The Tiktok "College Is A Scam" Challenge!

More Social Media Stupidity and a Defense Of Non-STEMm Majors

Spring 2024

So I was bored and looking for a Tiktok person Bill Maher was making fun of here:

And so I searched "college is a scam tiktok" to get more info.

Oh boy, did I find a lot of results!

Isn't it interesting that so many people on Communist Chinese social media are encouraging Westerners to drop out of school, be a cam girl/boy/other, and hitchhike across Asia for the YOLOs?! Talk about an unsupportable economy....

Look, I've been critical of college. I support the trades, and I support people spending less time in classrooms and more time learning about the world and how it works, especially the business world.

But college does matter! College does make a difference in your life. And not just for escaping your parents and hometown for four years.

And not just STEMm (STEM plus medicine). Liberal arts matter. Majors that are threatening to the status quo matter: Journalism. History, Civics. Gender Studies, a.k.a. Biology and Psychology. Economics, and Economic History. Literature, Library Science.

When you study in these fields, even for the odd elective or step in your degree track, you learn why the powers that be - such as, heh, the Chinese Politburo, or Wall Street - really hate colleges and want you to drop out. Or at least just shut up and "learn to code".

The powers that be tolerate colleges and universities as vocational training grounds for their workers and servants, and enablers and lackeys...but for training the people in how the world really works? Why this world is entirely wrong for 99% of its citizens? Why it was set up like this, who controlled society to be end up like this?

They HATE that. That's bad for their bottom line and their grip on absolute power.

"I love the poorly educated." I bet you do, sir.

I'm going to be writing a lot about my experiences going back to college again. There's a lot to say, but mainly it's about how much of what you get in college classes is stuff you can learn on your own, for free or close enough...but that's for later.

Right now, I'm going to defend colleges. Because we are experiencing a brain drain across America. 

Trades are important, and we need people to do that. Consider that if you're desperate for work. Just have a plan for when you're in your 50s and can't do construction or home renovation anymore.

But we are also desperate for doctors, which is still a trade you HAVE to go to college for. Yes, still. And they require scientists to do the research, and engineers to build better tools to do surgery and investigate diseases with. Not to mention nurses and therapists and technicians and pharmacists. And no, you can't learn those skills in a "boot camp" program.

We could also use civil engineers to help rebuild our cities, house our homeless and migrants and refugees, and end gridlock as we know it. Oh, and we need to work together with tradespeople on the climate crisis and supply chain crisis. There's no Stack Overflow cheat sheet website for that.

But just to be clear... we're fine with marketers. We're full up on ad agencies. We require no more "communications" grads. Don't get me started on film school, either.

But the internet is terrible nowadays. How can we apply our knowledge to fix it?

But what about the cost of higher learning? Albert Einstein College in The Bronx has shown the way - if you're a straight-A student in high school, you should be able to go to college without worrying about the cost. Period. The same goes for all the community colleges Mackenzie Scott has funded. We need a lot more of that. And a lot more student loan forgiveness from the government - yes, more!

But if you're a young person, choose a path and GET TO WORK. There will be plenty of time to explore Asia when your career is going great and you have time and money to do so. And you can change your mind and do something else later if you want.

You DO only live once. You can buy anything on this green earth you want with enough money, except more time being young.

So don't put yourself in a situation where you're too old to be doing whatever it is you have to do now because you were goofing off when you were young. Find your path now.

Or at least learn more about the world and humanity and yourself. That's priceless.

Still, moving to Montreal or Tuscany? I've done stupider things...