Thing is, there's just no getting around the REQUIREMENT to go to university to enter some professions. You're not going to become a surgeon, legally, without an accredited qualification. There's just no way around it. Ignoring that point however...
As I said, it's horses for courses. It depends what you want to do in life. Nobody ever said university is a guarantee to success and if they did they're an idiot. University degrees give one the best chance at success and a foundation of knowledge within the discipline you study. From then on, as it has been before, and during university, it is up the individual to make the best use of their attained knowledge.
I hope nobody is under any illusion as to their potential for financial success or failure based purely upon whether they attended/graduated from university or not. Statistically though , I'll take my chances with university.
"TheEngineer" wrote:
No doubt. I'm not trying to discredit the dedication and skills people attain or must have in order to get a degree. I'm not going to a brain surgeon that doesn't have his degree or isn't updated on his continuing education.
What I am saying is going to college, no matter what the institution, without a set career (or more like 'life passion') in mind is a waste of your time, money and is only going to lead to more frustration and debt than any amount of success (in most cases).
Your last paragraph, though.. is very well put. The problem is with what I've seen.. Is we here in the States are almost manufactored throughout our schooling lives to go to college. Hell, most of our guidance councilors look at our 'numbers' and tell us what we are good at and give us a handful of careers that fit our skills. That's BS. Stop with the corporate pushing of higher education and let kids/people decide for themselves how they want to pursue their lives. If that involves college in an Ivy-league school then so be it.
I hated that in high school there was all this HUGE pressure about where are you going to college, here's what you're good at, here's a list of colleges that you'd like, etc etc etc.. Not to mention the peer pressure or the pressure from my family (the Formo side is riddled with teachers, admins, etc in the education branch).
Then there's the elitism that's preached, too.
Thanks to TheViking88 for the sig!!