Sadly for the kids that go there, they actually think they're going to actually get a high paying job out of "college." And thus you see careers during day time TV that you just know there is something unethical or wrong about them;
"Does your life suck??? Then get a degree in the exciting field of medical transcriptioning!"
"Do you have no life??? Then join the exciting field of veterinarian assistant animal feces picker upper!"
And the reason this particularly angers me is that these schools are targeting kids that for the most part are disadvantaged to begin with. Poor kids from poor families (not to sound like a commie) that might be susceptible to some kind of "get rich quick" scheme that these schools portend.
The problem however I think is even more widespread than we think. It's not just unemployed people watching the commercials for Jerry Springer. But we lower the standards for pretty much every student or young person out there. There is no longer the big push for engineering and the sciences that we had in the 1950's and largely brought about and maintained American superiority in the world. Now we're pushing sociology, philosophy. And wow, you want to become an artist?! ME TOO!! I'm studying art at the university.
HOW ON GOD'S GREEN EARTH DO YOU STUDY ART????
Don't you just practice it or have a talent for it? What does getting a degree do for you aside from make you poorer and make professors, who obviously weren't good artists otherwise they wouldn't be teaching it, richer?
And though if you get a masters in psychology you can make money, and though if you get a degree in education, and actually majored in education because you care about kids (not because it was an easy major) you will do some good, it still angers me when I see on my e-mail login page to see advertisements that just assume you are not capable of engineering, or physics, or calculus, or chemistry.
Perhaps an old school 1950's style push for engineering and computers would do the US some good.
I think it is because those other fields have "cheap" instructors and low overhead. Chemistry, math, and physics require a certain knowledge base and equipment.
ReplyDeleteI'm also of the opinion that English teachers shouldn't force students to write persuasive essays about literature. It's just foolish.
Literally: Anything but more lawyers.
ReplyDeleteI don't entirely disagree with you, however it is a bit amusing that two posts before this one you ask for some one to design your book cover - graphic design - one of dozens of jobs that artists do.
ReplyDeleteDuly noted, you can't get by without artists. But why do they have to MAJOR in it?
ReplyDeleteOne word indicating the dumbing down of America and its dreams:
ReplyDeletecosmetology
Regarding the last comment and career choice, at my current place of employ, there are no less than FOUR wives/girlfriends of employees (out of, oh, about fifteen) who are pursuing cosmetology degrees. Are they all going to cut each other's hair?
ReplyDeleteBoy do I agree whole heartedly on this one. The way to help solve this issue is to get the government out of the loan business. Make anyone who wants a student loan go to a bank and ask for a loan. Assuming the industry learns a lesson from the mortgage "crisis", I'd hope to hear conversations like these:
ReplyDelete"Mr. Jones, I see you want to be an engineer. Well there are not enough engineers and the pay is excellent. We'll give you this $50,000 loan at 5% and defer payments until you're done because we know engineering jobs pay well and it's highly likely you'll get a job."
"Mr. Smith, I see you want to get a degree in philosophy. Well, since you can't get a job with a philosophy degree and you'll likely end up working in the business world, why don't you get a degree in business. If you insist on philosophy, were only going to approve you for $20,000 and charge you 12% interest. The bank is nervous about getting paid back."
"Ms. Adams, I see you want to get a degree in Women's Studies. Get out of my office."
I was foolish enough to actually date a girl who majored in cosmetology, BUT NEVER GRADUATED!
ReplyDeleteThough intelligence was not her greatest...um..."asset."
Actually Mahan, you knew her!
Eric, I like your idea. It is akin to an idea I tried to pitch to banks, but they never bit.