College vs. Plumber
First, the weather report from 7450 feet elevation when I drove to Happy Jack this morning to enjoy an Iranian lunch. A fantastic lamb stew with safran rice cake on the side.
I degress. College vs. Plumber:
An article from Twack today reminded me of this story when I was finishing high school.
Twack threw out the question if we would have gone on had we known all the obstacles laying ahead.
I think that's absolutely true. a very good question. It is a good thing that we don't know what will hit us in the future, we might not be as resilient and throw the towel. But in small doses we can digest it and move on. We learn from failures not from success, remember.
Funny, my father ( afactory owner who sold the thing months before I finished my degree to take over!) was so against me going to college. He always said nothing is as crisis-proof than being a plumber, everybody needs them. I - today - think college is overrated, but it does, above all things, teach you HOW to learn.
Needless to say, becoming a plumber was not an option for a girl then. Thank God. Though when I pay my plumber $78 an hour I crinch and think of my father;)
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My kids have big debt after their educations and none went into trades.
As so often happens my youngest daughter has a masters and can't get a job in her field because she doesn't have the experience that they want and the pay is so low...she worked every summer in the field. So needless to say she is working in a factory trying to pay debt down so she can get some more experience by volunteering. Breaks my heart!
Wanda
Same with me. I camped out, so to speak, in the lobby of a mortgage company for a week because their is no way to get experience BEFORE you get hired.
The manager said he was admiring my persistence but they are not hiring. On day 7 he broke down and gave me a chance for ONE day. If I would convert one call into a mortgage applicant he would think about it. My first call was a conversion. My boss said it was just beginners luck...but he kept me.
Maybe your daughter could research too a company and offer to work for free for a month, etc.?
I was once told, everyone uses the bathroom and wants their lights on. I have been an electrician for the last 20 years. Enjoyed knowing electricity isn't going away just yet. I have a bachelor's degree and have student loans as well. I would rather see kids today go into a trade rather than exchanging debt for a degree that won't pay off.
I must say I agree. We could use all the knowledgeable retired trade's men as Mentors and that would help those too. Back then society was more social. Now with online degrees our society becomes too fragmented, isolated.
The aim of education is not only to get source of income but to stand on par with anyone whether lower or higher because you know where you stan and we suppose to have more understanding of the realities of life. But that is not the case. The university is alway the thing we do outside the classroom. We need to shortcut the way to earn a living! At this time, it is all up to us!
Interesting perspective, and a truthful thought.
I agree, that if we knew what the path we were on was going to entail, we probably wouldn't have taken it. But then, where would we be today?
I am happy with the decisions I have made, and the place where I am now.
Remember, you cannot change the past, but you can change the ending!
Have a great day!
Tom
Me too, Tom.
I wouldn't want to change any decisions I have made in my life (well, maybe two little ones;)
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Without any parental help, I shortcut my way to a US college degree years ago for an affordable cost. This was actually a degree completion program from USNY (University of the State of New York). And this is when I was not even initially living in New York. That exactly is my niche site too. I hope more people are able to complete college affordably!
But that one failure taught me a lot and I did become a successful software programmer. So yes Petra, it's the failures that teach, and our subsequent successes that help us to teach others :))
Padma