The Education Model

At the university I attended in the early 90's, I had a phychology professor that talked about the "Medical Model" in America. One of the concepts he was attempting to convey was that most Americans, when one of their family members gets a sniffle, immediately run to the doctor and follow whatever advice the doctor prescribes.

I've come to realize that we have an "Education Model" in our culture too. Children are taught that in order to be successful, they must attend a four year college or university and should highly consider going on to graduate school to get a Masters or Doctorate degree. Campaigns like "Knowledge is Power" and "The More You Know" help solidify this message in the minds of the American youth.

My personal observation is that most college graduates are not prepared for the workforce and exit their institution of higher learning with tens of thousands of dollars in debt and an ego to match. Other managers I work with have told me that the workers they are getting right out of school are demanding large salaries, demanding promotions after 6 months and yet are unwilling to actually work.

I'll return and expound more on this later, but for the moment, check out this article and video by the National Inflation Association.

Article: College Bubble Set to Burst in 2011
Video: College Conspiracy