Question Of The Day - Monday, September 16, 2019

  • Thread Starter Thread Starter
  • #24

MoochNNoodles

TCS Member
Thread starter
Veteran
Joined
Apr 30, 2005
Messages
36,646
Purraise
23,463
Location
Where my cats are
You guys can tell I have never been to college. I am probably the only one here that did not go.
Nope can't tell. :dunno: Don't let a piece of paper (or lack of it) make you think differently about yourself. My Grandma was an avid reader. I learned to spell and write based on how I could hear my Grandma saying something. I was shocked when I found out (as a college student!) that Grandma had dropped out of high school to work. Heck I went to college and never once worked in the field I studied. :lol: Thankfully I don't have student debt because I've been home with my kids for 10 years. But I don't consider my time in college or at home wasted. My friend's father holds a pretty nice position in administration with a university and he only has an associates degree. :eek: And then there are those -who shall remain nameless - who hold several pieces of paper but act like veritable idiots in real life. :p

With my own kids I want them to pursue education realistically. The days where a degree equals more money/success/status are gone. If trade school is best for them; they have my full support. If it's traditional college; go for it. If it's the military, go for it. If they want to work for a few years and find some real direction; go for it. We aren't one size fits all. And that's one reason we homeschool. I like giving my kids options to find what works for them. Can you tell I've spent a lot of time thinking about this? :lol2:

When I taught at a non-profit that worked with people with disabilities I had people who had worked in manual labor jobs that were injured and couldn't do that anymore so they needed things like computer skills. I also had executives who had brain injuries and couldn't do that anymore so they needed "basic" skills. We tested literacy levels and MANY people did not score well. I have a relative with a degree and she literally cannot write in proper English. Actually we had a client who was the neatest woman. She had developed a business with her "clown" and "character" skills doing parties, story times and things like that. She was doing well for herself; and unable to read and write because of her learning disability. I'd never have known if she hadn't told me.
 

Willowy

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Mar 1, 2009
Messages
31,886
Purraise
28,287
Location
South Dakota
I would have though you did go to college. You seem to be up to date on everything.
Nobody needs college to learn anything. All information is freely available for anyone to learn at any time.

The only reason someone needs college (or any formal schooling really) is to certify that they've been taught those things, because an employer is not going to just take your word for it.
 

1 bruce 1

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 8, 2016
Messages
5,948
Purraise
14,439
No college, just went right to work. I'm not exactly smart but it's worked out.

We have a book on nutrition from the 1880's, two books from the '30's, a few reference books from the late 1800's into early 1900's, and a high school year book belonging to a deceased relative from the '20's.

Forgot to add, we have a book about the solar system from the early 70's. It's almost funny to read knowing what we know now.
 

Sidewinder

"Say what, crackerhead?"
Alpha Cat
Joined
Jul 12, 2019
Messages
534
Purraise
1,415
Location
Cochise Stronghold, Arizona
Used 'em to light bonfires, LOL... just kidding, I donated boxes and boxes of old books (including college textbooks) when I cleared the ol' beach cottage. All I kept were my trusty dictionary, thesaurus, and half a dozen coffee table books, everything else went to thrift stores or charities. I must confess that I hid some ugly, stained or otherwise damaged books at the bottom of each box, since the trash and recycling bins were already full of books and magazines that were totally thrashed. Like many in her generation, me beloved mum was a bit of a hoarder, so there were hundreds & hundreds of books in that ol' home, many dusty beyond belief and wholly obsolete. :confused:
 

NY cat man

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Aug 6, 2018
Messages
7,033
Purraise
21,282
I have all manner of reference books; some from 50-60 years ago and some even older. Many of my projects require information not readily available anywhere else, and the Internet isn't always reliable- yeah, I know, if it's on the Internet, it has to be true, right?
 

rgwanner

TCS Member
Alpha Cat
Joined
Feb 1, 2017
Messages
591
Purraise
872
Location
Atlanta
I don't have any reference books except knit, crochet and sewing books. I use those all the time. And the stitches don't change.

No school books, encyclopedias etc. I don't have much storage space so I can only keep what I use
 

neely

May the purr be with you
Veteran
Joined
Dec 22, 2005
Messages
19,635
Purraise
47,796
I did not go to college so I don't have any books from there.
It's not a necessity to go to college to have books. I know many successful people who either did not go to college or did not finish. We all take different paths and you're a cat lover - that's what counts here! :heartshape:

DH and I love books, have collected them since we were married and have no intention of disposing of them. :wink:
 

mani

Moderator and fervent feline fan
Staff Member
Moderator
Joined
Feb 28, 2012
Messages
46,565
Purraise
23,328
Location
Australia
I can't use knitting or sewing stuff from the internet.. I'll always go for my books. Bird/animal/plant identification books I use a lot, along with gardening books. I tend to use online dictionaries, but make sure I'm not just going to American versions.
All of my yoga information is from texts. I don't trust the internet for that. I get so tired of students arguing the point with me over something they've seen on youtube or some obscure yoga site. :rolleyes2:
 

VinceL

TCS Member
Adult Cat
Joined
Jun 2, 2019
Messages
222
Purraise
608
Location
Newton, NC
For whatever reason, we still have most of our college text books, and I know I have several of my high school text books...not sure if the Mrs. has any high school text books.

I certainly hang on to more stuff than I should. If any of you are long time IT people (e.g. you worked on mainframes), I still have JCL manuals, my blue reference card and a flowcharting template. If it hadn't died, I would still have my TI Programmer calculator.

When ebooks first came out, I had hoped that we would be able to get rid of many of our paperback and hardcover novels/etc. Unfortunately, ebooks have not turned out to be the low cost replacement for paper-based books that many people anticipated. So, while my bookshelves aren't quite as full as they could be, I'm still buying books when they are cheaper than the ebook.

The high school book that I have referenced more than any other is my senior yearbook. For many years I managed a department that brought in a high school intern every year. I always scheduled a high school yearbook day for our department and encouraged everyone to bring in their yearbook. It was usually a very eye-opening experience for our intern.
 

jcat

Mo(w)gli's can opener
Veteran
Joined
Feb 13, 2003
Messages
73,213
Purraise
9,851
Location
Mo(w)gli Monster's Lair
We both have held on to a number of reference books that we used at college or later for work, enough to fill several shelves in the study. We occasionally use them, too.
 

kashmir64

TCS Member
Top Cat
Joined
Apr 9, 2017
Messages
5,480
Purraise
9,888
Location
Arizona
I just recently got rid of the World Book Encyclopedias. The stuff in them in no longer accurate. In those, Pluto is a planet. Actually, it changes so often I don't even know what it is considered this week.
I do still have my DOS book somewhere though. Won't get rid of that. Even though computers are window's based now, they still have a DOS foundation.
 

Mia6

Mother of one and numerous ferals
Top Cat
Joined
Jan 22, 2017
Messages
31,105
Purraise
34,061
Location
Ohio, USA
We were taught algebra, trig, physics, electrical theory as well as mechanical hands on with engines.
My worst subjects.

I have a Film Review book written by Roger Ebert. Nothing later than 1990. I use it to read reviews of movies I've watched. I'll always keep it.
 
Top