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A college education.
Posted By: Wolfspirit, on host 206.47.244.62
Date: Sunday, July 25, 1999, at 21:39:30
In Reply To: Re: :-) posted by Mike Dikk on Saturday, July 24, 1999, at 22:43:39:

[snipped some disquieting issues]

> Anyway, from an early age, i knew college wasn't the route I wanted to go. So i get crap from everyone in school. 'oh you HAvE to go to college or you'll end up homeless', 'you HAVE to go to college to get a good job.'
> It seems everything in high school revolves around going to college. I'll tell you what I've learned from friends going to college: It's a 4 year party that your parents pay for

I can't comment on the frat scene, because I was never there. But I do want to say that "the point" of going to university is NOT in order to get a good job. These days, you need more than some piece of paper saying you're a Baccalaureate to get that "good job". THE POINT of going to university is what it has always been: it's in order to better yourself, as well as your knowledge base.

One of the failings of our educational systems is that we can never teach people "How to think". This is something you need to learn by yourself, the hard way. If you go to college you will meet a great many bright, highly intelligent people (your professors and your peers) who will challenge you out of complacency, discipline and focus your wits, and otherwise broaden your horizons. I'd be hard-pressed to think of another place where you could so readily engage in sincere, earnest debate & discussion, in a structured fashion, on a one-on-one basis, in the company of similarly motivated peers. (Though I suppose Rinkworks comes close... *grin*)

Even if don't want to go for a Bachelor's degree in college, even if you can't *afford* to go a full 4 years, please try to do at least ONE (1) year of university-level courses if you can. Get permission to AUDIT the courses if you can't afford them. There are things like basic math, human physiology (how the body really works), and resources for investigative journalism, just to name some examples. You have NO IDEA how beneficial this type of information will be on the rest of your life! I strongly feel that there are some very basic "building blocks" to understanding which no human should be without, if he can help it. One of the most beneficial courses would be to take something along the lines of Effective Communication (written and oral). Strong interpersonal skills are essential in today's world.

Wolfspirit

"A College Education" (c) Donna W Fox, Montreal, 7/25/99. For discussion, kindly contact author.

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