Posted by Dinah on April 8, 2009, at 7:44:03
In reply to Why do people in the U.S opt to NOT go to college?, posted by Garnet71 on April 7, 2009, at 12:39:25
Not everyone wants to go to college. Why should they? There are many honorable career paths that have nothing to do with college. The skilled trades don't require college. Granted, many of them are becoming obsolete. But many never will become obsolete.
I graduated from a high school where it was pretty much expected that we'd all go on to college. Most enrolled and went at least for a while. Not all graduated. Some went back later, when they were more mature, and were going because it was what they wanted for themselves and not what their parents expected of them. Some didn't. Some found college too difficult, or just didn't like it. Many had parents who didn't go to college, and a goodly number followed the same career paths as their parents. I had a fair amount of admiration for the one of my friends who refused to enroll in college. He knew it wasn't for him, and he chose a trade instead. He didn't allow his family's expectations to push him where he didn't want to go. He's fine and happy.
Many of the friends of my youth had parents who, like their parents before them, fished for a living. It's not an easy life, and it's full of hard labor and hot days. But the people who do it tend to love it, and they're perfectly happy. They'd be miserable stuck in an office or stuck in a classroom. The kids who excelled at school and loved school went to college. They were aware of the opportunities. The ones who didn't much excel at school didn't go to college. IMO, they're just as happy as those who did.
My mother's family of siblings and their kids (and now grandkids) is huge. Education is stressed highly, even though my grandparents didn't make it as far as high school, never mind graduate from high school. Most of my aunts and uncles and cousins graduated from college. But the ones who didn't, with a few exceptions, are just as happy and successful as the ones who did, and as my uncle laughingly points out the son who didn't go to college makes a good deal more than his psychologist brother. They're both happy though. That's what counts, isn't it?
And although we like to believe the myth that everyone is created equal, it just isn't so. My brother grew up in the same schools, had access to learning specialists, etc., came from a family where college was expected, and just never did well in school, never liked it, and in all likelihood was not cut out for college. The expectations that my parents had that college was the only possible path only left him feeling like a failure. It wasn't easy for him, but I'm pretty darn proud of him for how hard he works. He went into the military, works very hard, doesn't earn as much per hour as I do, but I really really hope he feels like a success in his career. He's doing something that always was a goal for him.
Asking why people choose not to go to college is like asking why they didn't choose to become artists or salespeople. People are different. Not everyone enjoys the academic life. Not everyone has the ability to excel in academics. It isn't a failure not to go to college. It's a failure not to make the most of your God-given talents. Whatever those talents might be.
As an aside, Louisiana has what's known as the Tops program. If you make a certain grade in high school, and are in the top twentyfive percent of your class (I think it's top 25%, could be wrong), you don't need to worry about money for tuition at a state college. I'm not sure how it's working out, but I know that kids in Louisiana since the Tops program started are well aware that it exists.
And a few of my mothers' family have severe mental illnesses. They didn't go to college, but really that's the least of their problems.
poster:Dinah
thread:889219
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/psycho/20090328/msgs/889405.html