Would you give up your college degree for a trade?
If we all have college degrees, who will fix our engine, plumbing, electrical and A/C unit in 20 years? I’m not sure but I promise it will be very expensive. 😁
Growing up I knew attending college was the one thing I could do to make my mother proud. I am now the first and only college graduate of my family. I crossed the stage and received my degree in May 2013 and my mom passed away soon after in October. I know I made her proud.
But this summer when my air conditioner decided to stop working during a heat wave, I found myself frustrated that I spent thousands on a degree that was useless. All I could do was pick up the phone and call an expert.
Every company in town was booked for weeks. Our only salvation was a friend of a friend of a friend that was willing to do a freelance job after a grueling 12 hour shift for his HVAC company.
30 minutes and $150 later, we had A/C but felt cheated. $150 is quickly spent but not so quickly earned (unless you’re this guy).
Why didn’t we become HVAC experts?
It’s no secret that college degrees are diminishing in their quality and usefulness, while costs of attending continue to skyrocket and soar. The push for millennials to attend college instead will inevitably drive up the cost of living as trademan retire and are not replaced by younger talent. What will this do to the future cost of a home, for instance? We cannot begin to fathom all the repercussions.
If I could do it all over again, I would strongly consider being a mechanic. (Any other ladies get under the hood sometimes? )