“This class is sucks, I’m not learning anything.”
This sound familiar? Anyone who has been a victim (or willing participant) of the education system at any level has heard this line. Perhaps you even used it yourself. Over the years, it got me to think deeply about the purpose of the college education and the role that it plays in the real world. Why write about this now? Well, this summer I worked for a mid-size company in the technology space, a job that challenged my beliefs about why we so desperately desire that diploma-shaped receipt.
In the early days, I was that stereotypical, overachiever type. The one that’s involved in two sports, takes AP classes, and in high school student government. Every move I made and every breath I took (pardon the musical reference) was all towards the goal of making it to the eagerly anticipated and seemingly unreachable “university experience.” Now that I’m here and I look back at the last four years and I evaluate how I’ve changed and what I’ve learned, I see that my most profound perspective shift came from my summer job.
You see, both of my managers would actually be considered less educated than myself. Neither graduated college. In fact, one didn’t even finish high school. And yet, they are far more intelligent than most college educated professionals I’ve ever met. So what is the purpose of going to Harvard? Duke? Yale? USC? Or just about any other top tier University in this country if someone can do more without it? Maybe college isn’t necessary. One of the best questions I asked myself recently was “Does college educate the unintelligent? Or is it a place where the intelligent go to get educated?”
Yes, I did just open up a huge can of worms. This blog will hopefully start a journey into figuring out why exactly our culture has such a vested interest in education and what it actually does for the average person. Personally, education has taught me simply that education is a choice. Education is not a necessity, but rather a place for the socially well-adjusted and intelligent members of the population to pontificate on life’s great mysteries. All the while, some brilliant individuals are out there changing the world and making a living. To each man, his own journey. But instead of force-feeding society that education is necessary for success, we should first examine what defines success and how it means something different to each and every person. I will be posting about college drop-out success stories, the reality of college expenses and admissions, as well as other unique stories that put this entire discussion into perspective.
If you are reading this and skeptical, you are likely in college. If you are scared to read this, you have likely finished college. If you are excited to read this, you started your own business and skipped school completely. No matter which group you attribute yourself too, there is something in this blog for everyone. Stay tuned as I debunk the myths behind college and why we all spend our lives in search of education.
This sound familiar? Anyone who has been a victim (or willing participant) of the education system at any level has heard this line. Perhaps you even used it yourself. Over the years, it got me to think deeply about the purpose of the college education and the role that it plays in the real world. Why write about this now? Well, this summer I worked for a mid-size company in the technology space, a job that challenged my beliefs about why we so desperately desire that diploma-shaped receipt.
In the early days, I was that stereotypical, overachiever type. The one that’s involved in two sports, takes AP classes, and in high school student government. Every move I made and every breath I took (pardon the musical reference) was all towards the goal of making it to the eagerly anticipated and seemingly unreachable “university experience.” Now that I’m here and I look back at the last four years and I evaluate how I’ve changed and what I’ve learned, I see that my most profound perspective shift came from my summer job.
You see, both of my managers would actually be considered less educated than myself. Neither graduated college. In fact, one didn’t even finish high school. And yet, they are far more intelligent than most college educated professionals I’ve ever met. So what is the purpose of going to Harvard? Duke? Yale? USC? Or just about any other top tier University in this country if someone can do more without it? Maybe college isn’t necessary. One of the best questions I asked myself recently was “Does college educate the unintelligent? Or is it a place where the intelligent go to get educated?”
Yes, I did just open up a huge can of worms. This blog will hopefully start a journey into figuring out why exactly our culture has such a vested interest in education and what it actually does for the average person. Personally, education has taught me simply that education is a choice. Education is not a necessity, but rather a place for the socially well-adjusted and intelligent members of the population to pontificate on life’s great mysteries. All the while, some brilliant individuals are out there changing the world and making a living. To each man, his own journey. But instead of force-feeding society that education is necessary for success, we should first examine what defines success and how it means something different to each and every person. I will be posting about college drop-out success stories, the reality of college expenses and admissions, as well as other unique stories that put this entire discussion into perspective.
If you are reading this and skeptical, you are likely in college. If you are scared to read this, you have likely finished college. If you are excited to read this, you started your own business and skipped school completely. No matter which group you attribute yourself too, there is something in this blog for everyone. Stay tuned as I debunk the myths behind college and why we all spend our lives in search of education.
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