Diploma Mills

[mamalbh]

I read through all of this, and I guess I have a different point of view than most.

I have always been an autodidact. I love doing new things, and whenever I need to learn something I seek out a way to do so. I have raised my children to do the same, and they are always amazing me with what they have taught themselves.

I have worked with some very educated people... people with masters and PhDs. And, for the most part, I am not impressed. They did traditional schooling, got decent grades, and their diplomas - spent years of their lives and boatloads of money. But, they retained very little and, most importantly, never learned how to learn. I only have completed an AAS in Computer Science and there have been SO MANY times I have had to coach the "IT person" with a BS degree or higher on how to fix something, even things I have never dealt with before. Why? Because I am able to seek out and use information without someone holding my hand or leading me down the path.

I want my children to have at least a bachelors... simply for that piece of paper that will get them in the door. There are indeed some classes they will take that will be pertinent to their future careers that I want them to slow down and absorb as much as they can. But for the most part, it is all just to satisfy degree snobs who are the gate keepers at big companies. I'm not worried about them not knowing something they need to know. They have been raised to solve problems and seek out answers on their own. There are many resources they use that are free and they learn so much from, but they don't "count" for anything. Not to mention that most degrees don't really "line-up" with a specific job. Different companies have different policies and ways of doing things, so on-the-job training is the norm regardless of education or experience.

If I were looking at hiring person A with a traditional degree or person B who worked his butt off and got that same degree in one-fourth of the time, I'd go with person B hands down. I'd much rather have a self-starter & hard worker.

Basically, it all boils down to this:
"I have never let my schooling interfere with my education." -commonly attributed to Mark Twain