tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5977625681756554695.post1712682082283555186..comments2024-03-26T13:46:42.738-05:00Comments on 4 Quarters, 10 Dimes: Automotive EducationDavidhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03463621516644789183noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5977625681756554695.post-21040182357208829072011-05-27T15:45:34.052-05:002011-05-27T15:45:34.052-05:00@Janiece – I think you’re right about there being ...@Janiece – I think you’re right about there being gaps with self-education, if only because there’s nobody forcing you to study things you don’t want to study. You can do that in college too, but it’s harder.<br /><br />I think the reason you keep taking classes is that you fall into the category of people for whom college wasn’t worthwhile when you were 19 – from reading your blog I get the impression that you would not have been happy there as a traditional straight-from-high-school student – but that you’ve changed enough since then that it is worthwhile to you now.<br /><br />One of the reasons I love the campuses I teach at now is that they are full of non-traditional students like that. I’ve even been there long enough to see some of them succeed the second time around, after they’ve gone away and come back. It makes my day.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03463621516644789183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5977625681756554695.post-34354637285845440932011-05-27T09:58:41.371-05:002011-05-27T09:58:41.371-05:00David, you made the point about the unintended con...David, you made the point about the unintended consequences of the WWII GI Bill before I could. It's one of the reasons I supported Senator Webb's rework of that program for WOT vets - it's not just good for <em>them</em> and the right thing to do - it's good for <em>all of us.</em><br /><br />And I read your commentary regarding achieving success without a degree with interest. I flatter myself by thinking I'm a member of the group that has succeeded "on my own," and yet I <em>still</em> see value in formal education, not only in a general sense, but for myself. <br /><br />From my perspective, the problem with being self-educated is that there are gaps - you don't know what you don't know. Without a structured environment where I'm forced to take coursework that I wouldn't necessarily take on my own, I know I'd be ignorant on a variety of subjects that have contributed to my ability to think critically.<br /><br />Many of my classmates and professional peers don't understand why I continue to take classes in spite of my professional success. Perhaps my efforts <em>are</em> self-indulgent - achieving my educational goals won't increase my salary, or contribute the sum knowledge of humanity, or result in a promotion (since I don't want one). But I enjoy it, and the structured learning environment suits me. And I suppose that's good ensough.Janiecehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14190655869710465713noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5977625681756554695.post-76466687510837914662011-05-27T09:22:11.590-05:002011-05-27T09:22:11.590-05:00The numbers are surprising when you see them prese...The numbers are surprising when you see them presented as starkly as that. It all adds up.<br /><br />My guess is that tuition increases won't ever eat all that up simply because a rising inflation will lift all boats. <br /><br />The one big point I didn't get around to making in this post is the vital importance of that income gap in creating the middle class after WWII. With the GI Bill and other encouragements to go to college in place, both enrollments and the middle class - the heart and soul of the American economy and political system - expanded. That's worthwhile too, I think.Davidhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03463621516644789183noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5977625681756554695.post-1280237176819346862011-05-27T00:51:10.235-05:002011-05-27T00:51:10.235-05:00on average a college degree is worth about $900,00...<i>on average a college degree is worth about $900,000 more than a high school degree over a lifetime and a Master’s degree about $1.2 million more. That’s not chump change, and not even the most outlandishly priced private university charges enough to make that not cost-effective.</i><br /><br />Taking this in isolation, I was surprised to find how clear this is. A quick Google suggests that the cost to me of an annuity paying $30k/year over my remaining life expectancy of ~40y is about $600k. It's possible, perhaps, to find a college experience that would cost more than that, but it's probably one that carries an above-average expectancy in terms of future earnings anyway. [Granted, it gets more complex when I have to borrow the money to fund the education, assuming that someone will lend it to me.] On the other hand, I can imagine that in not too many years, the rate of tuition increases may in fact make the statement false for some colleges.<br /><br />No bigger point; just good to confirm that at least for now the math backs up the advice to go to college.Ewanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15587749873205076612noreply@blogger.com