College for the Credential, Work for the Education

That sums up David Bass's approach to college in last week's Pope Center Clarion Call. David explains that he decided on getting his college degree entirely through online courses because he calculated that he would save a lot of time and money that way, and interfere minimally with his journalistic work. That's where he thought his most valuable learning would happen, not taking courses. His college classes, just as he had thought, did little to advance his journalistic capabilities in comparison with all the on-the-job training he got while working as an intern and freelancing. Going to college certainly is not the only way for a young person to accumulate knowledge and skills. For many, it is a very costly and sub-optimal way of doing so. It's no more true that everyone should go to college than that everyone should own a house.