advice for young people thinking of college

"So what advice should you give to a young person? If you have a natural bent for scholarship; if you are attracted to the most dificult books out of an urgent need, and you can spare four years to them, go to college. In fact, approach college in the spirit of craftsmanship- delve deep into liberal arts and sciences. But if this is not the case; if the thought of four more years in a classroom makes your skin crawl, the good news is you dont have to jump through hoops in a classroom to make a decent living.

Even if you do go to college, learn a trade in the summers. You're less likely to be damaged, and quite possibly better paid as a tradesman than as a low level "creative" or a cubicle dwelling tender of information systems.

To heed such advice will require a bit of a contratian streak, as it entails rejecting a life course mapped out by others as obligatory and inevitable."

from Shopclass as Soulcraft by Matthew Craword