College Tidbits Blog

In today’s world it is conventional wisdom that a college education is necessary to excel as a professional.

Times are said to have changed, and without proper schooling one is doomed to a life of either hard labor or low-paying pencil pushing. And if you’re planning on paying for an education there is no escaping the fact that college costs are rising.

Besides the hefty price tag, traditional schooling is consuming, socially and mentally, forcing a particular lifestyle upon the student. Further, the relationship between the educator and the educated maintains a certain depravity, as a professor holds a figurative gun to the student’s head (any false moves may lead to a career crippling F). But is there an alternative?

In a recent editorial featured in the New York Times (April 23, 2008) Thomas Sowell attributes the high cost of college to two reasons: “People will pay what the colleges charge, and colleges have little incentive to reduce tuition.” He explains that unlike most markets, where lowering prices attracts business, in the academic world the government is ready to step in to pick up the slack.

A university would loose millions per year in government money if they lowered tuition. Considering the position that today’s young people are placed, where the arduous task of completing a degree is coupled with unfair prices and a dire necessity, which will affect the rest of their life, it is fair to say that they have us by the proverbial balls.

In an article which I recently compiled I attempt to imagine the direction of coming educational paradigms. It quickly becomes obvious how the talent of great minds may be ignored due to lack of proper credentials. Our current scholastic system bespeaks the Tory elitism representative of Western culture.

Perhaps the stereotypical role of an experimental, bohemian college student is effected by the sharp contrast of the academic organization. While it is clear that the classroom is continuing to evolve, it will be necessary for the vintage activist spirit of the student to lend guidance to new educational trends that shifts to a liberal method of intellectual maturation.

So where is the classroom going? I can say with a great deal of confidence that virtual technology will play a leading role in the future of education. Already most colleges and universities offer distance learning programs (online classes).

Some colleges, such as the University of Phoenix offer completely virtual degrees. Hybrid courses, in which physical meetings compose only a third of the course time, are also becoming popular. This model moves the educator from the head of the classroom, handing knowledge down, to a guiding medium. This new role forces a teacher to not merely present knowledge, but to be sympathetic in facilitating its acquisition.

Despite the advantages of a virtual classroom, the heavy price still lingers overhead. In overcoming this obstacle towards an open, intellectually progressive society we must embrace the idea of autodidactism.

Being self-educated sounds harder than it is. Some of the most important figures in history have been non-traditionally educated (including Socrates, Benjamin Franklin, Alan Watts, and Mark Twain). It means having a choice in subject matter, moving at your own pace, and it’s free. Its relevance towards the shifting educational paradigm can be attributed to the dawn of the information age, coupled with the open content movement.

Considering resources available today, it has never been easier to be self taught. Wikipedia alone serves as an ocean of open knowledge. Various colleges, including MIT, offer ‘open-courseware,’ which include lectures, videos, and notes for entire courses for free. EBooks, language courses, podcasts, and dictionaries have all become openly available in a spectrum wide enough to cover anyone’s interests.

Even aspiring musicians can learn basics of instruments, theory, and entire songs through online tablatures, sheet music, and video lessons. Rather than growing around current structures, we should move to evolve the system to fit our needs and goals.

Anthony is a writer, philosopher, and web developer.
He blogs at http://philosophy-explained.com

Philosophy Explained: A Contemporary quest for wisdom

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I personally, have not met anyone going to college that wasn’t trying to improve their financial future, have you?

So, if that’s why we go to college, why aren’t more guidance counselors, schools and even colleges talking about real jobs, real opportunities and becoming financially independent?

I think the answer is simple … they don’t know.

That’s not their focus.

Our world is changing at a remarkable pace and unless you have a teacher that’s passionate about the world, business and creating financial independence, you’ll hear the same vague advice that I heard …”Go to college and get a degree.”

Don’t get me wrong, education is good and necessary, but there’s a lot more that you need to know in order to experience financial success in the “real world” today.

Our world is changing at a remarkable pace making way for new and exciting opportunities all of the time.

In fact, many of these great opportunities don’t even require a bachelor’s degree.

There are many occupations that you can earn six figure salaries with only a technical diploma from a vocational or technical college.

This has not always been the case.

Years ago, you would have needed a bachelor’s degree to make a six figure income.

Now, all the rules have changed.

Many industries are looking for specific skills and not just general knowledge.

But it doesn’t stop there…

Many of the students I have worked with are working in their field of study as professionals while they continue their education.

The most amazing part … Not only are they earning a great salary, many corporations are paying for their continuing education!

Are you wondering … How do I hear about these great opportunities?

Being a business owner and college instructor, I network with business and industry leaders daily. Because of this, I see education and training in a very different way.

I’ve found that students are more successful when education, business and industry are combined. Students get a realistic view of what they will be doing before they invest many thousands of dollars into their education.

Students aren’t the only ones that benefit.

Businesses are hiring people who love what they do and are more qualified. This gives businesses the competitive edge they need to grow to the next level. It is truly a win-win situation.

To learn more about getting your kids happily and permanently employed, go to http://www.beyondhomeschool.com

Nicole Guillory

Nicole Guillory is a college instructor and has owned her own business for the last 7 years.
You can get more information at http://www.beyondhomeschool.com

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