Rich Karlgaard writes for Forbes, the finance magazine. The basics of this article he's written is that a degree is not necessarily a good investment, unless it's acquired from a TOP TEN university. I've been hearing this for years, that you can go to school for years and then "end up" working a Joe Job anyway. I have a couple of colleagues and friends in possession of degrees who aren't working in fields in any way related to their studies. Nor does it appear that they are financially better off, because in the case of at least two that come to mind, I make more money than they do and I always have.
I find this article interesting, because as an older student, I am constantly queried as to why I would go to school NOW, like my life is almost over or something, and what kind of nerve do I think I have, getting out of the pasture in the first place? And they want to know WHAT I WILL BE when I am done. I always answer, "Smarter, and with a degree." Let me tell you, that answer does not satisfy anyone but me.
Reading this article sort of reminded me of Christopher Lasch's "Revolt of the Elites" in a way. Obviously education is viewed only in terms of money for this Karlgaard guy and he mainly is concerned with medical, finance and business degrees, not "pissant" degrees in the Humanities. I suspect that certain trustees of certain trust funds feel the same way and work feverishly to exclude certain people from certain trust funds. That's all I'm gonna say on that. Oh, okay, maybe one more thing - that a certain trust fund recipient is gonna suck up as much cash and spend on Humanities as she can.
I do not think a degree is a waste of time for anyone. I wish I had done it sooner but I am grateful to be doing it now. I think assuming that a degree is going to automatically pave your way in the working world would be a mistake. You are still going to have to work, and impress your boss, and deal with lazy or crazy coworkers and deal with shitty clients. Unless you're a princess or something. I think that you can also have a vision and pursue it, rather than finish school and flounder around asking desperately, "Now what do I do?"
I also think that Karlgaard is more right in the US than he is in Canada. We really are facing a crisis up here when the Almighty Boomers go home from work for the last time. If you have a degree you could at least end up managing their finances and their children, rather than changing their diapers. Trust me on this, you really don't want that.