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The Case Against the College Degree
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Desu Offline
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The Case Against the College Degree

I found two good articles.

Smart Money.
Bargaineering.

Many times when I read people who argue that going to college is potentially a huge waste of time and money often stress one common thing:

- Networking is your most valuable skill in life. You must figure out how to meet and talk to the right people if you want to succeed in anything. Even "loner" careers like science require that you make an effort to talk to the right academics if you want to succeed in academia. The reason that "Harvard" degree seems so valuable is because when you go to a school like Harvard you meet the sons and daughters of wealthy businessmen, politicians, etc. These people are able to "get you in the door". But who says you can't do that outside of school?

The Smart Money article is excellent and I recommend you read the whole thing. Some important points it made:

Quote:I’m not arguing against higher learning but for it, and against the degree system that stands in its way.

Quote:(Ernie doesn't go to college, Bill goes to college).

College degrees bring higher income, but at today’s cost they can’t make up the savings they consume and the debt they add early in the life of a typical student. While Ernie was busy earning, Bill got stuck under his bill.

Quote:More than 40% of students who enter a bachelor’s program don’t have a degree after six years, according to Ohio University economics professor Richard Vedder,

Quote:A more inclusive four-year degree isn’t the answer, because the degree itself often obstructs learning. Consider the laid-off sales clerk who wishes to pursue a college education in hopes of finding a better job. If he wants to go to a name-brand school he must study for and take an admissions test, and apply. He must file a financial aid application as long and complex as a tax return. If accepted by a school, he must wait for the right part of the academic calendar to come around, and hope that the classes he wants aren’t full. Suppose all goes well. He’ll be sitting in front of a teacher 18 months after first deciding to learn.

What folly. As I write this, Google is putting every book ever written online. Apple is offering video college lectures for free download through its iTunes software. Skype allows free videoconferencing anywhere in the world. M.I.T. and many other schools have made course materials available for free on their web sites. Tutors cost as little as $15 an hour. Today’s student who decides to learn at one o'clock should be doing it by one thirty. A process that makes him wait 18 months is not an education system. It’s a barrier to education.

I mentioned this earlier, but school is out-of-date. Not just college, but also public education. Schools are incredibly slow at introducing new knowledge, and the Renaissance-type education is a burden on society. The world is becoming a vast digital information network, and knowledge changes at lightning speed. Merely trying to live life is becoming more and more complex. It's becoming more important for people to narrow their vocation and concentrate on that, then outsourcing the rest of their life to their network, rather than being a loner. That isn't to say it's bad to be exposed to a lot of different knowledge, it's just more efficient to do that on your own.

Processing just-in-time information is a skill that doesn't get touched anywhere in school, and frankly it's not something that someone can teach you. Spending 10-12 years in public school, then spending another 4+ years in college will most certainly guarantee that you will become an uneducated failure in the coming age, with a large amount of financial debt to boot.

The humanist philosophy for an "ideal education" is dead. A one-size-fits-all education used to work, but now it's doesn't. If a society wants to get ahead of everyone else, they need to adapt their workforce so that it doesn't take 16+ years just to become qualified to work. They need to adapt their workforce so that they understand how to adapt to a rapidly changing world, and build a proper network. Public school, nor college will do this for you.

RIP GORE GOROTH

He was an hero. He will always be remembered.
08-21-2009 01:22 AM
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psychopath Offline
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Re: The Case Against the College Degree

Quote:Today’s student who decides to learn at one o'clock should be doing it by one thirty. A process that makes him wait 18 months is not an education system. It’s a barrier to education.

This is gold.
08-21-2009 01:48 AM
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Swift Offline
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Re: The Case Against the College Degree

This is like the only topic I've ever bookmarked. Gaiyara, you're a genius.

"I heard a joke once. Man goes to doctor says "I'm terribly depressed". Doctor says "I know just what you should do. Poliacci the clown is in town, go see him, you'll be cheered right up." The man bursts into tears. "But Doctor, I am Poliacci." Funny joke. Roll on snare drum. Everyone laugh."

-Rorschach


[Image: BANANAMAN.gif]
08-27-2009 10:05 AM
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Paraless Offline
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Re: The Case Against the College Degree

To be a devil's advocate...

http://www.importanceofcollege.com/goodreasons.html
http://hubpages.com/hub/Investment-Tips-...e-Students

-Networking is important. College is the most effective networking tool there is. Besides, no one will take an interest in you to begin with until you distinguish yourself. The most obvious way to showcase your ability in a given field is by getting a college diploma for it. You don't have to pay out the nose and go to an Ivy League college. An education of the same if not better calibre can be found in even the "lowly" community colleges. It's all about the teachers, not how much money the university is charging. With Harvard, you aren't paying for an education; you're paying for bragging rights.

Quote:Meeting new people and making contacts with other like-minded individuals and groups is one reason that many enjoy college so much.

Quote:Whether you want to go into academia later in life or just want a higher paid job, college is most definitely for you. If you want to become an expert in your field, then again college is the place to go.

Quote:One way to change the habit of overspending is to start saving and investing your money while you are still in college.

Quote:Statistics show that college graduates tend to earn more and command better paid jobs then people who have just a high school education. The competitiveness of the national and international job marketplace should also not be underestimated. In the past, a college education would help you stand out. [now] it is needed in some cases just to keep up with the competition.

Quote:The career choices open to a college graduate are vast, especially compared to that of a high school graduate. Even if a job isn’t directly related to your college education in subject, just the fact that you achieved a higher level of education will help you to stand out when applying for a job.

My mother never attended college, and after her divorce she found herself working for minimum wage and struggling to get by because she couldn't find a job. College will help in the long run assuming that you're fiscally responsible with the money you are making and create a plan to pay off your debt.

Back from hiatus.
08-27-2009 11:14 AM
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