[jdonn]

luke warm, on Apr 14 2009, 04:57 PM, said:

jdonn, on Apr 14 2009, 02:41 PM, said:

TimG, on Apr 14 2009, 02:38 PM, said:

jdonn, on Apr 14 2009, 11:42 AM, said:

I strongly suspect that a lot fewer uneducated people recognize the importance of an education than do educated people. In fact if that weren't the case it would be something of a paradox. If what you say is correct, wouldn't there be something of a pattern of alternating generations within families attending college?

I think it is a mistake to use "education" to mean college. I think more valuable than a college education is vocational training. Yes, sometimes a college education serves as vocational training, but not always. There are also lots of college educated individuals working jobs that shouldn't require a college degree. Which seems to me like a waste of resources.

I couldn't disagree more. The point isn't training for a specific trade, it's to teach you to think. I do not agree with the association that education's importance is in making as much money as possible.

how about for those who prefer votech, who have no desire at all to go to college? maybe someone who wants to be an auto mechanic, or even a barber... i don't think we're talking about making as much money as possible as soon as possible, unless you equate making a living with that

A college education is very important to those people as well is the point I'm trying to make. I don't think it would be wasted on them at all. They vote, they serve on juries, they participate in society, they raise families. They have brains just like everyone else.

[Winstonm]

From a hiring perspective, the benefit for an applicant holding a college degree is that it shows the candidate has the willingness and ability to finish tasks that are not particularly interesting to him or her in order to fulfill a larger goal. It infers a higher degree of maturity than a non-degreed person might have.