Comments on: College Is A Waste Of Time And Money. Here’s A Better Way. What Do You Think? http://mixergy.com/college-waste-time-money-solution/ Events and Interviews for Web Visionaries. Sat, 13 Mar 2010 22:31:11 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: Heather http://mixergy.com/college-waste-time-money-solution/comment-page-1/#comment-10605 Heather Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:43:42 +0000 http://mixergy.com/?p=2785#comment-10605 Iam about to graduate with a BS in psychology and a five course minor in Substance abuse treatment. I just realized this week that this degree means nothing unless I go to the Masters or PhD level. I cannot get a job in the psychology field without a PhD and the only Masters program that would even come close is the MSW and those programs accept about 15 people a year and this is based on GPA and GRE scores. Just try to get into a clinical psychology program anywhere in Michigan without a 4.0 and a high GRE score and letters of recommendation and a long wait and another $100,000 dollars on top of the $50,000 I already owe. I cannot find a job without the proper letters behind my name and a ton of experience that I have never been able to get aside from a two semester internship. I am trying to figure out exactly what I have learned and I cannot even formulate proper questions as to where I should go from here and what can I do with this. I rarely paid attention to the lectures as they were dry and boring and the work I do as an intern at a substance abuse agency has nothing to do with anything I have learned from the books. I have managed a 3.4 without ever reading an entire chapter. These are real people in the world with all different issues and the DSM V does not tell me how to help them, but I can probably spot someone with any number of the symptoms from any number of the disorders in the manual. I have been diligently forging this education without a break through two children, now five weeks from graduation and I do not fit any of the criteria for any job out there. Iam about to graduate with a BS in psychology and a five course minor in Substance abuse treatment. I just realized this week that this degree means nothing unless I go to the Masters or PhD level. I cannot get a job in the psychology field without a PhD and the only Masters program that would even come close is the MSW and those programs accept about 15 people a year and this is based on GPA and GRE scores. Just try to get into a clinical psychology program anywhere in Michigan without a 4.0 and a high GRE score and letters of recommendation and a long wait and another $100,000 dollars on top of the $50,000 I already owe. I cannot find a job without the proper letters behind my name and a ton of experience that I have never been able to get aside from a two semester internship. I am trying to figure out exactly what I have learned and I cannot even formulate proper questions as to where I should go from here and what can I do with this. I rarely paid attention to the lectures as they were dry and boring and the work I do as an intern at a substance abuse agency has nothing to do with anything I have learned from the books. I have managed a 3.4 without ever reading an entire chapter. These are real people in the world with all different issues and the DSM V does not tell me how to help them, but I can probably spot someone with any number of the symptoms from any number of the disorders in the manual. I have been diligently forging this education without a break through two children, now five weeks from graduation and I do not fit any of the criteria for any job out there.

]]> By: newsconsumer http://mixergy.com/college-waste-time-money-solution/comment-page-1/#comment-10507 newsconsumer Sat, 06 Mar 2010 15:38:14 +0000 http://mixergy.com/?p=2785#comment-10507 College is a big waste of time and money IF you are looking at it only as a means to get a job. If you want job prep, go to tech school, become an apprentice somewhere, or go the incubator route. <br><br>The purpose of a college education isn't job prep; it's to enhance critical thinking skills. We've gotten away from that in this country. The reason many employers require a college degree isn't because the graduate knows the latest in technology (that can be learned on the job). Rather, employers want people with problem-solving and critical thinking skills, so we're really missing the boat with this whole discussion. Unfortunately, colleges today do not encourage critical thinking anymore.<br><br>Personally, if I had my life to do over again, I would NOT go to college, but would identify a craft that excited me (writing, research, painting, textiles, whatever...) and then seek out experts in those areas and become an apprentice to learn from them. That's what elite athletes do. They don't go sit in an athletic classroom for four years; they find mentors and coaches, get out, and DO it. But I favor this approach only because my preference is self-employment -- and not to climb the corporate ladder in some stuffy company and become a corporate drone. <br><br>Of course, this approach wouldn't work for some professions (medicine, law, etc. If I need a brain surgeon, I want someone who has the experience AND the degree credentials!) <br><br>Bottom line: I do think too much importance is placed on a college education, and I do think colleges now indoctrinate students, rather than encourage critical thinking. But there are as many ways to become successful in life as there are people. One size does not fit all. College is great for some. For others (entrepreneurs, mainly, who usually succeed by being independent thinkers), college may not be the best route. (The founder of FedEx was told by a college professor that his idea for the company was a guaranteed loser; both Steve Jobs and Bill Gates dropped out of college.)<br><br>But it's up to each person to identify who they are, what they want out of life, and the best way to achieve it. Don't let parents, the media, friends, spouses, career counselors, or even people who post on blogs ;) to make your decision for you. College is a big waste of time and money IF you are looking at it only as a means to get a job. If you want job prep, go to tech school, become an apprentice somewhere, or go the incubator route.

The purpose of a college education isn't job prep; it's to enhance critical thinking skills. We've gotten away from that in this country. The reason many employers require a college degree isn't because the graduate knows the latest in technology (that can be learned on the job). Rather, employers want people with problem-solving and critical thinking skills, so we're really missing the boat with this whole discussion. Unfortunately, colleges today do not encourage critical thinking anymore.

Personally, if I had my life to do over again, I would NOT go to college, but would identify a craft that excited me (writing, research, painting, textiles, whatever…) and then seek out experts in those areas and become an apprentice to learn from them. That's what elite athletes do. They don't go sit in an athletic classroom for four years; they find mentors and coaches, get out, and DO it. But I favor this approach only because my preference is self-employment — and not to climb the corporate ladder in some stuffy company and become a corporate drone.

Of course, this approach wouldn't work for some professions (medicine, law, etc. If I need a brain surgeon, I want someone who has the experience AND the degree credentials!)

Bottom line: I do think too much importance is placed on a college education, and I do think colleges now indoctrinate students, rather than encourage critical thinking. But there are as many ways to become successful in life as there are people. One size does not fit all. College is great for some. For others (entrepreneurs, mainly, who usually succeed by being independent thinkers), college may not be the best route. (The founder of FedEx was told by a college professor that his idea for the company was a guaranteed loser; both Steve Jobs and Bill Gates dropped out of college.)

But it's up to each person to identify who they are, what they want out of life, and the best way to achieve it. Don't let parents, the media, friends, spouses, career counselors, or even people who post on blogs ;) to make your decision for you.

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