Day 20 - How important you think education is.
Good question.
I remember having conversations with some girlfriends several years back when we were all discussing what qualities we were looking for in our future mates. Many of my friends REQUIRED a college degree. I did not understand this. Perhaps they had never heard of a little thing called a trade or a skill. If a person has a special trade or skill, then a college degree isn't always necessary.
Let's look at my employees, for example. I manage a moving company. My drivers make $60,000 to $80,000+ per year. Do you think they went to college? I may have had some that attended a couple of years. I may even have one or two that graduated, but the vast majority did not and yet they are fully benefited men making a very healthy income.
My father never went to college. He is one of the smartest and most successful people I know.
My brother never graduated from college (he says he retired). He works for the same company I do, making a very similar salary. Is he less a person for not having put in his full 4 years at an educational institution? I should think not. He just went down a different path.
So, I suppose it would suffice to say that I think higher education is important dependent upon what it is you are trying to accomplish. One can surely not practice medicine or law without additional schooling and certain degrees, for example.
Other than that...to each their own. I feel like work experience breeds true knowledge and that with knowledge comes power. Take that as you may.
5 comments:
I 100% agree. College is not for everyone, and who are we to judge if someone should or should not have a higher education degree... there's some pretty smart and successful cookies out there that never went to college and some people that never do anything with their lives that did go to college.
I agree with this but with some caveats. I'm with ya that college certainly isn't for everyone and that there's plenty of wickedly smart and successful folks who never attended college (just as there are plenty of less than bright folks who have college degrees).
For years my friends kept on insisting that I really should be dating within my educational level. I found that incredibly snobby for all of the arguments that you make. And I'm always incredibly hesitant about excluding a whole group of potential mates based on something that really has to do with a life choice. Why should I expect someone to make the same choices as me (i.e., stay in school forever and make zero money)? So, I dated a variety of educational levels ranging from zero college to phds. And low and behold as I reflect back on it, those with more education tended to be more accepting of me and my life choices and work habits. Now clearly, this isn't a scientific evaluation b/c there's many more variables to the success/demise of relationships. But it did seem that my education tended to intimidate my partners - so while I was accepting of them, I didn't get the equivalent treatment. Instead I got statements like "you're too intelligent" or "you'd be prettier if you did x, y, and z" or "you're too busy". Whereas dating those who are more familiar with the choices I've made tend to be much more understanding when I have to work long hours or have to travel, etc.
So, while I would never have a stipulation of "he must have a college degree", I do feel a little more aware that in some cases it really does help.
Oh that totally makes sense to me, Katie. My dad has accused a couple of guys I've dated of not being on my same "mental" level. At first I took offense to this thinking he was picking on their intelligence (one was not college educated and the other was), but he wasn't. He meant that we looked at the world differently...we understood things differently...we processed differently. I think someone doesn't have to be on the same educational level as you, but they do have to be on the same mental level so that you "get" each other. I'm still searching for that.
Kim,
I totally agree with you that there is no reason that someone should have to have a college degree to be successful - umm hello Bill Gates! :P
when I have kids I will encourage them to go to college but only if I feel they will actually work hard and get the most out of it (I didn't). If they want to go ahead and work after high school, they absolutely should and then they can see whether they need a college degree or not!
Wonderful post! :)
Hmmm. I guess that's true. I never really thought of it like that before.
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