On Sun, 7 May 2017 15:34:54 -0400, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

On 5/7/2017 2:37 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:
On Sun, 7 May 2017 11:53:20 -0400, Frank Krygowski
wrote:

On 5/6/2017 11:47 PM, Jeff Liebermann wrote:


"23 Famous Dropouts Who Turned Out Just Fine"
https://www.buzzfeed.com/ashleyperez/23-famous-dropouts-who-turned-out-just-fine
"8 Hugely Successful People Who Didn't Graduate College"
https://www.entrepreneur.com/article/249683

I believe very strongly that there are many people in college who should
not be there, either because they lack the intellectual horsepower, or
because there are other pursuits that would do them and us much more good.

Probably true. The problem is that it's not always obvious until
AFTER they have entered college, that they are unsuited for a college
education. Even if the student is academically deficient, there is
usually an attempt by relatives to "try it for a few semesters and see
if you like it" style of encouragement.

There's also a big problem of motivation. One might assume that
everyone in college is there "to get an education". Far from the case
and it was much worse in the 1960's when the draft was going full
blast. College was where one hid from the draft, found a husband,
fulfilled the expectations of the family, burned some government
program money for minorities, avoided having to go to work, etc...

Yet another problem is guidance counseling in American high schools. At
least around here, guidance counselors get big brownie points if a kid
they counseled gets into a prestige school, and some brownie points if a
kid gets into any college. They barely get a nod if a kid becomes a
machinist, welder, plumber, carpenter, heavy equipment operator. But we
need those guys (and girls). And they deserve more respect.

(For all I know, a counselor may get their salary docked if a kid
becomes an electronic repairman or a bike shop owner.)

So the guidance counselors try to push everyone into college. Needless
to say, the accountability stops there. If the kid flunks out and that
makes him get depressed, turn to drugs and alcohol and enter a life of
crime, the guidance counselor hears no flack.

When I was 17 or 18, I really had no idea what to do with my life. I
was considering fields as disparate as music, graphic arts, science and
more. So I took the initiative to go to the guidance counselor and say
"You've given me all those achievement and aptitude and attitude tests.
What do they show? What should I do?" The guy looked at my test
results and said "It doesn't matter. You'll do fine no matter what you
do," and pushed me out the door.

I'll concede, I did do fine. But I would have felt much better if I
were able to attack the career problem with some competent guidance.

I honestly think guiding young people into appropriate careers would be
one of the best things we could do for society. As it is, when most
people are asked how they like their job, the typical answer "Eh, it's OK."


I worked with a machinist in California who insisted that his son
learn a trade before he went to collage. His theory was that a guy
could always get a job working with his hands no matter how bad the
economy.

Anyway, the son "apprenticed" to a butcher and learned enough that he
(with his father's financing) opened a butcher shop that targeted
those that demanded only the very best and are prepared to pay for it.
He ended up making so much money that he never did go to collage :-)

But I also suspect that personality enters into the equation. After
all, there are people who can, literally, " sell iceboxes to Eskimos"
and others much happier lurking in some dim laboratory developing a
new brand of laundry soap :-)