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May 22nd, 2009 
QuadsZilla How bad is the job market right now? Check this out:
According to a survey from National Association of Colleges and Employers, the class of 2009 is leaving campus with fewer jobs in hand than their 2008 counterparts. The group’s 2009 Student Survey found that just 19.7 percent of 2009 graduates who applied for a job actually have one.
Too bad for them even bankruptcy can’t get rid of those student loans. With the average cost of a private University over $25k, that means that many of these kids have a $100k + mortgage on their education to repay. That’s a bitter pill to swallow when that job you thought a College Degree Guaranteed you some kind of security.
It begs the question: At these prices, is a college really worth it for the middle class?
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scary statistics, but education is always worth the cost in my books. i just think future students who had always seen themselves attending a private university now may have to alter their plans, in light of the economic downturn and everything. i’m not even going to a ground campus now – i attend college online, so i don’t even have to worry about transportation or fees to board at school. i know some people who don’t take it as seriously as attending a real campus…so i present you with this article to counteract those views:
http://www.top-colleges.com/blog/2009/05/08/recognition-for-online-education/
scary statistics, but getting an education is never a waste of time. we should be constantly learning. i just think students need to reassess the type of schools they want to go to – especially in light of the recent economic downturn, parents are probably struggling to fork the money out for a private education for their kids. i don’t even attend campus – i study online which is so much cheaper, plus i don’t have to worry about transportation fees. i know some people think i’m missing out and don’t really see any real merit in an online degree…but this article refutes that: http://www.top-colleges.com/blog/2009/05/08/recognition-for-online-education/ – there’s still a ways to go, but i reckon online degrees are going to be more and more popular in the years to come. students are growing up on technology now, unlike our parents generation!
True, but getting an education and going to a college / Univeristy are not necessarily related.
I think you will approach the question differently than other people would, QuadsZilla.
You know that a “mainstream higher education” is not a necessary requirement for earning “higher” amounts of money and enjoying a “higher” lifestyle. You do SEO and you probably taught yourself much of it, and when you do seek education you probably do it through informal channels that provide you direct access to the cutting-edge of your field.
Of course a “mainsteam” education with tired professors recycling ancient knowledge sucks compared to the knowledge you have access to, and the manner in which you have access to it.
But most other people don’t have the same experience. They are not familiar with alternative ways of earning money and living life. So they default to the way that “everybody knows”: get a reputable mainstream education, get a good job, work hard, live life one step ahead of yourself courtesy of credit cards, etc…
J.J. Luna has a string of books that you’ll probably like: http://www.howtobeinvisible.com/index.cfm/page/Books/index.htm Especially applicable is “Skip College: Go Into Business for Yourself”
College teaches you theory and how not to fail. Business makes you practice and rewards success, plus if you do it right you come out with profit instead of government secured debt. And even if you screw up the business, that debt will be a lot easier to manage.