Margaritaville

I'm sick and tired of hearing this propaganda. It's part of the dumbing down of America. Our corporate and political overlords want a bunch of uneducated idiots who never learned who to think critically, because they're less likely to challenge authority. Since about 2010, the republican party has become overwhelmingly blue collar, so they know where their base is, and pander to it. The democratic Party has become more and more "progressive" urban elites, so of course college is a great target.

Trade school isn't for everyone, and it's a hard life where someone will work their ass off their whole life and never move up in socioeconomic class (another thing our corporate and political rulers like). Going to college and getting a worthwhile degree in the sciences, engineering, architecture, or law is the fastest way to move up in this society.

Now if you're talking about a liberal arts degree in gender studies because your parents made you go to college, then yeah, stay home. but I think that's a vast outlier, regardless of what the media talking heads tell you to believe.

Cyio

Eh, I don't know if I can completely get on board with this. I agree a LA degree is useless for the most part but to say that being in the trades will somehow stop you from moving up the ladder is also not accurate. I think of anytime in our past, skilled trade workers are making money hand over foot if they know what they are doing and set off with a good plan. Granted these are the same people that would probably also do well in college but most of my friends are in the trades/own their own company doing it or are just skilled and they make north of $100K+, sleep in their own bed every night and don't have near the limitations on health as we do. I guess I am not disagreeing with you, nor am I trying to say someone wanting to become an engineer is wasting their time, I just think that college isnt right for everyone and that a good living, often a very good living can be made in the trades.

DeltaboundRedux

Dropped out of a Tier 2 law school in the mid 1990's to pursue a career in aviation; best decision I ever made.

As stated here previously; unless you're graduating from a Tier 1 law school, or in the top 10% of your class in a Tier 2 law school, forget about ever making the big bucks. (Tier 3 or 4...my god. Your mother will be proud of you, at least).

The merit-based admitted students at these top schools will blow your mind. The are a.) REALLY SMART b.) Extremely charismatic or c.) networking fanatics. Usually all three. They'd also be bored AF as an airline pilot.

If that sounds like you, go for it. Buy a plane with the millions you'll earn working 70+hour weeks for 2 decades when you can eventually slow down to a 50+ hour work week.

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Truth be told, if if I was stuck at a regional making $80-$100k/year for the rest of my life, I'd still be much happier pushing buttons in a plane than a practicing attorney.

For the side gig? Yeah, that's important, and a good idea. Slum lording isn't glamourous, but it's good side income.

Myfingershurt

I think it’s deceptive to say that todays college education teaches critical thinking. Critical thinking is objective and without opinion. I can’t say that many of today’s professors have either of those qualities. Probably the physical sciences are the only thing that remain objective but they are often accompanied by the opinions of the professors that teach them.

DeltaboundRedux

Any "critical thinking" curriculum that doesn't begin with a mandatory basic logic course is just marketing. (they don't, most students couldn't pass it)

"We teach them HOW to think, not WHAT to think" is one of the greatest hoodwinks of the public school system pulled over the past decade +. Again, marketing. Every student thinks they're Plato.

"How many states? Which ocean is on the east coast? When was the Civil War? Who is Plato?" - nobody knows, but they know how to google it and forget it 2 seconds later.

"Lived experience?" "Speaking my truth"? Sure. Whatever. Here's your participation trophy, a worthless degree, and $120,000 of non-dischargeable in bankruptcy debt to the federal government that conditioned you K-12 to believe this was a good idea.

/rant off

OOfff

Margaritaville

You're talking about the tradesman who owns his own business (HVAC, plumbing, roofing, etc). How about the guys who work for him? Not all of them are going to successfully branch out and open their own company, just to compete with the established boss. The only way to make money in the trades is 1. Possess a union card in a large city or 2. Own your own business. Most tradesman work for someone else, cash their check on Friday, and buy a 6 pack.

Cyio

Well yeah, that is why I specifically stated as such. There are always going to be people that have to work for someone else, but my point was that someone who will excel in college in a STEM curriculum will probably also excel in the trades, most likely running their own business or being exceptionally skilled to command a higher rate. I will add one more thing, there are lots of skilled trades besides HVAC/Plumbing/Electric such as welders, machinists, fabricators, CAD operators etc, some obviously requiring advanced training/certifications.

I think we are agreeing here, I just wanted to point out that the trades are not a guaranteed ticket to making average money, some of the wealthiest people I know are tradesmen/tradeswomen.

Seneca Pilot

And if that is the extent of their motivation and skills, they would never make it in a STEM degree program due to lack of motivation or hitting a skill wall they can't climb. They would just end up dropped out with a mountain of debt. A tradesman can, in fact, be comfortably middle class and happy with no need for a degree or his or her own business.

golfandflows

Law degree? To do law work on the side? That sounds terrible imo. 99% of lawyer work is scrape your eyeballs out painfully boring type work. Not the law and order or any tv show glamor.