[sunnyatlast]

Originally Posted by CharTalk

Whenever you start a sentence with "All people should . . . " you should probably stop. Very little in life is for everyone.

Personally, I think the reason for college goes far beyond career preparation. My father always told me, "College is not a trade school." I truly believe he was right. He was one of the brightest, most well read, thoughtful people I ever knew even though he only had an 8th grade education. He was born in 1894 - a time when a college degree was rare - and had to quit school to work to help support his mother and sisters. Not having a chance for a college education was his biggest regret in life and he planned for mine from the day I was born. Consequently, I grew up with a high regard for college and ended up being a college professor.

For me - college opened my mind and taught me to see the world from many different perspectives. I am a lifelong learner and even in retirement try to learn at least three new things a day. This has kept me young, and still feel a sense oif wonder

So true. But in the end it usually boils down to personal motivation--either ignited or deadened in middle school and high school--which is affected a lot by parents, teachers and other mentors a child may or may not have in the birth thru adolescent years.

That's why I think it's important to provide exposure in school to both technical/trade and college-prep curricula, and to not force any choices upon them when entering high school. I'm still aghast at seeing separate all-vocational-technical high schools and all-college-prep ones in some of the cities to which we moved as adults. I don't think 8th graders should be tracked nor be allowed to track themselves into one or the other at that age.

[Cedwards38]

No, but most are. It is not shameful for someone to pursue whatever happens to be their dream, regardless of whether that dream involves higher education, vocational education, homemaker, artist, craftsman, entrepreneur, or whatever.

[hulahips]

No. What built america was people who did not go to college but worked on assembly lines. Some will be very successful without college. Our truck drivers, landscapers, farmers, electrical workers, cooks, and on and on. So many today go to college, come out strapped with debt and cannot even find a job. You can be very successful without college if you work hard. Why should someone go to college if they don't want to. They will only drop out after a yr or so . no college is not for everyone nor should it be. You can be self taught and be brilliant if you choose and bonus debt free