ImPerceptibility

Doctor that fixes broken hearts
Midwife in a under the sea laboratory
Artist
Rock Star
Hotel Tester
World traveler in a submarine
Tight Rope Walker in the Circus
Archeologist
Potter
Dog Groomer
Marine Veterinarian

There are so many things a child can grow up to be. The list above is a sample of the various career choices my children have considered in their collective 20 years. I don’t suppose any of these require a college degree, but they would need knowledge and skills. They would also need the desire to find people willing to share their knowledge and skills…or their submarine. Success in any field requires connections and networking.

As they get older their choice of careers may change and they may want a career that requires the skills to perform open heart surgery, design underwater laboratories, or prosecute the people responsible for injuring frogs and sea turtles. The best way to obtain this knowledge and these skills is by taking advantage of the concentration of knowledge and the extensive social networks on college campuses all over the world. That’s the most efficient way of doing it.

Even though I don’t feel college is always necessary, I hope my children go to college. I believe that a college degree will make their life a little easier. A better paying job means less worry over money. The social connections they make could mean more opportunities for advancing in their career. I would like them to have a fancy piece of paper that opens doors for them. It doesn’t matter to me that none of my beliefs are necessarily true. I’d rather they have something they don’t need than to be without. That’s called being a parent.

So when asked the question, “Is ‘college for all’ a worthy goal or even necessary?” it’s a simple answer. Sure, it’s a worthy goal. All children should be told, if they’re willing to work at it, they can do anything they want. If a person wants to go to college, they should. If a person wants to fly planes or spend their life creating junk sculptures, they should. College is a worthy goal but it should be a goal that can be dropped and replaced when there is a better means to the ultimate goal – responsible adults doing what makes them happy.

More thoughts on this and other topics at the Thinking Parents Wiki

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