Of College

When I was an undergrad, twenty something years ago, things were slightly different than they are today.  For one thing it seems that even the mid tier schools had much higher standards of educational excellence.  Not everybody could get in.  Not everybody could stay in.  You were expected to take a work load that would get you a degree in about 4 years.  That doesn't mean that some people didn't go longer, sometimes you couldn't get a class you needed due to scheduling conflicts, or maybe you changed majors.  Another difference I experienced was the concept of "Liberal Arts" education.  What that involved, was a belief that a well educated person would have a wide appreciation for various intellectual topics and would be able to apply them to "the big picture". 

I took to the "well rounded" educational concept like a fish takes to water.  I loved it.  It was easy.  For me, learning about a wide variety of topics was enjoyable.  I happen to be the sort of person who see's "the big picture" naturally.  I also had the responsibility of paying for my own education, so I was focused on the 4 years and out plan.  I also worked 40 hours a week throughout most of my college days, the exception being one semester where I took 24 credit hours. 

As a parent I want my kids to turn out great.  I want them to have good relationships, build a good life, have fulfilling careers and families.  To achieve that we are home schooling.  We are also saving money for college.  Both my wife and I are college educated people.  I have a masters degree and my wife has advanced professional credentials beyond her bachelors.  So its from that background that I'm beginning to see that the traditional college path might not be worth it.

How bad of a deal is American college and the student loan industry when Al-Jazeera runs an op-ed piece detailing recent propaganda to keep propagating the system?  They even named the piece "The College-Cost Denial Industry".

It's one thing for an old hillbilly to sit on his back porch and tell you that he didn't need an education to get rich and have a good life.  After all he inherited a farm with lots of oil under it.  All you need is 800 acres, wells on 5 acre spacing that produce 240 bbls a day and $100 per barrel at the wellhead on a 40% owners share and you too can be a millionaire inside of  10 months.  Heck ya don't need no book learn'n to have that!  It's another thing when educated people are examining the cost and benefits and coming to the conclusion, that except for a handful of schools and majors, a college education doesn't necessarily pay.

What's blowing my mind right now is that Al-Jazeera is blowing the whistle on American College and Student Loans.  Al-Jazeera isn't known for being a patriotic American cheerleader.  They are a media source that serves a population that is anti-traditional American values.  What could their motivation be?  Do they want to steer their constituents away from making a major life mistake?  Is this some form of black propaganda designed to negatively effect America by under educating a generation of young people?  Is the situation more diabolical than that?  Could it be that the modern American college experience, the degree and the student loan debt, is such a bad deal that even our enemies look at it and wonder how we could be so stupid?