Opinion Today: Examining the power of a college degree

What a writer without one has learned about our focus on higher education.

View in browser|nytimes.com Continue reading the main story May 1, 2023 By Vanessa Mobley Op-Ed Editor There's a game working professionals can sometimes play: imagining what their next job could be. Anecdotally, I've observed that lawyers often wish to be philosophers, and doctors like to imagine their lives as artists. I've also played this game. One day, I'd like to be a high school English teacher. But really, what gives me the audacity to imagine I could do that job? Not much more than my 30-year-old college diploma. Those with college educations assume that their futures are boundless; those lacking that piece of paper can incorrectly assume the opposite. This is the reality that Christopher Zara reveals in his Opinion piece "You Learn the Value of a College Degree When You Live Without One." He describes his experience working as an editor at Fast Company. Now a leader in the magazine's newsroom, Zara observes the irony of being a hiring manager when his own résumé would be unlikely to pass muster. As the editorial board pointed out earlier this year, "the path to prosperity has narrowed significantly in recent decades — especially for those without a college education." This fact makes Zara's reflections, which he elaborates on in more depth in his forthcoming book "Uneducated," all the more important. He closes his piece with this observation: "Higher education is always going to be a great way to secure professional opportunities and ensure the chance for upward mobility. Maybe it's even the best way. But need it be the only way?" What our readers are saying I once had to battle the organization I was working for to hire a candidate for a digital marketing job who had years of solid experience but hadn't completed his college degree. I won, we hired him, and he was the best person we ever had in that position. Meanwhile, I have hired college graduates who cannot write a simple business letter. — Debra L. Wolf, New York I work as an educational assistant, even though I have a B.A. and an M.Ed. Turns out you can pay the money and do the work and earn the teaching license and then they move the goal posts while you're home with your babies. Anyway, our superintendent once tried to defend our low wages, as assistants, on the grounds that we didn't need degrees to do our work. But every single time they advertise for an assistant's position, they say, "Four-year degree preferred." Some nerve. — Elsie, Massachusetts After years of trying to make it through life with a G.E.D., I entered college at age 38. I didn't just want a better job; I wanted to not feel ignorant. Even if I had been given the job my eventual degree enabled me to have, I don't think I would have done nearly as well in my career without having had the college experience. A college degree is more than a ticket. It's a sign that you've been through a life-altering process. It changes your thinking in ways that are both demonstrable and intangible. It unlocks self-confidence and self-worth. At least it did for me. — Jonathan, Cleveland Read the essay here and join the conversation in the comments. Igor Bastidas GUEST ESSAY You Learn the Value of a College Degree When You Live Without One Higher education is always going to be a great way to secure professional opportunities and ensure the chance for upward mobility. But need it be the only way? By Christopher Zara Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Here's what we're focusing on today: Editors' Picks JESSICA BENNETT Why Didn't She Scream? And Other Questions Not to Ask a Rape Accuser The cross-examination of E. Jean Carroll, in her lawsuit against Donald Trump, shows how much and how little things have changed in sexual assault cases. By Jessica Bennett More From Opinion THE CONVERSATION This Is Why Politicians Like to Change the Subject Debt ceiling? Running mate? Surely there's something else we could talk about. By Gail Collins and Bret Stephens MICHELLE COTTLE A Hot Mess in the Georgia Republican Party Critics say that the party culture has become steeped in the paranoid politics of MAGA and election denial. By Michelle Cottle GUEST ESSAY The Closing of This School Is Bad News for America Guardian Angel School in Manhattan represents a national predicament. By Tim Wu GUEST ESSAY The Lesson of Murphy, the Eagle Who Tried to Hatch a Rock We fail to understand the creatures who share our ecosystems because we assume they are nothing but bundles of instincts. By Margaret Renkl GUEST ESSAY The Met Gala, or When Fashion Consumes Art The Met Gala exemplifies the increasingly close relationship between fashion and art and the impact one is having on the other. By Natasha Degen Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT DAVID FRENCH Disney v. DeSantis: How Strong Is the Company's Lawsuit? The First Amendment ramifications are substantial. By David French GUEST ESSAY Surgeon General: We Have Become a Lonely Nation. It's Time to Fix That. I have a plan to rebuild social connection and foster healthy relationships. By Vivek H. Murthy GUEST ESSAY Our Covid Data Project Is Over, but the Need for Timely Data Is Not Three years ago we were caught flat-footed, and many people died. By Beth Blauer, Lauren Gardner, Sheri Lewis and Lainie Rutkow GUEST ESSAY The Hollywood Writers' Strike Isn't About Money, It's About Survival If the Writers Guild does go on strike, it will be because the current system isn't sustainable for anyone. By Zack Stentz TISH HARRISON WARREN Ted Lasso, Holy Fool In an age of outrage and cynicism, a TV show calls us back to humility. By Tish Harrison Warren How Well Does Masking Work? And Other Pandemic Questions We Need to Answer. We need better data to guide pandemic decisions. By Jennifer B. Nuzzo LETTERS How Should We Teach Kids to Read? Readers write about the latest battle in the "reading wars." Also: Bad Republican choices; gifts to justices; the foods we choose. Continue reading the main story ADVERTISEMENT Subscribe Today New York Times Opinion curates a wide range of views, inviting rich discussion and debate that help readers analyze the world. This work is made possible with the support of subscribers. Please consider subscribing to The Times with this special offer. Games Here are today's Mini Crossword, Wordle and Spelling Bee. If you're in the mood to play more, find all our games here. Forward this newsletter to friends to share ideas and perspectives that will help inform their lives. They can sign up here. Do you have feedback? Email us at opiniontoday@nytimes.com. If you have questions about your Times account, delivery problems or other issues, visit our Help Page or contact The Times. Continue reading the main story Need help? Review our newsletter help page or contact us for assistance. You received this email because you signed up for the Opinion Today newsletter from The New York Times. To stop receiving Opinion Today, unsubscribe. To opt out of other promotional emails from The Times, manage your email preferences. Subscribe to The TimesGet The New York Times app Connect with us on: Change Your EmailPrivacy PolicyContact UsCalifornia Notices The New York Times Company. 620 Eighth Avenue New York, NY 10018

FRC you later...

Bank drops 45% in premarket trading after US regulators sell its operations. ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ ‌ 

Attention Traders: It's Monday morning and our Lead Technical Tactician Nate Bear is giving you his weekly stocks to watch. This week he's got his eyes on a semiconductor company. You won't want to miss this one. Last week Nate took a 44.36% winner on COST in 1 trading day. He's currently on a mission to turn $37,000 into $1 million in just three years, and you can watch him trade by joining Daily Profits Live. Click here to learn how you can trade alongside Nate today. Good morning Wake-up Watchlisters! While you're sipping coffee you'll see stock futures were down on Monday after major bank news (more on that below) and a shift to the Federal Reserve's latest policy decision this week. Recent economic data is showing a 25-basis point interest hike on Wednesday is 90% likely, according to CME Group's Fedwatch tool. Our Head Fundamental Tactician Karim Rahemtulla has been targeting banks and taking advantage of the Fed's current interest rate hikes for his Super Income Portfolio. Right now he believes his new "Super Income System" will make him $1 million within five years, and it's all because of a specific phenomenon going on in the markets that we haven't seen since 2007. Click here to unlock Karim's Super Income System. Here's a look at the top-moving stocks this morning. First Republic Bank (NYSE: FRC) First Republic Bank is down 45.87% premarket after US regulators seized the bank early Monday and sold its operations to JPMorgan Chase. This goes down as the largest bank failure since the 2008 financial crisis. The fall of the $233 billion First Republic is larger than both Silicon Valley Bank and Signature Bank, which were the second- and third-largest bank failures in US history at the time of their undoing seven weeks ago. 40 for 40 Playing These 9 "Magic" Stocks While most investors watched their portfolios plummet last year... Multimillionaire Wall Street veteran Bryan Bottarelli went on a 40-for-40 run with 9 stocks... Which could have made as much as 233% over a year. But how? Some people are saying it's "just like magic"... Find Out Bryan's Secret SoFi Technologies, Inc. (SOFI) SoFi Technologies is up 7.87% premarket after delivering record results for the quarter ending on March 31, 2023. First quarter net revenue increased 43% to $472.2 million from the prior-year period's $330.3 million. First quarter adjusted net revenue of $460.2 million was up 43% from the same prior-year period's $321.7 million. Those are the biggest stock movers for today. Happy trading! 9 FREE Tickers... $300 Worth of Extra Gifts... and Wall Street's HOTTEST Strategy (IN ONE FREE TRAINING!) This multimillionaire Pro Trader is on a mission... After researching 9 unusual stocks... he's about to demonstrate how they could have generated 3X returns in 2022... AND... he's even giving away $300 worth of profit-boosting gifts to help you take advantage of them. It's all happening at his FREE training TODAY... RSVP NOW before the last seats disappear. YES! Reserve My Free Virtual Seat Monument Traders Alliance   You are receiving this email because you subscribed to Trade of the Day Wake-Up Watchlist. To unsubscribe from Trade of the Day Wake-Up Watchlist, click here. Questions? Check out our FAQs. Trying to reach us? Contact us here. Please do not reply to this email as it goes to an unmonitored inbox. To cancel by mail or for any other subscription issues, write us at: Trade of the Day | 14 West Mount Vernon Place | Baltimore, MD 21201 North America: 1.800.507.1399 | International: +1.443.353.4977 Website | Privacy Policy Keep the emails you value from falling into your spam folder. Whitelist Trade of the Day. © 2023 Monument Traders Alliance, LLC | All Rights Reserved Nothing published by Monument Traders Alliance should be considered personalized investment advice. Although our employees may answer your general customer service questions, they are not licensed under securities laws to address your particular investment situation. No communication by our employees to you should be deemed personalized investment advice. We allow the editors of our publications to recommend securities that they own themselves. However, our policy prohibits editors from exiting a personal trade while the recommendation to subscribers is open. In no circumstance may an editor sell a security before subscribers have a fair opportunity to exit. The length of time an editor must wait after subscribers have been advised to exit a play depends on the type of publication. All other employees and agents must wait 24 hours after publication before trading on a recommendation. Any investments recommended by Monument Traders Alliance should be made only after consulting with your investment advisor and only after reviewing the prospectus or financial statements of the company. Protected by copyright laws of the United States and international treaties. The information found on this website may only be used pursuant to the membership or subscription agreement and any reproduction, copying or redistribution (electronic or otherwise, including on the world wide web), in whole or in part, is strictly prohibited without the express written permission of Monument Traders Alliance, LLC, 14 West Mount Vernon Place, Baltimore, MD 21201.