People's stereotypes concerning education

Just wanted to share my thoughts, as a university student and a 19 year-old businesswoman.

It's really frightening how people stereotype that education is the most important thing for teenagers (at least in my country). There are a lot of cases where people that cannot afford high education fees force themselves to pay for their child's tuition, without even knowing their children's talents and passion. There are a lot of cases where smart students end up being unemployed because they were raised to study; but not trained to survive in social environment. There are also a lot of parents out there that force their child to study, without regards of their child's interests; and i'm actually a victim of this case.

Education is important, but it is merely a stepping stone for reaching something bigger. As someone that runs in business, i can say for sure that education is a type of investment. We need to realize that the most important thing is dreaming, setting small and large goals, and planning how we're going to reach them. Do not enter universities just for the title. Do not enter universities just because they accept your enrollment. Figure out your dream, so you set the path towards the future to your liking. If you think that your dream doesn't require higher education, then it's fine not to enroll. And i highly support you to do so.

HA! I've been saying for years that it's not about college, but finding what you are good at and doing that.

It depends. Some feel a university education is part of being well rounded and well educated whether it's directly used professionally or not. Some get scholarships and/or pay themselves. I know a few people with law degrees but who are in business or some other profession, same with some MBAs.

Perhaps in your mind or a very tight economy the only reason to attend university is for a job? Do you mean undergraduate degrees or graduate degrees or 2 yr career focused degrees? If you call yourself "a businesswoman" why are you still in school according to this strange logic? Why worry about others?

Im a univ student and young enterpreneur. i have narsicist personality disorder.

The thing (at least in my country) is that very few people have interests on which they will build up their knowledge,and then utilize it in their business life.

So colleges are mostly to train,not to teach people. And it happens that you have somebody that studied things like food technician (I cannot translate this in good way,but basically person that should research food safety etc.) that says that meat will cook sooner on mount everest,and when you ask them whether meat cooks because of heat or because of physical boiling of water,they get confused. But they were trained so they could be "useful idiots".

Then again, colleges are great to point you in right direction and person with good interests can really benefit from it. But it also happens that such people either dont get a chance or they fail at engineering due to some gender subject that they put in just to higher the points.

Level of education is not the most important,but it is a good pointer.

Dreams are cool and all but we also have to be realistic with ourselves.

Dreams are cool and all but we also have to be realistic with ourselves.

This. My biggest passion is something that I couldn't make a feasible living off of, even if trying really hard. Even my professor who taught me (1 person class, it was just me) was struggling big time. I didn't want that to be my life so I chose something else and I do my passion in my free time.

There are some professions where it is fundamental to go to university, so I guess it's more a case-by-case issue.

This. My biggest passion is something that I couldn't make a feasible living off of, even if trying really hard. Even my professor who taught me (1 person class, it was just me) was struggling big time. I didn't want that to be my life so I chose something else and I do my passion in my free time.

same thing with my friend who did art therapy. She loved it but when cuts were made, she was the first to be laid off. She went back to school and now she is some kind of counselor . loves her job but not her passion.

What country are you from Stella? That might give more context.

same thing with my friend who did art therapy. She loved it but when cuts were made, she was the first to be laid off. She went back to school and now she is some kind of counselor . loves her job but not her passion.

My true passion is classical languages. Not history, just the languages. I'm "fluent" in one (I hate to say fluent because it's not spoken, prefer "expert level proficiency") and still a student in the other. I have more than 12 years of consistent study under my belt.

My degree is a STEM one. I work in healthcare now. I love my passion but I am not going to give up food, healthcare, and a decent living space to pursue it.

As said, it's case by case. I dropped out of university and ended up with a great career. That said, I can't pretend that it's a recipe for success for everyone, or even a sizable number of people. I tend to oppose both extremes that either knock university as a whole or believe it's the only way and have gotten into some pretty heated arguments with both kinds of folks in the past.

The big thing is you do you, and educate yourself on the practical applications of any degree you'd seek out. It's a bigger deal in the US given the huge expense a secondary education most often is. I would discourage anyone who isn't motivated to go to college or who's even on the fence about it not to drop tens of thousands of dollars and years of time into it and risk a boatload of Fs and/or Ws. If you're excited and want to go, then by all means, pursue your academic dreams.

As someone else also mentioned, it's country-dependent. If you've got state subsidized education, I'd say you've got nothing to lose giving it a shot. But, again, here in the US, it can be expensive depending on your level of support and your opportunities. The financial impact of student loans has in many ways surpassed the concerns and detriments of the subprime mortgage crisis, so it's definitely a financial decision to be taken seriously.

I couldn't afford college, and while my standardized test scores were extremely high, I was severely depressed in junior high and high school, and I never really tried that hard. I never studied or took homework home. Also, the social aspect seriously screwed me up. There was a class where we spent two quarters doing regular classwork, and two quarters doing group projects. They were staggered--regular, group, regular, group. My grades went A+, C-, A+, C-. As I got closer to graduation, my guidance counselors tried to get me interested in college (because of my test scores), encouraging me to get my grades up...but more school sounded horrible, to me. I just wanted to get away from people. And that's what I've done ever since.

As a result, I don't make that much, but I've never been in debt, either. Most of the women that I've been involved with have serious student debt, and it's greatly screwed up their lives. I don't spend much on non-essential things, so I've been able to build up a decent amount of savings over the last eighteen years.

Let's distinguish between schooling and education.

Let's realize that when systems mention education as the most important thing, it is not in the same category as dreams, self-actualization etc so comparing the two could end up in finding fault with apples because they are not oranges.

And while we are recommending people not to enroll anywhere just for the title, let's not pretend that we would definitely reject a free title given to us by Harvard or Oxford just for the fun of it. (Actually, in my experience, it is usually business people who pay thousands of dollars to online courses in strange places just to add a phD to their title after a certain point in their career and MBAs or Business Schools are unnecessarily expensive although not as challenging as other academic departments.)

But yeah, you are right, not everyone needs to go to a university - however, especially in countries where returning to the system at a mature age is not easy or is nearly impossible, not encouraging children to get the best of schooling when they still can would be very unfair to many children. I tend to think that other factors such as "class" are at play here, too, though.

There are some professions where it is fundamental to go to university, so I guess it's more a case-by-case issue.

Yes, i agree 100%. And that's what i've been pointing out.

I don't think it's wise to just chase dreams.

Thank you for sharing your thoughts and responses. I guess i was just complaining that the reality doesn't mean ideal world.

What country are you from Stella? That might give more context.

I'm from indonesia. The thing is, i tried to drop out of college, since i already have a steady income. The average pay of an indonesian teacher (i'm an english education student) is $300 not including side income, as well as the average office worker. But it'll take years to become a full-time teacher. In average, it takes 4 years after collage graduation to become a full-timer. That's why i don't see any point in continuing college when i've achieved the standard income. But the people around me see me as a failure, my parents think that i'm an embarrassment (for only being a high-school graduate). And i think that my case is not the only one, a lot of people i know suffer the same judgment from society, forcing them to at least get a bachelor degree.

I spent 5 years at University and 1.5 at vocational college; I have a degree and a diploma. I was made redundant in 2012 and then struggled to find a job I liked.

My dream was always to start my own business; I did last year in an area completely unrelated to my 'real' career; and today I haven't been happier!

Do I regret going to Uni? not at all. Education and employment has given me the skills to do business better.

I spent 5 years at University and 1.5 at vocational college; I have a degree and a diploma. I was made redundant in 2012 and then struggled to find a job I liked.

 

My dream was always to start my own business; I did last year in an area completely unrelated to my 'real' career; and today I haven't been happier!

 

Do I regret going to Uni? not at all. Education and employment has given me the skills to do business better.

Great job! It's the biggest accomplishment when you do what you like and make a living out of it.

Business is great, you can get money while sitting your ass off in a chair most of the time. It's starting it that's totally hard. I also have a side job; singing at caffes. Everything that i do is everything that i love.

I also don't regret going to uni, but only because it broaden my social links and it's fun. But i don't see any need for me to actually attend college, i mean,i'm 19 and i can buy my own motorcycles and house furnitures, and i still have a lot to save.

I agree education is a stepping stone, a tool, an investment. And like any of those things, it is HOW you choose it and use it that affects where you go in life. Self awareness is important as well as a view toward what opportunities that education might offer, what choices and options come from the particular stepping stone you choose. Not all education is equal (just as not all stepping stones, tools, and investments are equal) and any education is part of a bigger picture.

I'm from indonesia. The thing is, i tried to drop out of college, since i already have a steady income. The average pay of an indonesian teacher (i'm an english education student) is $300 not including side income, as well as the average office worker. But it'll take years to become a full-time teacher. In average, it takes 4 years after collage graduation to become a full-timer. That's why i don't see any point in continuing college when i've achieved the standard income. But the people around me see me as a failure, my parents think that i'm an embarrassment (for only being a high-school graduate). And i think that my case is not the only one, a lot of people i know suffer the same judgment from society, forcing them to at least get a bachelor degree.

If you stayed in your current job, but your employer closed, would you have the skills to get another job? Would the skills be up to date? As far as the attitude of that you don't want to be a teacher because you won't make more money is a matter of vocation vs avocation. At the end of the day, when you come home from work, would you feel more fulfilled coming home at night as a teacher, having helped other people learn, or are you content filing papers, answering a phone, or pushing a lever on a machine because you don't have to think about it? Also, if you were a teacher, could you teach at a higher level or better school and make more money? Or is everything about money and as long as you make an average wage, that is all you care about?

Sometimes when you start college, if you have never really finished anything, there is accomplishment in sticking it out and completing something.

I don't advocate dropping out of college for people, but I do advocate starting with a 2 year program, an apprenticeship, a professional certificate program to give you some training in something - and then when you are at where you are at, decide whether you want to go further in schooling. But you have a sense of finishing something.

My guy has a lot more opportunities in front of him for having completed a 2 year degree than I do having almost 3 years in but not finishing a degree. I do not have the certificate of completion, a diploma, or a certification in my hands to back up experience. That is if I want to go into a field or an employer that requires a degree.

If you stayed in your current job, but your employer closed, would you have the skills to get another job? Would the skills be up to date? As far as the attitude of that you don't want to be a teacher because you won't make more money is a matter of vocation vs avocation. At the end of the day, when you come home from work, would you feel more fulfilled coming home at night as a teacher, having helped other people learn, or are you content filing papers, answering a phone, or pushing a lever on a machine because you don't have to think about it? Also, if you were a teacher, could you teach at a higher level or better school and make more money? Or is everything about money and as long as you make an average wage, that is all you care about?

 

Sometimes when you start college, if you have never really finished anything, there is accomplishment in sticking it out and completing something.

 

I don't advocate dropping out of college for people, but I do advocate starting with a 2 year program, an apprenticeship, a professional certificate program to give you some training in something - and then when you are at where you are at, decide whether you want to go further in schooling. But you have a sense of finishing something.

 

My guy has a lot more opportunities in front of him for having completed a 2 year degree than I do having almost 3 years in but not finishing a degree. I do not have the certificate of completion, a diploma, or a certification in my hands to back up experience. That is if I want to go into a field or an employer that requires a degree.

I kinda agree now that not everyone shouldn't just go for dreams without backup plans. Sorry, i was just complaining. But it does work for me. And i'm the employer, not employee. And also luckily, i kinda have a lot of skills so i do think that even if my business go bad i'd have no problem looking for jobs (i got a lot of job offers, mainly from friends though). And for the time being, i'm doing ok and i'll continue my study "just in case". And at least it'll make my parents and friends happy. But no, i still don't want to be a teacher and teaching in higher degrees means that i need further studies. I don't regret going into collage, it's a lot of fun and it provides me with better social environment. It's just that, to be honest, college is more stressful than my actual job and sometimes when i'm busy with my work, i still have to do my assignment so i think that it's can be quite ineffective. That's why i'm taking college slowly, make sure i have time for work, having fun and rest.

And i just realized that i actually study a lot, and that's where the skills came from. I just didn't realize i was actually studying because the things that i study are my hobbies. Such as music.

Btw, about the money thing. Yes, money matters a LOT to me. There are a lot of things i want to buy and a lot of places i want to go. I don't believe that happiness needs money but it sure does help boost my happiness. For example, i can buy my friends food! Haha that's a good feeling, seriously. But, my view is not that a better wage means better job. I chose business because i can earn money while doing nothing (if i leave it as is. Though i of course i still work hard developing my business so i don't stay in the same place my whole life). Sure, i worked really hard and i got stressed a lot in the first year. But, business is really fun and challenging.

I agree with you, unfortunately nobody teaches us this and we end up lost or "too late"

it's tough...

i think it's worthwhile to examine where you're headed though. to weigh...to sit...to consider...to dream. if we're blindly following a path, then we're missing the point, i think. there are many ways to fulfillment in this world (you might say, billions)...and no one can tell you exactly what your path will look like...or what it should look like.

you can cross all your 't's' and dot all your 'i's'...and you still might --will, definitely!-- fall on your face; but...when you do this whilst following your own heart, there's a satisfaction in failure there that is impossible to feel when you've been chasing someone else's dream. to fail at someone else's dream is so bitter...because somewhere deep inside you realize that you've been wasting your most precious gift.

this is a tough world we live in. we need to balance our own dreams with our collective responsibilities. we've been bred into a society that values economic growth over the well-being of its citizens...and as such...we're captives. we need to function as a part of the greater whole...and sometimes that means sacrifice to something we don't necessarily believe in, or value. i think the trick is not to lose yourself in that. and i think that that's possible through reflection...and contemplation. without that reflection, you may wake up one morning in twenty years and realize that you've been a drone in a dream you never wanted to dream.

then again...perhaps that's your path. who can say. maybe we're meant to be drones...part of a collective hive (are bee hives really this dysfunctional?).

what was it Mary Oliver said...?

''Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?"

and...Lao Tzu...

''Fill your bowl to the brim

and it will spill.

Keep sharpening your knife

and it will blunt.

Chase after money and security

and your heart will never unclench.

Care about people's approval

and you will be their prisoner.

Do your work, then step back.

The only path to serenity.''

just words. just words. something to chew on.