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olddad56

(5,732 posts)

17. a college education is more than just training for a career.

Thu Jan 30, 2014, 02:25 PM

Jan 2014

If nothing else, it prolongs your adolescence and keeps your mind open to explore new ideas, interests, and experiences. Nothing wrong with learning a trade either.

My son is a senior in high school. He is looking at colleges. They are so expensive, but he has a chance to get a scholarship. If get a good enough deal, I want him to go. I'm also be happy if he went into the air force or navy. In either the air force or navy, he could serve his country, learn a trade, and then get out at age 22 and go to school on the GI bill, or put the training he got in the military to use. Worked for me. I enjoyed my time in the navy, enjoyed my time in college, and ultimately used my navy training to have a career in information technology. Never used my degree (BA or MA) in psychology, but learned a lot about myself and human behavior.

I don't think a high school degree and straight to a job is always the best idea. My opinion

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Obama: College Degree Not Needed for a Good Career [View all] Freddie Stubbs Jan 2014 OP

:popcorn: Wilms Jan 2014 #1

Now if only employers would stop requiring unnecessary degrees for those jobs... Viva_La_Revolution Jan 2014 #2

BINGO n/t VWolf Jan 2014 #5

Agreed. Xyzse Jan 2014 #12

For many, a degree means debt. For an employer, debt means control. RadiationTherapy Jan 2014 #14

Excellent point. jsr Jan 2014 #23

A lot of they SAY they do, but they don't, actually. AtheistCrusader Jan 2014 #15

Not so everywhere. upaloopa Jan 2014 #26

That's true, I was overly-absolute there. AtheistCrusader Jan 2014 #46

My mom started out with an AA in the early 80's davidpdx Jan 2014 #56

That's been my experience in many cases too penultimate Feb 2014 #76

Yup sakabatou Jan 2014 #22

Not sure about all industry, but in telecom years/experience trump degrees every time.. snooper2 Jan 2014 #39

I completely agree. Skilled trades training is extremely important and a great JaneyVee Jan 2014 #3

Agree, but waiting for the anti-tradesmen chorous to start... cprise Jan 2014 #34

How many PasadenaTrudy Jan 2014 #41

And ... 1StrongBlackMan Jan 2014 #40

No, they move the factories instead. alarimer Feb 2014 #74

Yeah ... 1StrongBlackMan Feb 2014 #77

Skilled trades training is extremely important AlbertCat Jan 2014 #47

Pounding nails and slinging blocks for a living is a life fullfilling dream most trustfunders never adirondacker Jan 2014 #50

Some of the smartest and most interesting people I have ever made fall in the "skilled trades" cat Yo_Mama Jan 2014 #58

And it's so much easier to control everyone with propaganda. ronnie624 Jan 2014 #59

Exactly right. lumberjack_jeff Jan 2014 #4

True. ForgoTheConsequence Jan 2014 #6

I couldn't agree more...... Swede Atlanta Jan 2014 #7

I think we need to get out of this mindset about extending childhood ebbie15644 Jan 2014 #20

We are aligned..... Swede Atlanta Jan 2014 #29

Thanks! for the response. I feel alone in this world sometimes, lol ebbie15644 Jan 2014 #60

You know who is great at training programs for skilled trades? Maedhros Jan 2014 #8

I agree but those apprenticeships are hard to come by. ebbie15644 Jan 2014 #18

They are NOW, after decades of government and corporate assault on unions.[n/t] Maedhros Jan 2014 #24

+1000 frwrfpos Jan 2014 #30

When I was young I applied for both a union apprenticeship and college davidpdx Jan 2014 #55

Education is not necessarily for a vocation, knowledge should be free. dotymed Jan 2014 #9

Ditto all that notemason Jan 2014 #11

Absolutely notemason. dotymed Jan 2014 #62

Oh yes, notemason Jan 2014 #64

+1 CountAllVotes Jan 2014 #63

Excellent points tabasco Jan 2014 #66

When I look at resumes, I rarely look at their school. onehandle Jan 2014 #10

Of course. For some jobs it is, others not. People need all sorts of training. uppityperson Jan 2014 #13

Correct. But people do need good career options even if they don't have a degree. Brickbat Jan 2014 #16

a college education is more than just training for a career. olddad56 Jan 2014 #17

A good base "liberal" education is essential. NOT FOX NEWS warrant46 Jan 2014 #21

I think were are past the tipping point on that one, olddad56 Jan 2014 #33

Learning Latin and French worked for me. warrant46 Jan 2014 #44

And what might that "good career" be, pray tell? LiberalEsto Jan 2014 #19

Oh really, this smacks of hypocricy saidsimplesimon Jan 2014 #25

Wow ... 1StrongBlackMan Jan 2014 #43

I think, even as children become more sexually active at a younger age, that they are less mature MADem Jan 2014 #27

I have a friend PasadenaTrudy Jan 2014 #42

She's moving towards "outlier" territory, but nowadays, people hop from job to job MADem Jan 2014 #45

But Congress is needed... Orsino Jan 2014 #28

Been searching desperately for appliance repairmen mainer Jan 2014 #31

All he's talking about is a federal jobs training review? Where are the actual jobs? last1standing Jan 2014 #32

Walmart needs staff plumbers. CHEAP and Pronto! nt adirondacker Jan 2014 #53

That's all fine & dandy if you can swing a hammer Oscarmonster13 Jan 2014 #35

No matter what field you go into, you have to learn all your life. JDPriestly Jan 2014 #36

This is right on target. It's not an either/or where tech training or post-secondary liberal arts LuckyLib Jan 2014 #71

Boooo! PasadenaTrudy Jan 2014 #37

If this is true... Dopers_Greed Jan 2014 #38

this has always been true treestar Jan 2014 #48

Progress is our most important product polynomial Jan 2014 #49

True story: Kelvin Mace Jan 2014 #51

I received my technical training in the military madville Jan 2014 #52

I don't trust anything that Obama or his pal Arne Duncan have to say about education. blkmusclmachine Jan 2014 #54

I'm not sure what this has to do with the fact that there are 3 applicants for every job Doctor_J Jan 2014 #57

Maybe not "needed" but ... CountAllVotes Jan 2014 #61

Uneducated people PasadenaTrudy Jan 2014 #67

This guy is quite the idiot CountAllVotes Jan 2014 #68

Is he going to say every GOP talking point during his presidency? yurbud Jan 2014 #65

He sure has wrung up quite a few Doctor_J Jan 2014 #69

he's doing a lot to prove my suspicion that our only choice in elections is yurbud Jan 2014 #70

I wonder how many of his appointments don't have a college degree. n/t hughee99 Feb 2014 #72

This is no longer true. alarimer Feb 2014 #73

objectively that is true. There are a number of skilled occupations that pay a lot better than Douglas Carpenter Feb 2014 #75

"... human beings need bread and roses" suffragette Feb 2014 #78

Meanwhile India and China are pushing their citizens to get advanced degrees in the sciences... NoodleyAppendage Feb 2014 #79