Record sales have little to do with talent.

I was offered about ten positions within a month. I have two professional degrees, and I am ABD in Finance. Were I an English major, it would be difficult making a living wage in the field. My sister decided to go back to school because with just a BS, she had a difficult time becoming a hospital administrator. She is now a Program Director at the hospital, but competing with those who have Masters, although a BS and experience makes you competitive, you score less points than those with Masters and experience.

My advice to students is to Google starting salaries before choosing a major. Get a bachelors in a science or business field, and minor in music, physical education, history, English, or something they enjoy. Those who dropped out of hishschool can learn marketable skills like welding, carpentry, plumbing, etc., and work on a GED. I also recommend they find mentors: relatives who are productive, teachers, even peers.

Education comes in many forms, not just formal. Ultimately, the numbers support education as a tool to higher salaries.

What a great article! I’m very curious to know what provoked this? Was there a specific incident on campus or another school that inspired this reaction? Give me the juice and the story! I can hear how excited you are about these ideas and I feel angry for you when reading through the article because it’s so important that in educational setting that there be a receptiveness to others’ ideas and, perhaps, a passion, ability, and desire, to question those ideas.

You identify a crucial problem in all relationships and conversations (on and off-campus): that people are more concerned with associating themselves with others whose ideas comfortable correspond to (or are similar) to personal ideas and/or beliefs because, as with any 5 year old child (or adult with the emptional maturity of a 5 year old), it simply doesn’t Feel good to be wrong – or questioned, or talk to people with different views – to the majority of people, and in the majority of contexts. It takes someone very mature to be able to consider others’ ideas, given that it’s appropriate in the context.

And you raise huge issues in daily communication: why aren’t most people receptive to others’ ideas? why aren’t people considerate of their neighbors views? why are people afriad of being wrong and disagreement? how do we show students or a community how to Allow for ideas, and be open (but ciritical) of them? The thing is, when ideas are in our head, we can end up with a “devil’s workshop,” even though they are harmless, unrealized, unmaterialized, and action has not been taking on these ideas. The other side of it is, when people become afraid that don’t have any control over these ideas, and are perhaps afraid that they will Actualize the ideas in their own minds – even though these ideas (whether “good” or “bad”) are safely stored or spoken int he form of concepts.

Thanks, I can’t wait to read the next one!!