[BobL]

ANY PARENT that finances their kid to go to college to pursue “their dreams” in philosophy or to “find himself” DESERVES to be DESTITUTE in retirement.

The days when a person could go to college and NOT clean out themselves and/or their parents are LONG GONE. The only question now is whether your kid gets a piece of paper that has any more value than a plumber...because, at this point, very few degrees meet that standard.

[wintertime]

Actually, a plumber has been to trade school, served an apprenticeship, and taken licensing exams. To accomplish this, he must have the reading and math skills that once was routine for 8th graders ( for my parents’ generation ) A plumber knows how to do something and is fully literate and numerate.

There are plenty of kids at the community college I am now attending who literally can not find 1.5 inches on a ruler. That's the truth. I have personally witnessed this. Many **will** go on to earn AA and then B.A. degrees. There are plenty of baristas with college degrees who can not read a ruler or an analog clock and don't know who the Vice President is.

[Chickensoup]

Plumbers have a lot of value and have to study for loads of certificates.