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Was sent this by another unschooler.
~Kelly

We're NOT Off to See the Wizard:
REVISITING THE IDEA OF COLLEGE
By JOHN O. ANDERSEN
March 9, 2001

Doing the uncommon thing first requires we look at life through different
eyes, and consider unusual approaches.
"Cowards die many times before their deaths; the valiant never taste of
death but once."
--William Shakespeare from Julius Caesar Act II, Scene 2.

Our culture has more or less bought into the idea that going to college is
just one of those things you're "supposed" to do. Increasingly, parents feel
they are "required" to finance their children's education even if it means
mortgaging themselves to the hilt or working crazy hours. Few ever dare to
question this assumption, at least not in public. Yet, my wife and I question it
and are happy to reveal our heretical thoughts to the world. It's not that we
have anything against college per se, just that we see things a bit
differently.
Generally, we think college is a good choice for many. It was a good choice
for me. I enjoyed exposure to a new world of ideas, and people. I made
lifelong friends. I expanded my intellectual horizons. And frankly, it was a fun
time.
Nevertheless, since the years I attended college, things have changed
somewhat. For instance, in many places careerism has all but destroyed the notion
of a classical education. Not that careerism is necessarily bad, but rather,
it seems to me that far too many colleges have transformed themselves into
career training factories. Largely gone is the notion of fostering renaissance
men and women in embryo, who are more intent on reforming and improving
society rather than becoming just another cog in its machinery.
Today's graduates may have superior vocational training and more marketable
skills relative to the graduates of yesteryear. However, their grasp of
social and political issues, breadth of knowledge, and writing abilities are
probably less noteworthy. Even worse, apathy for these skills is widespread.
Over and over I read statistics that "prove" that even with a much higher
price tag, the long-term benefits of a college education still make it a
bargain. But sometimes I wonder whose interest is best served by that "proof": the
individual student's or that of the massive higher education industry?
Furthermore, I often question whether the "doors of opportunity" which
college supposedly unlocks, actually lead to places where people truly want to go.
Maybe the "doors of opportunity" are just the passageway into an adulthood
of Babbittry.
Could college attendance be a sign of cowardice? Could it be a way to duck
from the scary thought of being who we really are inside? Could we do the
college thing mainly because that's what's expected of us, or what everyone
else is doing, not because it's what we truly should do?
At one time, I bought into the conventional wisdom that although college
wasn't the only option, most young people should aim for it. Then I met my wife,
Mandy. She grew up in Canada and England. Her father's military career gave
her the advantage of living in a variety of places. She is well-read, writes
better than most college graduates I know, and is well-informed on a variety
of subjects. And, she has never completed a college course.
In addition to Mandy's influence, my choice to be "downwardly mobile" had a
major impact. After more than a generous helping of institutional higher
education, and having launched a successful white-collar career, I felt confined.
My freedom came from quitting my job and opting for manual labor. That step,
more than any other factor, opened my mind to a new perspective.
Our primary reasons for questioning college:
For us self-education is what sticks.
We think that self-education with passion is the learning which truly
becomes a part of us. We've found we generally don't have the same retention of the
"learning" we've done in order to pass a test or get a degree. We've also
discovered institutional learning sometimes kills off any interest we have in a
subject.
Occasionally people tell me if I hadn't gone to college I wouldn't be as
equipped to be a good self-learner. To a small extent I agree, but in a larger
sense, I believe the passion to know is what makes a good learner. It's not
the number of degrees after your name.
We prefer learning at a slower pace and savoring it along the way.
My experience with "learning" in college was like drinking from a fire
hydrant: too much, too fast. There was rarely ever enough time to let things sink
in. Occasionally it made more sense to give up on actually learning anything
and switch to "binge and purge mode." In other words, memorize what is
necessary to get the "A" and then purge it from the brain at the end of the
semester to make room for the next binge.
Why the big rush to stuff our brains? Learning, if it is to take hold, is a
slow, lifelong process. We hope our children won't feel pressured into the
bingeing and purging mode so as to miss the pleasure of taking it slow and
savoring all of the joys along the way.
Answers to common objections
Over the years when we've been vocal about our questioning of college, we've
been pelted with a variety of objections. Below are four of the most common
ones and our responses:
1. You're pulling a slick one! You've had a "generous helping" of college,
yet you're going to deny your own children the opportunity to even go to
college.
We didn't say we're against college. We tell our children that college is
only one of many valid options they may choose. Equally valid would be a trade
school, an informal apprenticeship, or simply getting a job doing something
they enjoy. We make it clear it's more important to listen to their heart than
their peer group when it comes to structuring their life. We don't pressure
them to choose one option above another. Rather, we will equip them with the
knowledge and tools to enable them to choose from a variety of paths.
2. If your children don't go to college they'll be stuck in grunt jobs for
the rest of their lives.
There are different interpretations of the term "grunt jobs." Many people
define such jobs as those requiring physical exertion. Personally, I benefit
from my physically demanding job. It keeps me in shape, gives me a constant
change of scenery, and provides abundant time for contemplation. Not too shabby.

Jobs that punish creativity, force team play, and pressure people to wear a
public face which is at odds with who they are inside, could also be defined
as "grunt jobs." If a "grunt" is someone who does disagreeable work,
certainly people in such careers are in reality more like "grunts" than an autonomous
janitor.
3. What about the intangibles of college: exposure to new ideas, making
close friends, etc.? Aren't those alone worth the price of tuition?
College can be a way to acquire those intangibles. But it's certainly not
the only or necessarily the best way. True learning demands patience, an
inquiring mind and commitment. Shelling out the big bucks doesn't foster those
traits. We like to believe that a lifetime of passionate hounding of public
libraries is an excellent way to become educated. And that requires zero financial
outlay.
And we don't need to open our wallets to gain true friendships either. We
just need to open our hearts.
4. What if your children decide later in life they want a career that
requires a degree? Wouldn't it have been better to have earned that degree before
they took on the responsibilities of work and raising a family?
We think going back to school later in life can be a great way to do it.
That is, if you truly want to learn something, and really think you need a
degree.
Getting through college while holding down a full-time job and/or raising a
family can be a long slog. Yet, we feel such a task is not impossible and is
actually getting easier with the proliferation of evening programs,
correspondence courses, and Internet offerings. Personally, after having entered the
work force, I got much more out of my formal studies. As an inexperienced
college student between the ages of 18 and 22, I had only a vague idea of what
goes on in the outside world. I lacked a practical sense of how things actually
worked or didn't work. Hence, much of the "learning" didn't register.
Regardless of whether a person earns a first college degree when they're 22
or 62, or not at all, they will likely find that enjoying a lifetime of
meaningful work (paid and non-paid) requires a lifetime of learning. Some of this
may come through taking classes, but we like to believe the bulk of it comes
through self-education. The degree to which people succeed at teaching
themselves new skills, and pursuing interests for which they have a passion, will
to a significant extent, determine their overall state of happiness.
Conclusion
The seeds of learning already exist inside of us. We don't have to be "off
to see the wizard" or pay tuition and room and board to figure this out. We
simply need to believe it.
College can be the best option for many people. If it is for our children,
they'll go. But more importantly, we hope they'll enjoy the freedom to choose
from a wide assortment of options without pressure from the outside world to
choose one thing above another. After all, they're the ones living their
lives, not the outside world.



[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]

Elizabeth Hill

**

She grew up in Canada and England. Her father's military career gave
her the advantage of living in a variety of places. She is well-read, writes
better than most college graduates I know, and is well-informed on a variety
of subjects. And, she has never completed a college course. **

It's possible to infer that she had a better high school education than he did, and better than the "average American" did.

**
Our primary reasons for questioning college:
For us self-education is what sticks. **

I definitely agree with this.

**
Occasionally people tell me if I hadn't gone to college I wouldn't be as
equipped to be a good self-learner. **

I doubt that. And I remember Gloria Steinem writing how elite college education can limit women's thinking and undermine their confidence. (Might have been in Revolution from Within.)

**
Why the big rush to stuff our brains? Learning, if it is to take hold, is a
slow, lifelong process.**

**
The seeds of learning already exist inside of us. We don't have to be "off
to see the wizard" or pay tuition and room and board to figure this out. We
simply need to believe it. **

Again, I agree.
Betsy