Over a decade ago, I wrote a short book titled The Higher Education Bubble, which was followed by a much longer one called The New School, and a significantly longer and updated paperback version called The Education Apocalypse.
In all of these books I explained, with increasing amounts of detail and examples, why I thought that the existing system of higher education in America was doomed. Not that higher education itself would cease to exist, but that the standard model of college, graduate, and professional education that had obtained since the passage of the G.I. Bill, and in many ways since the late 19th Century, would largely cease to exist. This was due to a combination of out-of-control costs and loss of prestige.
So is the apocalypse now? Maybe. At the very least, we’re at some sort of a turning point.
I was raised (poor) in a very wealthy community. And I must say that EVERY Jewish kid I went to school with was smart … smarter than most … and usually destined for an Ivy League school and then on to medical school to follow in their father and/or mother’s footsteps.
When the neo Islamofascist Universities start losing their Jewish students … because it’s no longer a *ahem* “welcoming” place … they’re going to suffer a brain drain from which they’ll never recover. Sorry. But facts are stubborn things. And I hate to break it to these “educators” … but YOU didn’t create those Jewish kids intelligence and industry … they (their parents) did. And when you lose them … YOU will suffer … they’ll continue to grow and expand their knowledge without you. And the Universities will become sadder JOKES than what they already are.
PS … in my wealthy community … parents are considered a FAILURE … if their kids go to Community College after HS. When all the parents are proudly putting Harvard stickers on their Volvos and bragging about their little darlings … nobody would EVER say publicly that their kids could ‘only’ get into a JUNIOR college.
Except me. My kids went to community college. Why? a) they weren’t really emotionally ready for 4-year college (I guess we made home life too comfy for them), b) it allowed them to pick any State college they wanted after graduation (if they did well … they did), c) it was cheap as hell, and d) they took the same basic foundational classes they would have taken at any 4-year school. My kids HS grades were excellent, and they could have gotten into any 2nd tier college easily … but they wanted to go to a bigger name college, and since they didn’t have the 4.6 gpa to get in … they found another way.
My kids went to UCLA where one earned a degree in math, the other in History (but she’s the ultra creative one). They both got immediately hired out of college, with ZERO debt and have done quite well for themselves. The “status” of college is a JOKE. There are ways to still get the exact same education at a FRACTION of the outrageous price tag. I consider MY FAMILY to be the SMART ones … we got the fancy degrees from the fancy institutions … for next to nothing. And lady … your Volvo is a rusty POS about now … and that Harvard sticker is faded and tattered
My brother decided to go to university and get a degree in order to get a better job. This was in the late 80s early 90s.
He did a couple things that impressed me … he always got hold of the curriculum ahead of time and went about reading all the required books for each course, in his spare time. Books mostly borrowed from the library for FREE. and some would be bought used , cheaply.
He also applied for any and every scholarships and bursaries he could find and was quite successful with that. He graduated with an honors degree and got himself a well-paying government job. He didn’t particularly like the gig, but money talks.
He graduated with no debt .. he is now retired. Yes there is more than one way to get it done. I went the route of self-employed, self-educated small business owner … I liked my gig and now I am also retired.
I feel that for some people, spending too much time in the educational system will make you stupid and miserable. Check out the disposition of today’s college students .. dumb and ignorant is only the beginning.
Most of them think Hamas are the good guys.
I went to University as it was the price of admission to my profession. My own brother … who I have always considered much smarter than me … had no use for college, but became an auto mechanic who was really good at it. He bought his first house at age 24 and built his own audiophile electronics … he favored ‘Hafler’ designed electronics back in the day …
Colleges are filled with people far less intelligent than my brother.
When Education becomes a mind field and critical thinking is not taught or encouraged—- we lose independent thinkers and the genius of the youth!
A prime example is the pushing of Anthropogenic Climate change where a very weak Hypothesis can not be questioned! And so called scientists will for the most part will not question!
WHY because critical thinking is not allowed!
Where will this lead to ,extreme danger to our society!
hi kenji
lve been on both sides of the career fence.
a very strong ‘academic’ lilt buuuut, did 5 years as an electrician’s assistant.
and other construction work as well. but l did office work and taught private college.
the link is spot on. for fun l went back for 10 yrs part time (free tuition for seniors) and loved it, the learning experience.
the end started in 2019 l went tot he academic support group with a nagging feeling l was gonna get into trouble. l suspected my autism would lead me to commit a plethora of microagressions as usual and trigger someone.
it wasnt that. l made the fatal mishteak of trying to cheer up a coed seemed excessively stressed. told her she was a one percenter
-brains
-money
-youth
-health
-attractive.
only 1% of the world’s population possess all 5 attributes so hey, cheer up.
it was that last one did me in; “inappropriate” referencing her physical appearance.
oops.
next time l was daydreaming in the weight room, winter term 2022.
gawking at another one guessing whether that machine would be something to try. same thing.
“inappropriate” just LOOKING at them.
alas lm not brad pitt’s doppelganger, more like his f’ing horse so l decided to quit right then, wrote the final weeks later not going back.
in the mean time l acquired 2 more doggies (sired by my boy with a tenant’s bull terrier) so they get most of my attention now.
for me despite dei ‘inclusive’ it was anything but for me in that regard.
it delights me endlessly the fact elementary teachers have constant blind hate and violence raining down on their heads. because THAT is a popular line of
‘work for the woke’. why so? because THAT is the profession that HATED ME in elementary school fully HALF my teachers alternated between insults and criticissm and utterly ignoring me.
i got pushed into the grade 3-4 from overcrowding alas because that byatch had ALREADY covered long division she had no intention of covering it again for the interloper.
so l reverse engineered it watching all the teacher’s pets show off at the blackboard.
etc etc.
l guess what lm saying the current edjukaySHUN cystem is ok for some but no longer interests me.
Cops are supposed to start clearing the Columbia encampment at 2pm ET.
Should make for some good videos.
No one needs to go to an elite school, which means that there’s a free market for colleges.
And the free market is a wonderful thing. Businesses who hawk deficient products at premium prices find themselves either going broke or taking corrective action. The market may take a few years, but it does get there.
?
lm confoosed. isnt marketing a post grad major in places? dont they know these learning materials are gleaned from REAL LIFE?
are they not aware how this protestation HARMS their place in the ‘market’?
meh. all part of that false immunity thing they have going.
I’m familiar with college marketing courses from about 5 years ago.
Most now are ‘social media marketing’
Courses on how to buy ads on Google and Facebook, social justice and equality, viral tiktok crap, etc.
No final paper required. Just a PowerPoint campaign on “halal fast food marketing”
As Kaye would say “Enjoy!”.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=prZwawn6HUk
“I am a professor of economics. I reacted inappropriately. I apologize. Please”.
What surprises me is people yell directly into the faces of the police and they are stunned into hysteria once they’re arrested.
Oh, I did, Steve. I did enjoy that.
My WAG is the protesters were told to leave. They had their say, free speech and all that, and now the party is over. So, disperse or face arrest.
They chose poorly.
my bet is these sit’n the occupiers think they are calling a bluff.
oopsie.