As you know, I did a version of this myself, returning to school (repeatedly) after being away in in the work force for a couple of decades. It suited me, but most people, I fear, would find it financially burdensome. Aside from the objections you raise, the problem is designing a system that would allow re-immersion for students who have only spent a few years in the workforce, have become the economic support of families and can't afford to veer off the career path they are on already. I could not have done what I did without a good twenty years of profitable work under my belt, grown kids, and a concomitant amount of savings that would allow me to retrain while not working.
I love this idea if only because I had the good fortune to earn a fellowship in my 40s. A whole year of taking courses because I was curious. I even was a real-life resource for some professors, who were younger than I was.
Now if only Corporate America could recognize the value of the humanities …
Instead of just one year of college, I would prefer two years. In one year, you hardly have time to find your way around campus, to feel part of a community, and to make friends. After two years, you would be much more ready to go off in search of a job.
I have five ohno books which I use as reference in my engineering career.The last 30 years
My college degree was in music education after 2 or 3 years of not being able to find jobs because of cuts to school funding for the arts. I changed my work to retail management for a decade. That gave me some skills, especially when I had a really good boss Mentor me on my first management job.
Then, I went into manufacturing, and within two years, worked my way into the engineering office
My advice to young people would not be follow a job path of something you love without understanding that it may not pan out.And then always be prepared to learn
Read a book in 1965 called Dinosaur Curriculum it talked about the lag of what is being taught behind what is needed to be taught. One element of college education is to teach critical thinking as well as to gain maturity. Trade schools are gaining in popularity because you learn a skill that will be used right away with additional training as technology advances.
This piece reminds me of a story I read about the astrophysicist Fritz Zwicky. when zwicky was asked how did Russia get to the moon before America his response was “in Russia you are taught to think while in America you are taught to memorize. It is a quiz show type mentality.” But zwicky was kind of a hypocritical. When he migrated to America he became a professor at caltech. So much for American educational critique.
As you know, I did a version of this myself, returning to school (repeatedly) after being away in in the work force for a couple of decades. It suited me, but most people, I fear, would find it financially burdensome. Aside from the objections you raise, the problem is designing a system that would allow re-immersion for students who have only spent a few years in the workforce, have become the economic support of families and can't afford to veer off the career path they are on already. I could not have done what I did without a good twenty years of profitable work under my belt, grown kids, and a concomitant amount of savings that would allow me to retrain while not working.
Did you just reinvent Antioch?
I love this idea if only because I had the good fortune to earn a fellowship in my 40s. A whole year of taking courses because I was curious. I even was a real-life resource for some professors, who were younger than I was.
Now if only Corporate America could recognize the value of the humanities …
Instead of just one year of college, I would prefer two years. In one year, you hardly have time to find your way around campus, to feel part of a community, and to make friends. After two years, you would be much more ready to go off in search of a job.
I have five ohno books which I use as reference in my engineering career.The last 30 years
My college degree was in music education after 2 or 3 years of not being able to find jobs because of cuts to school funding for the arts. I changed my work to retail management for a decade. That gave me some skills, especially when I had a really good boss Mentor me on my first management job.
Then, I went into manufacturing, and within two years, worked my way into the engineering office
My advice to young people would not be follow a job path of something you love without understanding that it may not pan out.And then always be prepared to learn
Read a book in 1965 called Dinosaur Curriculum it talked about the lag of what is being taught behind what is needed to be taught. One element of college education is to teach critical thinking as well as to gain maturity. Trade schools are gaining in popularity because you learn a skill that will be used right away with additional training as technology advances.
A lot of college students should be picking up a trade skill or two, or health care training.
This piece reminds me of a story I read about the astrophysicist Fritz Zwicky. when zwicky was asked how did Russia get to the moon before America his response was “in Russia you are taught to think while in America you are taught to memorize. It is a quiz show type mentality.” But zwicky was kind of a hypocritical. When he migrated to America he became a professor at caltech. So much for American educational critique.