“Higher education, in its gross inefficiency, soaring costs and wired-in lack of market forces rigor, is poorly designed for almost EVERYONE.”
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True, and all of it will not compensate for squandering the K-12 opportunity along with the lack of real world experience for sub-teens and teenagers. I could probably write a book about the experiences young people used to have prior to finishing high school, experiences unavailable to most today. A youth spent of the farm along with a good public high school education, followed by a hitch in the military taught lessons that no college can offer.
Before I finished High School, I had a paper route, worked for a lawn maintenance company, worked in the mail room of a tax preparation company, and worked in a gas station. I was a Boy Scout patrol Leader, backpacked the Sierra Madres, played Little League Baseball, Pop Warner Football, high school water polo, and was on a swim team. I went target shooting with my own .22 rifle, shot skeet with a friend, rode dirt bikes in Mexico, SCUBA dived, speared fish, recorded 8mm underwater movies with an underwater camera I built myself, fished fresh water, salt water, and deep sea, trained in Kenpo Karate, learned classical piano, and played keyboard in a local rock band.
Hear! Hear!
EVERYONE, including future Wall Street Investment Bankers, neurosurgeons, and Ivy League attorneys could benefit from a summer spent as a short order cook, carpenter’s apprentice, or with the experiences you mentioned.