Monday, May 27, 2013

A College Education


It is that time of the year again where I get the urge to state some truths about a college education. My husband and I have college educations, as of Friday our daughter will have a college education, and I would really like for our son to have a college education some day.  My husband has always and still works in the same field as his degree: Wildlife Biology. I do not know the statistics on this, but I would bet a surprisingly small percentage of people manage to keep their college major and their subsequent careers on the same track throughout their careers. I have done work that is traditionally associated with my degrees, but I have spent more years on work that has no apparent relation to my field of study. We shall see where our daughter’s career takes her. Meanwhile, we have been advising our son to go to college, if nothing else, to develop the muscles between his ears.

There are a lot of convictions people have about a college education that are not exactly true. Like “if you can just get a college degree, you will always have a good-paying job.” I saw on the news the other day that over forty percent of people who finished college within the past two years are underemployed—meaning that they are in a job that does not require a degree.  Only fifteen percent of these graduates thought they would be making less than $25,000 per year with a degree, but thirty percent of them are making that much or less. Of the underemployed graduates, most said they wish they had majored in something different and/or they would need a graduate degree in order to be competitive in the workplace.  A certain few undergraduate degrees are highly employable and highly paid, but most of them are not…..but it still costs the same to get the degree.

The hunting dentist, Zack, along
with his wife, Amanda,
and our new graduate, Shelby
Another is “do what you love and you will always find success.” I suppose that could be true as long as you are not speaking of financial success. Often the best idea is to get your degree in an area where you can be satisfied with your professional life and make enough money to support doing what you love in your off time. We have a friend who is a dentist, but what he loves is hunting. His plan is to be able to AFFORD to hunt by working on teeth.

Another idea is that you need to have a degree from a “major” university to be employable. I put that in quotes because most people seem to think the “major” thing is related to the notoriety of the football team or the size of the student body than by any academic measures of major-ness. It is more important for each student to find a college that is a good fit for their personality and that has a good reputation in their field of study. A college can be world-class in one area of study and quite Mickey Mouse in another.  No matter how large or how high-profile your college is, if you choose the wrong major or manage to keep a steady low-C average, you are going to have a hard time with your employment search.

One more—“get an education so you won’t have to work as hard as your parents did.” This one makes me laugh out loud! I will respond to that one with a quote attributed to Thomas Edison: “Success is ten percent inspiration and ninety percent perspiration.” The cold, hard truth is success is hard work, even for college graduates. Yes, having a degree could possibly enable you to work in air conditioning, but you will still have to work hard and put in a lot of hours if you want to have success.

I believe a college education is a good thing, but it certainly is not for everyone and it certainly is not a magic bullet that ensures a life on Easy Street. If anyone knows where I can get one of those kinds of magic bullets, please let me know! 

Staying in SoHo


I am writing this week's column sitting the dining/gathering table in a loft apartment in the SoHo neighborhood of New York City. My daughter and I are here for a few days as a final installment in her college education. She graduated last week, but I believe even a brief visit to New York is at least as educational as a semester of courses. After a day and a half here, I think she agrees. 

Scout, the King Charles Spaniel
We have a bedroom in the loft of a family, Albert, Michelle, and Philipine--Oh, and Scout, the King Charles spaniel.
There are other guests here, as well, from all over the world. Right now I am sitting across from a woman who grew up in Delaware, married a Dutch man, and has lived in Chile for the past twenty-two years. Albert grew up in Paris and Michelle is French Canadian. This diversity of backgrounds has led to some terrific discussions. We certainly do not agree on many topics, but that is just fine in this environment.

Michelle, playing piano beneath one of her husband's photos
Marianne, the woman who is married to the Dutch man, tells me that a lot of people do not like the Dutch because they tend to be very direct in speaking their minds. If they like you, they will say so. If they do not like you, they will say that, too. Although I am a born-and-bred Southern woman, I prefer the direct approach. I would much rather someone tell me that they do not like me than to smile and speak sweetly to me only to turn away and complain to someone else about me. I am wondering  if that is why so many people who visit New York come back to report the people are rude. I find it to be quite the opposite. 

Michelle tells me they have hosted over 5,000 guests in their home since they started thirteen years ago. Their daughter is about to turn thirteen so she has shared her home and her parents with strangers her entire life. I have tried
to envision myself doing this, opening my home to travelers from all over the world, telling them "this is your home" (which Albert and Michelle have said repeatedly). We Southerners are very friendly, are we not? But does our Southern hospitality go to the level of these New Yorkers? I can honestly say that mine does not. 

The 9/11 Memorial was a very
heart-wrenching but beautiful place to visit.
Albert is a photographer and Michelle is an art dealer. She reports that having all of the different people in her home serves to constantly enrich her knowledge and inspiration. She says sometimes she meets a new guest and thinks she is not going to like them, but after only a few minutes of conversing and learning the person's story, her mind is changed. She likened individuals to pieces of art--each is unique and inspired and each has a story. Our individual tastes, experiences, and understanding dictate whether we find a painting or a piece of pottery interesting or beautiful, just as it does with new people we meet. 

Yes, we are walking the city, riding the subways and busses, and visiting the museums, but the best lessons of this trip have been in this home, at least for me. Today we are off to visit the Garment District and to pay our respects at the 9/11 Memorial. There are so many lessons to be learned between now and Wednesday afternoon! I will be posting photos and stories on the blog when I am safely back in Spring Creek.

A rainy view of Columbus Circle
Me and that sewing guy in the Garment District
This shop in Chelsea was nothing but vintage costume
 jewelry--my daughter was in heaven!
Shelby enjoying Bryant Park
An interesting work at the Museum of Art and Design
"The Hand of God" by Rodin--beautiful!
I love rounding a corner in a museum and seeing, live
and in person, a painting that I have seen in books my entire life.
 Better than celebrity sightings to me!
The new World Trade Center looks
 almost finished from this side