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Perhaps that title will appease those that are concerned.
Just as the thread title says, college is a trap.
If you happen to have been in many situations in which you were trapped, then going to college and expecting a solution is 1) not guaranteed and 2) still extremely risky.
That was the sentiment I wanted to express.
My question, is, or was, what will happen to all those who fell into this trap?
Shall those who escaped the ghetto serve as motivation to those who are now in this trap?
If you squeeze something, it might snap.
Make sure people don't start snapping, and doing something like taking it out on people...
People label those who snap as sick in the head, they never wonder what lead to that sickness...it would be a lot easier to deal with such realities if they approached it from that angle...
Perhaps that title will appease those that are concerned.
Just as the thread title says, college is a trap.
If you happen to have been in many situations in which you were trapped, then going to college and expecting a solution is 1) not guaranteed and 2) still extremely risky.
That was the sentiment I wanted to express.
My question, is, or was, what will happen to all those who fell into this trap?
Shall those who escaped the ghetto serve as motivation to those who are now in this trap?
If you squeeze something, it might snap.
Make sure people don't start snapping, and doing something like taking it out on people...
People label those who snap as sick in the head, they never wonder what lead to that sickness...it would be a lot easier to deal with such realities if they approached it from that angle...
Get rid of mandatory classes not related to the student's major...the whole first two year block (though they should probably keep a writing composition course mandatory, just to make sure students can write well, which is important to pretty much all courses...no sense in having math teachers telling students how to write essays). It'd remove some of this largely inaccurate concept that college graduates are smarter or harder workers than non-college graduates in areas outside their majors. It'd save college graduates more money (and what college student doesn't need more money?) It'd probably make college less of a long, extended social environment and into what its original purpose was, to teach skills. General knowledge is what high school is for. That's why everyone has to go there.
It'd probably also make it more likely that skilled workers would able to be picked out for fields. A biologist wouldn't boost her G.P.A. by taking more Literature courses. She'd rather focus on science, and probably most importantly, it'd give students more time to focus on their majors, rather than getting bogged down by work learning skills that aren't so important to them.
Perhaps that title will appease those that are concerned.
Just as the thread title says, college is a trap.
If you happen to have been in many situations in which you were trapped, then going to college and expecting a solution is 1) not guaranteed and 2) still extremely risky.
That was the sentiment I wanted to express.
My question, is, or was, what will happen to all those who fell into this trap?
Shall those who escaped the ghetto serve as motivation to those who are now in this trap?
If you squeeze something, it might snap.
Make sure people don't start snapping, and doing something like taking it out on people...
People label those who snap as sick in the head, they never wonder what lead to that sickness...it would be a lot easier to deal with such realities if they approached it from that angle...
The only thing in life that is guaranteed is death...
Get rid of mandatory classes not related to the student's major...the whole first two year block (though they should probably keep a writing composition course mandatory, just to make sure students can write well, which is important to pretty much all courses...no sense in having math teachers telling students how to write essays). It'd remove some of this largely inaccurate concept that college graduates are smarter or harder workers than non-college graduates in areas outside their majors. It'd save college graduates more money (and what college student doesn't need more money?) It'd probably make college less of a long, extended social environment and into what its original purpose was, to teach skills. General knowledge is what high school is for. That's why everyone has to go there.
It'd probably also make it more likely that skilled workers would able to be picked out for fields. A biologist wouldn't boost her G.P.A. by taking more Literature courses. She'd rather focus on science, and probably most importantly, it'd give students more time to focus on their majors, rather than getting bogged down by work learning skills that aren't so important to them.
College isn't supposed to be a glorified trade school.
If I had the ordering of the US higher education system I'd do the following
create streamlined, 2-3 year programs for the following:
* pedagogy school for those desiring and qualified to become educators
* vocational/business school focusing on skilled trades and vocations.
* 2-year colleges for those pursing administrative/white collar occupations (sales, etc.)
* integrate into 4-year programs less lucrative fields now reserved as/requiring postgraduate work such as library science and social work.
* 4-year colleges for high academic achievers.
* graduate/professional schools for the very highest academic achievers or those going into law, medicine, etc.
I don't think that people who are less academically inclined and would be perfectly happy learning a trade really benefit by being pushed into a 4-year program meant for the more academically inclined. I don't know why we as a society thought this was a good idea. While there is plenty of "knowledge work" out there, I've seen programmers without a degree or with 2-year degrees do the same work as those with PhDs, too. I absolutely think the US liberal arts degree is worth preserving, but it's not for everyone, and I don't think we did favors trying to sell it that way.
2+2 degrees with first two being at community college should be the norm.
Every state should have a law that all universities receiving 1 cent or greater state aid MUST accept CC work for 100 and 200 level coursework and that said universities and community colleges will coordinate requirements.
My nephew got screwed when his university accepted less than half his CC courses even with a GPA just under 3.5. Note ZERO courses were remedial or basketweaving 101... etc.
It's hard for me to agree with this premise, since college and graduate school were the two best decisions I've made in life... but I didn't have to take student loans, so my opinion may be skewed by that. I do have to ask, though - how would things be better for anyone without a higher education?
College and student loans is a huge trap considering only 56% of those that enter college actually graduate in 6 years.
It's even worse for the 2 year degree..only 29% graduate.
Classes not related to my major/minors have been extremely valuable to me throughout my life.
As randomstudent stated: College isn't supposed to be a glorified trade school.
I also don't work in the field I focused on for my undergrad.
Many, many people work in other fields.
If I limited myself to my undergrad major/minors, I'd be unhappy and unable to perform a job that I find mostly enjoyable.
You change over the span of your life.
What you think/want at 18 doesn't necessarily follow at 40.
There are skills to learn in most classes.
Lit teaches reasoning and writing. You'll need those skills throughout life.
It doesn't help the universities offer programs of study with no true application besides than becoming a professor in that field. Then kids who graduate with these degrees bemoan the system and rail against capitalist etc. all because they got a degree in basket weaving or East Asian Pottery. I see it all the time.
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