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I had a few classes that I found interesting, but for the most part, I agree with your assessment.
The professors were worthless, focused on whatever research they were doing, and the class came last.
The advisor was trying to tell me about job prospects when he never worked a day in his life outside of the university. They will tell students anything to get them to take the class, or to major in the program.
Not to mention the amount of money it costs. I sat in some classes thinking there is no way this class is worth $1000. But, I had to do it, and college is a business.
Basically, the degree is a requirement for any meaningless job. You want to answer phones...need a degree. File papers...need a degree. Sort mail...need a degree.
I know some of my friends feel this way, but a lot of people I know can't relate. I just can't really get in to college, can't get enthusiastic about most of the classes, don't really care for my teachers or what they have to say about anything, don't really click with the college scene in general.
It just feels like a chore I have to drag on with to get a degree, not an opportunity to learn. The teachers don't seem all that intelligent or interested in actually reaching you, more like they are tenured old farts who have been out of the real world so long that all they know is academia and cannot relate well to young people. The students don't seem to be all that passionate about learning either, they just want their business or accounting degree or whatever and complain about having to learn about other stuff.
It just all feels like a lot of rigamarole and BS, as well as being impersonal, bureaucratic, and just out to suck as much money from you as possible. Can anyone else here relate? I had this idea of college being a wild place full of passion, learning ,expanding your mind, and all that, but even the social scene is basically the same as high school.
I can, though I'm way way older than you. I hated school. HATED IT. I went to secretarial school (told you I am old) so I could at least get a job, and after I got my job I tried to go back nights for a degree in accounting. I loved English literature and psychology but knew they would get me nowhere job-wise, and I fell asleep in class almost every night in Business Law. I did well in Accounting I, II, and III, but I hated it. In the end, I discovered that the part of my brain that is supposed to learn how to do algebra is missing, and I couldn't even pass the no-credit remedial math class they made me take, so I knew I would never be able to even graduate because I cannot do math and you needed two math courses to complete a degree.
This is not to say I don't like learning. I read constantly. I love history and all kinds of other subjects. I just do not do well in formal schooling. I was able to work my way up in my job by taking on responsibilities above my level, and now 30 years after I started, I have a decent job in a position for which I am supposed to have a degree. Unfortunately, it's not really possible these days for people to do that anymore--employers now want to see a piece of paper from the get-go. Most people I work with do not realize that I am uneducated, and I keep it quiet because I make more money than many of them.
If you can find a way to advance without college, go for it, but it may mean you have to work twice as hard to get there. But, yeah, in answer to your question, I did not like school one bit.
Weirdly, I now have a 20-year-old daughter in college, currently studying abroad, who LOVES school. Loves it so much that she gave up eight weeks of her summer this year to take an intensive language course before leaving to go overseas. However, she also finds the social scene similar to high school. It is possible to find people of like mind, but your options are narrower and you have to look a little harder.
Then again, the social scene, and even the work scene, is often not much different from high school even as the decades roll on. As a matter of fact, I recently read Game Change, the book about the 2008 elections, and in the end that sounded to me just like a bunch of high-school brats, too.
I know some of my friends feel this way, but a lot of people I know can't relate. I just can't really get in to college, can't get enthusiastic about most of the classes, don't really care for my teachers or what they have to say about anything, don't really click with the college scene in general.
It just feels like a chore I have to drag on with to get a degree, not an opportunity to learn. The teachers don't seem all that intelligent or interested in actually reaching you, more like they are tenured old farts who have been out of the real world so long that all they know is academia and cannot relate well to young people. The students don't seem to be all that passionate about learning either, they just want their business or accounting degree or whatever and complain about having to learn about other stuff.
It just all feels like a lot of rigamarole and BS, as well as being impersonal, bureaucratic, and just out to suck as much money from you as possible. Can anyone else here relate? I had this idea of college being a wild place full of passion, learning ,expanding your mind, and all that, but even the social scene is basically the same as high school.
I'd add: What are you interested in? What type of school are you going to? University, Community College?
How were you in High School, social? Good grades?
Are you paying your way, or do you have student loans?
Lastly and most importantly, do you like to learn? And how do you like to learn? Building things, book learning, etc.?
Though like NJBest said school could just not be your thing, however at the very least I'd suffer through an AA or learn a trade or both if you don't want to stick around for 4 + years at a university.
I got my associates and dropped out. I'm not into school. Right now, I am taking all the City tests that are available.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MisterCobalt
I feel pretty much the same way as you do, OP. All college got me was $20,000 in debt, a piece of paper and unemployment.
Ask my friends where a bachelors in Physics and Journalism got them. . Both of them are working in CVS as a stock boy and a photo tech.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Crackpot
It shouldn't mean put yourself in crippling debt just to prove you can invest in something, anyone can do that if they are willing.
Nowadays, college isn't enough. Employers for the well paying jobs demand work experience now... but wait, need a job for that first. Their best bet would be to network with the right people to get a foot in the door, maybe a shiny resume to fool the HR. Save lots of money on college and just get real work experience in which many companies are admitting is far more valuable than a piece of paper.
Times are changing, but they're not telling our children that.
I have applied to a lot of jobs recently and a lot of them asked for job experience. I think that is more important than school.
Some jobs require experience or will wave the degree for certain experience.
If you want the best odds you will have the piece of paper (if it's cheap or free) AND experience.
I'd think 2x before sinking $50K+ into it however.
-But then, if I weren't physically limited, and hadn't spent any time in the military I'd probably be an underwater diver or something.
(There's money in the right job)
JMHO: ONE OF (Other than kids partying, and schools adding BS classes to degree requirements) that school is taking so long these days is due to mandatory internships.
I've done mine and am contemplating a second (Not required, just looks good)
-In fact, I put in for one, but funding was cut. Looking again now.
I can, though I'm way way older than you. I hated school. HATED IT. I went to secretarial school (told you I am old) so I could at least get a job, and after I got my job I tried to go back nights for a degree in accounting. I loved English literature and psychology but knew they would get me nowhere job-wise, and I fell asleep in class almost every night in Business Law. I did well in Accounting I, II, and III, but I hated it. In the end, I discovered that the part of my brain that is supposed to learn how to do algebra is missing, and I couldn't even pass the no-credit remedial math class they made me take, so I knew I would never be able to even graduate because I cannot do math and you needed two math courses to complete a degree.
This is not to say I don't like learning. I read constantly. I love history and all kinds of other subjects. I just do not do well in formal schooling. I was able to work my way up in my job by taking on responsibilities above my level, and now 30 years after I started, I have a decent job in a position for which I am supposed to have a degree. Unfortunately, it's not really possible these days for people to do that anymore--employers now want to see a piece of paper from the get-go. Most people I work with do not realize that I am uneducated, and I keep it quiet because I make more money than many of them.
If you can find a way to advance without college, go for it, but it may mean you have to work twice as hard to get there. But, yeah, in answer to your question, I did not like school one bit.
Weirdly, I now have a 20-year-old daughter in college, currently studying abroad, who LOVES school. Loves it so much that she gave up eight weeks of her summer this year to take an intensive language course before leaving to go overseas. However, she also finds the social scene similar to high school. It is possible to find people of like mind, but your options are narrower and you have to look a little harder.
Then again, the social scene, and even the work scene, is often not much different from high school even as the decades roll on. As a matter of fact, I recently read Game Change, the book about the 2008 elections, and in the end that sounded to me just like a bunch of high-school brats, too.
Is your daughter taking Accounting?
Seriously, I felt just as you did. I put myself through college nights and worked full time days and hated it. I took courses that would help me in work, mostly all business related. I would have loved college if I had all Liberal Arts, and you sound as though you would have, too.
Congratulations on doing so well for yourself in the work environment. I finally got my degree during an economic downturn. I went on for my MBA. Still the downturn. I took a six month course for computer programming at Chubb (I called up a few managers of companies I was interested in and they said this was all they required with a business degree). I did well in life and am now retired.
I think college was much more meaningful when the concentration was on producing well rounded adults and not just being job oriented, like some trade school.
Colleges just want to make money, I think, hence the business majors.
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. Both of them are working in CVS as a stock boy and a photo tech.
