The Higher Education Industrial Complex Is Now the Borg
Here’s Why Resistance Isn’t Futile
The Assimilation Machine
In Star Trek: The Next Generation, the Borg is the ultimate enemy of individuality. A faceless collective. A hive mind that repeats one phrase over and over:
- “We will assimilate you.”
- “Resistance is futile.”
Sound familiar?
That’s the higher education industrial complex.
For decades, universities, loan providers, testing services, and publishers have repeated their own version of the Borg mantra:
- “Go to college or you’ll be left behind.”
- “A degree is the only way to succeed.”
- “You can’t get a good job without us.”
It’s propaganda designed to make you believe there is only one path. But here’s the truth: resistance is not futile. There are better, faster, cheaper alternatives—and millions of people are already choosing them.
The Cracks in the System
Just like Starfleet eventually outwitted the Borg, the armor of higher education is breaking down:
- Enrollment is dropping. Millions fewer students go to college now than 10 years ago.
- Costs have exploded. Tuition is up 400% in three decades. Wages? Stagnant.
- Employers are waking up. Many big companies no longer require degrees.
- Alternatives are exploding. Apprenticeships, trade schools, certifications, and online programs are thriving.
The story you’ve been told—that college is the only way—is falling apart.
Real Alternatives to Assimilation
If you don’t want to be assimilated, here are the smarter paths:
1. Trade Schools
Instead of four years of lectures, spend 1–2 years learning a skill like HVAC, welding, or plumbing. Cost: $5K–$20K. Salaries: $50K–$90K, often higher than college grads. These jobs won’t be outsourced or automated anytime soon.
2. Apprenticeships
The oldest and most practical learning model. You get paid to learn from a master. Apprenticeships are common in construction, IT, and healthcare. Instead of debt, you walk away with experience and savings.
3. Certifications
Stack short, respected credentials in months instead of years. Think CompTIA, AWS, PMP, or Google Career Certificates. Employers want results, not just degrees.
4. Online Courses and Bootcamps
From Coursera to coding bootcamps, online learning is cheaper, faster, and more focused than a traditional degree.
And then there’s Myford University, built as a direct alternative to higher ed’s bloated system. Myford delivers the core skills, frameworks, and tools of a college, MBA, or PhD in a fraction of the time and cost—focused on learning fast, applying it faster, and building real-world deliverables instead of drowning in theory.
5. Entrepreneurship
Why study business when you can be in business? Start small: consulting, digital products, landscaping, or an online store. Learn by doing. Fail fast, adjust, and build something real.
6. Experience First, Degree Later
Flip the script. Get a job, build skills, and earn money first. If you need a credential later, let your employer help pay for it.
7. DIY University
Books, podcasts, communities, mentorships, and applied projects. Build your own degree, your own portfolio, your own future.
How to Resist
- Question the narrative. Who benefits if you go $100-300K into debt?
- Run the math. Calculate ROI before committing.
- Test an alternative. Take a certification, start a side hustle, apprentice under someone.
- Build a portfolio. Show what you can do, not just where you sat.
- Find your tribe. Surround yourself with others resisting assimilation.
Conclusion: Resistance Is Survival
The Borg’s message was wrong then, and it’s wrong now. Resistance isn’t futile—it’s the key to survival.
You don’t have to be assimilated into the higher ed collective. You don’t need to drown in debt to buy a credential that may already be obsolete.
Instead, you can choose trade schools, apprenticeships, certifications, online alternatives like Myford University, entrepreneurship, or even your own DIY curriculum.
The higher education industrial complex wants to control your choices. Don’t let them.
Because in the real world—just like in Star Trek—the ones who resist are the ones who thrive.
Want to read the full article? Find it here.
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