Campbell's Scoop: You got a degree - so what?
Hello all
Ok. Does anyone else think university is overrated?
Most of us have graduated or will be soon enough and I'm certain that at least once in the recent months, we've pondered what we'll be doing with our lives. Oh wait, getting a job will be easy right? Wrong. Just in case you've been living in another dimension for the past decade, you'll no doubt know that your Bachelor’s degree is pretty much useless. Gone are the days when getting a degree could guarantee you a decent job. Sure, those undergrad degrees which could be considered "professional" degrees such as the accountants, engineers, computer programmers etc., will probably find it a little easier. But what about the majority? The generic BSc, BA, BMath? Most will probably never find a job that is related to their field (and I’m not sure most would ever WANT a job in their field).
So what do most end up doing? Soon after they all realize that moving back in with their parents isn’t so much fun, they either end up going back to college or worse, back to university for a SECOND degree. Sue me if i'm wrong but I have a really funny feeling that university grads going back to college to pick up a diploma was pretty uncommon back in the day. Upgrading your diploma to a degree just sounds more correct.
What I’m trying to get at is that in contemporary Western society, going to university seems like the norm. Being the “prestigious” thing to do, it is almost expected that every high school grad should go to university. And you know what? It is also A LOT more affordable to go to university. Sure the tuitions have gone up steadily but really, students can still go to university. Student loans are available, scholarships are available, and bursaries are available. If you want to go, you can go. Along with this current notion that getting a university degree is “the be all and end all,” students are forced to want to go. Gone are the days of the “ideal” university student who is articulate and striving to self improve. Funny as it seems, frat houses and sororities were often seen as cultured clubs where fellow students could share ideas and discuss matters about how they could play a role in improving society - quite the difference from the contemporary association of fraternities to nothing more than killer backyard keggers.
Ok so I guess I should address the inevitable response to my rant. I've heard enough times how university is more than just an education and how it plays an important part in finding yourself...
Gimme a break. How many of us have actually found ourselves? If it costs me 25 grand to find yourself, it's not worth it.
I just think that high school students really need to see the big picture and realize that sometimes, studying what you love isn’t always the best option. Sure some MIGHT actually enjoy the four years but what next? Masters education? The reality is that most will not be able to, or want to, go onto a masters degree. So that’s when they’ll realize that unless you were in a professional program, your choice of a decent starting job are limited. You’ll probably end up working as a salesman at “Blinds to Go” and back in your parents home and become a typical member of the “boomerang generation.”
I recently got back in touch with a friend who graduated a year ahead of me in highschool. He resisted the trend of going off to university and enrolled in a one year program at a college. He picked up a trade in “non-destructive testing” (basically, a master-welder) then off he went to Alberta and worked in the oil fields. He will be turning 23 this year and he recently just bought his second home. He now makes close to 100 Gs a year now and his career is just starting. If he continues to take exams to improve his trade, his salary will increase. Simple as that.
Another close friend of mine enrolled in an Engineering program and after half a semester of his first year, decided that it wasn’t for him. He dropped out of university and just went home. He enrolled in a two year college accounting diploma program and managed to find a job at a firm. The firm was impressed with his work and is now paying him to study and take some exams so that by the end of this year (if he passes the exams that is) he’ll be a CA. Did any of these guys lose out by not going to university? I’ll let you guys answer that.
I think back and say that most univeristy students these days (myself included) enter a student lifestyle and either don’t see the upcoming reality or simply choose to ignore it. On a plus side, this is one of the reasons why I really commend UW’s coop program. It keeps students in check and allows students to know exactly what to expect at the end of the road.
God dammit, why did I have to turn down that engineering acceptance letter…
Ok. Does anyone else think university is overrated?
Most of us have graduated or will be soon enough and I'm certain that at least once in the recent months, we've pondered what we'll be doing with our lives. Oh wait, getting a job will be easy right? Wrong. Just in case you've been living in another dimension for the past decade, you'll no doubt know that your Bachelor’s degree is pretty much useless. Gone are the days when getting a degree could guarantee you a decent job. Sure, those undergrad degrees which could be considered "professional" degrees such as the accountants, engineers, computer programmers etc., will probably find it a little easier. But what about the majority? The generic BSc, BA, BMath? Most will probably never find a job that is related to their field (and I’m not sure most would ever WANT a job in their field).
So what do most end up doing? Soon after they all realize that moving back in with their parents isn’t so much fun, they either end up going back to college or worse, back to university for a SECOND degree. Sue me if i'm wrong but I have a really funny feeling that university grads going back to college to pick up a diploma was pretty uncommon back in the day. Upgrading your diploma to a degree just sounds more correct.
What I’m trying to get at is that in contemporary Western society, going to university seems like the norm. Being the “prestigious” thing to do, it is almost expected that every high school grad should go to university. And you know what? It is also A LOT more affordable to go to university. Sure the tuitions have gone up steadily but really, students can still go to university. Student loans are available, scholarships are available, and bursaries are available. If you want to go, you can go. Along with this current notion that getting a university degree is “the be all and end all,” students are forced to want to go. Gone are the days of the “ideal” university student who is articulate and striving to self improve. Funny as it seems, frat houses and sororities were often seen as cultured clubs where fellow students could share ideas and discuss matters about how they could play a role in improving society - quite the difference from the contemporary association of fraternities to nothing more than killer backyard keggers.
Ok so I guess I should address the inevitable response to my rant. I've heard enough times how university is more than just an education and how it plays an important part in finding yourself...
Gimme a break. How many of us have actually found ourselves? If it costs me 25 grand to find yourself, it's not worth it.
I just think that high school students really need to see the big picture and realize that sometimes, studying what you love isn’t always the best option. Sure some MIGHT actually enjoy the four years but what next? Masters education? The reality is that most will not be able to, or want to, go onto a masters degree. So that’s when they’ll realize that unless you were in a professional program, your choice of a decent starting job are limited. You’ll probably end up working as a salesman at “Blinds to Go” and back in your parents home and become a typical member of the “boomerang generation.”
I recently got back in touch with a friend who graduated a year ahead of me in highschool. He resisted the trend of going off to university and enrolled in a one year program at a college. He picked up a trade in “non-destructive testing” (basically, a master-welder) then off he went to Alberta and worked in the oil fields. He will be turning 23 this year and he recently just bought his second home. He now makes close to 100 Gs a year now and his career is just starting. If he continues to take exams to improve his trade, his salary will increase. Simple as that.
Another close friend of mine enrolled in an Engineering program and after half a semester of his first year, decided that it wasn’t for him. He dropped out of university and just went home. He enrolled in a two year college accounting diploma program and managed to find a job at a firm. The firm was impressed with his work and is now paying him to study and take some exams so that by the end of this year (if he passes the exams that is) he’ll be a CA. Did any of these guys lose out by not going to university? I’ll let you guys answer that.
I think back and say that most univeristy students these days (myself included) enter a student lifestyle and either don’t see the upcoming reality or simply choose to ignore it. On a plus side, this is one of the reasons why I really commend UW’s coop program. It keeps students in check and allows students to know exactly what to expect at the end of the road.
God dammit, why did I have to turn down that engineering acceptance letter…
Labels: Brock Campbell
posted by Brock Campbell | 5/29/2007 02:18:00 PM
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3 comments
3 Comments:
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Sen
Good post man!
5/29/2007 04:16:00 PMTwo points:
1 - Employment: A Bachelor's degree is nothing more than a piece of paper that functions as a barrier to entry. I think it's basically it's a proxy for intelligence and self-discipline. It proves to the employer that you can crunch numbers or string words together at a half-decent level, and that you at least had the self-discipline to sit your ass down for 4 years and crack open a book once in a while. Of course now its value has been saturated, and now we're all in a rat race to add more letters to our name - it's the hyper-credentialized world we live in. Still, a bachelor's is a basic requirement for any decent white-collar work.
2 - Prestige factor: A 2-year technical college could lead to a more lucrative employment, but the fact remains - it's blue-collar. Middle-class parents don't take pride in kids working with their hands, even if he or she is making good money - it's just too proletarian for them. You know the popular portrait of the Jewish mother? "My son, the doctor", or "my son, the lawyer". Would unversity-educated parents take pride in their son, the plumber? It's a step down the social prestige scale. A B.A., even if it leads to pouring Frappucinos at Starbucks, still has more social cachet than any technical diploma. Our society values book learning.
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Anonymous
Chan, what a great post.
5/29/2007 06:29:00 PMI hit this same realization in Janaury. I'll say this on the blog, I got very depressed and very drunk...
Its not that the degree is useless, its just its very hard to land that first job. Later on in life when you want to move up the ladder, you will need it. The problem is, those first years after graduation are extremely hard, and extremely lonely.
You also have to remember that this is canada. Canada has the most university educated population in terms of its porportion. Dont look at the degree as a complete waste, it does lead to other possibilities, its just that for that fruit to bear, one must be very patient.
If you want I can loan you a relatively good book on the subject. Just dont do what I did...
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James
Most people after high school have absolutely no clue as to where they see themselves 4-5 years down the road, which is why many of them (myself included) choose to major in their favorite high school subject (eg. Math, History, etc.) rather than pursue a "professional" degree/diploma. In a way, I'm kinda glad that I didn't force myself into a professional degree program like Engineering or Accounting becuause, knowing me, I probably would have hated it and failed out anyways. Being in co-op also taught me that working 40 hours a week is brutal if the job isn't interesting to me. A lot of people don't realize the importance of having a job they enjoy until they get their shitty first real job, which explains why so many people end up returning to school for a career change, even those in those "professional" fields. So don't regret not taking your Engineering offer because it might not have worked out as great as one would think.
5/29/2007 08:54:00 PMI think Sen put it well... a degree doesn't guarantee shit, but it shows that we are intelligent and have a proven work ethic. It also keeps options open to grad and post-degree programs that some of our high school colleagues wouldn't have access to. I also notice that almost every job posting now has "bachelors degree" listed as a requirement... any degree!
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