Re: The letter 15 students refusing to pay their federal loans wrote to the Dept of E
YO, Dave Ramsey had me in STITCHES!!!
But, he ain't tell one lie, though.
It's not about the school as far as a university degree is better than another type of college. Majority of kids who go to college for business admin or something else to enter the workforce are set up to fail.
If you're not doing something that will stand the test of time which is a skill, trade or profession, you're going to be caught up in just getting by, because the govt racket is to tie you to a bill for the next 30 years. College edumacation is the new debt, whereas a mortgage for a home used to be the other way to tie people down for 30 years. Now college loans are.
There is nothing and no way you can remove them. You are stuck with paying it, no matter what. So you better go for something that's worth it and not take the advice of some admissions office.
That vid I posted is a real eye opener about the system set up for many to fail.
I keep NOT watching it.
Briefly, I'll tell you why. I was much less conscious and much less militant and much more assimiliated when the student loan guy came to my parents house to discuss funding and even then, when he came in the house I got a feeling in the pit of my stomach that said, "Ain't no white dude coming to YOUR home to really give you a shot at the type of life that some of them have.
However, I was 18 at the time, college was never discussed, but always implied, just like religion. And that was that.
Fast forward 15 years later, I just wish I had 25% of the mentality then, I have now. I probably still would have gone, I ended up helping to pay for my college anyway, but I would have gone right into the family landscaping business when I finished instead of trying to conquer corporate america.
The corporate american paradigm, along with its feeder system traditional college, is on its way out. I see now why it takes a generation or two for sh!t to turn around. First you are a victim of it, then you don't want to belive you are a victim of it, then by that time you got children ready to go to college while you are finding out that they are f*cked before they even start.
I won't say that a degree is worthless. It's more or less a leg up on competition against those with no degree/no experience and a prerequisite for some/most corporate jobs.
Doesn't necessarily guarantee anything. Experience in the end becomes more important. Then continuing to build your skills to differentiate yourself from your peers (eg certifications, continued education).
Or, you can skip all this if your parents are rich or you start your own business.
Oh and fuck that for profit shit. School is already too damn expensive. Which is why the business model will need to change to be sustainable in the future. There's just too much knowledge online to justify the prices of traditional universities.
Degree = cash. I've seen positions that doesn't require a degree get filled and that person makes 25-50% more than the average Joe. Also, the level of respect from the higher ups are greater, not to mention their eyes are usually on you for possible future advancements. Degrees are not worthless pieces of paper. If anything use that as a foundation to work for yourself.
If you are looking to kiss ass to get paid, sure, this works.
However, if you know you are go-getter or work well with others minus the supervision, this is an accident waiting to happen.
I have a degree, so I can't speak to not having one. I will say this, I worked with many people during my stint in corporate america, who had varying degrees of education, but had the same job title.
I saw through the illusion and got out while I could. It ain't been all roses, but I sleep SOOOOOOOOO much better at night.
This would be an issue if loans were taken out to pay for state school and the state school failed to provide an accredited degree.
A private school is a choice that comes with all the inherent risks.
You can't get a massage therapy certificate and complain when no one wants you to put your fat fingers on them.
You should have thought twice about pursuing a Pharmacy Tech certificate with those intent to distribute a control substance pleas on your record.
I just watched that video. I think it is bang on in the way it exposes the mechanics of the student loan scam. The film started to lose me when it said that degrees were completely useless. By the time I realized is was backed by a fringe economic group predicting the apocalyptic collapse of Western civilization I was done.
If you are passionate about a particular career path a proper education can move mountains in helping you get there. That doesn't necessarily mean you will have a great job waiting for you when you get out, but it will certainly put you ahead of the pack that doesn't have one. Right now only 30% of American adults have a bachelor's degree or better. That alone can make you three times as likely to get hired. Once you get that foot in the door the rest is up to you. Your performance, connections, ambition and ability to maintain a current skill set will be what sets you apart.
They say college doesn't teach you how to think? That's bullshit. In life you will always need to study something intently to get ahead. College is great at teaching you how to study. It also teaches organization, time management, discipline, networking and many other thinking skills that are critical to succeed in ANY field.
The problem is that too many young adults are pressured to enter college directly out of high school to keep their family's approval. They study field's that "sound good" and hope to god it pays off when they get out. They would probably be better off working a bunch of different low level jobs in different fields until they figure out what they want to do. If you want a quick buck study a trade. It takes less time and money and comes with a quicker payoff.
It sounds like you contradicted yourself.
Whether you did or not, college is what each individual makes it. I don't agree that it teaches you how to think. If anything, it teaches you how to memorize and proves to corporate managers you can pick a task, stick with it, and receive marching orders.
Critical thinking skills should be developed a half a decade before one reaches college. If one is waiting to develop them there, then, ironcially college is for them, but not much else of paving your own way.
I will pick being taught a skill/trade over receiving a degree any day. As far as I have been able to tell, people have always lived in structures that needed building, in turn they need grounds to be built and maintained, I ain't never seen a person not eat, and the majority of people I know wear clothes and have some sort of vehicle...that's a half a dozen trades/skills right there and they are not nearly saturated.
Corporate american cubicles...it's career musical chairs and I ain't standin' up to work for anybody but me, if I can help it.
It worthless piece of paper.
