College.....is Bullshit.

Feb 27, 2008 - 11:42 AM PST

Hello. My name is Josh Yochem, I graduated from the #1 party school in the nation, the #1 beer drinking college, the #5 hard liquor drinking college, the #1 research school in the nation, the #1 college sports town, the #14 best academic University in the US, and the #16 Academic university in the World. These are actual statistics my college obtained while I was going there. My college has alumni all over the world, and a very loyal following throughout the state of Wisconsin. When I decided which college I wanted to obtain, I knew nothing more than that my aunt had graduated from there, that it was a prestigious University, and I had grown up watching their football team. The college I went to was the University of Wisconsin – Madison.

All throughout high school we were told that you needed to get in to a good university in order to get a head in life…that you needed to work hard in high school so you could get in to a good university and work harder there so that you can get a job with a "good" company. No one explained who these "good" companies were, or what made them "good"…. but we all had our theories. Some felt it would be companies that helped people, others companies that allowed creative freedom...and myself…. well I am all about the Benjamin's baby.

So throughout high school many of us worked our asses off (I personally just worked the system because I am that damn good)…but by the end of our junior year when it came time to decide which colleges to apply to, for many high school-ers, panic sets in. There are applications to fill out, scholarships to apply for, and essay to write…oh are there essays to write! Of course, all the panic and stress we went through was just a necessary part of working our way to the gate key to the rest of our lives…. college.

So when all is said and done, letters of acceptance and rejection are read, students either cheer, or cry…. and in the extreme cases that unfortunately do happens, suicides occur. That is just the penalty we must pay right? I mean…getting in to a great college IS the most important thing to living a decent life right?

Well…. no. The part I left out in the above story is that although I did apply and eventually graduated from Madison…. the first letter I ever received was a letter of rejection. See…when I was in high school, I did as little as possible. I was the slacker. I never studied for a single test, and I spent a great deal of time in suspension because of all the fighting I did. I graduated in the top 50% of my class with a 2.4 GPA. I drank the night before I took the ACT and managed to score a 25 while hung over despite having a verified 130 IQ. So, being left with 3 rejection letters (and one acceptance letter to UW-Milwaukee thus proving that Madison is WAY better than UW-Milwaukee) I had no option I was pleased with. I definitely didn't want to go to UW-Milwaukee…so I declined. I then did what was left as the ultimate mark of shame…I applied to community college.

So to make a long story short, community college is easy and because of my incredible social skills I was able to run 2 student clubs while also maintaining a position as the Vice-President of student government. I graduated with a 3.4 GPA and applied to UW-Madison and because of a guaranteed transfer program…I was in.

So I should be set right? I mean, I got in to a prestigious University so the world is my oyster. Obviously the fact that my Bachelor's degree is from UW should give me the advantage against most other candidates, right?

Wrong. Here's the thing. College is bullshit. Am I suggesting to you that you don't go to college? Fuck no. I cannot deny that college opens doors. Sadly, getting a college education today is as important as just getting a high school education was in generations past. You can't get most jobs without a college degree.

But here's the kicker…notice I said "college degree". I did not say "to get a job in marketing, you need a marketing degree" or "to get a job in banking, a finance a degree". Sure, specialized degrees like that will help you…but by only the slimmest of margins. It is no longer the case that what you actually get your degree in is important. What IS important is for you to get a degree in SOMETHING. But you do need to do is actually COMPLTE the degree. If you dropped out of college, don't put that on your resume. It actually makes you look WORSE than if you hadn't gone to college at all.

So you are probably asking yourself…how do I know this? Well, a previous position I had was with a recruiting company and I got to learn full on the ins and outs about what it takes to get a job…and it ain't pretty. Despite the laws that exist, you will still be judged based upon your attractiveness and race. My boss was perhaps one of the most judgmental people I have ever met…only he didn't know it. If your resume wasn't on the nicest of papers, or if your clothes weren't spectacular, you didn't get hired…and these were for jobs that paid $10-$12 and hour. He once refused to hire a Mensan because "you know how weird those Mensa people are".

So now you are asking yourself, what did you major in Josh that you were able to get a job as a recruiter? Well…I got my degree in the related field of Communication Arts – Radio/TV/Film. That's right, I have a film degree. My classes consisted of watching TV and Film and breaking down the compositions of the shots and the methods of editing and everything that goes into film and television production. I learned what happens when you use Indoor film outside, and why you might want to actually do that (watch the Piano to understand what it does). I even took a class where literally, 50% of the lectures involved watching an episode from a TV show. Sure…I learned a LOT in that class (seriously) but who wouldn't LOVE to watch TV for academic credit? So choose a major that you will find FUN. Let it be art, philosophy, media, English. Whatever your heart desires, do that. You will enjoy you time in college much more, and the content of the degree doesn't matter anyway. Don't choose your major based upon whether you think it will be marketable after college. Chances are, unless you are going into journalism, a medical field, or engineering…you will end up in the college of Letters & Science which is what 90% of students will end up in. Do you know what the degree on my wall says? It says "The Board of Regents for the University of Wisconsin System, on the nomination of the faculty, bas conferred upon Joshua Allen Yochem the Degree of Bachelor of Arts". That's right…my specialty wasn't even listed, and guess what? Yours wont be either.

What I am trying to say here….is that there is no reason to panic and almost kill yourself trying to get in to the best colleges in the country. Not everyone can get in to the best colleges in the country, and to quote 14 year old Rebecca Sealfon, winner of the 1996 Scripps-Howard national spelling bee who won on the world Euonym (E! U! O! N! Y! M!) "there are a lot of sad kids today". Just be happy you got in to college, and enjoy the 4..5…6…or 18 years you spend there. They are the best years of your life, and despite the fact it is a cliché, it's true. It all goes down hill from there and life in the real world sucks. If given the opportunity to trade places and have a 6 page paper due the next day followed by two days of drinking, or two go to work 40 hours a week, I would take the paper any day.

To end this little thought of mine, I am bringing in a guest writer. When I got the idea to write this, I was discussing college with my friend Jenny Westphal who went to a prestigious art school and she couldn't agree with me more (which is why I am friends with her!)

The above is sooo true. I know I went to one of those schools that everyone covets, the Milwaukee Institute of Art and Design. It was ranked as one of the most prestigious in the country (in relation to art/trade schools that is). They retain this status by having select PRACTING teachers of their respected fields. Not to mention all of the foreign exchanges that they still partake in every year with schools of the same academic and historic backgrounds. (i.e. Bauhaus and La Academié des Beau Arts)
Sadly, this is what you are lead to believe, not what it actually is. What I have found out is this: High ranked schools offer you more opportunities than others because their funding is there, this is because their students naturally pay higher tuitions. (trust me a higher tuition is not fun). The truth is a mind that is willing to learn can excel in any institution you place them in as long as the teaching sources are up to date and competent. Please keep in mind that I'm not trying to discredit high rated institutions. All I am saying is that the KEY ingredients in a higher education is the will to expand one's mind and drive to see it through to the end.

I've seen this trust me. I went to school with people that could afford it–however could not apply themselves. Then later when we were on some portfolio viewing days I happen to see a portfolio of another student who happened to be from one of these bottom bargain institutions. It was beautiful. The care and quality were at the same standard as what was at my own "prestigious" institution of higher learning. Now, granted this student was a needle in a haystack; but they key point is that she applied herself. Then with doing so this student was able to compete at a higher level. So all you need is a will and drive to see it through.] – Jenny Westphal

I apologize to those of you out there that were expecting fire and brimstone like I usually try to bring… and believe me, I have some stuff in the works that will go back to that. So…in the meantime…slack on.