then not showing up – in some cases, ever again.
In previous times, employers would leave a position open until they find just the right person. Some likely still do that, but many may be a bit more flexible in today’s market.
But, if you, as a prospective employee, find a place you’d like to work, show your prospective boss that you have what it takes, that he or she can count on you to be there day in and day out and put forth a good image for the company.
As employers, it’s best not to overpromise and under-deliver to attract workers. If workers find that what you told them doesn’t match the reality, they likely will not stay long.
As employees, know that job descriptions change. Sometimes, things you were promised when you were hired can be altered. The job you thought you were taking can turn into something a bit different. Don’t let that bother you, if you like where you work. You may have to roll with the changes, because, to stay competitive, companies have to evolve – often quickly.
If you have to leave an employer, do so with as much notice as possible. Be aware, also, that employers may not offer you the same courtesy. You could show up one day, and immediately be shown the door. But, as an employee, you have to be a good person. You may need that employer to give you a reference someday.
Yes, there are laws and company policies in which previous employers can verify your employment, but that’s all. It’s best to have the best relationship you can have with any employer, so that he or she can personally recommend you.
In short, the job market is great for most people looking for work. But, as a potential employee, you still have to be at your best to land a good job.
You have to strive to not only be a good employee, but a better person.
Peter
THE GREAT WEALTH TRANSFER: ARE YOU PREPARED?
#GreatWealthTransfer #BabyBoomers #wealth #inheritances #EstatePlanning
A few generations back, the parents of Baby Boomers turned, or were about to turn, huge amounts in inheritance to their children or other heirs.
Those parents had built usually modest homes for relatively modest prices, though they didn’t think so at the time. Much of that homebuilding was thanks in large part to the federal GI bill that was passed as veterans came home from World War II to start families and new lives.
Those modest homes increased in value many times over during that generation’s lifetime.
That gave the children of that generation a big chunk of wealth to inherit.
And, many of them did – big time.
Now, the Baby Boom generation has a bunch of wealth to pass on to its children – the GenXers and Millennials.
Wes Moss, who writes a Money Matters column for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution and has a similar weekly program on WSB radio in Atlanta, calls this “The Great Wealth Transfer.”
He discussed it in his column published April 24. 2022.
Moss writes that between $30 trillion and $68 trillion in wealth will be passed down from Baby Boomers.
To put that in perspective, the U.S. GDP (gross domestic product) for 2021 was $22 trillion, Moss writes.
When you take the 136 million people who are GenXers or Millennials, and you use the $30 trillion figure, that would mean each of those folks – statistically speaking — would get $220,000, Moss writes. We know that not everyone will inherit that much individually, and some will inherit much more.
Think you don’t have that kind of money in your family? Moss sites a person with a great aunt who died. The great nephew didn’t realize how much money she had. She was able to give all her great nephews and great nieces a nice chunk of change.
In other words, there could be that kind of money somewhere in your family, and you may not know it until a death occurs.
For Baby Boomers, this lesson brings about the need for proper estate planning. Yes, you may have more than what you think you have. How it gets distributed upon your death, or even before, should not be left to chance – or probate court. It would be worth the investment to draw out an estate plan, such as a will or living trust, to make sure the money goes where, or to whom, you want, when you want.
If you are a GenXer or Millennial, talk to your parents and other family members about how THEY want their estates distributed. Make sure that, if you believe you may have something coming to you, that your interest is protected.
Of course, if there are no heirs or your family members have not shown themselves worthy of inheritance, having an estate plan is even more crucial, so that your money goes where you want.
If you are transferring your wealth, get an adviser you trust to tell you how, when and to whom to give your assets – according to your wishes. Keep in mind that you should do all YOU want to do while alive with your assets. Don’t think about your heirs first. Think of you first.
Remember, too, that how, when and to whom you give will likely have tax consequences. Know those consequences, and what could happen if a mistake is made, well ahead of time.
It’s certainly great to reward loyal, loving family members or other heirs with your wealth. But if you think about you first, and plan carefully, all concerned should be, if not happy, assured that the distribution was done as you wanted it to be done.
Peter
HIRING HAS BECOME PROBLEMATIC
#PoliceOfficers #GoodPeople #jobs #hiring #students #Memphis #TyreNichols
The tragic death of Tyre Nichols in Memphis, Tenn., raises lots of questions about policing, but also about hiring.
How did the officers involved in Nichols’ death get hired as cops in the first place?
Today’s job market is such that in many fields – technology overhired during pandemic and many of those firms are now cutting staff – there are more jobs than people. A record 517,000 jobs were created in January 2023, producing the lowest unemployment rate since 1969.
In the past, a student graduating high school who wanted to be a police officer had a slim chance of getting into the academy. It was very competitive.
Today, departments have staff shortages all over the country. Are those departments lowering their standards to fill their vacancies?
These questions require some thought about how we got here. First, policing, even with strong public support, is a difficult job. It requires people to put their lives on the line every day, not knowing whether they’ll finish their shifts and get home in one piece.
It requires great physical stamina. Many young people today are not in terribly good physical shape, shrinking the pool of the best recruits.
Are departments lowering their physical requirements just to fill vacancies? Is an out-of-shape cop better than no cop at all? Is the prospect of whipping a recruit into good physical shape too daunting? Would you kill that recruit in training before he or she gets into shape?
Another issue in hiring for police departments is public support. Often, the communities most in need of police provide minimal public support for law enforcement. Even if you are a good cop, or potentially a good cop, are you able to withstand a community that, more often than not, thinks ill of you?
Lastly, police in many places, although they receive great benefits, may not be paid well. Are you, as a recruit, willing to work all kinds of shifts, and put up with lots of abuse, for what you will receive in compensation? Do you have to have some other reason to want to be a cop? Is that reason to help the community – or not?
The reasons for raising these questions is that we don’t just need police officers. We need GOOD police officers.
A diverse police force is a great goal to achieve, but, first and foremost, we need good people who treat others, regardless of how they themselves are treated or what these people may have done, with respect and dignity. They must know the difference between self-defense and aggression.
All people get angry at some point. But, people who are constantly angry, regardless of what they are angry about, may not make good police officers.
The next question to raise: are good people hard to find?
The rhetorical answer may be yes and no. But, the actual answer may involve deeper questions about how children are raised, educated and cared for.
Parents don’t just need to raise good children. They need to raise good adults.
Educators don’t just need to produce academically good students. They also need to show students how to behave in a diverse world, how to interact with people who may or may not be like them and how their actions – good or bad – will have consequences.
If we produce good adults through good homes, schools, churches etc., we will have better police officers. We will also have better people in other professions.
It may be the hardest job we have as a community, or as a world.
Peter
STUDENTS’ FEELINGS AT FOREFRONT OF DIFFERENT CIRCUMSTANCES
#StudentAchievement #MeritCommendations #schools #education #competition
Thomas Jefferson High School in Fairfax County, Va., favors student “equity.”
As a result, TJHS and other secondary schools in that county chose not to promptly disclose that students had won Merit Commendation awards from the National Merit Scholarship Corp.
There were 230 affected students in total, who did not get the news in time to include it on college applications.
Why? Most of the commended students were Asian-American. Other non-commended students’ feelings might be hurt.
Washington Post columnist George Will discussed the Fairfax case in a column that was also published Jan. 22, 2023, in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
In other school districts, some books are being banned and certain historical facts are not being properly taught, or even disclosed, because the majority white students might feel ashamed to be white.
The first instance is a matter of competition. There are some winners. Others should not feel like losers, but, to put it bluntly, they didn’t make the grade.
It may not make them any less smart, but they didn’t make it. As Will points out, do school track meets not declare winners because it might make the other competitors feel bad?
Students will learn, either in school or outside, that they will have to compete for things, such as jobs, college admissions etc. They may not always win. They may as well learn that lesson sooner rather than later.
It’s tough to see “equity” in not telling students that they won something legitimately. Most of the winners’ schoolmates are likely to congratulate them, even if they may be disappointed that they didn’t win themselves.
The second instance is a matter of deprivation of learning. Students should know about the behavior of their forebears, even if it may not have been pleasant, or commendable.
Rather than make them feel bad that they are white (and privileged), it might make them think about how they treat others. It might make them more empathetic to schoolmates whose upbringing may have been filled with discrimination and lack of privilege.
In either instance, schools should do the right thing, regardless of how it might make some children feel. Most children are resilient. They will get over temporary feelings. Schools do a disservice depriving students of information that they deserve to know.
Another lesson here is that if Asian-American students do so well on Merit tests, find out why that is. Perhaps their parents and their culture make educational achievement a top priority. There is certainly nothing wrong with that.
There could be an argument here that book education by itself doesn’t always create the best people. The A students often end up working for the C students, as the adage goes.
It is also argued that certain cultures put too much pressure on students at too young an age.
More likely, the students put the pressure on themselves, since parents can’t MAKE them succeed.
Make no mistake. History has shown cavernous opportunity and achievement gaps among students of certain races and backgrounds. If we want to correct those, we should find ways to close the gaps by helping the underachievers, without depriving achievers of their rewards.
We can also learn that the U.S. is a multicultural society that includes people of many races, backgrounds and circumstances. In that milieu, students, sooner or later, will learn that not everyone is like them. They will either adapt to that, or try to disrupt that in some fashion.
Such disruptions will help no one and hurt many. Do you really want your child to become that sort of disrupter?
Peter
INSURANCE FOR EVERYTHING?
#insurance #HomeRepairInsurance #CarRepairInsurance #IDTheftInsurance
In the history of insurance, policies covered driving, home ownership, health and life.
Now, we have insurance for home appliances, car repairs and identity theft.
In ads for home-appliance and car-repair coverage, the actors talk about how much money they saved. Yet, there is no mention of the coverages’ costs.
So, one has no way of knowing how valuable that coverage is.
In advertising parlance, the ads are not trying to sell you the value, they are only trying to get you to call, or go online, for more information.
The ads make one wonder whether explicitly detailing the cost AND benefits would make the products economically not viable.
Insurance is a tricky business. Insurers have to constantly balance profit and losses.
Why do insurance stocks go up AFTER natural, or even man-made disasters? Investors figure the companies have already calculated the losses, but they now have the excuse to raise premiums for everybody.
Health insurance is a somewhat different animal. When it was first created, health insurance was only designed to cover catastrophic illness or injury. As companies tried to lure employees, or, perhaps, avoid giving raises and instead compensating with benefits, health insurance evolved into covering day-to-day medical treatments, prescription drugs etc.
When at one time a primary care physician could charge, say, $10 for a visit, those visits now costs hundreds. Certainly, medical staff salaries and other costs have risen, but having insurance to pay for those things likely contributed to rising costs.
Later, some employers decided to self-insure their employees’ health, thus paying care providers directly and avoiding insurance company profits.
Now, health care costs have risen to the point that fewer employers are offering it as a benefit. And, trying to get individual health insurance has become cost-prohibitive for many folks.
So, innovators – mostly for non-profit organizations – invented health–sharing networks, a non-insurance product that allows people to contribute regular share payments based on their personal situations, and get some or all of their health care bills paid. These networks usually don’t take a cut of those payments for themselves, and the good ones also negotiate individual health-care bills to reduce them.
Talking about the latest insurance products, one has to wonder how much one has to pay to cover auto, home or appliance repairs.
To use round numbers, if you pay $50 per month for the coverage, that’s $600 a year. Most major car repairs are well into four figures, so it could be economical for the policy holder. One covered repair could be more than the premium.
But if you have no car repairs in that year, you’ve spent $600 and gotten nothing back. If you go years without a major car repair, you’ve paid premiums with no return.
One has to wonder whether a person who cannot afford an expensive car, home or appliance repair can afford paying premiums with no return.
It’s admirable that innovators are creating products that attempt to make one’s financial life better. But, before buying one of these products, it’s best to do some math to see whether it will be worth it in the long run.
Peter
CHANGING COMFORT ZONES
#ComfortZones #ChangingComfortZones #FindingComfortZones #CreatingComfortZones
To borrow from a Regions Bank TV ad, one does not get out of his or her comfort zone, he or she changes comfort zones.
Comfort zones are not always comfortable.
You may have a job that earns you a paycheck, and that you can do relatively easily.
But, it’s not necessarily getting you where you want to be in life.
Therefore, to get what you want, you may have to change comfort zones.
In this labor market, there are certainly available options for job changes.
So, what should you change to? It may depend on your education, experience and other things about you that employers may like.
It also may depend on how willing you may be to do something that perhaps you had never thought about doing.
Once you’ve decided on your new comfort zone, then you have to show your new employer that you are more than capable of doing the job.
That may not just entail doing the job correctly or smartly. It may involve doing it with enthusiasm.
Certainly, it may be difficult to be enthusiastic about some jobs. But, if they are rewarding enough in terms of pay and perks, you may need to use those rewards to ignite your enthusiasm.
If neither the job nor the rewards are stellar, you may have to consider doing something else.
Being happy at work has been an elusive goal for many. For some, the job is a means to an end. For others, the job could be simply a dead end.
Still, for others, a job may enable a person to do something outside of work that gives him or her joy. Perhaps one works for a living, but lives for children, family, hobbies etc. The work enables the other.
For some others, the work is the pleasure. It’s been said that if it were not “work,” they would not pay you. But those who love their jobs certainly want to get paid, but still love their work.
So, what, in work and life, gives you comfort, or makes you want to get up in the morning?
Are you not feeling either pleasure or comfort in your life? Such feelings don’t always come naturally, or serendipitously.
Sometimes, YOU have to look for them. In some cases, you can find them among your existing activities. In other cases, you have to find new activities to give you those feelings.
It’s OK to talk to friends or family – or a professional in more severe cases – to find out what may be missing in your life.
Often, the people you know best can either make you see the good things already in front of you, or spur you to find something different, or better.
So, if your comfort zone needs changing, it’s OK to change it. But, before doing so, figure out what you want from life. That will guide you toward either a comfort-zone change, or finding the comfort in your current zone.
There’s no need to slog in a fog when you can have fun in the sun.
Peter
SAN FRANCISCO BUSINESS DISTRICT A RELATIVE GHOST TOWN
#SanFrancisco #RemoteWork #downtowns #WorkPatternsChange
Three years ago, San Francisco’s business district was bustling.
Tech workers were heading in and out of train stations by the droves.
People rushed to grab lunch at a favorite salad bar.
Visitors crowded the sidewalks when a big conference was in town.
Today, San Francisco may be the most deserted big-city downtown in America.
Conor Dougherty and Emma Goldberg explored this in an article for The New York Times.
It was also published December 29, 2022, in The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
“Occupancy of the city’s offices is roughly is roughly 7 percentage points below that of those in the average major American city,” the article quotes Kastle, a building security firm.
Because San Francisco’s economy revolves around the tech industry, and those workers have found the idea of working remotely appealing, in any given week, office buildings are at about 40 percent of their pre-pandemic occupancy, the article says.
It’s been almost like sport to predict how remote work would affect many things. This article shows what can happen when people go home to work, and don’t come back.
In another article published a few days later, Zachary Hansen, development reporter for The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, wrote about how Atlanta’s older office buildings are being, if not deserted, emptying out. The article attributes that to more remote working and moving to newer office spaces. The private sector and the city are working together to convert some of that old office space into housing, the article says.
The good news: the more people who work from home, the fewer people are on the roads commuting. The bad news: businesses who thrived on busy downtown areas are closing. The Times article talks about one owner of a salad shop who has moved her store to the suburbs, because many of those remote workers still like to grab a quick salad for lunch.
This phenomenon could bring about many trends, as has been discussed. Your employer could be based in place X, where living expenses are high. (San Francisco is a classic example of that).
But, because of technology, you could do your job from anywhere, preferably a less expensive location, and live there.
Or, you could work from your favorite vacation spot.
Regardless, the downside could be big-city downtowns becoming relatively deserted. Another downside is the loss of face-to-face contact with colleagues, clients etc.
With the shortage of affordable housing just about everywhere, some of these office buildings could be repurposed, as Hansen’s article says. But, if that’s done, the owners and builders of those buildings may not see the return on investment they had expected for a good long time.
The live-work-play concept may gain even greater popularity, because it might give people the best of both worlds – working from home with easy access to the office as needed, with all the amenities and necessities of life within the same complex.
Fear not, however. SOMEONE will find a way to turn this downtown problem into a solution that will benefit all concerned. Atlanta seems to be out in front of that trend.
One’s imagination could think of a downtown that’s active, fun, but not overcrowded. No traffic gridlock is visible. Individuals saving money either by not commuting at all, or commuting less.
Change is no longer coming, it’s here. How can you best take advantage of it?
Peter
HOLIDAY TRAVEL WOES ADD NEW PERIL
#HolidayTravel #SouthwestAirlines #flights #traffic #FunTravel
Southwest Airlines is getting back close to normal operations, according to reports.
Now comes the task of not only reuniting fliers with their belongings, but also making whole those customers who had to endure delays, rerouting and not making it to where they wanted to go in time.
It’s an unenviable task for the airline, but, hopefully, it will fix its operational shortcomings, and thrive again.
The weather was a catalyst to the problems, but apparently not the real cause.
But for travelers, it goes back to what we discussed here during the holiday season.
If you travel, by whatever means during the holidays, give some thought to why you are going, what enjoyment you’ll get from it and whether it’s worth the sacrifice you will make – and potential disasters you could face.
Travel is supposed to be fun. The journey should be pleasant. Certainly, regardless of transportation mode, there could be glitches: traffic, bad weather, mechanical issues etc.
That’s why the destination, and with whom you will interact, is worth some thought.
If you are traveling with a spouse, your children or others in your immediate family, and going to a fun destination, travel glitches should not matter. (If you don’t get there through no fault of your own, and you paid for a trip, someone should reimburse you.)
If you are going “home” to interact with people who will analyze your life, and give you advice you do not seek, you may want to rethink your sacrifice.
When wheels turn and wings fly, there is always the possibility of peril.
The odds, however, favor a good trip. That’s why it’s incumbent on those providing the journey to make sure the chances of a problem are minimized to every degree possible.
All travelers ask is that they get to their destination safely, and relatively on time, and get back to where they live the same way. The comfort in which one travels may be up to the person, and what he or she is willing to pay.
The mystique of travel in general is beginning to disappear. When one gets the opportunity to travel, the hassles become apparent quickly.
An old adage about life says it’s not the destination that matters, it’s the journey. For travel, the destination is what matters. The journey had better get you there on time.
It’s important here to remind everyone to not be discouraged about traveling. It’s loads of fun, usually, when things go right and you go to fun destinations. Travel can also be necessary for business. The travel issues this holiday season should make one think about “obligatory” travel that is not business. Are you going there for the right reasons? Are you going to be happy once you get there?
If the answer to those questions is yes, take the trip. Choose your mode of transportation with care, however. Hopefully, well before the next holiday season, Southwest Airlines would have fully dealt with its operational shortcomings to make it a good alternative to consider.
If you are unsure of the answers to those questions, you may want to rethink your plans. Southwest’s recent problems increase the potential peril of travel.
Therefore, if you go somewhere, go for the right reasons.
Peter
2023: DO YOU WANT IT TO COME?
#2023 #attitudes #CreatingANewAttitude #clothes #NewSchoolClothes
Many want to see 2022 go, and 2023 come.
Others may want to see 2022 go, but would rather go back to a different time.
It’s relatively normal, if you’ve lost a job, lost a business or lost someone close to you to long for what was.
But the future has a way of coming, whether we want it or not.
So, if you are one who would rather look back, you have to find a way to deal with looking forward.
Think of the future as new clothes. Each August or September, when you started school in a new grade, it usually meant a new set of threads to wear to school. Sometimes, new clothes were necessary because of summer growth spurts, but, more often, new school clothes were a reward for moving up a grade.
Plus, you wanted to look great for your classmates, some of whom might be new.
So, in 2023, you may have to shed your old attitude and create something new. For many, the past year has brought turmoil, even disaster. Therefore, one can start by seeing nothing but great things in the coming year.
You can see the best years of your life ahead of, rather than behind, you.
As for personal resolutions, find what makes you happy and do more of it.
Figure out where you want to be, and do what you need to do to get there.
If you can’t bring back the past, don’t waste a lot of time thinking about it.
Certainly, some memories and nostalgia provide good thought therapy at times. But, resenting what is, or will be, because you long for what was is futile.
It may be difficult to be optimistic, given your personal situation. Optimism doesn’t always come naturally.
Sometimes, it has to be sought, even created.
If you have difficulty seeing the good in life, you may need some help to point it out.
It might help to imagine your attitude completely naked, and you get to bring it to the store for some new school clothes.
This time, however, you WANT your attitude to undergo a growth spurt. You want it to be adorned with bright colors. You want your 2023 attitude to look sharp, yet be free of sharp edges.
Some people just look great no matter what they wear. Others have to create their looks.
Some people’s attitudes are great, no matter what happens to them. Others have to create a mindset to offset circumstances.
So, how are you looking going into 2023? Are you looking sharp, as always? Or, do you need some new clothes?
The advantage you have is that with an attitude, you can make your own wardrobe to best suit you. Oh, you can browse store windows to get ideas, but, ultimately, you may have to sew – or sow – your own.
Happy New Year to all!
Peter