11/17/2010

Credentialed, Not Educated

Over the past few months leading up to the mid-term elections, Glenn Reynolds, amongst others, have been writing about and commenting upon the “Credentialed, not educated” meme in regards to the mass of nattering elite.

The Barrister over at Maggie's Farm takes a slightly different tack, asking the question “Which would do more for your career: A Princeton education but no diploma, or a Princeton diploma but no education?”

I have a feeling the answer is the former.

I've seen far too many people with diplomas from Ivy League schools and other high level educational institutions that haven't got the capability of actually doing the jobs they were hired to do. Some don't even have the sense to come in out of the pouring rain, metaphorically speaking.

I tried to post a comment to the Barrister's post about a fitting movie quote, but apparently the spamment system didn't like what I had to say. So I'll reproduce it here:

This reminds me of the scene in Good Will Hunting where Will (Matt Damon), goes head to head with a Harvard student at a Cambridge pub, leaving him with this thought:

“To think you blew $150 grand on an education you could've gotten from the public library for a buck-fifty in late fees.”

Heh.