Education Backwards...

Thanks to social networking sites, I've recently reconnected with classmates that I haven't see or heard from in years!!! As we reminisced about "simpler times," I couldn't help but think about our backwards education system. How come you work so hard to do well in school, only to find yourself in debt when you get out??? How come so many people don't work in the field they have a degree in??? Whats wrong with this picture???

!st - From elementary to high school, I was taught to do my work, and not to disrupt the other students. If I had a question, ask the teacher....if I asked one of my classmates, especially during test time, it was considered CHEATING!!! Then as I got older, everything was about TEAM building. We'd have workshops where we'd break into SMALL GROUPS to complete the task at hand. Working together in the professional world wasn't considered cheating, it was encouraged!!! BACKWARDS

2nd - After grade school, I was encouraged to go to college. At a university, you pay anywhere from $10,000 to $30,000 a year to get a degree that validates your skill level. Now understand, college freshman are a PRIMARY target for credit card companies, not to metion department store charge cards are especially attractive to students!!! So let's say you weren't the best student in school, but you open up a credit line (and a charge card) anywhere between $250 to $500. You pay the minimum balance on each your cards for the next 4 years you are in school, and you come out with a decent credit score somewhere in the 600s. You shouldn't have a problem getting an apartment or a car after school, you just have to worry about the next 3 to 6 years it might take you to pay off your $40,ooo to $120,000 in student loans. However, you're in better shape than your STAR classmate who got a scholarship, but never opened any credit lines...they'll have trouble finding an apartment and/or purchasing a car without a co-signer, because they don't have a history of credit...BACKWARDS

3rd - At minimum, we spend 12 years taking core classes in grade school (English, Science, Math, etc), but spend very little time building financial intelligence. A high school senior can do Algebra & Calculus, but does he/she know the difference between a W-2 and a W-9??? If they aspire to be a entrepreneur, do they know the difference between a S Corp, a C Corp, & a LLC. They study hard to get a good paying job, but do they know that this country operates on currency & not money??? That our currency IS NOT backed up by gold & sliver, so the value of a US dollar is less than $0.70??? Think about it, your prepared to get job, but if our banking system goes haywire one day, instead of money, you'll receive an I.O.U!!! How come students aren't prepared for this when they walk across that stage and get their diploma??? Say it with me this time....BACKWARDS

Sadly, non of this will change anytime soon, but the good news we live in the Information Age. Our forefathers died trying to get this kind of information, in an effort to create a better future for all of us!!! So in their honor, lets not take it for granted. Turn the TV off every now and then, and increase your own financial IQ. As u talk to your kids about safe sex and good grades, talk to them about IRA's, taxes, and retirement plans. Theres an old saying "If u wanna hide something from someone, put it in a book and place it the library where they can get it for free!!!" BACKWARDS