Considering College? Think again.

by Shawn Cohen

To get your bachelor's degree, exiting a college campus may be a step in the right direction.

Students go to college for a lot of reasons these days: to continue their education, to study something interesting, or to further their career, just to name a few. Generally, attending a four year college or university is considered the smart thing to do. Not anymore. Decades ago, high school grads could plan on working at the same company for their entire decades-long career. Recent numbers from the Bureau of Labor Statistics say otherwise: high school and college graduates can plan on fulfilling no less than nine different positions over a forty year period. In other words, although a student completes a business degree in accounting, he or she may end up working in marketing and promotion or overseeing a nonprofit organization—fields unrelated to their major.

The Boomerang Generation

In a recent article on MSN Money, MP Dunleavey chronicled the plight of the so-called “boomerang generation,” the growing number of recent college grads who are returning their parents’ home because life on their own is financially unrealistic. College debt is a big issue these days—but it always has been. In the past, however, college debt was manageable because grads were assured a position that would enable them to earn enough money to pay off their debt and meet their monthly expenses. This is no longer the case, says Dunleavey, who cites a College Board statistic that “the average student will graduate with about $15,500 in student loans. And that's not including loans from parents, home-equity loans or credit-card debt.” In fact, this estimate doesn't account for other types of debt apart from college loans. By including credit card debt and other loans, a 2006 USA Today study shows that the average student graduates with $33,000 in debt!

Early Colleges: Don't Be Fooled!

To combat this college education dilemma, high schools across the country are establishing “early college” programs, study tracks that enable students to earn college credit while still in high school. The downside to these programs, however, is that students will typically earn no more than 30 credits toward their degree. This leaves 75% of their degree unfinished and tens of thousands of dollars in loans looming on the horizon the first day of their freshman year at a university.

Regardless, early colleges are a step in the right direction. Although it’s been a tradition for over a century, the current high school model resembles more of a conveyor belt than an effective means for gaining a valuable education, according to Oliver van DeMille, author of A Thomas Jefferson Education. DeMille calls for a “leadership curriculum that is individualized,” above anything else. So, what does a “leadership curriculum” look like?

Educating Leaders

Education should never get in the way of life goals. Furthermore, education isn’t just the assimilation of random information. It should be a tool that students can use to develop a lifetime of learning and personal growth.

The word “pointless” could describe the college experience of a lot of students these days. A recent statistic by CalPoly notes that college attendees spend about $900 on alcohol each year. They spend $450 on books. If these numbers indicate how much (or how little) teens and twentysomethings value their college education, America is in trouble.

A leadership education includes training on how to value purpose in life, like that outlined by Dewey Novotny in his practical guide called Life Purpose Planning. Students should also take part in internships in their chosen career field before they graduate. How many college grads have felt trapped in a career they hate because they spent thousands of dollars getting a related bachelor's degree? Internships are a great way to avoid this dilemma. Students should never have to redo what they already did just because it’s a “requirement.” Instead, they should get credit for their high school coursework. And they can, through AP exams and—even more recognized on a college-level—CLEP and DANTES exams. These exams can be taken after a student has finished any one of 34 different school subjects during any year of their high school training.

Own Your Education!

Don’t go to college later this year just because everyone else is or thinks you should. Own your education and finish your degree years before your peers, making sure your training involves purpose, personalization, and practical hands-on learning. If you’re in high school, think about graduating with your degree at the same time your friends go for orientation at the local community college. Better yet, let them know how to avoid the college trap themselves. Then go out and change the world together!

Shawn Cohen is editor in chief of Acceleration and a coach with CollegePlus! His latest book review was recently published on The Burnside Writers' Collective.

Intern now!

Is there an internship in your future? CollegePlus! is taking intern applications.

Follow @collegeplus

Name:
Email:
Website:	(optional)
Comment:
Captcha:	What is 5 + 4?