I used to think that skateboarding kids were a danger to themselves but I’ve changed my mind about this. It’s these kind of kids that become the fighter pilots that we need in the armed forces.
You can add an Engineering degree to the list of career job paths. My company continues to offer a $5k finders reward for steering Engineers to it.
Your article brought back the feelings that I had when I graduated to the real world. Even though I had a job, I questioned “This is it?!?!”. A cold slap in the face after living in the education cocoon.
You are correct on both counts. I forgot about engineering, and it is a cold slap in the face to feel the routine of working 9-5, eat, clean-up, have a laundry day, then add a day for cleaning the apartment/house. The following week, repeat. That's life in the early years, for sure.
My three sons graduated in the worse recent period: 2007, 2009, 2011 without jobs. Business Degree, LAS History & Spanish Degree, “Renewable Energy” (RE) degree.
Bus Deg son moved furniture for a year before getting on as a Project Acct at a small engineering firm.
LAS son didn’t want to teach, go to law school or med school. He was a dog-walker for 6 months before moving on.
The RE son could not get interviews with Renewable Energy companies as they would only hire degreed Engineers! He walked dogs then worked at Apple and realized that wasn’t a career job. He took our advice, lived at home, went back to school (IIT) and obtained an Electrical Engineering degree.
All doing OK but it was a very challenging time for them.
As the mantra “Everyone Needs to go to College,” lead to the growing ranks of guidance counselors in high school, vocational arts & those students participating in same were looked down upon. Now the growing ranks of over educated, debt ladened unemployed are demanding we taxpayers pay for their folly.
One goes to college/university to learn how to THINK/REASON/SOLVE PROBLEMS OR ISSUES. Not study for a job although that in itself is not bad. As a physician I majored in psychology, and minored in theology, philosophy, biology and took 18 hours in education courses to be a teacher. I was expected to study every nite. In high school I had 4 hrs a nite of homework. Very little of this is done now. Degrees are handed out like flyers at CTA stations. Anybody can be 'awarded' a degree, ie CPS were just attending gets you a degree. Employers know this. When I had my radio show in Chico, CA many students majored in the arts and humanity's and then entered the trades or started their own businesses. I met many. One man became a cobbler, ie shoemaker and repairs. Another a carpenter. Another a Brewer after majoring in chemistry. They were all happy in their situation. Students today have been told how great and special they are. THEY ARE NOT except to their adoring overly protective narcissistic parents. THE BELL SHAPED CURVE STILL APPLIES. Most are just plain ordinary. Nothing to brag about. In fact boring! Students today will live lives where they will not have what we had. In the 50s and 60s there were strong good honest unions in the trades and you made a good living. Ie steel, auto manufacturing, clothing manufacturing, furniture making, etc. Scumbag politicians BOTH GOPers AND DEMS SOLD THE AMERICAN WORKER OUT AND SENT THE WORK TO CHINKY CHARLIE LAND. Todays graduates will live poorer lives in terms of what they can afford. And it will be hard as they read and watch on tv/computer those who have it all 'living larger.' Then they will realize that maybe they should have spent more time in the library instead of blowing dope and going to so called 'music festivals' with their friends.
Thomas, so true. So true. The problem is that the little brats of today are just that. Spoiled little brats. They get what they want without working for it. Mommy and daddy coddle and cover. How many crimes do you hear about where mom & dad bellow “not my baby, they would never do that”. They are never held responsible for anything. What you are seeing with all the remote working is more irresponsibility in that the millennials don’t feel the need to actually show up to do something and do it right. Then you get our beloved politicians and their ridiculous laws like safe-T and there’s more irresponsibility and lack of accountability. A college degree used to mean you usually had a work ethic. The higher grades you achieved meant something, usually a higher position or more responsibility. Now it just means you were probably a troublemaker on campus. That degree now isn’t worth the piece of paper it’s written on.
This all shows just what a messed up society from top to bottom.
I really enjoy your writing. I did not have the luxury of going to college right after high school because my parents couldn’t afford to send me. I attended college after I got married and was working a full-time jobbthrough a bachelors degree, three masters and a doctorate I believe that college or any type of education is the only way that you can raise yourself so economically up the ladder of success.
I used to think that skateboarding kids were a danger to themselves but I’ve changed my mind about this. It’s these kind of kids that become the fighter pilots that we need in the armed forces.
You can add an Engineering degree to the list of career job paths. My company continues to offer a $5k finders reward for steering Engineers to it.
Your article brought back the feelings that I had when I graduated to the real world. Even though I had a job, I questioned “This is it?!?!”. A cold slap in the face after living in the education cocoon.
You are correct on both counts. I forgot about engineering, and it is a cold slap in the face to feel the routine of working 9-5, eat, clean-up, have a laundry day, then add a day for cleaning the apartment/house. The following week, repeat. That's life in the early years, for sure.
My three sons graduated in the worse recent period: 2007, 2009, 2011 without jobs. Business Degree, LAS History & Spanish Degree, “Renewable Energy” (RE) degree.
Bus Deg son moved furniture for a year before getting on as a Project Acct at a small engineering firm.
LAS son didn’t want to teach, go to law school or med school. He was a dog-walker for 6 months before moving on.
The RE son could not get interviews with Renewable Energy companies as they would only hire degreed Engineers! He walked dogs then worked at Apple and realized that wasn’t a career job. He took our advice, lived at home, went back to school (IIT) and obtained an Electrical Engineering degree.
All doing OK but it was a very challenging time for them.
Exactly! The path is never straight and the road is long. But at 23, it is daunting.
As the mantra “Everyone Needs to go to College,” lead to the growing ranks of guidance counselors in high school, vocational arts & those students participating in same were looked down upon. Now the growing ranks of over educated, debt ladened unemployed are demanding we taxpayers pay for their folly.
You are so correct. Definitely not in our house are we asking for anything from the government. We are blessed.
One goes to college/university to learn how to THINK/REASON/SOLVE PROBLEMS OR ISSUES. Not study for a job although that in itself is not bad. As a physician I majored in psychology, and minored in theology, philosophy, biology and took 18 hours in education courses to be a teacher. I was expected to study every nite. In high school I had 4 hrs a nite of homework. Very little of this is done now. Degrees are handed out like flyers at CTA stations. Anybody can be 'awarded' a degree, ie CPS were just attending gets you a degree. Employers know this. When I had my radio show in Chico, CA many students majored in the arts and humanity's and then entered the trades or started their own businesses. I met many. One man became a cobbler, ie shoemaker and repairs. Another a carpenter. Another a Brewer after majoring in chemistry. They were all happy in their situation. Students today have been told how great and special they are. THEY ARE NOT except to their adoring overly protective narcissistic parents. THE BELL SHAPED CURVE STILL APPLIES. Most are just plain ordinary. Nothing to brag about. In fact boring! Students today will live lives where they will not have what we had. In the 50s and 60s there were strong good honest unions in the trades and you made a good living. Ie steel, auto manufacturing, clothing manufacturing, furniture making, etc. Scumbag politicians BOTH GOPers AND DEMS SOLD THE AMERICAN WORKER OUT AND SENT THE WORK TO CHINKY CHARLIE LAND. Todays graduates will live poorer lives in terms of what they can afford. And it will be hard as they read and watch on tv/computer those who have it all 'living larger.' Then they will realize that maybe they should have spent more time in the library instead of blowing dope and going to so called 'music festivals' with their friends.
Thank you for your stuff, Erin.
Thomas, so true. So true. The problem is that the little brats of today are just that. Spoiled little brats. They get what they want without working for it. Mommy and daddy coddle and cover. How many crimes do you hear about where mom & dad bellow “not my baby, they would never do that”. They are never held responsible for anything. What you are seeing with all the remote working is more irresponsibility in that the millennials don’t feel the need to actually show up to do something and do it right. Then you get our beloved politicians and their ridiculous laws like safe-T and there’s more irresponsibility and lack of accountability. A college degree used to mean you usually had a work ethic. The higher grades you achieved meant something, usually a higher position or more responsibility. Now it just means you were probably a troublemaker on campus. That degree now isn’t worth the piece of paper it’s written on.
This all shows just what a messed up society from top to bottom.
I really enjoy your writing. I did not have the luxury of going to college right after high school because my parents couldn’t afford to send me. I attended college after I got married and was working a full-time jobbthrough a bachelors degree, three masters and a doctorate I believe that college or any type of education is the only way that you can raise yourself so economically up the ladder of success.