University or no university – that is the question
When it comes to the topic of education, most people tend to agree that it's very important to get into university and do well there. Yet it may be the case that we misunderstood what ‘doing well there' actually means.
I believe the most valuable skills the modern students take out of universities have nothing to do with learning the ropes in their area of knowledge. Rather, it's more about learning to cooperate, feeling comfortable with being on your toes all the time, asking the right questions, prioritising and practising soft skills.
Yet, with the current rate of student's debt per person being around 27.000 dollars in the US alone, one doesn't wonder why so many students are opting for a cheaper distance course, or pass up on a diploma altogether. Some of them go for free online courses, like Coursera or edX, some, simply gain their skills upon joining the workforce.
Still, what such youngsters are missing out is not only the fancy diploma along with specialized knowledge, but more importantly, the abovementioned skills, which are mandatory for suceeding in the modern world.
You may retort that there are so many successful businessmen, who dropped out of university. While that may indeed be so, quite a number of them met their future business partners while studying and some developed their initial product using the on campus equipment. Most use their alumi network to search for new job vacancies or advice on business-related issues.
All in all, while getting into a university may be costly, it is definitely an expence well worth carrying. So start saving up, if not for your own then maybe for your kids' sake!
