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The only remaining universal human idea, purpose, meaning - climbing up the social ladder. After all, most satisfaction in life come from feeling superior to other (less educated, poorer, less cultured, etc., etc., etc.) people. It's not being emphasized by colleges (naturally) but the main selling point of modern mass college education is a sublime promise of higher status among other hairless monkeys. It's not just about greater earning potential.
If it is just to be educated college is an expensive place to get it when you consider $20,000, $30,000 or $50,000 in student loans which is the cheap part. One thing many don't factor in is the loss of income, even in a menial $10/hr job, that one doesn't have when when going to college. That's $20,000/year and when added to the student loans nearly every student that attends ends up paying six figures one way or the other.
If it simply to be educated you can do that for free by spending four hours a night at the public library if so inclined.
I supported my kids through 4 years of college, matter of fact I paid for it all except for $2,500/year in student loans I made them get so they would feel they had some skin in the game. Not a bad deal, I paid $17,500 and they paid $2,500.
I wanted my kids to go to college but I attached rules which I had a right to do since it was on my dime they were going.
No breaks, "take a year off" and I was done.
They had the option of changing majors one time and one time only. Since it was mostly my money I wasn't going to pay for a perpetual student.
They could select any major they wanted but for me to participate they had to show me there was a future in terms of employment to the level they could live independently as adults. If they wanted to study middle Byzantine poetry they could do that on their own.
If it simply to be educated you can do that for free by spending four hours a night at the public library if so inclined.
I couldn't disagree with this more. Learning from reading a book in a library is not the same quality education as learning from talking to and interacting with people who have dedicated their lives to studying a particular topic. You learn so much more from actually attending classes than you ever could from books alone.
I would say both but I really think that college is there to teach you HOW to LEARN--how to think outside the box, how to put information together and interpret that information, etc. I think it is more about those things then what you learn in a textbook-not that that isn't a fundamental part of college too.
I couldn't disagree with this more. Learning from reading a book in a library is not the same quality education as learning from talking to and interacting with people who have dedicated their lives to studying a particular topic. You learn so much more from actually attending classes than you ever could from books alone.
For learning or socializing?
John Nash never attended a classroom for learning until he was about 45-50 years old claiming they "dulled the mind".
John Nash never attended a classroom for learning until he was about 45-50 years old claiming they "dulled the mind".
Yes, but most of us are not John Nash. If you are a John Nash then sure, you can learn plenty on your own (his IQ was about 30 points higher than Einstein's). For us mortals, however, we will benefit greatly from interacting with those more accomplished and learned in the fields we are pursuing.
I couldn't disagree with this more. Learning from reading a book in a library is not the same quality education as learning from talking to and interacting with people who have dedicated their lives to studying a particular topic. You learn so much more from actually attending classes than you ever could from books alone.
Agreed. Nash might not get stuck when approaching a section in organic chem, but some of us do and when that happens, having experts and tutors available is a big plus. This is one of the reasons course work can be addressed in short amounts of time (a semester). It's more efficient. I would also bet that few have the discipline to study at an excelled pace. Otherwise, layman rocket scientists wouldn't be so rare.
I couldn't disagree with this more. Learning from reading a book in a library is not the same quality education as learning from talking to and interacting with people who have dedicated their lives to studying a particular topic. You learn so much more from actually attending classes than you ever could from books alone.
Tell that to all the schools doing online classes!
If you doubt it's about employment... take a look at the cost!
You don't spend $20K, $40K, $100K just to 'know more stuff'
It's MARKETED as job prep...
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