[PenultimateManStanding]

The study of Art, History, Music, Philosophy, and Cultural matters in general is worthy and should not be disrespected in my opinion. But we're in bad times. So what gets thrown aside in bad times? The system is collapsing. Chemists and engineers won't fare any better when this plays out. Higher education will vanish and people will struggle to survive. It sucks, somebody give me a time machine. I should make that my tag line.

[WildRose]

One of the biggest problems I see with our NA education system is that it isn't practical. There are a lot of filler courses, from the elementary level up to college. These are designed to keep school interesting, but kids graduate from high school and have poor writing skills. I really think that most kids, if they stayed home with conscientious parents who would teach them all kinds of practical skills, would grow up knowing how to do a lot more and would have much more confidence. Of course, this wouldn't work for all kids because some parents would just sit them in front of the TV for hours on end and they might be better off in school. Not only that, but parents these days are run off their feet just paying the bills and many of them couldn't even stay at home. But I agree with Revi, and also with TWilliams' posts in other threads, that education is designed to help kids fit into our dysfunctional society, and that says a lot.

One thing I really wish schools could do better is help kids figure out what direction they'd like to go in when they're finished high school. So many kids don't have a clue. I hear that so often from parents, their son or daughter has no idea what program to go into and no idea about the diversity in career options.

I believe government RESPs are a scam. If you don't do everything exactly to the letter (your kid has to take a four-year program, can only take one year off after high school, and all the paper work and red tape), you're better off saving your money yourself and ultimately having the control of it.

[bodigami]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Revi', 'C')ollege is ok, if you go to the state university, or have some huge scholarship. You have to keep the loans down. I paid off the loan, finally, but every time I paid the check I put down: another payment on the loan that never ends. Then one day it ended. I consider it the best investment I ever made. They can't take it away like other assets if you get sick.

You can still shovel manure with a master's degree. I mean that literally and figuratively. Who knows? I might even get another degree, and really be an educated fool.

[Benzin]

The deal with college is people need to realize that it's not for everyone. Many are clearly not college material but they're allowed in regardless because money talks.

[Twilight]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('Benzin', 'T')he deal with college is people need to realize that it's not for everyone. Many are clearly not college material but they're allowed in regardless because money talks.

[vision-master]

[align=center]People say I'm no-good,
And crazy as a loon.
I get stoned in the morning,
I get drunk in the afternoon.
Kinda like my old blue tick hound,
I like to lay around in the shade,
An', I ain't got no money,
But I damn sure got it made.

'Cos I ain't askin' nobody for nothin',
If I can't get it on my own.
If you don't like the way I'm livin',
You just leave this long-haired country boy alone.

Preacher man talkin' on the TV,
He's a-puttin' down the rock 'n' roll.
He wants me to send a donation,'Cos he's worried about my soul.
He said: "Jesus walked on the water,"And I know that is true,
But sometimes I think that preacher man,
Would like to do a little walkin', too.

But I ain't askin' nobody for nothin',
If I can't get it on my own.
You don't like the way I'm livin',
You just leave this long-haired country boy alone.

Instrumental Break.

A poor girl wants to marry, And a rich girl wants to flirt.
A rich man goes to college,And a poor man goes to work.
A drunkard wants another drink of wine,And a politician wants a vote.
I don't want much of nothin' at all,But I will take another toke.

'Cos I ain't askin' nobody for nothin',If I can't get it on my own.
If you don't like the way I'm livin',
You just leave this long-haired country boy alone.[/align]

[Novus]

I blame the rampant cornacopianism that we get spoon fed from age two for people racking up $100k college loans. We are always told no matter what that tomorrow will be better then yesterday. Only people with irrational optimism in the future take this kind of loan. Just like people getting in the tech bubble at the top in 1999 or buying a McMansion in exurbia in 2006 these students getting into these loans now will be the last fool in on the bottom of the Ponsi scheme.

All of society is beginning a great unwinding. Don't let the cornacopians fool you in throwing your money away. The message for survival in the future of no tomorrow is to stop spending, get out of the car, drop out, bug out, save, save, save and always expect things to work out worse than they appear.

[Pretorian]

$this->bbcode_second_pass_quote('grabby', ' ')They need a box boy at wallmart. You have a history degree? That will work fine.



.

[Nicholai]

Depends what you take in college. I do agree that students are pushed into college through fear mongering, I was. I'm only going to college to learn more about energy depletion but have to spend most of my day learning economic theory from 1770 that should have no legitimacy in 2007. The only reason I stay in college is because every friday we have a philosophy discussion at a gay bar and I get to get drunk with the rest of my peak oil friends.