From a reader:
I heard about you on the Tom Leykis Show and I immediately picked up
your book! "Worthless" was the most valuable investment I ever made!Now I
don't have to fear ending up like my Leftist sister who graduated with
an Anthropology degree & now drowning in debt with no job! I am also
obsessed with your YouTube videos and I agree with you on virtually all
of your topics! You are one of my 4 biggest role models along with Tom
Leykis, Adam Carolla, and Dennis Prager. I'd be thrilled if I could stay
in touch you & write to your advice every once in a while. Thanks!
-Brice in California
I appreciate Brice's e-mail, but it also reminded me of a little story I need to share.
I was at the Orlando International Airport waiting on standby. Since my plane wasn't going to be coming in for a while, I was looking for one of the coveted electrical outlets to plug my phone and computer into. As I scoured the area I walked past a young lady who I believe to be a janitor or baggage person. She was talking to another co-worker and I caught a segment of the conversation:
"I know it doesn't pay well, but I getting my degree in Anthropology. You have to follow your dreams."
I wanted to rip her a new one, telling her to stop being so idiotic and naive. That she was never going to achieve anything of note or worth, that there were a billion naive young 20 somethings just like her, and that this lousy job she had was going to be the only job she could get, even after completing college.
Of course, this would have been impolite and probably land me in trouble. So instead I walked up to her and asked:
"Excuse me, do you know where there are any electrical outlets?"
She said, "Yes, there's one down the hallway on the left."
I figured it was the anthropology major's equivalent of "Do you want fries with that?"
Regardless, look, don't have your child grow up to become the janitor at the airport with $75,000 in student debt.
Just have your child grow up to become the janitor.
Not everybody has to go to college and you only hurt your children pushing them into a worthless major that they're not going to use. There's nothing wrong with being a janitor or a baggage guy.
There IS something wrong being financially crippled because you or your parents were a moron and you ended up majoring in crap.
10 comments:
I think I dodge a bullet by escaping from college with only about $9k of debt. Of course, this is 20 years ago before the current bloat of administrator and useless 'studies'.
Although my major is in STEM (Computer Engineering), it doesn't really directly contribute to my employment.
young girls seem to be attracted to Marine Biology so they can "work with dolphins".
As they say, "it's good work if you can get it".
In the near future, college degrees will become worthless. The jobs of the future will not require them. The current higher education bubble will burst soon. There is no reason to require every young person to prove they are hire-worthy by indenturing themselves to the system for 4-6-8 years.
Indeed, I believe the new paradigm will be, anyone can learn anything they want, for free. Online learning will make this happen.
It's even more irksome when you try to explain this stuff to people majoring in worthless bullshit already and they can easily look up the data for themselves, but continue to be stupid. I don't get that at all.
I'm reminded of all the old time admonishments from our parents and grandparents generations, the warnings to study hard and stop lazing about. "Do you want to grow up to be a ditch digger?!"
Funny, ditch digging probably commands a higher salary than anthropology-ing. Particularly when you consider how much dirty 'manual' labor is done with heavy equipment requiring skill and brains to operate. Hell, some of those guys are riding around in air conditioned cabs all day. And in some places, the need for skilled and experienced grunt labor means a lowly ditch digger can make an obscene salary, certainly compared to anyone with 4+ years of 'education'.
Office Space said it best: "I'm outdoors, I'm making bucks, fucking A"
Religious people have to give up the dream of having influence over those who do not share their beliefs.
my little Sis went to CC for pastry baking. got picked up by a major bakery in NO. now she's on to being a Rep for various cooking companies in the city.
2 years of school, my step ftaer paid $10k.
My advice: Find an education that also has criminal applications.
I'd consider crime LONG before flying a cash register to pay off student debt.
"ditch digging probably commands a higher salary than anthropology-ing"
Without a doubt. "Typical" HE operator will pull in around 60K +/year (and can go quite a bit higher if specialized ditches...)
whilst an Anthropologist, with PhD will have a tough time cracking 50K.
Certainly, one can make a living at either - where today's society goes full retard is in assigning some level of prestige to the digging of bones over the digging of waterways; this is a bad sign for this civilization.
"Just have your child grow up to become the janitor."
What monstrous parent is that ? If your child is going to be a janitor then don't breed.
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