Test 2

Over at The Atlantic there is a really interesting article about trade schools versus college. Money:

In the United States, college has been painted as the pathway to success for generations, and it can be, for many. Many people who graduate from college make more money than those who do not. But the rigidity of this narrative could lead parents and students alike to be shortsighted as they plan for their future careers. Yes, many college graduates make more money—but less than half of students finish the degrees they start. This number drops as low as 10 percent for students in poverty. The ever sought-after college-acceptance letter isn’t a guarantee of a stable future if students aren’t given the support they need to complete a degree. If students are exposed to the possibility of vocational training early on, that might help remove some of the stigma, and help students and parents alike see a variety of paths to a successful future.

Indeed.

I have had this very conversation with my kids; you don't have to go to college immediately following high school. You don't have to go to college at all.

(Yes. I'm aware of the ridiculous irony of someone who claims the mantle of "Admissions Dude" saying these things.)

I know this because I shouldn't have gone to college. At least, not immediately following my secondary schooling.

Back in the mid-90s when I was a high school student, it was an expectation that I would be going to college. This expectation was not a pressure that I received from my parents or family members. Rather, this was something more like peer pressure. Nearly all of my circle of friends was planning on higher education of some sort - so naturally I would be doing the same.

The difference between me and the rest: I wasn't yet mature enough to go to college.

I have long maintained that I should have joined a branch of the military or took some time to work and save money for my education. I should not have gone to college.

And yet, I did go to college.
And I learned a lot.
And I really enjoyed myself.

But, I was not a strong student. And - perhaps most regrettably - I did not take advantage of all of the tremendous opportunities that I should have.

My goal for my kids is to pass along the idea that there are many different pathways to success. Sometimes that pathway goes through a college education. Sometimes that pathway goes in a different direction. Neither is right or wrong.