Collegiate Bypass

For years, I have criticized the collegiate bypass. Perhaps it's time to explain what the collegiate bypass is.


In the past, success was accomplished by individuals proving their value. The collegiate system was designed in a way that was meant to streamline the process. A college degree could be used as an alternative to hard work and demonstration of proficiency in a desirable skill set.

Most people with the means would rather pay to obtain the kind of job they want instead of having to work their way to the top. College provided the means to bypass the more tedious years of employment and a way to obtain employment at a high level without having to work as hard.

Although I keep referring to this as a bypass, that has more to do with the concept's origins. A large majority of these jobs no longer allow skilled individuals to work their way up. These jobs now require college degrees. The collegiate bypass is the only option available.

One of the consequences of our collegiate system has been the establishment of a bottom-heavy workforce. People who run businesses have less practical understanding of their businesses and didn't have to work as hard as they used to. Incompetence is on the rise. To compensate for their shortcomings, they lean harder on the people perceived to be beneath them. They also have no practical experience related to the jobs that they are trying to control, which can force the lower level workers to work harder to overcome flawed policies.

What we are ultimately seeing with the collegiate bypass is incompetent leaders demanding people in lower paying positions to bail them out. It's also a reduction in options to pursue success. College is being used as a tool to displace practical understandings and hard work. Instead, Americans with the means are buying their way to the top.