College - What is it for, Today?

[RicInOR]

https://quillette.com/2022/06/02/wh...phen-curry-effect-and-getting-back-to-basics/

"And this begs the question of what remains in the aftermath. If the books and their guides are now at anyone's fingertips online, what are students paying for when they go to college? "

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[clanhanson]

Forced focus, attention, and accountability. I can't imagine trusting a self taught civil engineer even if they passed with flying colors online. In fact, some notable catastrophic failures in the 1800s and early 1900s were due to self taught engineers. Sure, I've learned most of my welding online. I wouldn't trust myself for pipeline welding nor would anybody else.

 

[RicInOR]

Most of the great works of architecture came from apprenticeships.
- examples Notre Dame.

As do welders.

Many of us are facing the question - send the kid to college, or not. I am definitely leaning towards not.
Unless, the kid has a very specific career in mind.

 

[Lilhigbee]

College - What is it for, Today?

Indoctrination.

 

[Taylormade]

College? Well, its serves my fries and messes up the rest of my order

 

[JackFrost]

What is it for today? To steal people's money, waste a minimum of 4 year's of their lives and give them a worthless piece of paper that means nothing in the real world!

 

[CamoDeafie]

Getting away with doing stuff that you couldnt legally do in high school

Getting an education in STD screening and finding out that 2/3rds of the Sororities have STDs

Being able to just hook up with just about anyone without parents being involved

Getting drunk and not expelled

Depending on the school, useful information (trade schools, Tech Institutes, Med school, law)

 

[ma96782]

For me and my family (son).

Say it this way.......
My son just recently got out of the Marines. He spent 5 years as an enlisted person. He joined right after HS graduation.

He now has the G.I. Bill to help with College expenses. BUT, But, but.......it appears that he has little to no interest in attending. BTW, he is still young (well, young enough, IMHO).

I want him to go. BUT.......of course, I can't FORCE him.

YES, I believe in having THAT PAPER. While I didn't really use mine (mind you that, I went to night school to get mine). Well, being a civil service employee, I did use it for "more points" when I went for a promotion. Anyway that being said.......I believe that it has some value.

Aloha, Mark

PS....your question reminded me of.......
Anyway for those still wondering?
Take a Music Break.

 

[monkeybutler]

Education is not for everyone.

 

[Member 45541]

College - What is it for, Today?

Indoctrination.

Tru Dat!

 

[CamoDeafie]

Real Education is not for everyone.

Sure wish the school guidance counselors in the 90s-2000s didn't push "you won't be sucessful if you don't go to liberal arts college/universities!" On everyone.

 

[monkeybutler]

Sure wish the school guidance counselors in the 90s-2000s didn't push "you won't be sucessful if you don't go to liberal arts college/universities!" On everyone.

No one tried to push any of that on me. The advice when I was younger was to get an engineering or business degree. You must have been living in commie town or something.

 

[CamoDeafie]

No one tried to push any of that on me. The advice when I was younger was to get an engineering or business degree. You must have been living in commie town or something.

Oregon School for the Deaf, run by Oregon State Board of Education however, I did also get the exact same sentiment from teachers in a mainstream middle school (Salem-Keizer district)

 

[monkeybutler]

Did you go to college?

 

[CamoDeafie]

Did you go to college?

National Tech Inst for the Deaf at Rochester Inst of Tech, yes. Bluntly told my old teachers that OSD didn't prep me for NTID. Guidance counselor told me he was disappointed thst I chose NTID over Gallaudet University asked him, does Gallaudet offer anything related to automotive/shop/machining?

 

[Certaindeaf]

Education is not for everyone.

Junior High in Hawaii was an absolute joke. Good times though.

 

[Spitpatch]

A college education today is exactly worth what it was 37 years ago. It is extremely valuable. But with one condition:

You study what you want to learn with no regard to making a living by it, and you might learn in the process that the amount of money you make (whether educated or not) means very, very little.

 

[Andy54Hawken]

Speaking only for myself....
College* helped get me where I am today ...a Dean of Students.

It is rewarding work...I help others and the pay is far better than what I was getting.
Andy
*Among other life experiences....

Edit to add :

Is college for everyone...nope.
Is every college or college degree / certificate "worth" the "same"...again nope.
That said...some folks do better in a school / shop type setting...others are better learning online...
Like anything , you gotta do and choose whats best for you...and not what works for someone else.

 

[Boboclown]

Forced focus, attention, and accountability. I can't imagine trusting a self taught civil engineer even if they passed with flying colors online. In fact, some notable catastrophic failures in the 1800s and early 1900s were due to self taught engineers. Sure, I've learned most of my welding online. I wouldn't trust myself for pipeline welding nor would anybody else.

I'm a self taught mechanic. I'd trust myself to work on your car, just not to work on my own car.

 

[clanhanson]

What is it for today? To steal people's money, waste a minimum of 4 year's of their lives and give them a worthless piece of paper that means nothing in the real world!

I spent less than $20k on my Bachelor's through a combination of tutoring credits and widely available scholarships. It was paid off before graduating because I worked my butt off in the oil patch during summers. My piece of paper means a great deal to both myself and prospective clients. There are useful degrees, gimme degrees, and degrees that aren't worth their BTU value as firepit fuel. The key is to choose wisely and consider a certificate in a trade if college isn't the smart path.