Community Chat

[Noel7]

Re:

"I made it through high school without a car, a phone or a computer."

You can't make it without a computer anymore.  I think most people know that being computer savvy is a must.  Every important business has them, even hospitals have our records on a computer.

Colleges around here require every student to have his or her own computer.

Times have changed, students have to keep up with things or they are left behind.

ps A lot of term reports and essays aren't paper nowadays, they are submitted to the teacher by way of a computer.

[Bri36]

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@software wrote:

Love it!

"I made it through high school without a car, a phone or a computer."

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@Spurt wrote:

This says it all for me..........

https://www.ispot.tv/ad/AoHk/grads-of-life-atypical

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Kids in grade school need a computer today.   Most tests and papers are turned in online now.   

[nun ya]

Our local school of trades is still $20,000 a year.  A little less than a state school, but not by much.

[LinaL]

"I made it through school without an abacus."
-Archimedes

Times change. Get with the program. 

[suzyQ3]

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@LinaL wrote:

@hckynut

I agree that loans should be paid back. 

But:

"...don't expect a gift, from this taxpayer, to pay your choice of it."

I don't have kids. I've paid taxes for decades for schools, teachers, education for other people's kids. I don't resent it. You're welcome.

ETA

Someone else's hard-earned tax money paid for your education. 

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@LinaL, I don't think so in this case.

Of course, I totally agree with the rest of your post and comments.

[suzyQ3]

I have a lengthy history behind the scenes at proprietary schools (trade, etc.) I am ashamed of my participation in what I can call only a scam of immense proportions. They charge a huge amount, tease their applicants with federal loans, and purport to train them for a job they will have little chance of getting and no transferable credits.

I began teaching in a court reporting school of this ilk and later that widened to all sorts of areas from computers to the health and medical industry. The vast majority of the students were ill-prepared for even basic instruction; the teachers were often remarkably unqualified; and managment had absolutely no interest beyond the bottom line.

When I became head of the English department (what a joke), I started to see behind the curtain. I recall at one of our festive meetings, the school's bigwig did a comedy routine that revolved around what qualifications were needed to enroll -- one of them was the ability to breathe. It's funny until it makes you cry for these young and older adults.

And I began to worry about my own legal complicity as the government thankfully started to crack down on these "schools." One of the head honchos told me not to worry, that I proabably wouldn't go to jail. In the last few years, the government has tried to rein in these despicable crooks. But...hmmm, lips sealed.

Also, I want to add my voice to those who are concerned about the increasingly fervent anti-education, anti-intellectual, anti-science sentiment (admittedly broader than the topic here). Even if one didn't or wasn't able to procure a good education, I can't imagine not wanting it for your children. We all want more for our children, don't we? Whether it's a college track or some other direction, but knowledge and curiosity and skilled cognitive reasoning should always be a part of that education.

[tansy]

One of the biggest mistakes I made as an adult was going to a new private court reporting school.  Hate to even think back on the experience.  At least I didn't take out loans.

[Spurt]

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@sunshine 919 wrote:

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@software wrote:

Maybe people will now be more encouraged to learn a trade.

Some college degrees are over-rated.

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I agree, I also think we could do what some countries do.  Some I believe are free.   It seems the education here is so expensive it's like the have and the have nots.  No money no education.  It's a shame.  I believe in New York if you make a certain income some of the colleges are free tuition.  I grew up in southern ca.  I remember the city college only charged you for books.  This was in the 70's  not sure how they could do it then and not now.  I also remember when you could take classes at a 4 year college for 30.00 a credit.

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@sunshine 919

It sounds like a good idea, but it depends on what a country puts it's priorities on. But these tuitions that other places and NY says are free tuition are picked up by the taxpayers of NY, so they aren't really free.  And I have relatives that live in NY State and they can attest to the high taxes they pay..............

Here's another fly in the ointment....what about these universities/colleges GIVE a scholarship to these atheletes (noticably basketball) they only play for the college for a year and then leave for the NBA and the big money.....sad that the scholarship couldnt be given to someone that really valued an education rather than someone who just went to the school with the big name just to be noticed by the pro-scouts....

[Spurt]

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@hckynut wrote:

I have never and will never worry about so-called "higher education".  Tired of hearing over and over during my adult life and working days that "one must go to college to be successful/Gotta save for my kids college, yada, yada".

Now we have trillions of $$$ owed our government for those that chose to borrow to reach that panacea called "higher education", with many believing they shouldn't have to pay back what was a loan, not a gift. Hello!

Probably millions that have this so-called "higher education" that cannot find "their job", and heaven forbid having to do a lower level job that does not meet their standards. My mind was never on this "higher education". It was on working/learning via experiences versus reading books, and earning money doing so.

According to Mike Rowe(Dirty Jobs TV Show), there are currently 5,500,000 jobs out there, but not enough "with the skills" to do them. Not "higher education" jobs, but "skilled labor" jobs. When will parents quit saying you need this or that sheet of "higher education" to live a successful life?

I know all about the Billions of $$$ in the pockets of some major(?) Colleges. Why? Taxpayers, via Government Loans, pay increasing rates to attend these sacred colleges, so what happens? Their rates conveniently increase because their students can borrow(?) more taxpayer dollars to attend these sanctimonious institutions.

I have spent a lot of my life around very successful people, many without the sheet of paper deemed "higher education". Many own/owned their own or  Electrical/Masonry/Plumbing/Carpentry and even Computer Businesses. I worked 30+ years next to a co-worker that had "his sheet of paper", and he liked to remind me at times. And there he was working with a guy that needed Summer School to graduate grade school and a high school dropout.

While I get the point of this thread, I also know what's up with those self described Elite of so-called higher education. If that is what a person chooses, more power to them, but don't expect a gift, from this taxpayer, to pay your choice of it.

hckynut(john)

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@hckynut

I totally agree I paid for my college with my own blood,sweat, and tears---(worked and went to school---no loans here).   Our newspaper did an expose on non-paid student loans and it was earth shaking the amount of money and the number that were never paid.......

Updated: May 17, 2017

It’s 2017 and Americans are more burdened by student loan debt than ever.

You’ve probably heard the statistics: Americans owe over $1.4 trillion in student loan debt, spread out among about 44 million borrowers. That’s about $620 billion more than the total U.S. credit card debt. In fact, the average Class of 2016 graduate has $37,172 in student loan debt, up six percent from last year.

STUDENT DEBT STATISTICS BY LOAN STATUS (DIRECT LOAN PROGRAM)

Loans in repayment	$478.6 billion	15.7 million borrowers
Loans in deferment	$107.3 billion	3.5 million borrowers
Loans in forbearance	$96.2 billion	2.6 million borrowers
Loans in default	$67.5 billion	4.0 million borrowers
Loans in grace period	$50.1 billion	2.0 million borrowers

https://studentloanhero.com/student-loan-debt-statistics/

[Spurt]

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@Bri36 wrote:

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@software wrote:

Love it!

"I made it through high school without a car, a phone or a computer."

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@Spurt wrote:

This says it all for me..........

https://www.ispot.tv/ad/AoHk/grads-of-life-atypical

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Kids in grade school need a computer today.   Most tests and papers are turned in online now.   

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@Bri36

The point was she got things done without the aid of technology and has good analytical skills to think out problems for herself using her brain............