The problem is that the job market is a shifting target; the profession you were assured would set you up for life eight years ago when you decided to spend all that college money may be overstocked by the time you get that advanced degree. (And do we really want a civilization where only the rich are able to pursue liberal arts educations?)
Actually college graduates have no problem getting jobs. Their unemployment rate is only 2.5%, about half of the overall rate and less than a third of the high school dropout rate.
In freshman orientation (many years ago!), we were told that what we learned was likely to be obsolete in ten years,and that it was much more important to learn how to learn. My experience in the 50+years since then has borne this out. The field I am still involved in today did not even exist at the time I graduated.
There are far too many companies that require a bachelor’s degree for entry level jobs. Some (not enough) will say “or equivalent” so people that have been working for many years with varied experience will be considered. Many comments here point out that college shows an ability to learn, which the “equivalent” shows, along with real world knowledge of working in teams and with a variety of people. Over the years I worked with a lot of people that had a BA in things like “landscape management” (wanted to work in National Parks) that ended up in something completely different.
Lonecat, I am reading a book, Soldiers and Ghosts (nonfiction) which deals with the histories of the Greek and Roman military. I was amazed to find out the vastly lingering influence of The Illiad on how the Greeks conducted their wars.
The book (which I am still slogging through) is about the evolution of military tactics in Greece (and then Macedon) and the evolution through the Roman Republic and then Empire. I’ve just begun the chapter about Julius Caesar. It turns out that there are big gaps in our knowledge of Roman weapons and tactics. For example the chapter before the one on Caesar is about the defeat of King Perseus of Macedon in 168 BC. In the next 110 years there were something like 90 significant battles, about which we know little.
Which reminds me of a book I read last year, “Queen Victoria’s Little Wars” and the man wars fought in her reign. And now the US has been been taking part in one war after another for the last 76 years.
SKJAM! Premium Member almost 7 years ago
The problem is that the job market is a shifting target; the profession you were assured would set you up for life eight years ago when you decided to spend all that college money may be overstocked by the time you get that advanced degree. (And do we really want a civilization where only the rich are able to pursue liberal arts educations?)
Zen-of-Zinfandel almost 7 years ago
Oceanography?
twclix almost 7 years ago
Actually college graduates have no problem getting jobs. Their unemployment rate is only 2.5%, about half of the overall rate and less than a third of the high school dropout rate.
https://www.bls.gov/opub/ted/2017/unemployment-rate-2-point-5-percent-for-college-grads-7-point-7-percent-for-high-school-dropouts-january-2017.htm
martens almost 7 years ago
In freshman orientation (many years ago!), we were told that what we learned was likely to be obsolete in ten years,and that it was much more important to learn how to learn. My experience in the 50+years since then has borne this out. The field I am still involved in today did not even exist at the time I graduated.
Nantucket Premium Member almost 7 years ago
There are far too many companies that require a bachelor’s degree for entry level jobs. Some (not enough) will say “or equivalent” so people that have been working for many years with varied experience will be considered. Many comments here point out that college shows an ability to learn, which the “equivalent” shows, along with real world knowledge of working in teams and with a variety of people. Over the years I worked with a lot of people that had a BA in things like “landscape management” (wanted to work in National Parks) that ended up in something completely different.
lonecat almost 7 years ago
For some reason, we are still reading stories and plays and poems by Homer and Vergil and Dante and Shakespeare.
Baslim the Beggar Premium Member almost 7 years ago
Lonecat, I am reading a book, Soldiers and Ghosts (nonfiction) which deals with the histories of the Greek and Roman military. I was amazed to find out the vastly lingering influence of The Illiad on how the Greeks conducted their wars.
The book (which I am still slogging through) is about the evolution of military tactics in Greece (and then Macedon) and the evolution through the Roman Republic and then Empire. I’ve just begun the chapter about Julius Caesar. It turns out that there are big gaps in our knowledge of Roman weapons and tactics. For example the chapter before the one on Caesar is about the defeat of King Perseus of Macedon in 168 BC. In the next 110 years there were something like 90 significant battles, about which we know little.
Which reminds me of a book I read last year, “Queen Victoria’s Little Wars” and the man wars fought in her reign. And now the US has been been taking part in one war after another for the last 76 years.
Nothing like living in the time of empire…
gammaguy almost 7 years ago
I hear there’s an opening in the FBI. The required qualifications are top secret.