Category: college

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college

The Education Money Trap

And you thought I might have something scathing, sarcastic and scary to say about the terrible tax bill that the party of the deficit (which they now own) passed Friday evening. But since the horrible House tax bill will need to be reconciled with the even more horribler Senate bill, I figured I would wait a bit.
Then I saw this article about education and money and how our focus on college has become even more skewed than our focus on money and how money influences our decisions. How money has become the overwhelming money focus of our money lives to the money extent that a college education is all about…money.

The crux of the article is that it’s currently illegal for colleges to collect and publish information on how much money each of their graduates is earning, what kinds of jobs they have and other information related to…money. Which bothers me a great deal because I am truly concerned about our present preoccupation with money and how students typically see a college as a four year job training program… with beer.

And that got me thinking. About me.

Because if you included information about me and my work experience, it might not lead to the type of information that might be helpful or that accurately reflects what some consider to be a typical college experience.

For example, I graduated from Syracuse University with a BA degree in two majors. One was in Television/Radio Management from the S.I. Newhouse School of Public Communications and the other was in History from the Maxwell School in the College of Arts and Sciences. Both of these colleges are at or near the top of the rankings in their respective fields and I am duly proud of my accomplishments. Many of the graduates from these programs are thriving and are making valuable contributions to their fields.

Consider, though, that almost half of all college graduates are not directly using their major in their employment, including me. I’m a public school teacher and, yes, I do use my history degree every day, but I didn’t attend a school of education and I’m probably bringing down the income average of those classmates who are making more money in communications and media. Any prospective student would then look at my information and come away with financial information that doesn’t match my academic experience.

This is the problem with…money.

And this is also the problem when we, and I mean teachers, parents, guidance counselors, test preparation companies and society in general – focus on the financial aspects of a college education at the expense of its real purpose.

What we really need colleges and universities to publish is a happiness index or a satisfaction index or the ways in which a degree has made us more educated, more reflective, more compassionate, more inquisitive and more consequential, because those are the characteristics that we want people to come away with after spending four years at an institution of higher learning.

And we can use more people like that these days.

For more, go to www.facebook.com/WhereDemocracyLives or Twitter @rigrundfest

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Celebrities college Michelle Obama Music

The First Lady of Rap – Michelle Obama ‘pon de riddim – Music

I don’t think the next First Lady of the United States is going to outdo Michelle Obama. I mean, can bill Clinton even rap?

Video

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college Express Yourself money

My Gripe With College

I can’t believe I’m actually writing something negative about college only three days into my second attempt at college but, I guess there’s odder things to believe. This is going to sound like just another lazy college student moaning and groaning to some but, to others I hope to understand what I’m getting at.

So I started this semester off this past Tuesday with a total of five classes: Writing Comp. 101, Algebra 035, Public Speaking, Intro to Visual Art and Art History, and Intro to Mass Media and Communications. I planned to be out in two years and transfer to a four-year university to continue my studies so I needed to take five classes per semester; I was going to be very busy…or so I thought. I quickly dropped my Math class because, and I do admit this is my fault, I cannot mentally sit through a two-hour math class without wanting to go berserk and I’ve already completed a Basic Algebra class last Fall at William Paterson. Today I decided to drop my Intro to Visual Art and Art History because it’s not a class I have any form of interest in and just would do horribly in. Now after reading that I know I defiantly sound like a total underachiever but bare with me here.

If you go to any University/College you’ll always be made to take these “core” classes along with other required classes just because they say so really. I’ve never understood why I need to take classes under “Natural Science”  or “Mathematics” when what I plan to major in, journalism,  has nothing to do with either. The same has to be said for my time at William Paterson, I mean they put me in “Gender Lives and Studies” and the only writing related class I could really take was a basic Writing Composition class. I will never understand why I’m made to take classes that will not benefit me or my major even on the smallest sense; on top of it all, I doubt that once I walk out the door of any class I deem as “useless”, I won’t remember a thing past the times I need to be there and when I leave. Shouldn’t any College help me pursue my future and major instead of charging me an arm, leg, and first not even born yet child to take classes I don’t need?

 

Sigh…I think I’ve ranted enough. Now if you don’t mind me I need to go hunt for a class or two to fill my schedule back up a little.

 

 

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college Express Yourself job style teenager

My Year In Review

Every time my birthday  rolls around it seems like it was just yesterday I was a year younger; time really does seem to fly. Though going from 18 to 19, it seemed like a lifetime.

It’s amazing that a year ago I was enjoying my summer with my girlfriend of three years. My memory is a little foggy but I’m pretty sure I spent the afternoon with her, as was the norm with me and her. We exchanged gifts, considering our anniversary landed on the same day; I got her a key necklace with a heart as it’s main part, she also got me a necklace in the shape of a heart with our names inscribed in it. I’m not sure where that necklace went to..

I entered college that September at William Paterson University. Man oh man that was quite an experience. In a period of four months I watched my relationship crumble, learned that college isn’t easy, and that it’s a dog eat dog world. I left in late November, partly due to the fact I just wasn’t ready to be in college and because they locked my account since I apparently wasn’t a “legal” US citizen (don’t mind my SSN, bank account, drivers license, etc).

My parents were supportive of me leaving WPU, my dad was too caught up arguing with the school over their actions, but I felt alone in my world. I didn’t want to be the kid sitting around doing nothing with his life but also didn’t want to instantly jump into college again. So, I did what any sensible 18 year old would do, I became a certified bartender.

Being a bartender seemed like a cool idea, of course from a business perspective, paying an 18 year old to handle alcohol is a “no-no”. With that plan failing I just started looking around for whatever was out there. The job hunt had it’s many lows but, every now and then it provided me with a job and timeless memories.

I knew though that I couldn’t survive working as a promoter for clubs or working part time in a retail store. I took a deep deep breath and registered back up to go to college. Brace yourself Bergen County College, I’m coming for you!

One year, 12 months, 52 weeks, 365 days, has felt like a lifetime to me. My world has flipped upside down more than once and has undergone a change in every way. I’ve changed my friends, my style, my attitude, my view on life, and much much more. The 18 year old teen who walked cautiously into college a year ago has been replaced by a 19 year old who feels like he’s ready to take on the world.

(random image for laughs)

Categories
college News shooting

Santa Monica College Shooting Reportedly Leaves Several Wounded

Santa Monica College was placed on lockdown Friday after reports that a suspect fired a gun inside a campus building just before noon.

There are several victims, including the shooter, confirmed Santa Monica police Sgt. Rudy Flores to the Associated Press.

Flores also said that the police fielded several reports of a man on a street corner shooting at vehicles.

In all, there are four people being treated for injuries at UCLA hospitals. Three people are receiving care at the Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center, said a hospital spokesperson to The Huffington Post. Two are in critical condition and one is in serious condition.

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college Express Yourself Relationships teenagers young

The Parenting Extremes

For as long as I can remember I’ve had complete freedom when it comes with what I can do with my life. My parents have rarely, if ever, said I can’t do something or hang out with certain people. For as long as I can also remember, I’ve never met parents that are anywhere near as lenient as my parents; many of my friends parents hover over them in one way or another.

My parents didn’t think twice letting me drive and take my friends to play paintball

If you ask my parents why they give me such freedoms, their answer will be that they trust me completely. I’ve never given them a reason to not. I don’t come home drunk or on some drug(s), do reckless things, hang out with the wrong crowd, or be a total numb skull. This trust is what lets me leave late at night, come home even later, have my own car, promote for clubs, sleep over a girlfriends house and hang out with friends they have never met.

Now you may think my parents aren’t involved much in my life if they give me such freedom but, that would be wrong. I love hanging out with my mom and though I can be seen as a tougher kid, I’m not ashamed to say that. Sure me and my dad may get on each other nerves sometimes but, we still have a lot in common that keeps us close. I really do enjoy being around my parents and hanging out with them both.

I was trusted with a car as soon as I got my license

On the other side of the spectrum, most of my friends parents still have a tendency to hover over them as if they’re twelve years old. Their parents control who they hang out with, don’t trust them when they’re out, check in on them constantly, to sum it up they baby their teenage son or daughter. They seem to shelter their kid from the world as much as they possibly can, the same world they’ll one day be on their own to live in.

Ask these teens if they can’t wait to get away from their parents thanks to college or to just be able to move out one day and they will all say “yes!” These same teens usually go totally rebellious once they are free of their parents since they can finally choose their own life to live.

I am not a parent nor am I claiming to be one in anyway. I’ve never raised a kid and don’t plan to for many years to come. I am only a product of how I was raised by my parents; I was raised in a way that I believe every kid should be as well. We all need to be able to experience the world when we’re young, the world we will one day be on our own to live in.

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college Express Yourself family job money teenager

The Desire To Be Independent

Last night I drove my friend Kim and her sister home and got into one of the most interesting conversations I’ve had in quite a long time. Kim believes her boyfriend needs to become more independent from his parents as she sees them as still treating him as if he is a young kid, he is actually nineteen. He recently got a good paying job and she says that he is on his way and hopefully will become less dependent on his parents. Her sister on the other hand says that neither of them are ready to be fully independent; she brought up very good points seeing that both live under their roofs of their respected parents still and a part time job will never even pay half of any bill. Her final thoughts on the matter were “You’re both not ready to be independent , nobody is forcing you to do so. Ya both can still ask your parents for whatever you want unlike when you’re older. You need to enjoy that luxury while you still can.”

The most expensive thing I ever bought with my own money, I did feel quite accomplished to do so

Going through middle and high school I was always labeled as the “rich kid” and I tried so hard to shake that false nickname. That goal coupled with just growing up can explain why I desire to be seen or at least try to be independent and make my own way. I can’t even remember the last time I asked for a gift, birthday or even Christmas, on top of that fact nights I go out with friends I always turn down any money my parents want to give me. I’ve gotten into the habit of “If I can’t afford it, I don’t buy it.” It seems to be quite a good motto to live by. My desire to be independent is fueled by my pride, I feel that relying on my parents when I’m eighteen isn’t something I should be doing.

Looking around at my group of friends most of them go to school full time and a handful have a job on the side. Of course thanks to scholarships and loans that money earned from a job is mostly used for leisurely purposes and rarely saved or invested. On the other hand though, most of them want to make it on their own as well and really just grow up and be dependent on no one by themselves. It’s safe to assume that all of us teenagers want to be independent.

Perhaps though, my friend’s sister is completely right. Perhaps none of us teens are really one hundred percent ready to make it on our own just yet. We still live under our parents roofs and I can’t say I know any of my friends who pay all of their own bills by themselves. We still have the luxury of being helped by our parents and it really is something we should enjoy and not brush aside. I guess my desire to be fully independent can be put on hold for at least another year or two.

Categories
college Domestic Policies Unemployment

My Commencement Address

Now that it’s graduation season, the press can’t help but write articles like this one that discuss the terrible job market and how recent college graduates don’t feel prepared to enter the workforce.

To that I say, welcome to reality.

College is not job training; it’s academic training, and any university worth its books will operate on that premise. Graduates who think that they are now ready for the working world are living under a false assumption that’s been sold to the public for decades. High school guidance counselors, college consultants and many teachers peddle this connection as if it was always true and that the main reason one should go to college is simply to get a job. Institutions of higher education have bought into this line of illogic and are even going as far as to tailor their recruiting messages to highlight the terrific jobs their graduates have found.

What the colleges don’t tell you is whether those jobs are related to what you majored in. That is sometimes an inconvenient measure, akin to the one your high school used to keep property values in your town elevated. The school highlights the wonderful colleges its graduates attend, but does zero follow-up to see who’s staying in school, who’s graduating, and where they’re working. And all it costs is a zillion dollars, most of it in indebtedness that’s crushing the wannabe middle class.

So back to the question: Do you want job training? Find an apprenticeship or a school that focuses on technical skills. Don’t go to a pricey university and then complain that you don’t believe that you are ready for the working world.

A university degree confers upon you the affirmation that you’ve studied an academic discipline, thought about it, questioned its assumptions and come out the other side a more EDUCATED person. Along the way, perhaps you took that odd course that had nothing to do with your major or making money simply because it was interesting or the professor was exceptional or the guy/gal you liked was also signed up. A university is not a job factory, and people ignore that fact at their peril.

When I graduated in the early 80s, all full of myself for having gone to the premier Communications school in the country, I was asked the same question on every interview:

How fast can you type?

Mazel tov to all recent graduates. Your work education begins now.

For more, go to www.facebook.com/WhereDemocracyLives and on Twitter @rigrundfest

Categories
college Higher education Politics weekly address

Fighting For Students – President Calls On Congress to Work FOR Students, Not Against Them

President Barack Obama urged Congress to limit student-loan rate increases, calling higher education an “economic imperative.”

Going to college is “an economic imperative that every family must be able to afford,” the President said Saturday in his weekly address.

Student-loan rates are set to be the next big issue split along party lines, and Obama hopes that his message of reasonable rates will resonate will younger voters as well as boost fellow Democrats.

“Republicans in Congress have voted against new ways to make college more affordable for middle-class families and voted for huge new tax cuts for millionaires and billionaires — tax cuts that would have to be paid for by cutting things like education and job-training programs that give students new opportunities to work and succeed,” Obama added.

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college Politics Rick Santorum

President Obama’s Unofficial Response To Santorum’s “Snob” Remarks

President Obama took some time from his address to the Governors today, to allude to Rick Santorum’s remark that he is a snob for wanting Americans to have an opportunity to attend college.

Obama, who addressed a gathering of governors Monday at the White House, made an oblique reference to the remark as he urged the group to prioritize education.

“I have to make a point here,” he said midway through his speech. “When I speak about higher education, we’re not just talking about a four-year degree. We’re talking about somebody going to a community college and getting trained for that manufacturing job that now is requiring … some basic training beyond what they received in high school.”

This is not a new position: In an address to Congress three years ago, Obama called on every American to “commit to at least one year or more of higher education or career training.” Though he didn’t refer to Santorum by name, Obama was obviously alluding to the former Pennsylvania senator’s remark, which cast Obama’s position as an insult to workers who don’t have a college degree.

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