Harvard Study Says College Is Not For Everyone

I know a girl that was in a program similar to the one you're describing. She graduate high school with an Associates degree and graduated from the University of Florida at 19. Her one problem, she struggled to find employers that would take her seriously after she graduated because of her age. I always thought she should have just gone into a graduate program, came out at 21, they typical age of most college graduates and had her MA/MS. Employers probably would have found that impressive and I doubt she would have met any resistance.

 

Not all colleges accept dual-credit hours amassed by Texas high school students

Even though dual-credit courses are the newer rage vs. AP courses in Texas high schools that could lead to as much as both a simultaneous high school diploma and associates degree award; this Dallas Morning News article also reveals the down-sides to dual-credit and AP courses.

Not all colleges accept dual-credit hours amassed by Texas high school students | Dallas-Fort Worth Education News - News for Dallas, Texas - The Dallas Morning News

 

It is neat, but begs the question, are students college prepared or not? Has anyone else besides me noticed the trend in high school students earning college credit? Are we (collective we) really assessing where anyone is academically? I mean seriously, they can't make it in college but they can take college in high school? Or are we dumbing down the high schools so much that the few who can do college work are just being routed into dual enrollment and AP options more than ever?

 

I necromanced this thread just to add this post. The University of Florida is having trouble enrolling students in their PACE program which is designed to get kids who were initially refused admission up to speed and into college.

University Of Florida's PACE Online Program Struggles With Enrollment Despite Efforts To Encourage Students : SCHOOLS : ISchoolGuide

 

"Harvard Study Says Food is Edible"

 

It's the Gospel when Harvard says it.

 

I always suspected as much, but I had my concerns. But now that Harvard has confirmed it, pass the mashed potatoes, please.

 

Not the way I cook it.:jester:uke:



actually I'm a pretty good cook

 

..and since the inception of this thread, nothing has changed. North Americans continue to send kids to University and increase their debt to do so; people graduate from University and end up working at jobs not related to their degrees. It amazes me how many University graduates work at starbucks.

The European model simply works.

 

I don't think you can reasonably expect this to have changed in just a few years. It's a pattern that would take several generations to change to any significant degree. Beyond that I'd say that this probably has to be seen as a consumer-driven system. As people ask for different types of training (and refuse to simply accept the standard college fare) then you would guess the system will evolve to provide a product that consumers demand. We've seen the beginnings in the last few years with news articles describing rising unemployment of college grads, grsds with big debts and an generally increased appreciation of issue related to ROI. I haven't checked into this but I'd guess that we could support this idea by tracking application/enrollment rates for various categories of schools. For example, there are two schoolsjust a few miles apart, UMass-Boston and my alma mater Wentworth. They both pull from the same demographic and so are competitors in one sense. The first is a standard, mid sized state university and the second a smallish private college. Because Wentworth is an engineering technology school and all the departments are shifted toward that vocational training model to translates into employment. Many of my classmates had jobs before they even graduated. We'd guess that as this general ROI issue becomes more acute we would see an increas in applications to Wentworth and a reduction of applications to UMass- Boston. Hmmm, maybe I'll do some checking.

 

College is not for everyone. Okay, but is that something that should be promoted? Workers with education below that of a bachelor degree do not fare well both in terms of employment and earning.
Earnings and unemployment rates by educational attainment

 

I know several electricians who do not have an undergrad degree yet employ several people and their income is easily 150k+. I know welders, mechanics and plumbers who make 100k+... and I see University grads who fill grocery store shelves, work at <insert coffee shop / restaurant> making minimum wage or slightly higher.

Neither Canada nor the USA was built by college educated folks - they were built by blue collar workers.

 

ROI is typically measured in units called dollars but it's not the only possible unit of measure.

 

True. However, those blue collar jobs of our parents are under pressure from developing economies. Also, being college educated does not make anyone a less blue collar worker. I also have a few anecdotes of people who are doing fine with less than grade 12. However, the emperical research has shown that it is more challenging for workers with less than bachelor both in terms of employment and earning. Job satisfaction, contentment, etc I do not know. However, anecdotally, it is not fun earning less or being unemployed.

 

There are electricians and plumbers who make over $100k a year. I'm sure you can even find a philosophy major who makes over $100k a year. However, your typical electrician, plumber, or philosophy major does not make over six figures. Electricians and Plumbers typically make a comfortable, middle-class salary, but it's not as high as many people make it out to be. If you live in a state that doesn't have many strong unions, apprenticeships that train you from the ground up are hard to come by. Many of them want you to already have training from a school. While you do make money in an apprenticeship, the pay is often low. It could take years before becoming licensed as a journeyman. With distance education and other types of flexible course offerings, college students can also work low-paying jobs while in school. People should research the job market, but they should also choose a career based on their strengths and interests. There is an electrician on the other forum who seems miserable and decided to earn a college degree. For those who don't want to be in school for four years or aren't cut out for it, picking a trade or allied health program that requires 2 years of schooling or less is also perfectly fine.

Electricians : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics
Plumbers, Pipefitters, and Steamfitters : Occupational Outlook Handbook: : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics