Cry-ins, play-doh etc. at colleges

[redwood66]

On AdaBeta's thoughts I will post this video again. More common sense.

Mike Rowe - Don't Follow Your Passion

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CVEuPmVAb8o

 

[House Cat]

We all need to reflect on what kind of example are we setting. Young adults are coming out of college with oppressive debt to jobs that don't exist, or are low paying. They are bombarded with social media messages, some that depict celebrities whining about leaving the country if their candidate doesn't win. "I'm going to take my toys and go home!" What kind of message is this sending? How is this constructive behavior? How is this teaching coping mechanisms? We are "dumbing down" and failing our children. Sure we can be upset. Heck, we don't always understand everything ourselves. I prefer to try and stay optimistic and not blame and shame and degrade others.

First, if anyone goes through college and gets a major that doesn't directly prepare for a SPECIFIC vocation, that person has taken a foolish chance and has only himself or herself and/or his or her parents to blame! When I went to college, I did most assuredly treat it as PREPARATION FOR A VOCATION. I asked "What kind of job does this get me, and how much does it pay?" Then, I asked "Who hires, and where will I have to live." And I stepped right out of college with only an associate degree and went to work earning more than many baccalaureate degree grads.

Second, I somewhat concur with the "dumbing down" assessment, but there are just plain TOO MANY parents who have never, ever, been able to stand up to their kids and say "No." They indulged their kids every material thing and allowed some of those kids to enroll in costly degree programs that, in today's job market, only qualify one for jobs that require only a high school diploma or a GED! For the WWII generation and the leading edge of the Baby Boomers, anyone with any college degree stepped into a decent job and possibly didn't have to work nearly as hard as people do today to keep that job. But by late '70s and early '80s, employers were definitely starting to look for specific degrees and relevant internships and experience. That was 35 or more years ago. So how or why is anyone taking a risk on any college degree that doesn't teach vocational skills and is not a "demand occupation??!" And then to borrow massive amounts of money to get that worthless degree is even more foolish. How is this even happening?! Some people are fools and dreamers and they learn their lessons the hard way, I guess.

re. the results of the elections: If I were running colleges and universities, my response would be that presidential elections routinely occur every 4 years, and colleges and universities do not alter any course syllabus or academic calendar based on results of any election. No need for further discussion.

The military isn't the only way to get job skills and paid training. There are still apprentices in the trades. One can become an apprentice, get paid while training, and obtain vocational skills completely debt-free. Or, one can complete a brief training course at reasonable cost, and then use that vocation to earn money to pay for more education. There was a chemical engineering major who had the lowest-level respiratory tech certification and was working her way through college until her junior year. There are people who work as LPNs or CNAs or phlebotomists while pursing some other major in college.

There are people who transition into college coursework in their junior or senior year of high school and cut time and money off of getting their baccalaureate degree.

Now we are blaming parents? First the college age "kids" were "adults" and shouldn't show emotions...wasn't that the very premise of this thread? Now, the decisions these young people make in regards to their education are on the parents?

Which is it? My head is spinning. Am I responsible for this crap or not? Please tell me.

Or how about this...Let's say Susie Artsy-pants pursues her degree in Interpretive Dance despite her parent's best efforts to prepare her for the real world. No, they didn't give her every new iPhone that came out and they certainly didn't clothe her in $200 jeans! Susie worked hard to get herself into college and she decided that she was going to dance and NOT become a Nurse even though she could have done it! Five years later, she graduates with $50,000 in debt and she can't get a job as a dancer to save her life. She takes a clerical job, making $13.00/hr and she is MISERABLE and BROKE!!

You know what??? That is called a LIFE LESSON! She will now have to live with the consequences of her decision! She will have to figure out how to change her life! What an opportunity! And when she DOES figure out her life, it will be all hers! Maybe she will go back to school or find a different job or figure out how to get promoted. There are very few decisions that are forever.

That is the beauty of life!

These young adults are living life! They need to do it their way! That is the best way to learn. There is nothing wrong with making mistakes and figuring out how to fix them.

And that is the anti-helicopter parenting philosophy. Am I to be criticized for that too? Because it seems to me that we parents are damned if we do and damned if we don't.

 

[redwood66]

HC I think it has to be somewhere in the middle. I hope that people find that or they learn from their mistakes. All we can do as parents is prepare them as best we can and then hope for the best. Heck I am just glad my sons ask me what I think once in awhile because it was touch and go if they were going to make it to 18. Teenagers

 

[jaaron]

We all need to reflect on what kind of example are we setting. Young adults are coming out of college with oppressive debt to jobs that don't exist, or are low paying. They are bombarded with social media messages, some that depict celebrities whining about leaving the country if their candidate doesn't win. "I'm going to take my toys and go home!" What kind of message is this sending? How is this constructive behavior? How is this teaching coping mechanisms? We are "dumbing down" and failing our children. Sure we can be upset. Heck, we don't always understand everything ourselves. I prefer to try and stay optimistic and not blame and shame and degrade others.

First, if anyone goes through college and gets a major that doesn't directly prepare for a SPECIFIC vocation, that person has taken a foolish chance and has only himself or herself and/or his or her parents to blame! When I went to college, I did most assuredly treat it as PREPARATION FOR A VOCATION. I asked "What kind of job does this get me, and how much does it pay?" Then, I asked "Who hires, and where will I have to live." And I stepped right out of college with only an associate degree and went to work earning more than many baccalaureate degree grads.

Second, I somewhat concur with the "dumbing down" assessment, but there are just plain TOO MANY parents who have never, ever, been able to stand up to their kids and say "No." They indulged their kids every material thing and allowed some of those kids to enroll in costly degree programs that, in today's job market, only qualify one for jobs that require only a high school diploma or a GED! For the WWII generation and the leading edge of the Baby Boomers, anyone with any college degree stepped into a decent job and possibly didn't have to work nearly as hard as people do today to keep that job. But by late '70s and early '80s, employers were definitely starting to look for specific degrees and relevant internships and experience. That was 35 or more years ago. So how or why is anyone taking a risk on any college degree that doesn't teach vocational skills and is not a "demand occupation??!" And then to borrow massive amounts of money to get that worthless degree is even more foolish. How is this even happening?! Some people are fools and dreamers and they learn their lessons the hard way, I guess.

re. the results of the elections: If I were running colleges and universities, my response would be that presidential elections routinely occur every 4 years, and colleges and universities do not alter any course syllabus or academic calendar based on results of any election. No need for further discussion.

The military isn't the only way to get job skills and paid training. There are still apprentices in the trades. One can become an apprentice, get paid while training, and obtain vocational skills completely debt-free. Or, one can complete a brief training course at reasonable cost, and then use that vocation to earn money to pay for more education. There was a chemical engineering major who had the lowest-level respiratory tech certification and was working her way through college until her junior year. There are people who work as LPNs or CNAs or phlebotomists while pursing some other major in college.

There are people who transition into college coursework in their junior or senior year of high school and cut time and money off of getting their baccalaureate degree.

So by this measure, every liberal arts or Ivy League degree in history, math, english, etc. is a worthless waste of time and money?

 

[Bonfire]

We all need to reflect on what kind of example are we setting. Young adults are coming out of college with oppressive debt to jobs that don't exist, or are low paying. They are bombarded with social media messages, some that depict celebrities whining about leaving the country if their candidate doesn't win. "I'm going to take my toys and go home!" What kind of message is this sending? How is this constructive behavior? How is this teaching coping mechanisms? We are "dumbing down" and failing our children. Sure we can be upset. Heck, we don't always understand everything ourselves. I prefer to try and stay optimistic and not blame and shame and degrade others.

First, if anyone goes through college and gets a major that doesn't directly prepare for a SPECIFIC vocation, that person has taken a foolish chance and has only himself or herself and/or his or her parents to blame! When I went to college, I did most assuredly treat it as PREPARATION FOR A VOCATION. I asked "What kind of job does this get me, and how much does it pay?" Then, I asked "Who hires, and where will I have to live." And I stepped right out of college with only an associate degree and went to work earning more than many baccalaureate degree grads.

Second, I somewhat concur with the "dumbing down" assessment, but there are just plain TOO MANY parents who have never, ever, been able to stand up to their kids and say "No." They indulged their kids every material thing and allowed some of those kids to enroll in costly degree programs that, in today's job market, only qualify one for jobs that require only a high school diploma or a GED! For the WWII generation and the leading edge of the Baby Boomers, anyone with any college degree stepped into a decent job and possibly didn't have to work nearly as hard as people do today to keep that job. But by late '70s and early '80s, employers were definitely starting to look for specific degrees and relevant internships and experience. That was 35 or more years ago. So how or why is anyone taking a risk on any college degree that doesn't teach vocational skills and is not a "demand occupation??!" And then to borrow massive amounts of money to get that worthless degree is even more foolish. How is this even happening?! Some people are fools and dreamers and they learn their lessons the hard way, I guess.

re. the results of the elections: If I were running colleges and universities, my response would be that presidential elections routinely occur every 4 years, and colleges and universities do not alter any course syllabus or academic calendar based on results of any election. No need for further discussion.

The military isn't the only way to get job skills and paid training. There are still apprentices in the trades. One can become an apprentice, get paid while training, and obtain vocational skills completely debt-free. Or, one can complete a brief training course at reasonable cost, and then use that vocation to earn money to pay for more education. There was a chemical engineering major who had the lowest-level respiratory tech certification and was working her way through college until her junior year. There are people who work as LPNs or CNAs or phlebotomists while pursing some other major in college.

There are people who transition into college coursework in their junior or senior year of high school and cut time and money off of getting their baccalaureate degree.

So by this measure, every liberal arts or Ivy League degree in history, math, english, etc. is a worthless waste of time and money?[/quote






Not necessarily so. Most teachers major in those fields so no it is not worthless. A liberal arts degree in almost any field used to guarantee a well paying job. That is no longer the case. A college degree no longer has the clout it used to and comes with a very steep price tag. Just ask the barista at Starbucks who's trying to pay off his/her student loans.

 

[ruby59]

We all need to reflect on what kind of example are we setting. Young adults are coming out of college with oppressive debt to jobs that don't exist, or are low paying. They are bombarded with social media messages, some that depict celebrities whining about leaving the country if their candidate doesn't win. "I'm going to take my toys and go home!" What kind of message is this sending? How is this constructive behavior? How is this teaching coping mechanisms? We are "dumbing down" and failing our children. Sure we can be upset. Heck, we don't always understand everything ourselves. I prefer to try and stay optimistic and not blame and shame and degrade others.

First, if anyone goes through college and gets a major that doesn't directly prepare for a SPECIFIC vocation, that person has taken a foolish chance and has only himself or herself and/or his or her parents to blame! When I went to college, I did most assuredly treat it as PREPARATION FOR A VOCATION. I asked "What kind of job does this get me, and how much does it pay?" Then, I asked "Who hires, and where will I have to live." And I stepped right out of college with only an associate degree and went to work earning more than many baccalaureate degree grads.

Second, I somewhat concur with the "dumbing down" assessment, but there are just plain TOO MANY parents who have never, ever, been able to stand up to their kids and say "No." They indulged their kids every material thing and allowed some of those kids to enroll in costly degree programs that, in today's job market, only qualify one for jobs that require only a high school diploma or a GED! For the WWII generation and the leading edge of the Baby Boomers, anyone with any college degree stepped into a decent job and possibly didn't have to work nearly as hard as people do today to keep that job. But by late '70s and early '80s, employers were definitely starting to look for specific degrees and relevant internships and experience. That was 35 or more years ago. So how or why is anyone taking a risk on any college degree that doesn't teach vocational skills and is not a "demand occupation??!" And then to borrow massive amounts of money to get that worthless degree is even more foolish. How is this even happening?! Some people are fools and dreamers and they learn their lessons the hard way, I guess.

re. the results of the elections: If I were running colleges and universities, my response would be that presidential elections routinely occur every 4 years, and colleges and universities do not alter any course syllabus or academic calendar based on results of any election. No need for further discussion.

The military isn't the only way to get job skills and paid training. There are still apprentices in the trades. One can become an apprentice, get paid while training, and obtain vocational skills completely debt-free. Or, one can complete a brief training course at reasonable cost, and then use that vocation to earn money to pay for more education. There was a chemical engineering major who had the lowest-level respiratory tech certification and was working her way through college until her junior year. There are people who work as LPNs or CNAs or phlebotomists while pursing some other major in college.

There are people who transition into college coursework in their junior or senior year of high school and cut time and money off of getting their baccalaureate degree.

So by this measure, every liberal arts or Ivy League degree in history, math, english, etc. is a worthless waste of time and money?[/quote

Most teachers major in those fields so no it is not worthless. A liberal arts degree in almost any field used to guarantee a well paying job. That is no longer the case. A college degree no longer has the clout it used to and comes with a very steep price tag. Just ask the barista at Starbucks who's trying to pay off his/her student loans.

Yes, we learned with our oldest 2 that you almost have to go to graduate school to secure a job that will pay a living wage.

 

[Bonfire]

Sorry for the double post!! Itchy fingers.
We are very blessed. Our two came out of college and grad school with no debt. College is becoming unattainable for people. It doesn't make financial sense for some to take on a pile of debt when there are no jobs awaiting you when you graduate. Or part time low paying ones. I however, never think education is a waste of money.

 

[smitcompton]

Hi,

I do see many problems with colleges instituting these activities. Whatever happened to searching out friends, or social groups to share your emotions with. Adolescents and college age kids do get more emotional than most adults and usually want to share with people of common interest. The ever expanding role of the schools should be reined in, lest it becomes the role of the school to monitor every action or emotion of the student. Soon we will blame schools for the state of the students emotional health.

As far as playdough, and coloring books are concerned, my opinion is that in our society it is regressing to childhood, which can be said to be similar to childhood comfort foods or displaying a childhood toy or momento. As adults we put away childish things(yes bible). We take up painting, or paint by number or on velvet (LOl), we do not keep dragging around our blankie, or our ragged stuffed animal. ect.

Is it a terrible thing? NO. But, Is it a good thing. IMO no. Stop interfering where normal growth and coping skills need to develop. The school should back out.

Annette