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Why Did I Go to School?
In the midst of World Cup fever, Blackberry poker addiction and mid week birthday celebration hangovers, I managed to get hooked taking those quiz websites by another co-worker. She kept braggin’ about being able to name 155 countries in 15 minutes and as with most of people’s “accomplishments” in life, I was thoroughly unimpressed and thought I could easily do the same. Turns out, naming 155 countries in 15 minutes is pretty f*cking impressive. As I put work to the back burner and spent the rest of the afternoon bouncing from quiz to quiz, I came to a realization about two things; 1. I don’t remember half the sh*t I learned in school and b) 40% of the sh*t I learned in school is completely useless to me right now.
Until recently I had no clue Turkmenistan and Tajikistan bordered each other, couldn’t remember the periodic table or all the bones in the human body but I’m pretty sure they’ve been in a few of the books I’ve been assigned to read over the course of my education. Somewhere between mortgages, car payments, conference calls, conferences, weekly reports, the IRS, I guess I forgot to give a f*ck about reading a topographic map. I figure the only thing I need to know is anything that keeps the sound of money machine movin’, but ironically enough, I spend most of that money on stuff I wouldn’t need to spend money if I knew how to do it myself.
During my weekly conversation with my dad I told him about my recent car troubles and home water damage, and he was able to tell me exactly what the cause of my problems were and how to fix them. Having eased the criteria for things that impress me earlier in the week, I listened in awe as he droned on about the finer points of carpentry and the inner workings of an automobile. He never held a typical 9-5, but he made a good enough living to support the fam, and could change your oil if you needed it done. I suppose with the advancement of technology, it’s only logical to require computer classes in schools as opposed to a woodshop class, but all that’s really lead to is miscreants on facebook, people snitching on themselves on interoffice memos and emails, and jackasses writing blogs. And tweets. #f*cktwitter
After putting in 5+ at one of America’s top public policy schools, I made the natural transition to the occupation of all scholars of my ilk…Hotel Management. I was 24 years old telling black women in their mid-40′s with kids older than me how to do their jobs. You can imagine how that went. You can also imagine how easy it was for me to tell them to go f*ck themselves. I’d always think to myself that had I actually worked at the hotel for four years, I’d probably be 10 times better at my job or if a few of my harder working employees actually spoke proper English wanted the responsibility of management they’d probably be much more effective at that job than I was. It just so happened that I had a degree and could articulate well with the guests and upper management.
There are clearly problems with our current education system as schools are being closed, entire grades are being eliminated and graduation rates at high schools across the nation are abysmal. Lack of education leads to unemployment, unemployment leads to the Maury Show. Judging by its condition now, I’d venture to say the Education Dept. and school boards should be open to suggestions. I don’t think what’s being taught now is meaningless but if other useful skills were emphasized our unemployment picture would probably be totally different and there wouldn’t be guys in suit on the sidewalk with poster-sized versions of their resume. But sh*t, what would life be without Maury right?
Has school failed you miserably? Did that sweet job they promise you in the college brochure not come through? You’re probably pretty pissed that now that you realize they could have taught you something actually useful to everyday life in school, like how credit card companies calculate interest, instead of letting them push them in our faces on every college campus corner.
I feel like I said f*ck alot today. Good for me.
…yea, that clip just happened. What?
32 Responses to “Why Did I Go to School?”
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RightCoastLexSteele, I don’t think you can even guess how funny your article was to me- I couldn’t laugh hard enough! I almost ignored the “what” link- so glad I didn’t- thank you for totally making my morning!
*contented sigh*
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The Honorable and Rather Articulate Award Winning RightCoastLexSteele, LLC, Dark as the Night that covers me Reply:
July 14th, 2010 at 4:33 pm
What?
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This was an ironic post because just yesterday I was telling someone that I knew back in college that I would never be working in the field of my degree since I would be an indentured servant to the military after graduation. I knew that whatever field if the Army I entered, it would more than likely guide my career path.
I do find now, however, that a lot of the things I learned as a kid are coming back into play.
So all is not lost.
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Everytime I watch Are You Smarter than a Fifth Grader I’m reminded that my fifth grader teacher was a liar cause I don’t remember anything on that show.
As for college I learned more out of the classroom. Seeing as I spent most of the time broke I learned how to fix a great deal of stuff on my own. I still a fair amount of chemistry techniques on kitchen products for my face and hair.
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The most valuable class I had in high school was a General Math class. After finishing the Math requirements of Algebra I&II and Geometry, my guidance counsler suggested I take the General Math class (due to my less than stellar math grades).
I learned about interest rates, how to balance a check book, CD’s and high interest savings account…all things that I use today.
And while I wouldn’t trade my college experience for the world…that sweet job they promised me in the college brochure did not come through. Sometimes I think that if I’d went straight into the workforce after highschool…10 years later I’d be making more than my current salary. I’ve learned alot in college and met wonderful people…but money wise…I have yet to see this degree pay off.
I’m just being honest.
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School didn’t fail me. College helped to prepare me how to deal in certain situations in the real world. School is a stepping stone, you have to step carefully and not fall into the water!
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Reecie Reply:
July 14th, 2010 at 1:22 pm
I agree with this.
I’m good with my schooling and my station in life as a result. *nods head*
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College was awesome. I loved it. I liked choosing my own classes and satisfying my curiosity by exploring different disciplines.
Although I enjoyed college and the learning experience, I am a bit cranky with my current job situation. I can’t say school failed me, it’s this dam economy! When I started college most young whipper snappers right out of undergrad with a 3.0 or high could easily land a $40K and up job. I interned at as a paralegal the summer heading to junior year and was making $14 p/h and the head of the dep’t told me finish with a 3.3 or higher and I would more than likely be able to return as an employee making $45K plus overtime. Fast forward to graduation 09… no job b/c they’re downsizing due to the economy.
Anyhow, I learned a great deal of valuable things in school. How to deal with people with opposing view points, understanding people from different ethnic backgrounds, staying awake during subjects I couldn’t give a sh*t about etc…
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hmmm..
I’m still laughing at that clip.. (bows respectfully)
i’m not gonna say school failed me. I’m not done yet. It had to take a backburner when some issues came my way (those that know me, know what i’m talking about)
Being that I want to become a writer, I’m pretty sure school will help me, but being that after Eng 1101,1102 AND creative writing, my grammar is STILL SHITE! then i’m not exactly sure what that means.
I guess it means that editor career I wanted (while writing) might have to go..
I often argue that schools don’t teach us anything of importance (and that was before FCAT {which sucks balls down here}) And although my school had courses like “automotive and woodshop” (I still use that automotive stuff) they didn’t teach ANYTHING about credit cards, and interest rates. Which could’ve REALLY come in handy at 17.
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RCLS – your post was funny. However, I disagree w/ some of the notions that it pushes.
We arent supposed to remember everything that we learn in school. School is to expose you to many different things so that you later seek out knowledge on your own. Furthermore, there is no way to truly differentiate based on interest/future aptitude/future usage. We all know that only one kid in a particular is going to be a mathematician or engineer but all kids have to learn math b/c we dont know who that kid is.
Education has failed us b/c its gotten away from its roots. When i say this, i mean that education is no longer as cross disciplinary as it used to be. Ben Franklin was the man b/c he did everything. Literally everything. Diplomat/inventor/scientist/economist/philosopher. There’s a reason that your dentist used to also be your barber (look it up, its true). You say that maybe the Education system should teach ppl more usable skills. The problem is that when you start to teach specific skills, they have to be tailored to a specific job. The skills for one job are probably much different than the skills for another. What school tries to do is to teach you the skills that you will need for ALL jobs. A basic understanding of math, english, writing, science and maybe a foreign language. The upper levels are for exposure purpose.
I’m babbling on but as a Philosophy, Poli Sci and Econ major (one big major), I’ve learned to really understand the interconnectivity of all sciences which translate to all things
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I think school was quite useful- if not for what I learned about politics and history (which is quite useful for my current job) but for what I learned about dealing with individuals (also quite useful). There were some things I could of done without (looking at you monkey bio) but overall I wouldn’t have traded going to college for anything in the world.
Now law school is debateable- ask me in three years.
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I am vehemently anti-college. It robs you of four years of work experience and wages, and puts you thousands of dollars in debt. Just remember colleges are businesses, and they are in the business of selling pieces of paper, not educating.
Unless you know exactly what you want to do as a career, and that field is regulated so you need the degree, skip college. If you want to learn something, just go learn it. Pick up a book. You don’t need some yahoo in a cardigan sweater basically reading the book out loud to you, and paying him thousands to do so.
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Rum Punch Reply:
July 14th, 2010 at 12:07 pm
I see where you’re going with this, but idk if everyone is gonna get their Good Will Hunting on and head to the libary to learn South American politics and English Lit. I can also say that I don’t work in a “regulated field,” just a good ol’ non profit and a woman who has worked here for over 10 years applied for a managerial position that really should have gone to her. She didn’t get the job. Why? Didn’t have a college degree – is the reason they told her. But juxtapose this with my friend who has been working for a government agency for five years and w/ no college degree worked her way up from secretary to middle management. It all depends on where you are and the people who have the power around you – cause if the hiring managers think that piece of paper means something and you ain’t got, well sheeeeiiiiittttt…
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Hugh Jazz Reply:
July 14th, 2010 at 1:01 pm
”She didn’t get the job. Why? Didn’t have a college degree – is the reason they told her.
That is one of many reasons I’m anti-college. You will learn much more in four years actually working for the nonprofit agency than wasting four years in school paying for a business degree.
The question is can you do the job or not? My first job was working for a construction company that builds multi-million dollar complexes (like sports arenas and convention centers). The secretary there knew all the ends and outs of the business. Couldn’t get a job any higher than secretary because she didn’t have a degree. I had a bachelor’s and realized she knew a lot more about construction project management than I did.
Do you know how many half-educated idiots are running around out there with degrees that don’t know anything? I’ve worked with people with master degrees and PhDs that are morons. I know a teacher with a master’s degree in education that can’t add fractions. College gives too many people the pretense that they are intelligent.
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Please Excuse Your Significant Other Reply:
July 14th, 2010 at 1:05 pm
“”She didn’t get the job. Why? Didn’t have a college degree – is the reason they told her.
That is one of many reasons I’m anti-college. You will learn much more in four years actually working for the nonprofit agency than wasting four years in school paying for a business degree.”
This doesnt make the least bit of sense. If anything this should make you pro-college. She’s stuck being a secretary b/c she doesnt have a degree. What I take from this is go get one, so I dont end up like her.
I liken a college degree to a gun license, there are many a dikkhead w/ a license to carry and many responsible gun owners w/o. Do you think we should do away w/ gun licensing as well?
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Hugh Jazz Reply:
July 14th, 2010 at 2:15 pm
It makes all the sense in the world to smart companies and smart applicants. So it makes sense to have a college-degreed idiot over a person who actually knows how to do the job better without the degree? The lesson for the ten-year veteran was to update her resume with all her job skills and experience, take it to a different company for more pay and a promotion, and leave her former employer high and dry.
I was reading about a guy who owns a small computer graphics company (I don’t exactly recall what they did). Someone asked him how a small company had such an impressive team of artists. He said applicants would come in with their impressive resumes, and he’d just hand them a piece of paper and say, “draw something”. Again, can you do the job and make the company money or not?
As far as gun licensing, yes by all means, do away with it. Murders are still a daily occurence with them since criminals don’t ask permission to commit crime. But this is way off topic.
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Please Excuse Your Significant Other Reply:
July 14th, 2010 at 2:24 pm
Your argument doesnt follow logically from the facts that you wrote. What follows logically is to be both. Go to a school that is big on externships and practical experience and then graduate and be prepared to work up the ladder. That is what follows from the facts that you pointed out.
And about the computer graphics company, Wall St and consulting has been doing that for years. I had an interview w/ a slight larger than average investment firm. The first question was “are you from NYC? how many ping pong balls can you fit in the average NYC train?”
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Hugh Jazz Reply:
July 14th, 2010 at 3:43 pm
The argument is perfectly logical because there is opportunity cost involved in attempting to do both. If you already have the skills to perform a job, and a certain employer says they want you to spend X-thousands of dollars to “learn” something you already know, you’re wasting your time and money.
The logical response is to find an employer who recognizes your skills and will compensate you appropriately, not try to appease one that simply wants a few extra characters typed on your resume at your expense. That’s like telling Kobe Bryant, Kevin Garnett or LeBron James they can’t play basketball at a professional level because they didn’t go to college and play at that level. Can you do the job or not?
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Rum Punch Reply:
July 14th, 2010 at 4:40 pm
I’m sorry I left the convo. Had to go do some work. Snicker. I think that your view that all a person has to do is prove they can do the work is limited.
In reality people i.e., those in charge make plans for their employees lives all the time. My friend who moved from secretary to middle management was actually told by a manger that she needed to be a secretary for at least 5 years and “prove” herself. She was like that bump that and applied for several other jobs to get her out of secretary “hell” (her words) and was denied. She was more than qualified and could do the work, but someone else had to see that because the reality is that in this society having a degree has “value”. Whether it’s monetary is up for debate obviously.
When you don’t have a degree and you work your way up in a company you are at the mercy of the company. W/ my co-worker who doesn’t have a degree who has given 10 years of her life to this place – she is in a sense stuck. The specific skills she has gained here may not obviously translate to an HR person reading her resume @ another company. My uncle worked in an accounting firm for 25+ years, no degree, worked his way up, coolness. But once his boss who he became buddies with died. No one wanted to take a chance on him. This is all to say w/ or w/out a degree make yourself marketable and don’t depend on anyone else to decide your fate.
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Hugh Jazz Reply:
July 14th, 2010 at 5:48 pm
Rum Punch: “In reality people i.e., those in charge make plans for their employees lives all the time.”
Networking is one thing. Job experience is another. Networking > experience > college
And remember I’m not arguing college is useless. You need it for some career fields. But if you are working as a claims adjuster, in marketing, a non-profit agency, or you’re starting your own business, you’re wasting time and money. And a lot of it.
Rum Punch: “The specific skills she has gained here may not obviously translate to an HR person reading her resume @ another company.
Neither does the HR person that says you’re over/underqualified based on your degree. Or the infamous “needs X years of experience” to go with that degree.
Rum Punch: “When you don’t have a degree and you work your way up in a company you are at the mercy of the company.
Trust me, once you start working for over ten years, your degree isn’t that important.
Please Excuse Your Significant Other Reply:
July 14th, 2010 at 4:43 pm
It does seem to be logical but in our society/economy your analogy and reasoning is an exception rather than the rule. Yes there is an opportunity cost w/ going to four years of school (sometimes more). However, in this day and age going to school grants you access to higher incomes when you graduate to compensate for lost opportunity cost. Secondly, how many jobs can an 18 year old really do? I really dont think there is much.
On to your analogy, compare the percentage of high school to nba busts vs college to nba busts. I’d argue that there are more high school bust.
So IMHO, your logic is misplaced as it doesnt apply to the society that we live in> I might be anti-college too, if I could get a job w/o a degree
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Hugh Jazz Reply:
July 14th, 2010 at 5:54 pm
Peyso: “However, in this day and age going to school grants you access to higher incomes when you graduate to compensate for lost opportunity cost.”
And studies are coming out recently showing that those claims are exaggerated.
Peyso: “Secondly, how many jobs can an 18 year old really do?”
You’ll learn more about business stocking shelves, working as a drive-through bank teller or being a crew leader at Burger King than you will in your first two years of college.
Again, keep in mind I didn’t say college is never a good idea, I’m just anti-college because everyone thinks it’s a ticket to a bungalow with a picket fence in the suburbs. And look at the current situation: thousands of college grads with five or six figures of debt and no job prospects. And since everyone thinks you have to go to college, you have increased demand with limited supply, and now tuition is through the roof putting kids further in debt for a degree with ever-decreasing value. The education bubble is going to pop soon, just like the dot-com, equity and housing bubbles. Add to that, every career field has a limit. If everyone had a law degree, everyone wouldn’t be rich, that just means there will be more people working at Macy’s with law degrees.
Most people applying can’t even handle it and end up dropping out. I remember reading a study that said if you don’t have an IQ of 115 (which is about 70% of the population), you’re probably not going to be very successful in college.
Peyso: “On to your analogy, compare the percentage of high school to nba busts vs college to nba busts. I’d argue that there are more high school bust.”
I’d argue that’s not true.
Peyso: “So IMHO, your logic is misplaced as it doesnt apply to the society that we live in> I might be anti-college too, if I could get a job w/o a degree”
My logic is just fine and it most certainly does apply to the world that we live in. Although this is anecdotal, I have several friends who didn’t go to or didn’t complete college making over $50K/year. One is making over $100K a year. And I know college graduates up to debt to their eyeballs making under $35K. Even if I didn’t have my engineering degree, I could easily be making around $45K doing personal training. So far you haven’t come close to showing me that my logic is misplaced.
i don’t think i’m in a position to answer to this since i’m still in school and haven’t had a real job (minus that one year i took off) in my life. i would imagine that once i do finish with school finally it wouldn’t have failed me. being american in my field (that’s over run by asians) i will be in high demand. i’m african american so that’s another plus for me so i doubt that i’ll ever be without a job. gotta love affirmative action.
i retain a lot of information. most of it is useless. i still remember reading le morte de arthur my senior year. why? i have no idea. i use a lot of what i learned in school to this day. my senior science project was to compare the DNA of sheep’s brain to that of a pig’s brain. i called it “Pinky and [My] Brain”. yes i was that guy in high school. math class. yes i remember geometry, algebra, trig. good thing. i tutor at the local community college and it puts extra money in my pocket. general, organic and bio-inorganic chemistry. hated them in school but i’m glad i remembered it. i teach undergrads in the summer. puts some nice change in my pocket.
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As someone who has always excelled in school and pretty much rooted for basic education for all…now faced with the disappointing economy after graduation….I would say my resolve has waivered a bit on the matter, but I wouldn’t do it any other way. And honestly I wouldn’t know how. I would’ve probably held a job while in college, because more work experience would have definitely helped me out.
School was definitely fun (top party school in the U.S.) in and learning how to interact with ALL kinds of people is key professional success…so it was useful and I think we need the interim time to just figure it all out…even though no one ever really does just that by the time they graduate.
#effthejobmarket – couldn’t wait till Friday
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Cosign on Little Miss sunshine’s post. The greatest thing about college is being in the same environment with other young adults and getting to know people. Everything else can be learned by a book.
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“unemployment leads to Maury” (lol that made my day.)
My high school was a business school. I left learning how to type professionally, write business letters, general accounting (which helped in college), advanced math & I did an internship in an office. So from high school, I knew how to work in an office. I majored in Finance at college. Learned about compound interest, learned how to buy a house and a car & about mortgage rates and investments. So my major taught me life lessons. I worked for a company in finance for a year as well.
School benefited me a lot. Although I switched career paths, what I learned in Finance can help me in my future finances and/or I can serve as a consultant and own my own business…
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Thank God I watch useless trivia shows like Cash Cab and Jeopardy. They won’t let me watch Are You Smarter Than A Fifth Grader since I yell at the tv.
Peace, Love and Chocolate
Tiffany
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That link was funny…i love me some Stone cold!
I love school…heck, I’m in Education! I agree that the Dept. of Education needs to be revamped but first, the people who don’t give a ish about the children need to be booted out & replaced by people who actually do & then reforms to the curriculum need to be made (especially with teaching for a standardized test rather than for them to truly learn).
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L. Dejean Reply:
July 14th, 2010 at 11:41 pm
Of course, there are more than just curriculum reforms to be made but I’m tryin to keep this reply short.
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I’ve been wanting to write some sort of post similar to this but you’ve done a much better job at articulating what I’d like to say.
However, I’m commenting on this blog post from a different perspective. I am still in school so I do not yet know what the “real world” will be like in terms of me finding my job. What I do know is- several people who I know that are already graduated are not working in the field in which they earned their degree. Once I graduate I will (hopefully) be working in the field that I am earning my degree in.
I am in college studying to become an elementary school teacher, and I can say that I am literally scared sh*tless- not scared of “being an adult” but, scared for our up coming youth.
Only at 22, I laugh at myself for already sounding like my mother and my Nana, when I talk to people about “Things are SO different from when I was that age.”
After spending three years in college and teaching in different grades, I have already encountered my 2nd graders talk about 15 and 16 year old siblings who are pregnant, 8th graders who are talking about sending nude pictures to each other and making sex videos, and 6th graders telling me that a teachers box of tea “smells like weed.”
Entering into a profession where the system is literally deteriorating is a daunting thought to me. The schooling system has gone to sh*t- or its at least getting there.
In some respects my goal is to stay teaching children, so I know that I will have some control in giving hope to the youth of this age-but in another respect I’m tempted to work my way up into the Board of Education in hopes to make some serious changes.
I just have an apprehensive feeling about being so close to working in a system that I know is close to shambles.
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Slim Jackson Reply:
July 16th, 2010 at 5:52 pm
Very interesting comment. That is quite the volatile situation to be in. Glad you shared this perspective, though the circumstances aren’t the greatest.
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