Formal Education
By Kythe42
@Kythe42 (1412)
United States
April 6, 2007 3:06pm CST
Why is formal education so important? It seems that most jobs don't want to higher you unless you have at least a Bachelor's Degree. I've learned lots of job skills outside of college but what I know doesn't make a difference if I don't have a piece of paper saying I have a degree. I'm willing to bet that I know more stuff than people who actually have a degree.
An Associate's Degree is probably the highest I'm going to go with my education. I'm just fed up with it. I can't justify spending money on the classes required to get a Bachelor's Degree when half of those courses seem completely unnecessary.
I also feel that I don't do very well with structured education. I love to learn, but I prefer to learn the things I want to learn when I want to learn them. When I am interested in a topic I tend to research it on my own. I trust my own research more than I trust the college text books. I have found the college text books to be inaccurate in many cases, particularly with history and certain branches of science.
I know I probably won't get a good job with just an Associate's Degree but I'll do my best. That's why I'm on this site and others trying to make some extra money. I'll probably also take some computer certification tests to buff up my resume.
1 person likes this
1 response
@gberlin (3836)
•
6 Apr 07
I understand your problem. My older brother had the same problem. He knew computer programming but did not have a degree. At first a degree didn't matter so he was making good money. Then he was passed over for promotions and they told him that he needed a degree. Well, he was married and had 3 kids. But finally he got his Bachelor's and then his master's in business administration. Now he is in business for himself as a project management consultant. So what I'm saying is that somewhere down the road you may want to get that degree. My brother did know more than those with the degree but people don't take you seriously without the paper! I think that they feel if you have a Bachelor's degree then you have the ability to learn.
1 person likes this
@Kythe42 (1412)
• United States
6 Apr 07
I guess I'd be willing to go ahead and get the Bachelor's Degree if I only had to take classes relating to my field. I'm just not willing to spend money on other classes like history and public speaking. I have no intention of ever doing any public speaking and I don't agree with a lot of the stuff that's in the history books. I don't know, maybe this is a childish position to take. I wish there was home schooling for college students. I'd get to decide exactly what I wanted to learn in order to fulfill those general education requirements that are needed besides the stuff relating to my field.
