Thread: The Game of School

Allow me to admit this, I don't know much.

It seems the more I learn, the less I really know. There's just seems to be more questions arising from acquired knowledge.

There. Honesty clears the path.

Here's my question:

Uncollege.

Opinions??

I actually agree with the whole premise even though I have many degrees and am working on more. Some people do not need a degree to have a successful and productive life. There are a number of occupations, sales for instance, that require little education and yet offer the potential of making huge sums of money.

In many cases, however, a degree is the key to get in the door of many rewarding jobs. Without a degree, they will not even look at you. I would suggest that an individual earn a degree and then follow their dreams, even if they are unrelated to that degree.

This idea is dangerous in another way. I can foresee many lazy young people taking this movement to heart because they do not want to go through the tremendous effort required to earn a degree. I expect that there will be many who use this concept as and excuse to cop out and may very well, as the author states, end up in their parent's basement eating jello shots.

I agree in this aspect that they state on the webiste: We believe that college is not for everyone.

Kudos to you for at least trying to figure it out before you spend $85K on a degree in Bitterness Studies from some SWPL University.

Originally Posted by 03310151

I agree in this aspect that they state on the webiste: We believe that college is not for everyone.

Kudos to you for at least trying to figure it out before you spend $85K on a degree in Bitterness Studies from some SWPL University.

Actually, I find myself along life's roadmap somewhat further from the starting point than I like to admit. My eldest child however is a senior in high school. My research along these lines is to aid her in making wise choices.

They make sense, but in a credentialist society there are disadvantages to marching to the beat of a different drummer.

Originally Posted by SurfDoctor

I actually agree with the whole premise even though I have many degrees and am working on more. Some people do not need a degree to have a successful and productive life. There are a number of occupations, sales for instance, that require little education and yet offer the potential of making huge sums of money.

Like I always say, you can not expect education from a classroom, you have to expect it from yourself.

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Originally Posted by SteveFoerster

They make sense, but in a credentialist society there are disadvantages to marching to the beat of a different drummer.

Yep, and indeed, the proud self-proclaimed autodidacts like myself often cave to the expectations of society and, again like myself, just get the dang degree they keep clamoring for.

Originally Posted by farmboy

Allow me to admit this, I don't know much.

It seems the more I learn, the less I really know. There's just seems to be more questions arising from acquired knowledge.

There. Honesty clears the path.

Here's my question:

Uncollege.

Opinions??

My 17yo son, asks me why he must learn "x" since it has nothing to do with his "future job" blah blah. It's very simple. "The path" you talk about at Uncollege also misses the point, and if one believes that college is the only path to a vocation, then you're going to be sadly disappointed as you hold your BA in liberal arts.

College is an inclined journey, marked by 120 mini barriers. The incline isn't huge, most people make it 1 year, 2 years.... Every now and again, the barrier is too high, and people stop. The purpose of the 4 year long incline is to demonstrate endurance. The purpose of the barrier walls are to demonstrate that you have the ability to jump them, no matter what they are. Doctors don't use calculus, but people who can pass calculus make better doctors. Managers don't use chemistry, but the kind of people who can pass chemistry make better managers. Engineers don't use art history , but the kind of people who can (also) pass art history make better engineers . The "kind" of people who finish are the "kind" of people who get a credential, and the "kind" of people with that credential are in another category. Degree holders- learners- completers- doers- choose your adjective.

It doesn't make them smart or wise. It makes them credentialed, and it's one way - not the only way- but one way of weeding from the others. The others, are people who may be all of the same things, but they can't document it. They have no proof. They have no credential.

Since your website opens with debt statistics, you'll be glad you found this website. The resourceful and bright people in this community have found ways to jump barriers and shorten the path. So, sometimes you just to think smarter, not harder. Use the "game of school" to learn the rules, then beat them at their own game.

That's my two cents.

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Originally Posted by SteveFoerster

They make sense, but in a credentialist society there are disadvantages to marching to the beat of a different drummer.

Steve Kemp of Antioch School of the Bible and Church Planting calls the degree "Cultural Currency". This term gave me a greater clarity in thinking through the need for creditentials.

Originally Posted by cookderosa

College is an inclined journey, marked by 120 mini barriers.

Don't you think though that it is possible for those "kind" of people to exhibit their ability in an entreprenural rather than an academic way? Unless of course you are talking about licensed professions.

Originally Posted by farmboy

Don't you think though that it is possible for those "kind" of people to exhibit their ability in an entreprenural rather than an academic way? Unless of course you are talking about licensed professions.

Yes. I said so in my post.

So you did.

Originally Posted by farmboy

Steve Kemp of Antioch School of the Bible and Church Planting calls the degree "Cultural Currency". This term gave me a greater clarity in thinking through the need for creditentials.

Wow, that was some serious product placement there. :-)

I think it is part of a bigger movement toward more student-controlled learning. Traditional education perpetuates the lie that there is only one way to learn and if you don't learn that way too bad. In fact, sitting in a desk all day listening to someone else explain things (even if that person is intelligent and articulate, which isn't always the case) is often the worst way to learn something - it too frequently stifles creativity and motivation and doesn't allow for real-world application. With the growth of the internet, anyone can pretty much learn anything at any time. I applaud this organization for pointing out that you don't have to go to college to be well-educated. And just because you do go doesn't mean that you are going to be any better at your job if you hadn't. It also looks like it got inspiration from the work of John Holt (who coined the term unschooling) whose work, in my opinion, any student would benefit from reading .

	George Washington University George Washington University GWU offers an online Bachelor’s Degree in Police Science; and Master’s Degrees in Education and Human Development, Paralegal Studies, Public Relations, Educational Technology Lead, MBA – Healthcare, and MPS in Security and Safety Leadership. GW University is a prestigious and well regarded school. Established in the heart of the nation's capital in 1821, GW provides innovative programs in more than 200 fields of study, including graduate certificate, master's and doctoral programs. Under the guidance of a world-renowned faculty, you will explore both theory and practice in courses that prepare you to meet the needs of an increasingly complex society. Click Here to receive FREE information on this school.

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Originally Posted by SteveFoerster

Wow, that was some serious product placement there. :-)

Maybe a little. Now if I could only get paid for such things.

As long as people who decide not to go to college find another way to educate themselves then its fine.
For me, the confines of the traditional university felt more like an impediment than a benefit, so I skipped computer science classes to spend more time coding at home.
I was working as a computer tech by day and writing little video games by night and those skills prepared me well for the professional software development world.
Now that I have more money, time and perspective, I am knocking out courses and degrees because I choose to, not because society says that I must.

Undegree reminds me of 7-Up commercials.

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