cartoon credit sharingmachine.com
I didn’t go to college. <—— Rewind<—- Let me rephrase, “I went to college for 1 year. I did not earn a MA, a MBA, a BS, a MS, a MSW, a PhD, or a PsyD. I wonder why. (deep down I know) I’m not sore about it. Years ago, when I was fairly green in the corporate world, the President of our company said to me, “You’re an under achiever.” I took it to heart. In a way he was right. I could be pushing myself more. He also meant it as a compliment, meaning he saw my potential. I just needed to “buff” a little harder to let it really shine.
I always find it amusing when people at work ask me where I went to college, assuming I needed a degree to move up the ranks. This affirms to me the common held paradigm that college = success.
I admire people that have dedicated 4+ years to learn a craft. I was certainly grateful that the medical staff knew the proper uterus removal procedure 3 years ago. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! Natalie of www.sharingmachine.com probably didn’t need to go to college to draw her funny, ironic cartoons like the one over left yonder (some professors probably would have red marked this sentence for improper grammar). Some things need formal training, some things do not.
I’ve had this beef with college lately. Maybe I’m bias, but when my friend tells me her son’s college French book costs $300, it seems to reinforce my suspicions about this racket. So I did a little research. Needless to say HENRY L. ROEDIGER, III gives academic types a bad name. His article was written in 2005, so it a bit outdated, but basically he blames the high price of college text books on the scavengers who resell books. Read the whole article here.
If JAMES ALTUCHER sources are correct college tuition has “gone up nine-fold since 1976 versus seven-fold for health care and three-fold for inflation.” Doesn’t this cry for government intervention (kinda kidding there). Maybe the high tuition cost forced students into reselling their books. Henry blamed it on students no longer wanting to “build their on private library.” James voices “7 (solid) Reasons Not to Send Your Kids to College” So, should I “expect” my daughter to go to college?
As I contemplate what’s ahead for my children and my own decision not to finish college, I recall another statement made by the President. He shared with me that in a previous position he had promoted a woman, who didn’t have a college degree, to a Vice President position. As he shared this he also said that he believed college was largely beneficial because you learned how to learn. I took this statement to heart as well AND I didn’t rush off to college, at least not in the traditional sense.
Fuel Your B*a*g with Curiosity and the Tools to Gain & Apply Knowledge
Corny as it sounds, I know, but readers are leaders. Three years ago I started to read like my hair was on fire. I think it working out pretty well for me. I read all of Don Miller’s blog posts. I’ve read his latest book, A Million Miles in One Thousand Years. This is directly from Don’s Blog – According to Para Publishing, 1/3 of high school graduates never read another book for the rest of their lives. And 42% of college graduates follow suit. Read the entire post here. My Tote B*a*g has two books in it right now.
Consider What Applies to You & Apply What You Learn
The beauty of the internet is that you can source our own “text books”. Sure it may be a little Liberal Artsy Fartsy, but I like mix and match. It works for me. I value knowledge. Some are free, but I am willing to pay as well.
A Simple Blogging Formula
I keep this article by Chris Brogan, A Simple Blogging Formula, handy to remind me of basic blogging rules. Some doesn’t apply to me, but most of it does. I’m incorporating several steps in this post, which reminds me to end with a call to action (the “A” in B*a*g).
Here”s a great little article on writing better headlines. I’m practicing and testing out his techniques.
More great reference material includes Seth Godin’s, A post-industrial A to Z digital battledore. New times demand new words, because the old words don’t help us see the world differently.
Knowledge is a gift. Give it. Receive it. Doing the 29 Day Giving Challenge opened up my world to myself, my passion and what I had to offer the world.
Whether in your actual or virtual B*a*g, build your very own curriculum/library. I admire the educators who dare to break the mold. I read articles about charter schools that are doing amazing things. Create fun while learning. Do it for yourself. I’m not suggesting that you NOT go to college or NOT to send your children. What I am begging you to do is to learn for you.
