College Is Cracking. The World Is Changing. Adaptability Is the New Degree

The more I research this stuff, the more it hits--and ocassionally scares--me. We’re living through one of the biggest shifts in work and education in modern history. And the tough part? Most folks are still acting like nothing’s happening.

Parents are still sending their kids to college with the same mindset they had twenty years ago. Get a degree. Get a job. Build a life. Nice and tidy. Hell, it worked for me.

But the world isn’t tidy anymore. It changed and is continuing to change. Fast. It's world 2.0.

The Alarming New Reality

Palantir CEO Alex Karp said it flat out last week. Smart kids graduating from great universities with “generalized knowledge” are… in trouble. The game is no longer about knowing things in general. AI already holds every fact written by human hands.

Employers now want domain skill. Not “awareness.” Not “theory.” Actual ability.

And here’s the kicker: even the computer science majors — the “safe” majors — are getting hit. The Federal Reserve Bank of New York reports that CS and computer engineering grads now have higher unemployment rates than art history.

Read that again. The major everyone said was a guaranteed ticket… suddenly isn’t.

Meanwhile, entry-level job postings have dropped 35%. And long-term job hunting is rising across the board.

Young people are doing everything we told them to do… and still walking into closed doors.

So What’s Going On?

AI didn’t just add a new tool into the workplace. It rewired the entire workplace.

OpenAI Founder Sam Altman recently said AI will eventually handle 30–40% of the tasks in the economy. Not someday. Soon. In a recent video, he adds that future applicants will need skills in creativity, critical thinking and emotional intelligence.

He also said something every parent should tattoo on the fridge:

“The most important skill is learning how to learn.”

That’s the new currency. Not a degree. Not a major. Not memorized knowledge that

AI can spit out faster than any human.

It’s adaptability. Resilience. The ability to adjust, re-skill, and keep moving.

Those are the people who are going to thrive.

College Isn’t “Bad”… It’s Just Way Too Slow

The problem isn’t that college has lost its value. The problem is that the world is moving faster than the curriculum.

While universities debate course updates… AI tools are pushing out brand-new capabilities every week.

While tuition climbs… a third of college students earn less than a typical high school graduate after they finish.

While we’re still clinging to the old playbook… the job market is writing a brand-new one.

A Better Path Forward

The future belongs to people who can do five things well:

• learn fast • adapt often • work alongside technology, not behind it • solve problems creatively • bring the “human element” AI can’t replace

Nursing. Construction science. Early childhood education. Hands-on trades. Any field where judgment, connection, and real-world skill matter.

Those jobs aren’t going anywhere. They’re being enhanced by AI… not replaced by it.

And the workers who understand how to think with new tools — instead of being scared of them — will lead the way.

The Big Takeaway

Parents. Students. Mid-career workers. Anyone looking around wondering, “What now?” Here’s the truth:

You don’t need to know everything. You just need to stay adaptable.

That’s the new competitive edge. That’s the new job security. That’s the new way forward.

The people who thrive in the next decade won’t be the ones with the fanciest diploma. They’ll be the ones who can pivot while everyone else is standing still.

And honestly? That’s good news.

Because adaptability isn’t something you’re born with. It’s something anyone can learn. At any age. In any field. Starting today.