Today I decided to devote the publication to such an interesting and very controversial topic: Do I need to study at the institute, what does studying at a university give? Moreover, as you probably guessed, I will consider this issue from the point of view of the theme of the site Financial Genius: how studying at the institute will affect a person’s personal budget, immediately and in the future.
IN Soviet times to the question “Is it necessary to study at the institute?” one could hear an unequivocal “yes!” from all sides. After graduating from a university, a person received a sought-after specialty and guaranteed employment. And the active income that he earned could well provide for his life. The vast majority of people wanted to do well in school in order to go to college, and to do well in college in order to get Good work. Work was perceived as the only possible source of replenishment of the personal or family budget, something uncontested and vital. The overwhelming majority of people happily went to work, really trying to ensure high labor productivity and perceiving their work duties as almost the main priority in life. A person who did not have a job was condemned by society.
Yes, which is important, it was possible to enter a university and study there completely free of charge, while receiving a very good (compared to the current) scholarship from the state. And after employment, a person still had every chance to get a state free apartment!
In Soviet times, those who studied well got a good job, which provided them with an active income sufficient to live on.
Do I need to go to university now? At present, the situation has changed very significantly. Firstly, studying at the institute will cost a real penny. Everything has become paid, and education too. The total amount of tuition fees for 5 years will be at least thousands, and possibly even tens of thousands of dollars! And shareware, budget education in fact, it may turn out to be more expensive than the commercial one, I think you understand this very well. Just imagine what a burden it is on your parents' family budget or your personal budget!
Next: what gives education at the university now? A good paying job? Unless in exceptional, isolated cases. The labor market is oversaturated with specialists, there are much more of them than the current economic situation in the country requires. And the economy is already a market one, and not a planned distribution economy, as it was in the USSR. Therefore, employers-commercial structures are aimed at maximizing profits and will try to pay employees (and even more so without experience) minimum wages, while forcing them to work in fact. And employers - state, budgetary structures, in principle, cannot pay a large salary, since there are barely enough funds in the budget for small ones. The vast majority of graduates find jobs outside of their specialty. Thus, it takes at least several years to simply “work off” the money spent on education (including accommodation, meals, travel, etc.)!
But what happens to those people who do not go to college after school? They start working and earning money while the students spend it. Moreover, it must be said that the work of a person without education and a person with education now very often differs little in terms of profitability, and very often you can see how a person without education earns much more graduate. And many of those who did not go to study open an entrepreneurship and start their own business, and by the time the student receives a diploma, they already have several points of business and a good one. As a result, it often turns out that a person who has graduated from a university gets a job with an entrepreneur who does not have an education and works for him, earning money first of all for him, and not for himself! So do you need to go to college?
Now studying at an institute requires colossal financial costs for an average family, and at the same time it does not at all guarantee employment and, moreover, a good, sufficient income, as it was in the days of the USSR. A huge number of graduates of higher educational institutions cannot find a job or work outside their specialty. People without education have every chance of earning no less or even more than university graduates.
You should also dwell on whether it is necessary to study at the institute in terms of gaining knowledge. I propose to ask any person who graduated from a university, say, 10 years ago, what he remembers from what he was taught, and how the knowledge gained was useful to him in life. I am sure that the vast majority will answer that they do not remember anything, and have not used the knowledge they have gained anywhere. And such forms of education as part-time, in principle, can hardly provide any necessary knowledge. And what can we hide, far from a small percentage of students study only in order to get a diploma. Not really understanding at the same time why they need him - so the parents decided. I certainly don’t approve of such a “policy” of education: if you really need this crust, isn’t it easier to buy it? It is not difficult to do this now, and it is much cheaper than 5 years of study.
I tried to objectively describe the current realities of life. I want everyone to decide for himself whether it is necessary for him to study at the institute, but at the same time, the decision was made based on today's realities. Once again, I strongly recommend not to live according to Soviet principles in the spirit of “work makes a person beautiful” – now they don’t work anymore, whether you like it or not. And, of course, since I raised this topic, I simply have to express my personal point of view on this issue.
So, is it necessary to study at a university from my point of view? I answer: yes! BUT! Not in order to gain knowledge (almost certainly you will not need it). And not because it is necessary in order to get a good job (there is simply no good job now, and work is not at all what, in my opinion, one should strive for).
You need to study at the institute in order to learn how to study! Here is such a triple tautology, with which I specifically want to emphasize the importance of this very concept: to learn! That's what university education does. Yes, at the institute we are taught to learn. We are put in different conditions, from which we are forced to look for ways out. Thus, we learn to adapt to various external factors, quickly adapt and find the best ways to solve problems. And this acquired experience will indeed be of very high value for further life activity, if, of course, you really study, and do not sit out your pants.
I want you to understand that you need to study for yourself. Not for future employers, not for the state and, of course, not for parents. If you want to learn how to study, go to college. If you just think that you need a diploma, because “it’s better this way”, then it’s pointless to study in your case: start earning right away and achieve a much greater effect.
As for me, I studied full-time for 5 years, having received two red diplomas in the specialty “Finance”, immediately after graduating from the university I got a job in a bank, which I dreamed about and which at that time was very prestigious and highly paid in comparison with others. However, despite the diplomas with honors, the knowledge gained at the institute was not useful to me anywhere, and the work turned out to be just a way to collect the necessary personal capital and savings. But now I can easily adapt to any situation and look for more effective sources of income today than work, which is what I wish you all.
I repeat once again that everyone should realize for himself what education at a university gives and whether it is necessary to study at an institute in his case. I just want you to really, objectively evaluate the current conditions of life, so I tried to describe them as they are.
I try to express my thoughts about what is happening around us, one way or another affecting the sphere of personal finance, in particular, my principles of personal finance management on this site. I hope that you will learn something useful here that will improve your financial condition as well.
Usually parents are proud that their child is an excellent student, that he wins all the olympiads, receives diplomas, that teachers are proud of him and set him as an example. But is it good for the child himself? An excellent student is not just a successful student, it is a special psychological state, and a student who always prepares for lessons, diligently treats all tasks, receives the highest marks, for some reason does not always look successful. Why is this happening? Let's try to figure it out.
"Chess Queen Syndrome"
Once I heard a snippet of dialogue between two boys.
I don't know how to go home. I am now scolded at home for the four on the control. Probably will be punished.
Wow! I would have been praised for a four.
In this conversation, one can clearly see the attitude towards education in the families of both boys. For the average student, an excellent grade is what he strives for, but he and his parents are simply happy with good results. For the same, getting a five does not mean anything, this is the norm, but getting a lower mark is a shame worthy of blame. Paradox: an excellent student is not rewarded for high academic performance, but scolded for its lack.
In which psychological state is there such a student? Pretty tense. You need to constantly prepare for the lessons, complete all the tasks. At the same time, parents and teachers take the child's diligence for granted and react only when the student becomes less diligent. The decrease in performance is instantly noticed by everyone.
IN primary school being an excellent student is easy. The first successes do not require much effort from children, and much depends on how prepared the child is for school. well developed fine motor skills, the right school motivation, an inquisitive mind - and now the fives become frequent "guests" or permanent "residents" of children's notebooks.
Over time, simplicity disappears: tasks become more difficult, more effort is required, but at the same time, the five cease to be something outstanding. At first, the child was praised for excellent grades and then began to scold for good.
Success at school is projected onto relationships in the family. Excellent grades initially pleased parents, and then they began to be perceived as the norm. But everything else is infuriating.
Here the rule of the chess queen comes into play: “You have to run as fast as you can just to stay in the same place! If you want to get to another place, then you need to run at least twice as fast!” (L. Carroll "Alice Through the Looking Glass"). Running faster than yourself is difficult, and sometimes impossible. When the fives are not enough, the child begins to win competitions and olympiads. But this soon becomes commonplace.
Human possibilities are not unlimited, and when the desire for victories ceases to lead to them,. He becomes dissatisfied with himself, complexes develop, life loses its meaning. In addition, constant mental stress leads to emotional exhaustion and nervous breakdowns. Often only a specialist can help a child in such a situation.
However, any disease, as you know, is easier to prevent than to cure. In order not to bring the child to an excellent student complex, parents need to understand why he develops and what mistakes should not be made in their desire to bring up the best of the best.
The reasons for the appearance of the excellent student complex:
Buying love. Parents often "pay" for children's successes with manifestations of their love. For the first fives, the child is “loved”, and in case of failures, they show indifference or blame.
Misplaced priorities. Adults do not know how to prioritize and do not teach this to children. As a result, excellent grades are more important than human values, entertainment, hobbies, more important than communication with friends and all that without which it is difficult to imagine the life of an ordinary child.
Inability to accept other people's victories. You can't be the first in everything. You need to recognize someone else's superiority and be able to lose. Losing is always an experience, but, unfortunately, not all parents, let alone all children, understand this.
Disrespect for others. Often, excellent students recognize only their own kind. For this reason, they become unrecognized by their peers. They simply do not have the opportunity to "get off the pedestal." Any failure will please others and hurt the child's self-esteem.
How to help a child with an excellent student complex?
An excellent child needs the help of an adult. Otherwise, it may turn into a very serious problems. If you notice that your child is starting to acquire an excellent student complex, then use the following tips:
Reward your child's progress, no matter how small.
Do not set impossible tasks for your child.
Teach your child to respect everyone around them, no matter how well they do in school. Encourage communication with classmates.
Do not scold your child for mistakes and bad grades, but teach children to correct them.
Teach children to be happy daily affairs, regardless of whether they bring success or not (playing with a dog or swimming in the pool is also interesting).
Take care of your child's health. Do not overload his nervous system.
It is important that the child clearly understands that the most important thing is himself, and not his success. Successes are temporary, and personality is priceless.
And postscript, no one disputes the importance of doing well in school. But it is much more important to educate a real person than to teach an excellent student. Look at the success of the people around you through the prism of school performance. Believe me, you will find a lot of interesting things.
Svetlana Sadova
It seems to me to receive higher education costs. All the same, it gives at least something in terms of broadening one's horizons (unless, of course, one studies, and not thumps from morning to night). Today, higher education is just a tick that helps to overcome one of the many filters when applying for a job (without a higher education, they are very reluctant to take a job, or not at all). Higher education does not give anything in terms of employment, no benefits, nothing guarantees. Often, its presence is required even where it is not needed at all (when working as a janitor, for example, when there are a lot of applicants and they need to be filtered somehow). On the other hand - spend 5 years just to become a little more erudite, even if you study on a budget and do not pay tuition? Doubtful prospect. And if you also pay for education - so in general. It’s easier then to buy a diploma and not worry (which is what most of our State Duma, Federation Council, etc., did). Personally, the university gave me little at all - the program for 95% consisted of all sorts of bullshit, pushed in without looking, in order to somehow score these 5 years of study. And everything that was really needed in the work, I had to get on my own from books, the Internet, etc. And I also have a red diploma (and in the end, the benefits of obtaining it are zero, and I had to put in a lot of effort and time, so now Employers are generally afraid to hire graduates with honors - someone inspired them that these people think in a stereotyped way, do not know how to think and are generally not good for hell precisely because they have red diplomas). In short, if I were faced with a choice today, I would not hesitate to buy a diploma and not spend 5 years of my life on what (more precisely, it’s clear what - on a useless empty shell). Many of my friends went to university with one single goal - to get a higher education. And which one - an engineer or a fertilizer specialist - is not important at all. They all understood that they would never work in their specialty. Someone believes that studying at a university is the acquisition of the necessary connections. But it's not. Because where they are purchased good connections, you will not be allowed even close. And these institutions are located somewhere around Harvard or Oxford, in Switzerland, London, somewhere else, but certainly not in Russia. And given that most of the country, due to a limited budget and low mobility, is forced to study in all sorts of Muhosran State Universities Friendship of the Peoples of the Caucasus with a bias on the piano, then no connections will be established in the process of study at all (those with connections do not study there). Plus, one more very important point - if we were talking about the USSR, I would have thought more. Because education in the USSR was one of the best in the world. Today, the quality of education in the Russian Federation has fallen below the plinth, so I am not ready to receive it even for free, even if they pay me a scholarship for it. Therefore, I did not receive a second higher education, because I understand that this will give me absolutely nothing, but it will take away my strength and money - be healthy. A university for women is generally a separate issue, because it is to Get Married Successfully. They don't go to school at all.
To summarize this incoherent stream of thoughts - modern higher education is generally not good for hell. You need to spend a lot of effort and money, at least 5 years of your life, but after all this, will you work in your specialty - this is very big question. It is not worth it.
“How did you leave? Why?!" - I hear this phrase every time I try to answer the question of why I am not at the university now. “Something bad must have happened to you, because of which you had to leave, right?” Of course, after all, no one just leaves the university, right? Or not?
Realizing that, apart from such a reaction, my departure will not cause anything else, I try not to answer this question or avoid discussions, because everyone considers it their duty to tell me that I did wrong. Over time, I realized that there is no point in being ashamed of my decision, especially if I think that I did 100% right.
Therefore, I want to tell you why the university in its present state is not what I, you and your children need.
We want to be like the rest
Think about what happens in schools to children who wear glasses or try to do well in school. At best, they will not be accepted into the company of "cool", at worst, the main goal of this company will be to make their life unbearable. But, of course, as they like to say? "They're kids, they don't understand." Well, they don't understand.
So, from childhood, we want to be like the rest. What do "everyone else" do after school? Trying to get into the university. Preferably on a budget. If this succeeds, the maximum goal is achieved. If not, then parents will have to spend thousands of dollars on your education, or choose a simpler educational institution - a technical school or a fashion college, which, in fact, is the same technical school.
The time begins, which is spoken of as the best time in a person's life, meaning by this, of course, not studying. But rather, that you will drink (a lot), communicate with the opposite sex and sometimes go to classes, trying to sit out at least half. After re-reading this paragraph, I realized that it does not sound so bad.
And for most, that's enough. They forget about how much time goes into the void, how much money is spent on studies that do not bring any benefit. For example, I did not study at the most expensive university in Ukraine, and during this time 7,000 dollars were spent on my studies alone. I think this is the biggest investment my parents have made in me. Was she justified? Alas.
University studies are not the only way
How many courses could I take with that money? Courses of real professionals who have devoted decades to their work, who love what they do and are ready to share useful knowledge. How many books could you buy? I will finish with banal questions, you already know the answer.
Studying at a university no longer guarantees professional success in the future.
One reason for this is motivation. When we do what we like, we are guided by . That is, we like the process itself. Money, encouragement or praise fade into the background. After all, you see, it is much more pleasant to do business and enjoy not only the reward, but also the process itself.
Unfortunately, the university is going in a completely different direction. Study implies boredom, monotony and lack of interest, all for the sake of an ephemeral number in a paper magazine. And if these ephemeral numbers are good, then in five years you can get an ephemeral red plastic piece of paper. This is worth living for.
This is akin to when you drink cola for a long time and forget that you can quench your thirst with water. Or when you drive a car for a long time and forget that you can walk from work to a cafe. It's the same with the university.
We forget that the learning process itself, and then the work itself, can be pleasant.
I have a friend who also dropped out of university. Four years of study at the university made it possible to understand that he wanted something else. In his case, it's design. Only six months of intensive self-study, several unsuccessful attempts to get a job, and he still works as a web designer. This is not yet the company of his dreams, but definitely one of the steps on the road to it. This example is very inspiring.
It does not mean that you should close yourself in a room and not contact other people. Seminars, conferences, people with similar interests - you have a huge number of ways to communicate with interesting people, and most importantly - learn. When you train not for a reward in the future, but simply because you enjoy it, the process itself is insanely addictive.
I was finally able to articulate what I dislike the most about university:
There is no passion in studying at the university.
Moreover, if you come there with your passion, it will surely be taken away from you. Universities in their current state kill the desire to learn. This even applies to medicine, which the defenders of standard education are so fond of citing as an example. In my city medical University has long earned a reputation as the most bribe educational institution. Keep this in mind when you come to an appointment with a young specialist.
Wouldn't it be more logical to choose interesting subjects yourself? But no, the financier needs to be taught philosophy, the physician - the history of economic thought, and the architect - chemistry. Broadening one's horizons - that's what it's called? I do not want to expand my horizons with useless knowledge multiplied by the subjectivity of the teacher.
By learning on your own, you can choose your own path.
Wanna learn English language? You can make a program that will include watching films in the original with subtitles, reading English books, learning new words from articles on the web, and using Duolingo. This is much better than sitting with Golitsinsky's textbook every day, from which nausea attacks begin to appear over time.
With the advent of services such as, it becomes clear that something needs to be changed in the current education system. Self-education makes it possible to feel that your knowledge is useful and useful in real life. You will not always go forward, sometimes you will have to radically change something, but it is still a thousand times better.
Getting a university crust is no longer safe and far from the most interesting life path. Don't try to be like others, be special and forget that university is the only way. There are others.
Useful information about the benefits of studying and the need for knowledge for students.
You probably ask yourself this question often. Well, the truth is, if you think about it, why do you need to know the calculation formula potential energy or the history of the Hundred Years War? It is unlikely that this will help Everyday life! In the meantime, you have to go to school. For what?
Everyone has their own reasons. So, some are pushed to gain knowledge by their parents - try not to answer at the blackboard when parents demand fives, but mercilessly scold for fours! Others go to school because everyone else does. Still others like to communicate with classmates - if there are friends at school, why not go there?
There are students who love the learning process itself. There are those who...
In general, you can continue indefinitely. Ask any of your classmates why they go to school, and complete this list - so, for the sake of statistics.
❧ Most high level IQ was recorded in the American writer and journalist Marilyn voe Savant. It amounted to 228 units. Einstein's figure was less - 200 units. Marilyn vos Savant took her first test at the age of 10. Maybe your test results will be even higher?
And yet we study in order to obtain the necessary knowledge that will be useful in life in the future. It is in life, and not for evaluations! As experience shows, if you study to get fives, but at the same time you cram without delving into the material, there is no sense in it. You'll just be wasting your time. If parents demand such study, it means that they do not understand what it is like to study in modern school. Some believe that if you try to remember the amount of information that is given in school, it is easy to end your life in a lunatic asylum. “Here, you’ll rather be touched by the mind,” they say, “than you will become smart ...”
Mom dreamed that Olya would be an excellent student in all subjects. Olya hated going to school - each test was a real nightmare for her, because she knew: if you get a B, it’s better not to return home. Being a smart girl, Olechka was still able to graduate from school with a medal and enter the university at the Faculty of Philology. True, after studying for a year, she suddenly realized that philology is her mother’s dream, and she herself likes to make music more. Mom had to put up with the fact that her daughter left the university and went to music school. Because the pianist from Olechka came out talented, and most importantly, Olya found an occupation that she likes to do.
❧ How to remember a large amount of information?
Try using mnemonic rules like this: "Every hunter wants to know where the pheasant is sitting." You can come up with a rhyme no worse, it's pretty easy. Compose fairy tales according to theorems, calculate the arithmetic mean of historical dates, invent comics ... Anything will do - the main thing is that it helps you remember the information. And ask your parents: maybe they will throw you a couple of interesting ideas.
As you can see, parents often want something from us, and we deceive their expectations. Why? Because we are different. We have our own desires, which do not always coincide with the dreams of mom or dad. So choose what you like to do, not your parents. At least for a start, think about what is closer to you - humanitarian sciences, natural, and even mathematics and logic. Decide what your favorite subject is: Russian, chemistry, drawing, geography ... In general, decide if you are an excellent gymnast, but you don’t like physics, then sign up for a sports school and don’t torture yourself with trips to a tutor in physics. Tell dad what to do Faculty of Physics, where he dreamed of studying, you do not want - you have your own interests and your own life. Think about where you want to go and find out what subjects you need for this. Concentrate all your attention on them. The knowledge gained in these lessons will be very useful to you.
So, you have chosen from a huge list of school subjects those that you will really need. Pay attention to these subjects first of all: read additional literature, study with tutors. But don’t throw away the “unnecessary” subjects either - what if life turns in such a way that instead of becoming a great historian, you suddenly decide to become a brilliant mathematician? Anything is possible, so be ready for anything!
“But how can you learn everything?” you ask. Of course, it is impossible to know everything. Even Socrates, having studied the Athenian sages all his life, realized that the only thing he knows is that he knows nothing. And then what to do?
Try to interest yourself in the study of this or that subject. You do not like history, but you need to learn the dates of the Hundred Years War? Watch the movie "Joan of Arc" - you will remember everything without cramming! Hate chemistry? Put the simplest experiment, it's pretty interesting activity. They just didn’t sleep in a fit of insight into the apartment: parents will not be happy ...
Russian is not given? Try yourself as a writer or journalist. Maybe this is your calling - to compose novels or write articles? And literacy while composing will improve by itself!
Such a "loophole" can be found in every subject. You will see for yourself, there are so many interesting things in life that you want to do everything at once! Let's tell a secret: any school subject interesting. The main thing is that the teacher who teaches it manages to interest you! But no matter what the teachers are, in any case, you should interest yourself!
❧ If school textbooks seem boring and uninteresting to you, you have the right to choose other books - say, " Entertaining physics" Yakov Perelman, "Word about words" by Lev Uspensky, " Short story time" by Stephen Hawking and others.
Do you still think that school gives you unnecessary boring knowledge? Then imagine that from each, even the most useless item, you can get the maximum benefit for your life. Formulas, rules and theorems should actually work!
