"You have a brain, what you don't have is a diploma." (Wizard of Oz)
1. If you want to work for the government or for a medium to large scale business, you will need a degree. On the other hand, it's not clear to me that it is an advantage to work for any outfit that withholds taxes, etc. You lose half your pay & don't get anything in return.
2. I am a little skeptical about all the main media stories about how a college education is no longer needed. I mean, it seems that the subtext to that is: "your kids are not getting as a good an education as you did, but that's ok, because a good education is not an advantage." In other words, it excuses the state from providing a free, decent education to all.
3. What I mostly learned in college was how to learn and how to be critical of that which was presented as "knowledge." I'd say this was invaluable to me, but a lot of it came from my having a Marxist perspective rather than from anything they were teaching per se.
4. If I had to choose between my kids having good skills and knowing how to make their way in the world, and their having a diploma, I'd choose the former.
5. Going forward, my guess is that those who have real skills and are able to work under the radar, will have the greater economic benefit.
6. The only millionaire I know never finished high school. He owns a fishing business.
7. The people I most enjoy talking to about art/science/politics/history/economics are those who assumed responsibility for their own education and never stopped learning.
8. At the same time, there can be something arid about the autodidact. It's a good, good thing to learn and exchange ideas with others.
Joanna