I think on this one I'm going to be the antagonist. I probably fit the position perfectly, being only 18.

From what I can grasp out of your sub par grammatical skills, you have a chip on your shoulder from gaining a college degree 20 or so years ago that has become........obsolete. Your argument seems to take the position of futility in paying large company to allow you to take a test for a certification. Now for my points on the subject.

1. You're so against these certifications from "big business", finding them to be a tormenting evil within society, that you actually defend the big business of higher learning to do so. Did you ever think about the fact that your college degree that you cling to so dearly was no more than a way for some high classed individuals...or even worse...the government, to profit off of you? In what way is this education any different from certifications? Well let's ponder this.

a. College takes a minimum of two years, maximum of eight or even higher, where as a certification can be accomplished within months of research, and sometimes less.

b. College costs thousands of dollars. Certifications usually costs hundreds.

2. You say a certification is the way businesses judge who is able within the industry. Did you ever contemplate the fact that they are probably used mostly to weed out the ones that aren't? In other words, those who have their certification may or may not be able to accomplish the tasks of the industry, but those who aren't certified probably do not have the ability, because they cannot even pass the test. You may say that this is not so. That just because a person hasn't passed a certification doesn't mean he/she doesn't have the ability, and I would agree with you. But the question at hand is, which one has proven that he/she can actually pass it? Obviously only the one who has passed the damn thing!

3. Certifications, and the studying required for them, gives a person the opportunity to gain a concentrated level of knowledge in a fairly short time span. Yes, college will teach you more in the long run, but most of what you'll learn will prove useless in day to day operatioins. These certifications are meant to give you the needed knowledge to do the task. They are not made to prove that a person is completely capable in that field with every possible task, but that the basic functions within that job can be accomplished with minimal direction.

In conclusiong, (finally) you may hate these certifications, but your pride is going to be your downfall. Frankly, I don't care for them, because they group people into small areas of knowledge and skill, not allowing for a great deal of creativity. But it's true that those who have the certifications get the jobs, and the certifications are the only real proof (aside from experience) that an employer can use to decide whether you're adequate for his position or not. Yes, we could go to college, as you did, and get our degree to use that. But the truth is, four years is just too long for some of us. We don't want to wait that long to get into the field. We want to make a difference now, and considering our lifespans, four more years of uninterrupted education is just far too long to learn the things we could learn on our own in a much shorter time period.

Not only that, but a compilation of college education and certifications can do no harm. This is especially true when considering the fact that almost all the knowledge needed in certification exams has been taught to you through your college experience.

Once again I apologize for the length, but I felt there was much to be said. Conclusion.