What to Consider If You're Considering University
New Rules for Education and Employment
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- $8.99
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- $8.99
Publisher Description
A degree is no longer a passport to success in today’s job market.
Going to university used to be a passport to future success, but that’s no longer the case. For some students, it’s still a good choice that leads to a successful career after graduation, but for many their degrees are worthless pieces of paper. Choose the wrong program and graduation is more likely to lead to disillusionment and debt than a steady paycheque.
Yet parents, guidance counselors, and politicians still push higher education as if it’s the only option for building a secure future. In this book, Ken S. Coates and Bill Morrison set out to explore the many educational opportunities and career paths open to Canadian high-school students and those in their twenties. This book is designed to help young adults decide whether to pursue a degree, enrol for skills training, or investigate one of the many other options that are available.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this era of a globalization, crushing student debt, and credential inflation, university is not for everyone. So argue authors Coates (Arctic Front) and Morrison (Campus Confidential) in a book aimed at convincing college-age readers to reconsider the value of university education in a modern world where "achievement has become the exception rather than the norm." Coates and Morrison somewhat crudely divide students into camps of "curious" book learners built for the academic track, and the intellectually uncurious "swarm." The authors implore young Canadians especially the "swarm" to examine their true interests and consider non-university options such as polytechnics, community colleges, and skilled trades. The book includes helpful chapters covering polytechnic preparation, volunteerism, and the value of physical labour. Coates and Morrison's style is accessible, and they make important points about the shifting job market and the devaluing of university diplomas, but dividing students into the "curious" and the "swarm" overlooks different learning styles. It may be beyond this book's scope, but it's worth asking if some students struggle due to outdated university curriculums that are in need of change. After all, when people say "university isn't for everyone," they often mean everyone but themselves.
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