To College, or Not to College

While sitting at swim lessons this morning I was reading headlines and stories from a favorite e-zine to my mom. I receive a lovely little email each weekday morning with a blurbs and headlines about going-ons in my state that don't necessarily hit the mainstream news. It mostly deals with legislation and education and often I merely skim and move on, sometimes I click the links for the full article.

Today I clicked on this: http://www.popecenter.org/commentaries/article.html?id=2542 and read it out loud to my mom while the baby was sleeping and the kids were swimming.

In Mom's opinion, as an employer as well as one who took 20yrs to finish a "four year degree," a college degree isn't necessarily beneficial in terms of *what* you've studied, but more about the fact that you finished *something.* She said there's a maturation process that tends to occur as one goes through the effort to complete a college degree. This is also the woman who told me (less than a year after completing her degree) to not go to college for something I thought I could make money in, but something that was of interest to me because more often than not a job wouldn't be found in the field (saturation of market, etc).

My own opinion is that college isn't for everyone. It's important to recognize where your strengths and interests are and pursue those with gusto--whether it leads you to a university, a vo-tech facility, an apprenticeship, your own fledgling entrepreneurial effort, or a handful of part-time jobs that fuel your interests, provide for your needs, and keep life fresh for you. IMO, it's also important to pay your own way so it means more to you--you tend to put in more effort when it's your own buck you're blowing. Our kids have been notified (regularly) from the get-go that if they want a phone, they're paying for it. If they want a car, they're paying for it. If they want to pursue post-secondary educations, they're paying for it. We strive to encourage our children to be self-reliant.