I agree with Freebase and Sam to a degree and here's why:
1) I know what it's like to work and I know that experience can often times be more beneficial than someone with a degree. An employer is looking for someone who is competent enough to perform the task assigned to them and able to show up to work on time. A 22-year old fresh out of college with a BA in hand but with no actual work experience probably won't stand much of a chance getting a more basic job if they were competing with a 44-year old man who has a steady list of previously held jobs on their resume. I am very weary for some of my friends who are graduating this year and have absolutely no job experience, or really life experience outside of going to school.
I took 3 years off between graduating high school and enrolling in college because I wasn't sure what I really wanted to do yet. I also found out that I got a small inheritance and moved to the U.K. for 6 months and drink away said inheritance, but that turned out to be beneficial to me. I came back to Canada with about $200 CND and had to get a job straight away to pay my father who was charging me rent, my phone bill, and food + entertainment expenses. I then got a job working at a lumberyard for $18.90 an hour because I had two years previous experience. Not only did I get a higher starting pay, but I also was put on a forklift straight away because I had forklift experience and was a certified forklift driver. Now that is kind of a blend of experience and education because I did have to take an 8 hour class to get certified, but it was easy because I was already taught how to drive a forklift at my first lumberyard when I was 15. There were a lot of kids straight out of high school working there too because the pay was better than anything else in the area, but it was a physically demanding job and many of them quit after a week or two.
The years I spent working there helped teach me a lot about life in general, something that you won't learn in school. It taught me how to deal with co-workers who are either stupid, lazy, or *******s without getting into big yelling matches (at least all the time) as well as dealing with entitled customers. That kind of people experience just can't be learned on the same level in college. I also learned a lot of things about finding an apartment, how to balance a weekly budget to afford rent, utilities, food, etc. I also learned how to deal with landlords, how to properly inspect an apartment for previous damage so when I move out the landlord can't hold me accountable for that damage prior to my moving in. I also learned how to get up and do things even if I didn't want to, I couldn't be late to work or else I risked getting fired, yet if I'm late to class I just miss whatever the instructor was saying. Those three years taught me so much that I've been trying to pass on to friends about to leave the safety net of education that has encompassed their lives for the past 18 years or so, but I'm not sure if what I've been saying has gotten through.
In regards to people going into college without a clear idea of what they want to do, my argument has always been to go to a community college first and pay less. Cheaper classes with the same level of education that you'd get at a more renowned college or university. There are always transfer degrees which get all the core classes out of the way and give you time to decide what it is you want to do and hopefully in two years time you'll have a more clear idea of what it is you want to pursue.
Finally I'm not really sure what to think of the kids who are just going to college or university for the experience. They are usually the kids in high school that just did the bare minimum to pass the classes and are continuing that streak in college. They will just pass their classes and begrudgingly be handed a piece of paper and will then toil away the rest of their lives, content with a six pack of Bud in the fridge and pizza pockets in the freezer. Then again I know that for a lot of kids, college is that first time experience away from their overbearing parents who tried to protect them from the evils of the world so they have 18 years of fun to make up. At the same time there are lots of people who want to go to college and excel but cannot afford the experience, so the kids listed earlier can kind of **** off and die.
Ultimately though I don't know what the answer is. Yes a degree is important in this world, 30 years ago you could get by with a high school diploma but these days you need a BA just to do something that won't destroy your back or knees in 25 years time. A degree will always look good on a resume because it shows that you're capable of following orders for a set number of years, even if the degree has **** all to do with the job. A degree shows dedication and that can be just as vital as 20 years of experience to an employer. But as Freebase and Sam said, the notion that a college diploma is your golden ticket to easy street is a very misguided and frighteningly popular idea right now that will lead a lot of people to the harsh realities of life.
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