Dear LinkedIn Diary: Education is the ‘Key' is what They Said...

*cue Moesha music*

Dear. LinkedIn. Diary.

It’s been a long time, I shouldnt’ve left you...

Well, technically, it hasn’t been that long, but in social media times, it feels like ages because time speeds up within the interwebs. But... I’m back.

Lately, I’ve been thinking about student loans, particularly because payment times are active again. What was the purpose of all these degrees? The education is rarely comparable to the work experience. The fable of an advanced degree being equal to work experience was a sham. Learned that the hard way.

I constantly wonder: what’s the reason?

Because college sounds good, particularly as a non-white person. The narrative we’re taught to believe is that college is the gateway to an “American Dream” or a semblance of financial stability; however, there are many who’ve dispelled that myth (see: Bill Gates). And the idea of an “American Dream” for the systemically displaced feels... fictitious.

Now, don’t get me wrong, for someone looking to become a lawyer, doctor, engineer, or similar, four-year and advanced degrees are a necessity. Even perhaps for a financial mogul in the making. However, in these times, four-year degrees no longer hold the same value.

It’s all about the certs.

Having a niche or specialty path that leads to becoming an SME (subject-matter expert).

That type of targeted education hones in on specific knowledge needed to move the needle in an industry. If I had more knowledge, I would have chosen community college, taken a gap year to figure out my life, or focused on internships. Career exploration is completely remiss from the academic cycle.

The grandest lesson I learned is the academic part of college doesn’t prepare you for the workforce. Most classroom knowledge vanishes in the office. Tactics shift constantly and while it is the basics, it barely provides the steps needed to execute.

Companies often disregard those principles.

Except for Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs, nothing else I’ve learned in the classroom—at the undergrad or graduate level—have I applied in my career or life. Partly because I’ve yet to work in my field of study. Though operating in survival, you quickly learn the importance of transferable skills and adjacent careers. Still, having the education; yet, lacking the experience needed to secure a job at the junior level makes it a challenge for someone to either start over or navigate options—but…let me not derail.

What did I learn in college? Life skills centering the very basics on how to adult, but I didn’t need to go 100K into debt for that.

I want more for our educational systems—because they’re necessary.

To have a safe and sustainable human experience, we need comprehensive literacy (reading/writing/math), financial literacy, computer literacy, media, and tech literacy. It’s the foundation of our society; yet, the depth in which it’s taught barely scratches the surface.

Do I blame teachers? Not at all.

I blame the systems that have stripped our curriculum. Taken away the experiential and holistic elements and replaced them with data and test-driven learning. Have we become campaigns that need to be assessed and optimized every 90 days?

Learning the data is cool, but when no one knows how to apply the data properly or understand why it’s needed in the first place, we cultivate a community that’s good at repeating stats. Perhaps that’s the desire of those in power—drones.

Anyhoo, I’ll stop there before I lean into this tangent that’s calling me.

Until we meet again.

Promise not to stay away too long.

*cue Moesha music*