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Three Letters Re: The Best College Degrees for the Next Depression?
Dear Jim:
Why go to college at all? Speaking as a college graduate, unless you are getting
a technical degree, you would probably learn more apprenticing in a real
business that interests you, and studying on your own and taking courses
part time. When you need to apply knowledge right away, motivation is high,
and the lesson really sticks. Bonus - you avoid 4 years of immersion in (and
contributing to) a politically correct cesspool - often intellectually dishonest
to boot.
For some professions you do need a degree for technical knowledge. But most
of the time a degree is just a screening device or "ticket punch" to
show that you can study hard and persevere. Gary
North has a whole section on his web site on how to beat the college racket,
and get your ticket punched with a degree for under $25,000, and no debt.
The way things are going a highly skilled trade where you can work for yourself
might be the best bet (electrician, plumber, auto mechanic, computer repair,
etc., etc.). Someone who can just work like a professional in the "blue
collar" trades will have such an advantage over most of the competition
they will do well.
Regards, - OSOM
Mr. Rawles,
I wholeheartedly agree with both of the readers whose letters referenced learning
a trade before attending college. My own experience, I grew up in a military
family, when I graduated High School I wasn't sure the military for me just yet
and had the foresight to understand I probably wasn't mature enough to handle
college at that point in my life. I was also fortunate that in addition to a
tradition of military service my family also had years of experience in the trades,
one Grandfather became a boilermaker after the Navy, the other a carpenter after
his stint in the Army, my Father retired after 22 years in the Air force and
learned the trade of sheet metal work and HVAC repair, all of them proudly non-union.
With their guidance I did some research and discovered the excellent merit shop
(Non-union) apprenticeship programs offered by the Associated Builders and Contractors
(ABC). The tuition is reasonable, (roughly $200 per semester when I started in
1997) and most member companies are so thrilled to have a young worker take his
career seriously that they will sponsor the cost, provided good grades are maintained.
I chose the carpentry apprenticeship program, and shortly after graduation on
my 18th birthday embarked on a eye-opening and enlightening experience. One of
the first things that shocked me was that at a modest sized company for our large
upper midwest town, (150 field employees) there was only one other apprentice
my age. We had a handful of laborers who were college dropouts, but none of them
were interested in tradecraft training, preferring to remain unskilled laborers
and wondering why they always got the grunt work. The fact that there wasn't
a larger group of young Americans clamoring to learn a useful trade to provide
for themselves and their families was astounding to me!
After two exciting years (and two bitterly cold winters) of building everything
from power plants, to hospitals, to runways I decided to return to college. At
first I was planning on studying Civil Engineering, which is a fine profession
but entails an inordinate amount of desk work after graduation. Again, with some
guidance I stumbled upon Construction Engineering (At other universities known
by the names of Construction Management, or Construction Technology).
At the University I was shocked by two things
1) College is a business! They
will try to keep you in as long as they can to keep raking in the student fees,
etc. My first academic "advisor" even told me that finishing a bachelors
degree in four years was a pipe dream, and most students took five years these
day! I promptly switched advisors. Students, don't let anyone convince
you it
can't be done in four years or less. I was far from a stellar student in high
school, just barely cracked into the top 50% of my graduating class and I completed
my Bachelor's
degree in four years, while working 30+ hours a week at part-time jobs. This
may
take
a
little extra "hard work" but again, nothing worth having comes easy
and if you're already a preparedness minded individual than this shouldn't be
too much of a stretch for you!
2) A surprising majority of engineering students never worked a trade, and never
held a trade related internship in college! This flabbergasted me to say the
least, how could someone who's never put hands on a piece of lumber or steel
expect to lead workers in a project? Needless to say, come graduation time those
students who continued to work at best buy weren't in the highest demand by employers.
Conveniently enough, my trade training had an added benefit: Rather than having
to work a "typical" part-time job in retail, I always found construction
companies that were willing to work around my college schedule, and pay significantly
above the minimum wage my friends were earning. Which offered the added benefit
of leaving the nights, and most weekends free for studying or socializing.
After finishing school, I attended the Navy's Officer Candidate School and became
a Surface Officer for 5 years. Again, my trade experience gave me a valuable
leg up over my peers. I finished school with no debts, having continued to work
the entire four years but was again surprised to learn that some of my friends
who had been [contracted cadets] in ROTC had massive debts. The ROTC is quite
willing
to
take
C students,
but don't expect to get a full ride! I knew of many officers that finished college
twenty, thirty, even forty-thousand dollars in debt!
Now working as a Project Manager for a large General Contractor I am still surprised
by the lack of interest shown by today's students for the trades. To me, the
work is exciting, doesn't involve a desk, and pays extremely well. Believe me,
we would love to take as many motivated young Americans as we can get our hands
on! Unfortunately, many of them have been sold on the dream that college is for
everyone, it's not, and that isn't a bad thing. I can't say enough good things
about learning a useful trade or skill, It's a job that can never be outsourced,
but unfortunately it is being "in-sourced" by immigrants who are willing
to work hard, harder than most Americans these days.
Mr. Rawles, thank you for your wonderful blog. Very Respectfully, - A Former
C
Student
Jim-
Having recently discovered the site, I am now a daily follower. I find the
advice practical and in keeping with my pragmatic approach to life. The technical
detail is impressive, and the topics wide ranging. There is always something
surprising each day I scroll down the page. I am an architect in New York City, and
find the architectural topics of great interest. The site's take on architecture
is refreshing and seldom discussed or debated elsewhere. I will plow through
the archives and find out what sort of treasures lurk within.
There have been a number of recent letters discussing the issue of college
education. There is a common tone to these letters that suggests that learning
a trade is important, perhaps of greater importance than getting one of those
pricey college degrees. I agree that having useful skills, particularly hand
skills, is important. As for myself, I am a woodworker and carpenter, making
and designing furniture, restoring my house in addition to my architectural "office
job."
Here's my take- college degrees are critical in addition to "pragmatic" skills.
I'm not going to suggest which degree to get, since certain degrees are "more
valuable" in certain parts of the USA and world than others. Architects
are useful in New York City but useless in Nebraska, for example. Two points I want to
stress:
1- My degree "got me noticed" by all my employers. It "got me
a foot in the door" as ridiculous as it sounds. That degree, that piece
of paper, really got me ahead of the mobs on the streets. It's a sad arrangement,
expensive but necessary. Think of that piece of paper as some prized battle
rifle as you soldier through life- it's a tool like anything else.
2- My degree "expanded my mind" beyond the day-to-day, hand-to-mouth
nature of existence. Religion "expanded my mind" as well, but the
concepts and thinking that college introduces rounded me out even more. When
we are all holed up behind steel doors clutching those riot guns, the mind
needs to find release, in addition to prayer and meditation. Art, philosophy,
psychology, medicine, etc. can help.
Keep up the good work! - Freakoscope
JWR Replies: The emphasis on learning a trade in many of
the recent letters overlooks one key issue: At present, someone with a baccalaureate
degree on average will earn $1,000,000 more in their lifetime that
someone with just a high school diploma. So if you plan to work in the corporate
world, then I recommend getting at least a Bachelor's degree. Just make sure
that the degree
is in
something
useful,
where there is a reasonable expectation
that there will be jobs waiting. (Not "bird calling and basket weaving"--as
my father dubbed the useless degrees.) Perhaps the best way
to do
this is
to work
in
a skilled
trade or with an IT certification,
to
work your
way through
college on a five to eight year plan. Graduating debt free at
age 26 or 27 with lots of practical experience will actually make you a much
more desirable
job
applicant than someone that graduates at age 22 or 23 with nothing other than
the degree on their resume. Take as many lower division credits
as possible from a community college
or on-line.
All
that employers
will consider
is
the degree itself,
and the name
of the
institution that eventually grants the degree. So take your first two years
"on the cheap", and then transfer to a more prestigious school.
