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I'm a dual citizen. The European model is wonderful, but there are also some things to be careful of here - the authors article is basically a story of her own

I'm a dual citizen. The European model is wonderful, but there are also some things to be careful of here - the authors article is basically a story of her own experience - with some key facts omitted. The author never discusses the degree they got for all this expensive private education! That is critical point. She doesn't discuss what her own parents suggestions beyond her father correctly pointing out the idiocy of these loans! I find it hard to believe they pushed for a degree that gets you an office job at $20K? That makes no sense if you know working class or first gen immigrant families. The only angle here is the big bad system doing her in. Seriously working class parents are generally focused on solid white collar jobs. Ie, nurse, accounting, construction management up to doctor. First generation immigrant families - even more intense in this area Even a masters in something boring like accounting or nursing (blue collar white collar jobs) pays way better - you should expect $100K within a few years accounting side and RN's can easily do $74/hr - which is reasonable. You'd be starting at 40 - $50/hr. In European system, much of education is free, but access to courses depends on your performance in high school. The germans here will know of the "Abitur", high school graduation and university entrance degree all rolled into one. And for selective (high cost to state) upper education - the bar is not low to get into programs! The European model also has a lot more vocational training and its not looked down on as it is here. So it's a different model. I went to private school -> and picked the one that gave me those most financial aid by far! I ALSO applied to state universities. For those who thing the University of Michigan, University of California, University of Virginia etc isn't "good enough" for them - get a grip. School is what YOU make of it most of the time and sometime I wish I'd gone to a state university

evoloution 8y ago
You are missing the point of how strongly people in US still believe that you can achieve the American Dream if you choose whatever field, just work hard and are good to your job. Most Americans are not consciously aware of the class system that exists in contrast to most Europeans and other foreigners. There is also a disproportionately higher percentage of people that seek true satisfaction from their jobs (live to work) than seeing it as a job (work to live). It is not even PC to say that your parents are working class or you are 1st generation immigrant so I advise you to become a nurse, doctor or a plumber. In addition, as history has shown again and again people can and will do poor or risky financial decisions if given the opportunity across the whole spectrum (e.g. from payday loans to very expensive underperforming actively managed funds with huge fees). For a financial institution it may make sense to have 11% interest rate and a 20% chance that people will default before paying at least the principal but these interest rates make life unbearable for the people who have them and is detrimental for the society. Finally people would probably make better decisions if they had an advisor like you but truth is that most people that come from low socioeconomic status either cannot imagine their selves being for example doctors (they even don't know anyone, an uncle or a family friend) and they have no access to advisors like you from their environment.
- privateSFacct 8y ago
  I agree - for profit colleges in particular seem to prey on this. For example, we had like 3-4 chef schools nearby - 100K in tuition?!? That is a totally false dream, those "degrees" do not get you anywhere! But my point though was - the article left out what HAD to have been some feedback from parents AND what her degree was. How we can read this whole article without some context about her degree. It's not that someone else would say your first gen so do a practical degree, I'm saying that a first gen immigrant family - they are talking at the family level about this. And practical degree can mean doctor, it can mean computer programmer - so it's still shoot for the moon. But these are degrees with big and growing markets.

evoloution 8y ago

You are missing the point of how strongly people in US still believe that you can achieve the American Dream if you choose whatever field, just work hard and are good to your job. Most Americans are not consciously aware of the class system that exists in contrast to most Europeans and other foreigners. There is also a disproportionately higher percentage of people that seek true satisfaction from their jobs (live to work) than seeing it as a job (work to live). It is not even PC to say that your parents are working class or you are 1st generation immigrant so I advise you to become a nurse, doctor or a plumber. In addition, as history has shown again and again people can and will do poor or risky financial decisions if given the opportunity across the whole spectrum (e.g. from payday loans to very expensive underperforming actively managed funds with huge fees). For a financial institution it may make sense to have 11% interest rate and a 20% chance that people will default before paying at least the principal but these interest rates make life unbearable for the people who have them and is detrimental for the society. Finally people would probably make better decisions if they had an advisor like you but truth is that most people that come from low socioeconomic status either cannot imagine their selves being for example doctors (they even don't know anyone, an uncle or a family friend) and they have no access to advisors like you from their environment.

privateSFacct 8y ago
I agree - for profit colleges in particular seem to prey on this. For example, we had like 3-4 chef schools nearby - 100K in tuition?!? That is a totally false dream, those "degrees" do not get you anywhere! But my point though was - the article left out what HAD to have been some feedback from parents AND what her degree was. How we can read this whole article without some context about her degree. It's not that someone else would say your first gen so do a practical degree, I'm saying that a first gen immigrant family - they are talking at the family level about this. And practical degree can mean doctor, it can mean computer programmer - so it's still shoot for the moon. But these are degrees with big and growing markets.