Why Complaining About the High Cost of a college is Stupid
January 13 is "National Blame Someone Else Day" (yep).
You can’t escape the “College is too expensive” rhetoric. But just like some of the most expensive cars in the world, no one is twisting your arm to buy one. It’s not a requirement. A used Ford will do. You “need” a car to get to work. It can be a beater as long as it gets you from point A to point B.
There’s really nothing wrong with the price of college. It’s a free market. If there weren’t so many buyers willing to pay the price, prices would come down, just like any product. That’s the way it works. (With test optional, colleges have a record number of applications. So don’t expect prices to come down.)
You DON’T need a college degree to be successful in life. As a matter of fact, you don’t NEED a college degree for most employment.
But let’s say you WANT a college degree. Ok. You can want it, and attain it, without going broke. You don’t NEED the college experience. (The truth is, if you were attending college for most of the careers that REQUIRE a degree, you’re too busy studying to have much of a college experience anyway.)
We have way too many college-educated baristas, hairdressers, and retail workers, and not enough welders, electricians, carpenters, and plumbers. You have the potential to make just as much money as a mechanic as you do as a mechanical engineer. Find out what your child’s best career for them is before committing to college as their “only” choice. Hire a teen career/life coach. I have a list of vetted professionals if you don’t know where to start. (There are about 1800 college majors, but many of them might as well read, “Underwater Basketweaving”.)
Before blaming colleges for being so expensive, take an introspective look at what is really important.
Your child’s future happiness.
Will they be happy, as an adult, carrying $$$,$$$ in debt at age 22 with a teaching degree? (Or whatever) We’re talking about 4 (mostly 6) years of their life. They can live at home and go to a local college, or to a community college and then transfer.
There are many other options to bring college costs down for the individual family. Start with the obvious one.
If families and teens stopped paying the high prices, prices would come down. Stop blaming the system when you’re willing to PAY the consequences.
(Rant over.)
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