dude, what you gonna do with that degree?

that was the question i got way back when i was in school. seems studying english or philosophy or history or any of the humanities is just not practical. lo and behold there's a story in today's paper, front page, about what sort of degree you get translates to the kind of money you make. both anna and i had the same thoughts regarding this article, since when did education mean getting vocational training? isn't the means to higher education to develop habits in reading and critical thinking? wouldn't that be crucial to be an active participant in our cultures. everything else, other than very specific training that is required for jobs in medicine and the sciences, everything can be learned on the job. since when did going to university require specific job training, for like everything? is it the desire for increasing capital? what does this quasi- vocational training mean about what our society values?

welcome to the NEW NORMAL where if you want to study history, philosophy, literature, languages or even, gasp!, creative writing an ancillary curriculum should be developed for prospective graduates where the students can utilize and perfect that key phrase, you want fries with that.