Is college for everyone?
For nearly a century now, the path to economic success has been laid out for our teenagers:
Do well in school, to get into a good college. Graduate from that college and get a good entry level career that will give you a lifelong career with a good salary and great benefits.
Increasingly the evidence does not support this as a sure fire recipe for success. A number of thought leaders are suggesting that while college is a great path for many, it should not be seen as the panacea that is prescribed for all of your young people.
“A small but influential group of economists and educators is pushing another pathway: for some students, no college at all. It’s time, they say, to develop credible alternatives for students unlikely to be successful pursuing a higher degree, or who may not be ready to do so.”
Breaking Up The College Monopoly
Colleges have had years of . Today, alternatives abound. You can study at most colleges online. Many offer the courses for free, but of course you do not get the degree certificate upon completion.
My take is this: Go to college if it is going to help you get where you want to be. If you want to be a surgeon, then no number of alternative paths are going to get you there. However, if you are looking for a more creative path, then college may not be the way to go, at least not for now.