Down the Road

Photographs and stories by Jim Grey

Since 2007

Recommended reading

Jim Grey
14 comments on Recommended reading
1 minute

Happy Saturday, Roadies, and welcome to my weekly blog roundup!

Deming Hall
Deming Hall, Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology
Nikon N2000, 50/1.8 Nikon Series E, Kodak Ektar 100, 2014

Our youngest son was accepted to my alma mater, a small, private engineering school here in Indiana. But he’s not going. That school’s four-year price tag is slightly north of a quarter million dollars — more than four times what I paid in the late 1980s. After their financial aid offer, he would still need to borrow a sum in the mid five figures just for his first year. We were all shocked. Wisely, he chose a school with a much lower cost. It won’t help our son at all, what Aaron Renn has to say, as it will come too late for him: this is a bubble ripening to burst. And it won’t be pretty. Read 6 Forces Disrupting Higher Education

Have you ever been accused of resisting change when what you were, in fact, resisting was having change pushed down your throat? Johanna Rothman helps you know the difference. Read Resisting Change or Resisting a Pushed Solution

Mike Johnston debunks the aphorism “the best camera is the one you have on you.” He says it’s common to have precisely the wrong camera on you. Read Myth: The best camera is…

Camera reviews and experience reports:

Comments

14 responses to “Recommended reading”

  1. TBM3FAN Avatar
    TBM3FAN

    To me what has happened to college costs is criminal in my point of view. When I went to SDSU in 1971-76 the tuition was $178/year. That was $89 per semester and many students could work a job and pay it. Professional grad school, at UC Berkeley, was $750/ year for four years. I handled that through work study and left school with no loans. My father kicked in just enough to claim me as a tax deduction.Today those who go through the program I did end up leaving school with a $100,000+ mill stone around their necks.

    College has been played up to be the gateway to a brighter future especially since good manufacturing jobs have left the country. As such it should be viable for all to attend to access that future for their good and the good of the country. However, it seems it is increasingly becoming a road only for those of means. This more resembles college in the first half of the 20th Century when those with wealth attended. The other issue I see, especially in the growth of professional schools, is that they are formed not for the students but for employing administrators and professors first.

    Reply
    1. Jim Grey Avatar
      Jim Grey

      I think we are headed toward there being other ways to gain the skills/knowledge for a middle-class life. For example, in my field (software engineering), I have come to think that a four-year degree is overkill for most programming jobs. A one or two year certificate program plus an apprenticeship would do just fine, and should cost a darn sight less.

      Reply
  2. The Trailhead Avatar
    The Trailhead

    I got a law degree at Duke University in the late 90’s for $25k per year. If you include housing expenses, it’s now pushing $100k a year. The mind reels.

    Reply
    1. Jim Grey Avatar
      Jim Grey

      Holy frijoles a $400k education! 2. This is an unsustainable trajectory.

      Reply
      1. The Trailhead Avatar
        The Trailhead

        Well a JD only takes here years, so technically it’s a bargain at 300k. cough

        Reply
        1. The Trailhead Avatar
          The Trailhead

          *three years. Darn fat fingers.

          Reply
        2. Jim Grey Avatar
          Jim Grey

          Yeah, cough.

          Reply
  3. DougD Avatar
    DougD

    Hi Jim, don’t worry your son will be just fine. He’s actually statistically ahead by choosing a less prestigious institution, listen to this Google Zeitgeist talk by Malcom Gladwell.

    My son just accepted Accounting/Computer at Waterloo University. We were a little shocked that tuition is $9k for year one and $21k for years 2-4. But it’s a co-op program so I guess it’s not that bad..

    Reply
    1. Jim Grey Avatar
      Jim Grey

      I’ve never heard of tuition that goes up like that!

      I think our son is less interested in prestige and more interested in rigor. My alma mater is certainly rigorous! It doesn’t hurt that even today, 30 years later, my alma mater’s name on my resume opens doors for me.

      Reply
  4. Heide Avatar
    Heide

    Aaron Renn’s piece was mind-boggling — especially THOSE CHARTS. Also, the fact that there are more college graduates than there are good jobs. Very disheartening. And that quote in Rothman’s piece was profound: “People don’t resist change. They resist being changed.” I’m going to share that post with the managers at work. Thanks for another great Roadie Roundup, Jim!

    Reply
    1. Jim Grey Avatar
      Jim Grey

      Yes, those charts are simply astounding. And as for change: every time I’ve been labeled resistant to it, it’s because it was being forced on me.

      Reply
  5. Photobooth Journal Avatar
    Photobooth Journal

    Thanks for visiting and commenting on my blog Jim. I really appreciate it. I’m struggling to get a few things up, but not managing much visiting. Might be getting back in the groove now. Hopefully! 🙃 (I wonder what that emoji really means?)

    Reply
    1. Jim Grey Avatar
      Jim Grey

      Always enjoy your blog! Happy you’re feeling up to more commenting.

      Reply
      1. Photobooth Journal Avatar
        Photobooth Journal

        Cheers, Jim. 😃💕

        Reply

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