# College education versus real-world learning



## Burra Maluca (Apr 13, 2012)

I just wanted to share this podcast which includes a discussion of the value of college education and of real-world experiences. 

College versus Real-Life Education

My own son is 16 and in his last year of compulsory education and is currently splitting his time between studying part time with the Open University and doing practical stuff on the farm, which seems a pretty good balance for him at the moment, but there is plenty of food for thought in the podcast and it might be useful for anyone with teenagers, or indeed anyone contemplating returning to college.


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## cindy-e (Feb 14, 2008)

Looking forward to listening to this. 

Just had this very lengthy discussion with a group of women on this. The fact is that college expense has gone up something like 61% in the last 10 years, while only 12% of that can be explained by inflation. 

At the same time, with the economy being what it is, my friend who has a master's degree waits tables for a living, and every single person working with her has a degree. it's like the new high school diploma... kind of hard to work without it. That may be because we live in a highly educated area, but it is a reality we deal with around here. 

On top of that, industrialism and cheap goods have made it nearly impossible for a person to make a living on traditional craftsman skills, furniture making or the like... 

So that leaves a college degree and/or the trades, like electrician or plumber... in our discussion at this point, we decided that the temperment of the child had to come in to play here. Who are they, and what do they want to do? What are they capable of? We also decided that college debt should never exceed what you would make in your career in the first year. It is absurd for a teacher to come out of college with $100,000 in debt! They would never pay that back! Then this article came across my inbox. To Pay Off Loans, Grads Put Off Marriage, Children - WSJ.com

I have one child whom I do not worry about, because his career choice cannot be outsourced. If you need physical therapy, you need physical therapy. My other kids... I worry about thier career choices. They will have to compete in a global economy, with people who will work for pennies on the dollar and whose education didn't cost $60,000 or more! CRAZY economic times we live in... just crazy.

K. FWIW,
Cindyc.


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