Business Majors and Minor Keys...

Nov 17, 2007 21:57

Sometimes I think the $32,000 it cost me to go to college would have been better spent on a nice piano.

Don't take me the wrong way. I'm definitely not undermining the importance of a college education. But really, in retrospect, I ended up in a career where a college degree certainly isn't a requirement. (A benefit.. most visual managers I know have a bachelor's degree.. but inherent talent is, perhaps, more beneficial.) I mean, $32k isn't an outrageous tuition bill, but even still it's a high price to pay just to get your foot in the door (and show people how to work the damn copy machine). And let's be frank here... it's not like I've gotten much of a return on investment. I could be making just as much money, or more, working at a factory line or waiting tables.

Yes, education is important. You all should know that I have a low tolerance for ignorance, but I don't expect everyone to be Nobel prize winners either. I just think we should constantly be honing our talents and pursuing a better understanding of the world around us via whatever means we can. The unfortunate thing is, while a higher education may equip us to make better decisions, or understand more complex fields, it doesn't guarantee a high paying job. (Just ask any theatre major.) And on a sidenote, I also now realize that good people skills are worth more than any diploma. The ability to B.S. is far more advantageous than a B.S.

So... in retrospect... it's a crossroads. Should people shell out the $$$ for an education that's going to better them personally, but maybe not financially? Or do they take that money and invest it in something... fun. A piano, a boat, a home.. you get the idea. Because, right now, I don't have the money for a piano, a boat, a home. And perhaps the worse part is... unless I hit the lottery... that isn't going to change anytime soon.

I listen to the stories from my parents and grandparents about how young adulthood was financially tough, and I think that in some ways I'm pretty well off for a 26 year old. I have a nice car, cable TV, plenty of food in the kitchen... etc. But every time I pump up at the gas station... or pay rent that's just going down the tubes... or write out that student loan check... well.. I feel like I'm spinning in place. I'm certainly better off now than I was when I first moved out of my parents' house. So maybe I am advancing and just can't see it yet. Maybe I do owe part of this to my education, and a 'big break' is in the near future. But... above all... one thing that would truly make me more content.. right now.. is to be able to play my own grand piano.
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