good reasons to get an education

(idea) by hamster bong (23.4 hr) (print) ? (I like it!) 1 C! Thu Apr 13 2000 at 15:45:51

- the majority of people who don't, end up manual labourers, like my father, even though he's a brilliant man

- my father is dying slowly and painfully, because he's been doing the same thing since he dropped out of highschool, that is, drywall/construction/painting, etc.., and it is extremely terrible for your health, especially when you've got heart problems, asthma, and other various medical conditions to begin with

- it is far easier to get a job that uses your brain rather than your body if you've bothered to go on to college, or wherever, to obtain an education

- having an education will give you a lot of confidence that you may not have, regardless of your level of intelligence, if you work in the same, physically draining field forever

- even if you work like a fucking dog for your entire life and sacrifice all that you are to support a family and yourself, manual labour rarely results in a lot of cash, especially for people like my dad, who gets screwed around constantly by other people who also have shit jobs, and don't recognize one of their own

- money is not worth dying for.. go to college, get a god damn education, learn some skills somewhere

- also, it's best to get an education when you're young, before you have it in your head that you won't be good at anything that uses brain over braun

- last but not least, it is never too late.. people do start getting a formal education when they're in their 40s, 50s even, honestly, and these people are wise and respected for doing so

It is possible to get a good job without an education, and if you can, by all means, do so. If not, there are so many good reasons to get an education, find yours, and go for it.

(idea) by Templeton (1.1 d) (print) ? (I like it!) Thu Apr 13 2000 at 16:12:54

My father is in the same fix. Doomed to build and rebuild other people's homes. The house he bought recently will be the first house my parents have owned, and they will likely live out what would have been their retirement in it. If I am lucky, I will inherit it, probably sell it (since there hasn't been much going on in Petersburg, VA since the civil war) and if it hasn't been done by then, put a dent in the $35,000 ball and chain I've accrued from college.

I have a degree, the kind that people tell me is almost as useful as dropping out of college: an English degree. And now I work in a body shop, in the office of the place where you get your car ding boo-boos kissed.

I know I wimped out on my potential career as a teacher (as if there is anything else to do with a liberal arts degree; that's how I ended up in New Orleans. But, I question just how much better off we are when we have been graced with a degree.

I may be smarter, but I feel more burdened than anything.

(idea) by baffo (1.4 wk) (print) ? (I like it!) Fri Jun 16 2000 at 3:21:56

I may add that it is important to get a formal education, with a diploma at the end. I do not say this lightly, because it took me about 10 years to complete my laurea (and it should have taken 4, but I started working).
Why do I insist on the diploma ? Because it is magic paper, when it comes to looking for a job. In some countries, your paycheck is rigidly linked to your education level. In others, they will not even look at you if you cannot show a diploma.
You may say (I have, at a certain point) "fuck it, I am the cooles, smartest alpha geek around here. I can always get a job". You may be right, for the next ten years probably. And then what happens ? What you do is not so cool. You need to look in some other areas. But you cannot, because people will not hire you without a diploma.

Consider how life is outside the high-tech company world. Think you can get a good job at UN, or CEE or ISO or even teaching CS101 in the suckiest Italian university without a formal degree ? Think twice.

Basically education widens your opportunities, formally recognized education more so.

printable version
chaos

Biggest Internet scam of all time	Polyurethane Spray-Foam Insulation	Philosophy of Education	formal education
liberal arts	There are more and better reasons to dislike a human being than race or religion	intelligence	education
oral sex in middle school	Student Loan	For Gaining Knowledge of the Liberal Arts	Public liberal arts college
A Defense of the Liberal Arts	body shop	Fear of death	Cycle of poverty
confidence	Albuquerque, New Mexico	Academy of Art University	Grant
special education	Bowling	-30-	the seven liberal arts

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