4 ms·

Why Are So Many Gen Z’ers Deciding to Skip College?

4 points by pg_1234 3y ago

notsurenymore 3y ago
I skipped it but I seriously regret it now. The work available to the uneducated is pretty sad. Even when I was still doing dev work, my career had a very different trajectory than friends of mine who went to school, mostly thanks to the opportunities provided more than the education itself.
syndicatedjelly 3y ago
I feel bad for kids who listened to the surface level advice millennials spouted about "college is a waste of time and money". The truth of that statement is a lot more nuanced. 1) Expensive colleges MUST be approached from a cost-benefit analysis perspective, much like any expensive investment in life. It's rarely the case that going out-of-state to pursue a degree with poor career prospects makes for a good life. 2) Higher education is about learning and refining a particular way of viewing the world. Engineers look at how they can construct a new world, scientists seek the truth of the world, philosophers seek to extend human thought, etc. Many people who are heavily invested in their discipline believe everyone should view the world the way they do (engineers are famous for this arrogance). 3) Learning about a new world view has nothing to do with making money. A well-honed mind is a reward in and of itself. 4) It's an unfortunate truth that one must earn money in order to survive in our capitalist society. Rather than run away from that truth, it's better to realize the individual can mold that system much more easily when they learn the rules. Higher education in higher demand fields tends to result in higher wages and easier-to-find jobs
gibbitz 3y ago
I think we should allow defaults on student loans and remove guarantees. This would drive students to earn the loans by proving themselves as a minimal risk to lenders and allows those students who fail an escape from collections. I have an advanced degree in fine art that cost me ~70k. I come from the midwest and made traditional prints. Risk-wise that's like going to the bank for a million dollar loan to buy a shack in a flood zone. Sure I should have known better, but I was a 20yo kid at the time. Being declined the loan would have forced me to have perspective. I'll be paying that loan until I'm 76. I became a software developer specifically so I could afford to pay the monthly $500 bills. I haven't made a print in 20 years.

4 points by pg_1234 3y ago

I skipped it but I seriously regret it now. The work available to the uneducated is pretty sad. Even when I was still doing dev work, my career had a very different trajectory than friends of mine who went to school, mostly thanks to the opportunities provided more than the education itself.

syndicatedjelly 3y ago

I feel bad for kids who listened to the surface level advice millennials spouted about "college is a waste of time and money". The truth of that statement is a lot more nuanced. 1) Expensive colleges MUST be approached from a cost-benefit analysis perspective, much like any expensive investment in life. It's rarely the case that going out-of-state to pursue a degree with poor career prospects makes for a good life. 2) Higher education is about learning and refining a particular way of viewing the world. Engineers look at how they can construct a new world, scientists seek the truth of the world, philosophers seek to extend human thought, etc. Many people who are heavily invested in their discipline believe everyone should view the world the way they do (engineers are famous for this arrogance). 3) Learning about a new world view has nothing to do with making money. A well-honed mind is a reward in and of itself. 4) It's an unfortunate truth that one must earn money in order to survive in our capitalist society. Rather than run away from that truth, it's better to realize the individual can mold that system much more easily when they learn the rules. Higher education in higher demand fields tends to result in higher wages and easier-to-find jobs

gibbitz 3y ago

I think we should allow defaults on student loans and remove guarantees. This would drive students to earn the loans by proving themselves as a minimal risk to lenders and allows those students who fail an escape from collections. I have an advanced degree in fine art that cost me ~70k. I come from the midwest and made traditional prints. Risk-wise that's like going to the bank for a million dollar loan to buy a shack in a flood zone. Sure I should have known better, but I was a 20yo kid at the time. Being declined the loan would have forced me to have perspective. I'll be paying that loan until I'm 76. I became a software developer specifically so I could afford to pay the monthly $500 bills. I haven't made a print in 20 years.