Category: Can We Talk?

Can We Talk?

Will the Higher Education Bubble Burst?

Karen

This is a subject near and dear to my heart considering my husband graduated from college (and actually got a job using his degree) and I graduated from college (and didn’t get a job in my degree, but probably could if I tried harder. I would also like to go back to get my Masters’s degree at some point, which is sort of stupid considering I’ve never really used my Bachelor’s degree). We have one son attending a community college and one son on the verge of attending college.

I have mixed feelings about college – on the one hand, you can never have TOO much knowledge and a degree can give you an edge over your competition, BUT, does college really prepare you for the real world? You CAN NOT discount real-world experience and too many times, college graduates may have the education but no experience. Ideally, the perfect candidate for a job would have the education AND the experience.

Going to college doesn’t guarantee you’ll get a high-paying job. Many college graduates think that way. If you go to college, then you have to go with the attitude that you’ll not only have to work hard while IN college, but also finding a job AFTER college. (Can you actually find a job using the degree you’re working towards??) Companies aren’t lined up, breathlessly waiting for you to graduate so they can offer you a six-figure salary. It just doesn’t work that way.

Kevin has spent A LOT of time talking to Dude about the direction of his life. Dude loves computers. He wants to be a gamer. Which, cool. BUT, it’s competitive and there aren’t that many openings for the number of people who want to go that direction. BUT, there are more IT jobs than there are IT people. SO. It might be smarter to concentrate on the IT route, gain some experience that way, and then look for that gamer route using the education AND the experience to get his foot in the door.

So I guess my question is, is college really necessary? What if you just worked really hard at the company of your choice and got promoted to the position you wanted? It’s sort of a gamble, an EXPENSIVE gamble.

Anyway. Our local talk show host highlights local authors every Thursday and he talked with Glenn Harlan Reynolds this past Thursday about his book, “The Higher Education Bubble.” It’s pretty interesting and definitely something to consider before agreeing to pay back thousands and thousands of dollars for something that may, or may not, help you in the future.

Have a listen. [Skip to 5:45 to begin discussion]


(Click the blue arrow to play)

Can We Talk?

Question …

Karen

Today’s question is …

Have you ever had something stolen from you?

Well. Sort of. Kevin had his model airplane stolen.

It wasn’t one of those small models you put together from a box; the wing span was the distance between your arms … outstretched. The sucker was huge. Kevin (though he SWEARS it was me and I SWEAR it was him), left our garage door open all night one night. That is a rare occurrence because whenever Kevin goes to bed, he makes the rounds to make sure the garage doors are closed, the house doors are locked, etc. But somehow, this one particular night, he missed his garage door was open on HIS SIDE OF THE GARAGE. (We have two individual doors with separate motors as opposed to one big door with one motor).

Anyway. His model airplane, complete with fancy (and expensive) remote control was hanging on the wall of our garage. It was a bright orange airplane … in other words, eye catching. And it caught someone’s eye that night because they took it. It wasn’t worth that much, though Kevin had put a lot of money into it, but rather, it hurt because Kevin spent HOURS building it and only had a chance to fly it like once (maybe twice).

He was heartbroken.

We never did find out who took the plane and we didn’t feel like it was worth reporting it to the police, but we always suspected our neighbor did it. (Not our current neighbors, the people who lived there before them). He was sort of a shady character and we caught him watching us several times.

People who steal things, suck. You want something? Buy it/build it yourself, lazy bum.

Your turn …

Can We Talk?

Question …

Karen

Today’s question is …

Do you ever listen to the radio anymore?

Now that I’m working full time, no, not very much anymore. However, I do listen to talk radio dropping Jazz off at school and on my way to work. I also go out to my car and listen to Neal Boortz on my lunch (half) hour.

And you know, the more I listen to Boortz, the more I think I lean more to the Libertarian side of politics. I would now classify myself as a conservative libertarian: I believe a little (emphasis on little) government goes a long way. “Don’t Tread On Me, yo.”

(I am disappointed that Boortz is not a Christian. In fact, he makes fun of Christianity sometimes … but oh well, everyone is entitled to believe what they choose to believe.)

I don’t listen to music on the radio much anymore, though.

Your turn …

Can We Talk?

Question …

Karen

Today’s question is …

If public transportation were available in your neighborhood, would you use it?

Oh heck yes.

In fact, I was just telling Kevin the other day, I can totally see myself living someplace like Chicago where I have to walk to the closest train/bus stop to get to work, etc. In fact, I would LOVE that. You don’t see a lot of obese people in places where you have to rely on the public transit system, like New York or Chicago. Why? Because people are forced to walk where they need to go.

A city with an organized, well-run public transit system rocks my socks.

Your turn …

Can We Talk?

Question …

Karen

Today’s question is …

Recall when you first started using the Internet regularly.

It was in the early 90’s … we had a Zenith computer. It was during the weird green text on a black screen era. I used Prodigy to get online and I discovered chat rooms very early in my cyber career.

In fact, I spent an INSANE amount of time in chat rooms and became so addicted to chatting that I ignored by two young sons AND my husband.

Which strangely coincides with the time period I started having marital problems.

I’m sure the two were NOT related …

Your turn …