College

Because he didn’t go to college, but worked hard nonetheless, my husband thinks college is a big waste of money.  Early on he analyzed the costs, not just of tuition, but the lost wages he’d suffer if he took the time out to go.  He figured he was better off investing the money he would have spent on college and since he was disciplined enough to do it, he made the right choice since his investments paid off.  For me, though, going to college paid off because it got me out of the minimum wage job pool and catapulted my earning potential.

Naturally, we don’t agree on whether college is necessary for our son, Kaleb, but at least we both agree we aren’t paying for it.  I went to college with kids whose parents paid their way and they partied way too much.  Those who worked their way through had no time for parties.  There should be a little sweat equity in a college education, I believe.  Scholarships are crucial, as I learned, so Kaleb knows the importance of grades, test scores and community involvement.  He knows the extra effort it takes to get them, but some days, it’s nearly impossible to apply that knowledge to the here and now.  He’d rather sit and read stacks of library books than do his homework.  This is where the rubber meets the road.  Delaying gratification is key to any long-term success.

We are leaving the decision to go to college up to him, but even if he doesn’t go, I’m comforted by the fact there are still many ways to learn and grow and expand his knowledge base.  

Personally, I’m addicted to TED.com.  TED (Technology, Entertainment, Design) is a website full of lectures recorded from the annual TED conference where the brightest in their field, share what they know best.  I’ve learned much and often have Kaleb watch them with me.  

KhanAcademy.org is another great website where this brilliant man started posting simple video explanations to complex mathematical and scientific concepts.  It’s helped Kaleb more than once when he’s been stuck on a problem.  I’m so thankful to Mr. Khan for starting this as now I’m no longer the one Kaleb turns to for help, since I really couldn’t help him anyway.

My all time favorite website though, is Coursera.com.  It gives the world access to limitless college level courses from big name universities – for free.  Of course, I don’t earn college credit, but the point of any education is just to expand our knowledge base.  I’m now on the final week of a very useful six-week course on disaster preparedness.  The information was extremely practical and applicable to the here and now and since I did my homework, I’m finally well prepared for all types of disasters.

So whether Kaleb chooses to go to college or not, I’m just thankful there’s more than one way to get an education because from what I’ve experienced, this world really needs more educated people.