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Showing posts with label higher education. Show all posts
Showing posts with label higher education. Show all posts

Friday, June 10, 2011

College is a Waste of Time pt. 2

So, with all of my questions surrounding the last post about College students thinking that their time (and your money) is being wasted, I thought perhaps we might get a few responses... but surprisingly, my questions about whether or not all College students think their time is being wasted were answered in the form of another article on CNN.  The article, A College Education is Your Best Bet, can be read here. 

What are your thoughts?  Are they both right?  Can college be worth your money and their time, but still not be giving kids all that they need in order to fit into real world situations?  The article describes how one man gave kids $100,000 to drop out of college and pursue their entrepreneurial ideas (one of those kids is the author of the article in our previous blog post).  He wanted to see if a college education would really make a difference, or if these students would be able to make it simply based on their abilities and merit without a college education - if college was stifling their abilities.

While Stephens seems to think that he was correct, there is direct evidence to the contrary.  Read the article and share what you think.  College is definitely not for everyone, and everyone has their own strengths.  Are the kids who feel college is wasting their time actually wasting their time?

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

College is a Waste of Time?!?

I'm sure you have never heard those words before - I know I hadn't, and I was disheartened to read the headline as I have barely put a dent into the student loans I took out to finance that 'waste of time'.  As a parent, I am sure you might be surprised to hear that some people think that College is a waste of time... even some students who are still in school are expressing that opinion.

An article on CNN outlines the grievances here, but what I found most surprising - is that students are demanding more of a collaborative environment.  They want to make failures into learning experiences and work together with others instead of strictly competing with them. They say they aren't getting the experiences they need to be able to work and learn with others in real-world environments. 

With college tuition on the rise, it is very concerning to hear students complain that it is a waste of their time... and a waste of their parents (your)  money.  What do you think? Will this type of attitude trickle down into high schools and middle schools?

With all of the pressure on teachers today to get kids to perform on national and state-wide examinations, it is hard to make sure kids get the well-rounded education they need.  Perhaps, along with piano lessons, soccer leagues, and art classes, you can supplement your child's education with experiences that encourage learning from mistakes and failures outside of school. 

Is this just a passing fad or a few very vocal and concerned students?  Thoughts?