I am glad, frankly, that there is a current national debate on the skyrocketing student loan debt now about $1.3 trillion. It is my credential to put this together in teaching over 7,000 students over a decade at a university level from entering freshmen to senior capstone level to MBA courses. I have seen much and thought deeply on the matter of worth of that "piece of paper" and what resides behind the journey. There will be those, no doubt, that will disagree or perhaps be surprised but my heart will reside in my words on this incendiary topic.
The use or application of the borrowed money is what is of great concern to me meaning that there is far too much of borrowed funds that get fire hosed at new cars, new clothes, drugs, etc. etc. That, to me, is worse than criminal. But a great parallel is our nation for we have become addicted to living beyond our means in great part due to money being too easy to get and too cheaply. Our nation is now, like too many students and their families, floating in a red sea of debt.
Let me put a principle in here many have heard me state loudly and firmly: Whoever owns your debt owns your future! Let that sink is for a few minutes! So the debt discussion I am speaking to in student loan debt is a metaphor for our nation. The day will come and come soon when those that loan the money plus interest to be paid, will call the debt and that comes when confidence is lost in the borrower. NEVER forget that! One's credit credential is lasting and vital for the journey ahead and I have witnessed far too many students blatantly not living to that standard. Get the money, enjoy the short term "hit" and worry about paying later. Worse ... my parents will take care of it when I move back in!
Roughly speaking and I cannot be close measurably, I would anticipate at least twenty per cent of the students I taught and feel I can extrapolate that to the aggregate population, should never embark on a college degree. Far too many come ill prepared from high school with fundamental writing skills and have no concept of team operations to accomplish work which is all exacerbated the the cultural norm of no absolutely nor boundaries so the concept of delivering an accountability is, well, "oh well, there is tomorrow mentality."
Those students that experienced me know I have my entirity of energy and drive focused at their success IF they invest themselves into the journey. Those that choose to float along sink and sink quickly and not without pain and confrontation. Why? For the 20% choosing to not invest in the process impedes the 80% of the students that come to the classroom seeking to learn, to invest themselves, to give their all for the course, for the team and for the learning. It is that portion of the class that find me user-friendly and always on-station for them and that extends far beyond the end of the semester or graduation. In other words, I believe fundamentally that if you invest in the course, the course will invest in you and I can given you myriad testimonials to support that.
Generally speaking, I do not feel traditional academia holds the students to a high enough standard of performance. There are probably many reasons but taking easy road to getting the semester over is probably high on the list. Many things I have learned about young college students for I have sought to understand their hearts, their minds, their values and their hearts. That 80% I speak of will make a positive mark on this world and I know they are well armed for the battles across the horizon.
Just this week I experienced a harsh reality that left me really taken aback. A business leader and great friend asked my help in trying to find some good hourly manufacturing workers for his business for he could not find any that could pass a drug test. I sent job information in wage rates, benefits, job description, etc to 100 "good" students I had. Would you like to know how many I have heard from? ONE! That speaks volumes to the general attitude today I believe as well as witness to the stigma manufacturing now carries with it as America is fully into the Service / Information Age and all but out of the Manufacturing Age. I almost laugh when I see or hear politicians or pundits banging the drum that we need to go back to manufacturing, bring the jobs home China stole from us, etc, etc. That, for me, is a joke for if the jobs came back, they would probably not be able to fill them nor to retain the worker very long for it is, well, WORK!
I read today that it is a one million dollar question meaning that the lifetime difference in earnings of an employee with a high school degree versus a college BA is one million dollars. That sort of comparison really tells me nothing but what it does do for me is speak to the fact that we are not producing students from high school prepared for college for the students are not pressed, pushed and held accountable for producing work via skills application. Then they come into college borrowing thousands of dollars because parents have not allocated funds to pay for the education unprepared and in too many cased unwilling to buckle down and fight the battle to win / succeed. Thus why so many change majors, try to skate through college by finding "easy" professors, miss classes regularly by hanging out at Starbucks with their Iphones wasting valuable opportunity to differentiate themselves from the competition. Yes, it is all about competition.
There is much blame to this complex matter of student loan debt and our politicians will find a way for We the Taxpayers to pay off this debt before it is over but that will come will additionally borrowed much from foreign nations so the problem escalates the nation debt. I believe it well past time for a national debate on the matter of why a college degree, why and what do colleges really need to be focusing on and last but not least, if they do not pursue a degree, then what skills do they seek to develop???
I bounce from frustrated to angry to exasperated on this whole matter of student loan debt because for far too many it is self induced future-suicide. Credit ratings are impacted for years to come but I also realize that many college students come to the classroom fully ignorant of how to manage finances in their lives. So they get flushed with credit cards and easy money so it is all good until the realty bus parks at the door!
This matter is a nation plague on the future of our students and our nation! I welcome the debate but never forget, it begins AT HOME with parents teaching, guiding, directing and supporting. If the parents are not home, and they are not in most cases as society shows us clearly, where do these great young people learn the fundamentals of our society? Working in prison ministry over ten years has given me a PhD in answering that question! If you do not learn it at home, many on the street will gladly "assist" in that teaching. My heart hurts!
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