Is Four Years of College Worth the Trouble?

If you paid attention to your high school counselors, you are now thinking that your current college education track is the only thing standing between you and a career in retail. Realistically we all know that college is not for everyone and that most of the people who start college will drop out at some point. So why are we pushing so many people into a liberal arts track education system and why aren't we promoting certification in the various trades?

There are numerous community colleges around the country -- each offering certification and associate's degrees in over 100 different fields of training. If you paid any attention to my article a few weeks ago on graduation rates, you have to wonder whether some of these dropouts could have better been served by academic counseling pushing them toward programs like culinary arts, welding, or paralegal training. The short training time and less stringent requirements of these programs are often suited to students who are not academically inclined and working full time.

High schools are not often helping the situation either. The new mantra of everyone obtaining a college education is hurting those that could benefit from education in a skilled trade. Instead these students and being shuffled off to universities where they will likely spend a few mediocre semesters before finally dropping out. Jaded over what they see as a pointless endeavor, these former students will now spend years working menial jobs in an attempt to pay off thousands in student loan debt.