Wednesday, January 11, 2012

Paul Krugman: The Economic Crisis Will Permanently Scar New Graduates - 92Y Blog - 92nd Street Y - New York, NY

So again, is college worth it? Yes it's terribly wrong Paul Krugman, but how about going after the problem in the high schools, at freshman level. Going after the guidance counselors who advise kids to follow a path to financial debt. Not only will they scar their "entire work career" but they will live with their parents, who have also put their dreams on the line for precious promises that will evaporate as quickly as they throw that cap into the air at graduation time. These young people will go back to their childhood rooms (if they weren't foreclosed on) wallowing in depression that they're not going to get their piece of the cake. Not taking any job beneath them (I wanna be an executive! I will not even LEAVE the house for less than $100K a year) to help their parents foot the bills.

But what is the government going to do about it? Give these kids more than what their parents have given up to hand them everything they want? I don't think it's the government's job to provide every college educated person a job. You go to college voluntarily and pay for it. Why should the government pick up that tab? Or guarantee you a job? Why pay for these graduate degrees? Unless you are a doctor or rocket scientist (and we don't need them anymore), stop flushing more money down the toilet. The only institution that's winning are the universities and colleges, taking more money from people, putting them into more debt with empty promises and useless degrees. And they keep going! The masters, the doctorate, the Phd. Textbooks for hundreds of dollars a semester, room and board expenses. How long will it take for you to pay that off? Your college education is now more expensive than buying a house. And that's just wrong.

It's the new wild west people, a new America. Time to blaze your own trails. Find out what the future will need and gear training and education towards that. Why go to an expensive university for French history? Start finding out what future industries will need for trained professionals. So what if you take AP classes to get into an overpriced school? Can you flip a burger please?

Paul Krugman: The Economic Crisis Will Permanently Scar New Graduates - 92Y Blog - 92nd Street Y - New York, NY