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Why send your kid to college?
Posted on 7/7/18 at 2:56 am
Posted on 7/7/18 at 2:56 am
Unless they want to do something that requires college coursework. Take the $200K and buy a franchise for the kid.
25
Posted on 7/7/18 at 3:25 am to TA2
My profession is higher education.
Over the past two decades, there hasn’t been a time when my day didn’t begin and end on a university campus—either as a student or as a professor.
It therefore stands to reason that I would champion the benefits of a degree.
I don’t.
College used to be about cultivating intellectual curiosity and expanding the mind.
Now it’s nothing more than a training ground for gaining a job and meeting society needs.
In that light, there are multiple, more cost effective ways to develop a skill set for employment.
As stated in the Harvard Business Review:
Over the past two decades, there hasn’t been a time when my day didn’t begin and end on a university campus—either as a student or as a professor.
It therefore stands to reason that I would champion the benefits of a degree.
I don’t.
College used to be about cultivating intellectual curiosity and expanding the mind.
Now it’s nothing more than a training ground for gaining a job and meeting society needs.
In that light, there are multiple, more cost effective ways to develop a skill set for employment.
As stated in the Harvard Business Review:
quote:
painfully clear to many employers are serious gaps between elite educational credentials and actual individual competence. College transcripts spackled with As and Bs — particularly from liberal arts and humanities programs — reveal less about a candidate’s capabilities than most serious employers need to know. Even top-tier MBA degrees often say more about the desire to have an important credential than about any greater capacity to be a good leader or manager. The curricular formalities of higher education — as opposed to its informal networks of friends and connections — may be less valuable now than they were a decade ago. In other words, alumni networks may be more economically valuable than whatever one studied in class. “Where you went” may prove professionally more helpful than “what you know.” That certainly undermines “value of education” arguments.
This post was edited on 7/7/18 at 3:28 am
Posted on 7/7/18 at 4:06 am to TA2
College is only a good idea if the person wants to major in something that they can get a good job making a decent living. Other than that, I would consider other options like getting a trade.
The liberal indoctrination can be quite annoying, yes, but if your kid is aware of it and had been based over the years they should be able to make it through unscathed.
The liberal indoctrination can be quite annoying, yes, but if your kid is aware of it and had been based over the years they should be able to make it through unscathed.
Posted on 7/7/18 at 4:15 am to TA2
quote:
Why send your kid to college?
If I had a kid, he would have to do what I did - send his own self to college. It's his education, not mine. Believe me, was probably one of life's greatest lessons of learning personal responsibility. I'll co-sign a loan, give him a little seed money to get him started but it's time to start being your own man.
Posted on 7/7/18 at 4:32 am to Homesick Tiger
Absolutely. But that lesson should start a long time before the kid turns 18 years old.
Posted on 7/7/18 at 4:40 am to Homesick Tiger
quote:
If I had a kid, he would have to do what I did - send his own self to college. It's his education, not mine. Believe me, was probably one of life's greatest lessons of learning personal responsibility. I'll co-sign a loan, give him a little seed money to get him started but it's time to start being your own man.
I know you think this sounds noble, but I think it’s rather shortsighted.
Posted on 7/7/18 at 4:52 am to Mo Jeaux
What Mo did is great. But this thread is about 'other than college' options. So I guess let's use parents that bring home $100K/year and have two kids as the constant. We can get into the kid that had a crack head mother and no dad but knocked it out of the park. Or about the very successful IB's kid that went to Yale and majored in finance and does great. But then the conversation could get meaningless. So $100K/year. Nothing special but certainly not starving. Two parent home.
Posted on 7/7/18 at 4:53 am to Mo Jeaux
Meant what Homesick Tiger did is great.
This post was edited on 7/7/18 at 4:54 am
Posted on 7/7/18 at 5:02 am to Mo Jeaux
quote:
I know you think this sounds noble
In 1970, nobility had nothing to do with it. I had an older brother two years ahead of me in college. He paid his own way, his last two years being paid by ROTC. I paid my way by working full time during the summer and part time during school. Nothing noble about that. Just doing what I thought was only right seeing as to how I as the one benefitting from it.
Posted on 7/7/18 at 5:05 am to Homesick Tiger
So if your kid likes science but is a bit nerdy and not exactly the guy who will make money for college (he is more apt to want to be in a lab, or at a computer crushing its formulas) you will tell him screw it if he gets into Cal Tech, Stanford or MIT? That's just cruelty IMO.
Posted on 7/7/18 at 5:11 am to Eurocat
I don't think that's what he meant. And your MIT scenario falls outside the context of what I'm asking. No one on here went to MIT.
Posted on 7/7/18 at 5:15 am to Eurocat
quote:
That's just cruelty IMO.
I said I'd co-sign for him. I can't give him money I don't have. Besides, if he were to get in one of the schools you named I'd imagine he would have some scholarship assistance.
Posted on 7/7/18 at 5:19 am to EKG
Not sure if it is common knowledge on this board - but I'm going to assume (based on your post) that your classroom lectures involve math.
Posted on 7/7/18 at 5:26 am to Homesick Tiger
That's fair, and yes, schollies I am sure would be available.
Posted on 7/7/18 at 6:14 am to TA2
My wife and I have this conversation frequently. We have two young (3 & 5 yo) boys. Both of us have degrees. Oddly enough both of us work, at least tangentially, in our field of study.
That said, I do not think the route we took will be the correct route in 15 years. I think college works if you are going to take the Indian immigrant path. Medical Doc or Engineer. Aside from that, it is largely a waste I believe.
Key factors:
1 - The abundance of FREE information now. No longer are universities the power houses of locked away information. We haven't fully realized the power of the internet. I can be anywhere in the world with a cell signal and get an immediate answer to ANY question I want. I can likely watch 20 videos about it... on demand...for free.
2- The cost is ridiculous and getting worse.
3- Critical thinking skills and creativity are key to success. College has squashed that now. Most people are going to college for what I'd consider an interest or a hobby. You better have your shite in order to drop $200k on a hobby vs preparing for being useful in the world.
That said, I do not think the route we took will be the correct route in 15 years. I think college works if you are going to take the Indian immigrant path. Medical Doc or Engineer. Aside from that, it is largely a waste I believe.
Key factors:
1 - The abundance of FREE information now. No longer are universities the power houses of locked away information. We haven't fully realized the power of the internet. I can be anywhere in the world with a cell signal and get an immediate answer to ANY question I want. I can likely watch 20 videos about it... on demand...for free.
2- The cost is ridiculous and getting worse.
3- Critical thinking skills and creativity are key to success. College has squashed that now. Most people are going to college for what I'd consider an interest or a hobby. You better have your shite in order to drop $200k on a hobby vs preparing for being useful in the world.
Posted on 7/7/18 at 6:16 am to TA2
No, franchises are the worst. Find a good financial planner and invest it and when the time is right help them start their own business.
Posted on 7/7/18 at 6:32 am to TA2
Got one that is going and one that isn't. The one that isn't is currently enrolled in the school-of-hard-knocks. She's learning shite the hard way, but it doesn't cost me a dime!
The other kid is going to school to be in medical research. There isn't an apprenticeship for that.
The other kid is going to school to be in medical research. There isn't an apprenticeship for that.
Posted on 7/7/18 at 6:40 am to TA2
A kid has to transition to adulthood somewhere. That means college or military. There are ways to keep it reasonable. My Niece and Nephew get a good break on tuition at UGA due to the state lottery system. A parent just needs to stress the importance of the ACT and have the student take it three to four times. A good score opens up scholarship money.
Posted on 7/7/18 at 6:45 am to TA2
quote:
nless they want to do something that requires college coursework. Take the $200K and buy a franchise for the kid.
You tend to make more money in careers that you use your head rather than your body. Your body is only gonna bring in so much, but your brain can make you lots of money.
Sort of the way I look at it. But don't get me wrong. You can make a very good living doing manual work too, but it'll never make youb rich.
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