This generation of kids...

[ButteMT61]

I have friends that were professional students. One degree after the other. I always found it rooted in reality avoidance. No thanks. If you need one (or more) for an actual goal, have at it. Otherwise, get some good basic education and start working. Then add things as you need them. I opt for the paycheck instead of perpetual student loans so I can camp out and whine...

 

[scottyrocks]

I have always felt that there are a number of professions that require a college education, or even an advanced degree, that don't really require all that schooling. And then there is the elusive-to-some concept of common sense that goes a long way to making one able to fulfill a number of vocational choices that have been deemed as attainable only with a college degree. The scary part is that the college degree sometimes over rides or operates separately from common sense in a given individual.

 

[jamespowers]

I have always felt that there are a number of professions that require a college education, or even an advanced degree, that don't really require all that schooling. And then there is the elusive-to-some concept of common sense that goes a long way to making one able to fulfill a number of vocational choices that have been deemed as attainable only with a college degree. The scary part is that the college degree sometimes over rides or operates separately from common sense in a given individual.

Remember, all a college degree really tells a potential employer is that you know how to follow directions---not necessarily give them.

 

[Gregg Axley]

Well I did believe this generation of kids were good, at least most of them, but apparently I had a visit from some neer-do-wells.
Some clown put sugar in the gas tank of my good car. Insurance is covering it, but if they hadn't I'd be out $1200 dollars!
Back to the discussion....
I have a degree, and it got me where I am today. Now as soon as I find the piece of paper I wrote it on, I'll tell you.
I agree though, there IS such a thing as too much education. I've worked around those with higher degrees than I have, and when you take them out of the office environment, they are lost.

 

[Feraud]

Well I did believe this generation of kids were good, at least most of them, but apparently I had a visit from some neer-do-wells.
Some clown put sugar in the gas tank of my good car. Insurance is covering it, but if they hadn't I'd be out $1200 dollars!
Back to the discussion....

What harm did the sugar cause your car? I've heard this urban myth has been debunked.

 

[Gregg Axley]

Threw an engine code, the car went past limp mode, and straight to dead.

 

[HoosierDaddy]

Threw an engine code, the car went past limp mode, and straight to dead.

Probably the fuel injectors.
They should be able to clean them..drop the gas tank..and do the same for only a few hundred dollars..but I'm no expert mechanic by any means. Price just seems very high....
HD

 

[Gregg Axley]

It involved the whole system from tank to spark plugs.
That's why it's so high.
LSS I have an extended bumper to bumper warranty, so it goes to the dealer when any work needs to be done.
That way if an issue comes up, all past work was done at an approved shop, and the warranty stays intact.
Since insurance covered it, I'm not upset.
And if anything happens as a result of this repair, as in something the mechanic missed, I'm covered on that too.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

I hope you plan on a locking gas cap!

 

[Gregg Axley]

I've found a facory one that I plan on buying today.
Before hand I didn't have one because most aftermarket ones don't seal properly, so they throw a code and the engine light stays on.
Where I live, if you have the engine light on and you get your car inspected, it won't pass. Doesn't matter why the light is on, they still won't pass you.
Plus I have somebody that would call me a milisecond after it came on, to panic.
I'd rather not go through that, but if the factory one works I will have solved the problem.

 

[AtomicEraTom]

Oh, geez. The car's that new, eh? My Cadillac car wouldn't pass then, it has a check engine light on, something piddly. I ran a scan tool on it and it wasn't anything important. I'm glad we don't have inspections here.

I've found a facory one that I plan on buying today.
Before hand I didn't have one because most aftermarket ones don't seal properly, so they throw a code and the engine light stays on.
Where I live, if you have the engine light on and you get your car inspected, it won't pass. Doesn't matter why the light is on, they still won't pass you.
Plus I have somebody that would call me a milisecond after it came on, to panic.
I'd rather not go through that, but if the factory one works I will have solved the problem.

 

[sheeplady]

Well I did believe this generation of kids were good, at least most of them, but apparently I had a visit from some neer-do-wells.
Some clown put sugar in the gas tank of my good car. Insurance is covering it, but if they hadn't I'd be out $1200 dollars!
Back to the discussion....
I have a degree, and it got me where I am today. Now as soon as I find the piece of paper I wrote it on, I'll tell you.
I agree though, there IS such a thing as too much education. I've worked around those with higher degrees than I have, and when you take them out of the office environment, they are lost.

That's horrible. My husband drives a diesel, and one of our fears is some idiot is going to put gas in it and ruin the system- someplace where you don't pump your own (it's happened). I can't imagine someone doing something to mess with your car on purpose.

 

[LizzieMaine]

When we had our fuel-oil business during the Energy Crisis in the '70s, a bunch of teenage jackasses *peed* in the gas tank of our delivery truck. It didn't seriously hurt the engine, but it didn't help, either.

 

[kiwilrdg]

Normal gasoline is something that has disappeared that I need to add to the appropriate thread. The sugar in the gas tank was a myth until the addition of alcohol to the gas. In addition to slowly dissolving any rubber parts the alcohol absorbs water that increases corrosion and as everyone knows, sugar will dissolve dissolve readily in water (and slowly in alcohol) thus we have a problem.

 

[Undertow]

Guess that makes me a dunce. I'd better turn in all those journalism awards.

Frankly, I think there's such a thing as too much formal education -- you end up with a lot of people who are so used to having things taught to them in a formal setting that they end up lost when they actually have to go out in the world and improvise.

Exactly. It's really a shame that people find formal education so "necessary" rather than actually learning a trade. Worse, the corporate world is hesitant to promote those who "don't take initiative" in their education - aka, those without 4 year degrees.

Someday this whole college-degree monkey business will swing back and pieces of paper will be worthless in comparison to actual knowledge and skill.

 

[jamespowers]

Someday this whole college-degree monkey business will swing back and pieces of paper will be worthless in comparison to actual knowledge and skill.

Surely you want to give the educational establishment a heart attack. "You mean you want us to do instead of teach?!"

 

[LizzieMaine]

Higher education is being sold as a product, not as a service. Colleges today seem to worry about their "brand" more than they worry about whether their customers are getting honest value for the money they spend, and the customers are the same way: the school you went to is more important in the long run than what you learned there. The system's a wreck.

 

[Canadian]

I agree. I went to my hometown university so I could live at home (Dad paid for tuition for me). I managed to get a political science degree and some of my best friends were in business courses.

If they had gone to Haskayne at the U of Calgary, a few hours north, they would have doubled their tuition and made about 15k a year more starting out. Haskayne has the kind of reputation for turning out top notch, oilfield executives. Lethbridge is known for cranking out teachers and marketing majors.

I've had all sorts of trouble getting a job away from home. I work for my Dad and it's a job, but leaves me with no independence. I really want to work for the government, but those are competitive jobs. Until something opens up, I guess I'm stuck with my lot in life.

Tom

 

[jamespowers]

Higher education is being sold as a product, not as a service. Colleges today seem to worry about their "brand" more than they worry about whether their customers are getting honest value for the money they spend, and the customers are the same way: the school you went to is more important in the long run than what you learned there. The system's a wreck.

Definitely and the problem is that brand name clothes are similar in comparison to generic clothing---not much.

 

[ButteMT61]

We told all of our kids that if they want a college degree(s), they will need to find the funding. It worked well. I'm not writing checks for kids to go and have fun for 4-5 years. It's amazing how motivated a kid (young adult) can get when it's their money, or their loan/grant.