How many students do you think should go to college/university?

[God saves]

If everybody had the financial ability to afford higher education after secondary school (including foundation years, Associate's and Bachelor's degrees), what percentage of secondary school graduates do you think should attend higher education?

What percentage of secondary school graduates do you think should immediately either take on full-time employment or full-time apprenticeships?

Just interested to see other people's viewpoints

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

viewpoints: what does Yahuweh's (God's) Word say about mankind's education system ? (man's knowledge, man's wisdom) ?


Where does it lead ?

footnote: one of the oldest proverbs , apparently, from ancient Jews, is : first of all give your son a trade, before an 'education' ('higher education' might be meant) ....
then he can "work with his hands, being dependent on no one" as Yahuweh says clearly in His Word.

 

[kittysbecute]

It’s not really about percentages...

What are you called to do? Is further education a part of that? What do you intend to do after college/university if you do attend and graduate?
If finances are a factor in further education that needs to be considered as well. Will you get loans, scholarships, work to pay for college, help from family?
There may be a number of factors to consider that are not the same for every person. But it is important to consider what benefits each path may offer.
It depends on what career field you want to go into as to how valuable a university degree may be. Many fields highly value experience versus a degree, while some fields a degree is the minimal requirement to even be considered for the job. It can be more difficult to get a degree later in life with more responsibilities, but you might know better at that time what you want to do with a degree.
Some fields do not require a degree at all.

Personally, I would have gone to university regardless of those considerations. I wanted a bachelors degree so that I could later get a masters which is required for the two fields I was considering. But I chose my actual undergraduate degree based on interest rather than on practicality. I was more interested in learning rather than on a practical degree (one that is easier to get a job with). I don’t regret my choice, however I think it is an important consideration to be aware of before choosing a major.

(My graduate degree is more practical... at least that’s my aim with it.)

 

[TraceMalin]

I'm 51. I graduated in 1986 then went to college graduating with 3 degrees. The most successful and happy guy in my high school became a boilermaker. Rich (name) became rich. I worked as a commercial diver. The pay was $62.78 hr plus 1 to 2 hours of overtime 3 to 4 days a week. We made nearly $3000 a week. One job was $25,000 in a month. Work days were 7am to 3pm. 7 - 9 break. 10 - 12 break. 1 - 3pm. Lots of time off with about 30 weeks of work making $88,000. Outdoors. No one was politically correct. Lots of foul language may offend some. Take up a construction trade and go vocational or college on the side. Don't go in debt. Pray about it.

 

[ralfyman]

FWIW, around 7 pct of people worldwide have college degrees.

 

[God saves]

FWIW, around 7 pct of people worldwide have college degrees.

7% worldwide seems to me a relatively high percentage in the context of college degrees, since that means more than 1 in 20 people worldwide have a college degree.

Another question to consider is whether getting into college should be extremely or very competitive, competitive (such as accepting 20-40% of applicants), somewhat competitive (such as accepting about 40-75% of applicants or having minimum admission requirements and accepting a significant number of but not all applicants who meet them), or whether college should be almost open enrollment (accepting almost anyone who applies); whether college should be seen as something that should be “elitist”, open to all that have graduated from high school (with a high school diploma or certificate or completion) and/or are physically and intellectually/mentally able to participate in college, or somewhere in between. If someone believes that college should be open to only the top high school students in terms of grades, I would expect that person to disagree that the majority of recent high school graduates should attend college.

However, personally I think that even if college were accessible to the majority of high school graduates, that does not necessarily mean that all of those high school graduates should attend college (I am not saying that I personally believe that college should be open only to the top high school graduates in terms of academic grades though). I also see purpose in the existence more practical and vocational post-secondary training apprenticeships, apprenticeships, or full-time job opportunities immediately after high school graduation.

Obviously some jobs require that you have attended and/or completed college for you to be considered for the job.

 

[ralfyman]

7% worldwide seems to me a relatively high percentage in the context of college degrees, since that means more than 1 in 20 people worldwide have a college degree.

Another question to consider is whether getting into college should be extremely or very competitive, competitive (such as accepting 20-40% of applicants), somewhat competitive (such as accepting about 40-75% of applicants or having minimum admission requirements and accepting a significant number of but not all applicants who meet them), or whether college should be almost open enrollment (accepting almost anyone who applies); whether college should be seen as something that should be “elitist”, open to all that have graduated from high school (with a high school diploma or certificate or completion) and/or are physically and intellectually/mentally able to participate in college, or somewhere in between. If someone believes that college should be open to only the top high school students in terms of grades, I would expect that person to disagree that the majority of recent high school graduates should attend college.

However, personally I think that even if college were accessible to the majority of high school graduates, that does not necessarily mean that all of those high school graduates should attend college (I am not saying that I personally believe that college should be open only to the top high school graduates in terms of academic grades though). I also see purpose in the existence more practical and vocational post-secondary training apprenticeships, apprenticeships, or full-time job opportunities immediately after high school graduation.

Obviously some jobs require that you have attended and/or completed college for you to be considered for the job.

According to this article, the U.S. alone will have a shortfall of around 5 million college-educated workers next year, and that 65 pct of jobs will require some sort of education beyond high school. One presentation states that around 35 pct or jobs will require college degrees or better.

BRICS and over 40 emerging markets are advancing quickly, to the point that within a few years the global middle class will grow to almost 5 billion people.

 

[God saves]

It can be more difficult to get a degree later in life with more responsibilities, but you might know better than what you want to do with a degree.

By "know better than what you want to do with a degree" do you mean being more decided upon a career path that does not require a college/university degree than a career path that does require a college/university degree?

 

[Jonathan Walkerin]

viewpoints: what does Yahuweh's (God's) Word say about mankind's education system ? (man's knowledge, man's wisdom) ?


Where does it lead ?

So far extended lifespan, healthier lives, improved quality of life and of course the ability to diss all of that in the internet.

 

[yeshuaslavejeff]

Take up a construction trade and go vocational or college on the side. Don't go in debt. Pray about it.

Good.
(one of the oldest proverbs reportedly was "Give you son a trade before <higher> education"....)

1 Thessalonians 4:11 and to aspire to live quietly, to attend ...
1 Thessalonians 4:11 and to aspire to live quietly, to attend to your own matters, and to work with your own hands, as we instructed you.
Also, make it your goal to live quietly, to mind your own business, and to work with your own hands, as we instructed you, NET Bible to aspire to lead a quiet life, to attend to your own business, and to work with your hands, as we commanded you. New Heart English Bible

1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 and to aspire to live quietly, and to ...
1 Thessalonians 4:11-12 and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one. | English Standard Version (ESV) | Download The Bible App Now
and to aspire to live quietly, and to mind your own affairs, and to work with your hands, as we instructed you, so that you may walk properly before outsiders and be dependent on no one.

 

[kittysbecute]

By "know better than what you want to do with a degree" do you mean being more decided upon a career path that does not require a college/university degree than a career path that does require a college/university degree?

It was a spelling error, oops. (Alas, college didn't teach me how to spell.) I've edited it! I meant you might know later in life what degree might be useful to you after you figure out what you want to do. And yeah, sometimes what you want to do does not require a degree.

I will add to say... it is tough doing school while also working (and I hear it's even more difficult when you are taking care of a family). School later has pros and cons - which would depend on the individuals circumstance. Usually with age comes more responsibilities though, which can make balancing that with school more difficult. But, with age also can come an idea of what you actually would like to do and may end up choosing the most useful degree.