College or Not

Last week, my husband, B.W. (for privacy let me just call him that), a high-school-student-look-like himself in late 20s, spoke to a roomful of high school students on their Career Day about how to make games.  Most presenters at the event were people in high positions, including a mayor, a judge, and a HBO executive.  But according to the organizer and my own observation, B.W. had the biggest audience.  50 to 60 seventeen-eighteen-year-olds with eager faces were crammed in a room that seats 30 maximum.  It was the last 30 minutes of their school day, and miraculously, they sat quietly through the whole presentation, asked technical questions, and laughed at the time they were expected to laugh.  B.W. had a simple explanation, you know, most high school kids play games.  

However, I think there is more to that.  The difference between B.W. and other presenters is that the experience of B.W. represent a viable alternative path.  B.W. didn't study programing in college.  He loves drawing and considers himself an artist.  He is also extremely passionate about game, which he can talk about all day long.  Many might just stop at that point.  But he went further, taught himself how to code, and started making games on his own.  Now, he has made countless games for big wig corporations and popular products as well as movies, quite prolific.  After working for a few employers, he started to work independently last year.  Creating your own business or being a free agent is not what schools teach us typically.  That's why B.W.'s presentation was so unique on the Career Day.  Not only he gave students concrete resources regarding game development, his personal story also showed them how one can carve a niche for him/herself. 

While the employers are still cautious about expanding hiring, working independently could be feasible option.  The unemployment of young people is extremely high.  Within the recent 3 or 4 years, I have read numerous pieces of news that how difficult it is for young people, with college education or not, to land a decent job.  It seems quite normal to move back to one's parents after graduating from college because the job market is so bleak.  It is very common for college graduates to have huge student loans.  A bachelor's degree doesn't guarantee anyone a starting point for a satisfying career.  The future of those without any college education is even worse.  

Facing this perplexing situation, alternative initiative, such as Enstitute, is set up to help young people to acquire and build career skills.  Instead of finishing an expensive, four-year university education, high school students or college students become an apprentice, work full time, and receive training as well as stipend for their work.  How these young men and women will become in a few years is still unknown.  But even without such facilitations, those famous college dropouts became successful and rich.  I think what sets young people apart is how they are socialized.  Those in college or Enstitue are socialized to aim at aspirational career paths.  Hence it is not necessarily the academic training provided by higher education that help one become successful.

美国变成24岁到35岁事业率最高的发达国家。一张大学学士文凭不一定帮你找到工作。加上大学学费暴涨，为自己的教育投资回报率显得特别低。可是没有学历的年轻人的事业率更高收入更低。这样两难的情况下，有了些新的机构，比如Enstitute， 为学生提供在高新科技行业的学徒式实习期。读大学还是做高级学徒好，现在结果还不知道。可是已经有很多成功的大学辍学人士证明读大学不只是唯一的光明正道。