College as Trade School 

College as Trade School is another example of the commodification of modern life spills over into post-secondary education in alarming ways. The historic benefit of college previously included the perceived civilizing effect and greater awareness of the sweep of history and human progress. That aspect has been reduced in the headlong rush toward getting one's ticket punched to enter the workforce in a more favorable position. That is basically like getting a Fast Pass to jump ahead in line at an amusement park, only some readers and riders will get nauseous from the event.

If you dare to think about education for education's sake, or the immense satisfaction and richness of learning and appreciating a world beyond your immediate surroundings, then you will be ostracized in the 'get ahead now because you will miss out' ethic that is the hallmark of the current zeitgeist.

I paid a fortune for a BS, and found out about College as Trade School. I was surrounded by other BS people in a mad scramble to drink through the term and Google my derivative research paper topics.

He didn't study enough to make it into a good university, so he had to settle for College as Trade School. that condemned him to a life in (gasp!) middle class. At least he had been informed of all the great benefits of joining the consumerist cause and could now spend his way into lifelong debt on top of his student loans.

She only averaged 550 on each of her SAT sections and had to go to College as Trade School instead of to a great university.

He was desperate to break out of his sad chav existence, even if his ticket out was going to College as Trade School. That was better than a dreary live stuck in some Council flat playing bad football on Saturdays and chainsmoking. Thus continued the slide into the Malthusian hell of the early new millenium.

Demographics is destiny.

Sic transit gloria mundi.

College as Trade School by adam_before_eve October 21, 2006