Added by on 2013-02-12

In an effort to offer another perspective on our mini-series of the importance of a college education, we’re featuring Deke Pierce’s article below on why you may not actually need to attend a physical college. Curious about why Jeff Dunn thinks you should attend college? Check out his article ‘3 Predictions For The Future Of Liberal Arts‘ posted earlier today.

Why should you go to college? And don’t give me the typical, “Because people who want to get a job have to go to college” or the worn out, “Because people who go to college make more money than people who don’t.”

Reason #1

Let’s just look at the first reason for now. “People who want a job have to go to college”. Do they? Well let’s think about it. Nearly half of the graduates from recent years are mal-employed (meaning that they have low skill jobs that aren’t even anywhere near their field of study), and most of them still live at home with their parents.

It’s because current businesses don’t value education at a level anywhere near experience. You could have no degree, but have four years of experience in that field, and get the job over anyone with a degree and no experience every time.

Reason #2

Moving onto the second reason “Because people who go to college make more money than people who don’t.” I honestly cannot express what a lie this statement is. Now it can be said that, if you study the post baby boomer generation, that the average salaries differ greatly between college and non-college graduates.

However, the people who continue to repeat this study must have failed statistics 101 in college. There are many outside variables to these statistics. There’s the fact that not everyone could go to college back in the 60s, 70s, and 80s. There’s also the fact that those who did go to college either a: had worked their butts off in high school to get good grades and get scholarships (showing that they had a better drive to succeed than the others in their class). Or b: had wealthy parents that could afford to pay for them to go and then give them a little step up right after they had gotten their degrees through their own networking or inside of their own companies.

So what will you get for skipping college now? Four years of experience in whatever field you choose. That’s right. You don’t have to have a degree to start your own company, and you’ll get to save around 50 thousand dollars to help you start it up. Plus you won’t have student loan debt to pay off after you graduate.

And just so you don’t think that you’re missing out on some magical Chinese secrets for success in whatever field you’re planing on going into, I’m going to share my own (not so secret) secret with you right now. Everything that you can learn in a college classroom is available for free somewhere online and much much more.

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  • http://tonypascoe.blogspot.com Tony Pascoe (@tony_pascoe)

    I agree with your ideas and have discussed with many college age students and professors at universities that academic inflation is causing B.A degrees to represent what HS Diplomas. I do think that some of the most vital points to be made for college are left out though, most important the social transition period. Going from an 18 year old high school student straight into starting my own business or full time work in a advanced field would have been nearly impossible I think. Here are few of my reasons:

    - Living with peers and learning to successful navigate the new world of independence
    - I went to a liberal arts college and so I was required to take classes outside my major – would I have made time for this if I was completely self-directed in my learning?
    - Joining clubs, sports, athletic events, and making the vital connections that I still look to for support. Yes, I understand that social media has cut this gap and you can create a PLN digitally, but perhaps I am more traditional and I seek deeper connections of a brick and mortar university.

    These are just a few reasons why I think college is important.

    Tony Pascoe

  • http://www,gordongraphicsinc.com Jeff Herget

    I’m in college pursuing a degree in marketing. I own a business. And I’m almost 57. The reason I’m doing it is two fold. First, when I was 18, I could’ve cared less about academics despite my parent’s admonishments that I was smart. Despite successes in sales(my chosen field – which you don’t need a college degree for), I bore self doubt for decades concerning self discipline and sticktoitiveness – both very real and necessary qualities which are very much reinforced by the college experience – regardless of field of study. Secondly, the growing importance of life learning – the industry in which I achieved sales success virtually no longer exists so college becomes a very real part of the equation of occupational reinvention. From this academic journey, I’m getting the personal vindication that comes from carrying a 4.0 GPA and making the President’s List, along with marketable academics. To the point of experience, I choose to believe that the job candidate with 30 years experience with a new BA or BS is going to have an age over the candidate with 30 years experience and a 30 year old degree or no degree.

    -Jeff Herget