College Fact or Fiction

 Eachyear the college doors swing wide open to a bunch of unsuspecting kids that ahve no clue in what to or in.tion with all the prestige of driving a Volvo around and wearing pink sweaters tied around your neck must make some people feel just a little more special. However what happens when college goes wrong? The ones who majored in music, journalism,philosophy and anthropology. The degree programs that will run up a 60k  student loan debt and leave the graduate with an 8 dollar an hour job at starbucks.

While I was in college, I was focused on education and english as my major and minor. I wanted to teach so bad and work with kids to develop their writing abilities and hopefully spark an interest for creative writing and such. What a wonderful dream it was, so why did I leave? Well first off, I can teach beacuse I have a technical background. My field expirence and number of years within it, has qualified me to teach Automotive Technology in the public school sytem, at least in Virginia anyway. Of course cars are not part of the SOL (Standards Of Learning), so maybe that dream of teaching will be forced to the wayside. God forbid we actually  teach kids a skill they can really use.

Another issue with higher learning is the ever rising costs of tuition. If education is a right and not a privelage, how is it that college is becoming less affordable year after year? Add to that the fact that the value of a degree is shrinking, and the cost truly outweighs the benefit. For a 60k or more investment, the uncertainty of what happens once graduated is unclear. So a new graduate with a high student loan debt to payback and no prospects of a job is now faced with a major concern. Also income to debt ratio effects credit scores, a 60k student loan debt plus a 8 dollar an hour job at star bucks equals a very bad start into the real world. Of course the college recruiter may have left that part out.

So what s the alternative to all this? Well if college is to expensive, technical education is a viable option. Lets face it although not as glamorous, there will alwys be a need for mechanics,plumbers, nurses, police officers, firemen, and anyone else who provides services to the public. Those types of jobs will always be around because of their direct effects on modern society. Technical school is not as expensive as college, and you have a better chance of being hired upon graduation. The starting salary may not be as high as with a degree, but at least the prospects of getting that first career positon out of school exists.

The choice to choose between college or techncial school is a personal one. College is not for everyone, but neither are the technical trades. Obviously if being a doctor or architect is the goal, then college is the only option. However if drafting or automotive technology is of interest, then a two year technical school is the better route. Whatever path is chosen, keep in my mind that education costs money. Stay focused on the objective, and only take the classes required to become it.