* fairly wordy post alert*
High School is a joke. Speaking from my own personal experience of course. I do not remember one thing that I learned in High School that has really assisted me in my professional life. I guess there were basics, but nothing that I remember that had any substance, and quite frankly I a lot of a waste of time.
I used to believe that everything I learned I learned in college, however, I am not so sure about that either. I thought that taking courses like African Art History and The Science of Computer Metrics were going to propel me into being a scholarly intellectual; but once again, mostly a large waste of time in the scheme of things.
So, I ask; What really matters? Do companies really care that you took African Art History, or rather, will you even have a chance to tell them that you did? What qualifies you for a job over another candidate, your GPA or your job experience? I would argue, your experience.
Shouldn't it be absolutely required to have internship experience starting at the High School level? Also, taking courses that you actually use in real life, like personal accounting? I know this is off my usual realm of topics, but it has been bothering me. I feel like I could have used my educational time so much more wisely if I was guided better by the people that make up the curriculums and guide you through school. For the most part I look back at the courses and classes I took in the past and think, what was the point? Like I said before, I used to think that everything I learned I learned in college, but I would disagree. Everything I learned, I learned from life.
What are your thoughts? Do you feel that your education was what propelled you to where you are today professionally, or was it your real-life stepping stones?
{Image 1 via Candidly Cassie; Image 2 via My Exquisite Life; Image 3 via Scotch and Stones}
My education was what I wanted at the time but then the economy got rough and it was difficult to make money at what I wanted to do with my education.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree and have always said the same thing. I remember absolutely nothing of value from high school. I decided not to go to college because of this. To me college seemed like a waste of money and time.... By time I mean time developing actual real life experience and not sitting behind books. It was probably the best decision I made, because I actually did get that experience, started a biz, and propelled myself farther than anyone fresh out of college would have been. I just don't see the point unless you're studying something that requires super education, like becoming a surgeon or something. Otherwise,yes its a total waste of time because in actuality no one cares if you have a degree in "business" if you've never done anything business worthy.
ReplyDeleteXo Dana
thewonderforest.com
Also in high school, i made sure that all of my elective classes were ones i wanted to take. They were allllll some form of design, art, media, etc. I would get questioned by teachers all the time, "are you sure you want all those? They seem too easy you should take a chemistry class or something".... Um yes i was sure, when the heck was i going to have to use chemistry in my chosen field? I wish there were less mandatory classes and more real life skill classes.... It would give kids such a better direction in deciding what they want to do with their lives. Ok done now haha.
ReplyDeleteI tend to agree with you and I think for a majority of people that's the case. I was lucky enough that my college education definitely helped me get where I am today professionally. I went to FIT and the courses were tailored to exactly what I wanted to do. Also I landed an internship at Revlon in my final semester and ended up staying at that job for almost 6 years.
ReplyDeleteOk. Honestly...I can get on a serious soap box here. I feel like college was a total waste of time because even though I had the top degree and the best GPA nothing counts like experience. Especially in my industry.
ReplyDeleteCara I miss visiting your blog, your photo is SO pretty!
ReplyDeleteNow regarding the education... I honestly learned most of skills through being inside the library digging books reading like a maniac and taking as many non paid internships as I could possibly juggle. Now I have 11 years if design experience and maybe 10% came from my college degree... I still flirt with the idea of getting a masters but again, it is all about the hands on experience...
Beijos from South Florida,
http://acasadava.blogspot.com/
I have definitely learned more in life than at school and college, in fact I can't really think of anything that I learned in college that I use now. I studied business and fashion which included a marketing module but the world of marketing moves so fast that what we learned hardly seems relevant now - blogging, facebook and twitter didn't even exist then! The only thing was that I met my wonderful best friend and my college tutor got me a job at Hermes and I ended up staying for 8 years. Life lessons is definitely something they should offer such as managing finances and maybe even setting up your own business too instead of being so focused on teaching you how to be a good employee. It's definitley a different case for doctors, teachers and surgeons though...
ReplyDeleteI completely agree...I think education is important but the whole time I have been in school I have been working and had an internship that turned into a really good job. I know I would regret it if I didn't finish college and Im in my last semester so I'm SO close to being finished. But if I would not have had an internship that turned into a job then I really would not have learned much at all.
ReplyDeletexxLily
goldandgray.com
I totally doubt that my two college girls are getting anything out of the classes they are required to take to fulfill things like their science requirements. Right now I have one taking an oceanography 101 class and she is a graphic design major! I asked her to take accounting but she said she had no time because of the things that are required. I think their education is coming from dealing with roommates, meeting deadlines and just having to be responsible enough to get to class on time, dealing with professors and other real life experiences. I wish they had time to work. I know that would help them the most in the future.
ReplyDeleteAgreed. I had to take the most ridiculous classes to obtain my Masters Physician Assistant degree. But none the less every class makes you grow, as does life :)
ReplyDeletexo Lynzy
With most of it I agree! :) Because of my education I am where I am today. I did not went to a high school the European system is a bit different but what I learned in school helped a lot like languages, art, communication etc... AS far it goes with University it helped way more!
ReplyDeleteBut regardless of all the education if the economy drops no education can really help sometimes - it is hard.
Not to sound to Orpah-y but the part of college that is still valuable to me are the lit classes which fed my soul. Practically speaking, total waste.
ReplyDeleteI definitely agree with you! I'm in high school and my Pre-Calc teacher flat out told us we'll never use any of it. Honestly, I feel I'd learn more by doing than sitting in a classroom.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree. High school was a big waste of time, the teachers were sub-par and I hated being subjected to mandatory classes like math (algebra-type) and physics when I knew I would never be using it later in life. The only class which I ended up remembering quite a bit from was French, and I had a good teacher. My English teacher was good too, a bit strange but he did know his stuff. Otherwise, it was a waste. I never went to college, I started working right out of high school, had to start somewhere. I bought my first condo when I was 21 (on my own, with no help from my parents) because I had already been working full-time for 4 years (I graduated early from high school) and had started working at $8.00/hr to a pretty good salary at that time, so I was able to save for a downpayment and be approved for a mortgage. At my job, I basically learned everything on the job and my first boss was excellent -- ironically he was a former high school teacher turned lawyer so he taught me quite a bit. In a further twist of irony, his wife was my high school French teacher!
ReplyDeleteI work with some people who are all style, no substance....you know the kind....the ones with the impressive degrees and you want to take them seriously but then you discover they have no work ethic, don't try at their job and hardly have any work experience. I work with one guy like this and it is frustrating.
Great post!
p.s. I learned about more history at 15 years old when I went to Europe with my parents than I ever did sitting in a high school history class!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful post, thanks so much for sharing this with us, really interesting.
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