Do you buy the argument that the modern world NEEDS tons of college grads? (highest, wage)
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College is overrated while actual knowledge is underrated. There are many "educated" idiots and also many well informed and intelligent people who never went to college.
That's all a matter of perspective. If you didn't go to college, you might be inclined to see this as a reality. IMO, there are definitely educated idiots and intelligent people who never went to college. However, I tend to see this more as an exception than the rule. I tend to see more college grads who are pretty darn smart and non-grads who lack the ability to critically think and analyze. I tend to find that more as the rule than the exception. But then again, I went to college. Perhaps this is my own pre-disposition.
Exactly, that is a big problem right now. We have more book smart people than street smart people today. Perhaps because we want more people in college, they aren't getting enough real world experience.
I don't think the two are mutually exclusive. At our company we do not hire people without degrees - many people need to be professionally licensed (which requires a masters). Plenty of the people I work with are both book smart and street smart...sure, there might be the random genius sitting in a cubicle with very few social skills, but by and large our company hires bright, dynamic people.
Last edited by KC_Sleuth; 09-05-2013 at 06:58 AM..
That's all a matter of perspective. If you didn't go to college, you might be inclined to see this as a reality. IMO, there are definitely educated idiots and intelligent people who never went to college. However, I tend to see this more as an exception than the rule. I tend to see more college grads who are pretty darn smart and non-grads who lack the ability to critically think and analyze. I tend to find that more as the rule than the exception. But then again, I went to college. Perhaps this is my own pre-disposition.
I wouldn't go as far as to say that there are educated idiots. There are uneducated degree-holders. That's for sure. I've taught around at several universities (mostly in the northeast). The difference in education between universities is incredible. Schools like John Hopkins and Michigan award diplomas to people they educate. Schools like Penn State and Colorado School of Mines award diplomas to people who sit through classes. Sure, there's exceptions on both ends, but one results in more uneducated degree-holders.
I wouldn't go as far as to say that there are educated idiots. There are uneducated degree-holders. That's for sure. I've taught around at several universities (mostly in the northeast). The difference in education between universities is incredible. Schools like John Hopkins and Michigan award diplomas to people they educate. Schools like Penn State and Colorado School of Mines award diplomas to people who sit through classes. Sure, there's exceptions on both ends, but one results in more uneducated degree-holders.
Michigan awards plenty of degrees to people who sit through classes.
Columbia and Stanford award degrees to people who sit through classes. What's your point?
That's why GPA is so important. It tells who is trying and who isn't.
Michigan awards plenty of degrees to people who sit through classes.
Columbia and Stanford award degrees to people who sit through classes. What's your point?
That's why GPA is so important. It tells who is trying and who isn't.
But is GPA an absolute? Perhaps the person with a 3.32 is doing clubs and working while the 4.0 is just doing coursework. I agree it's a large part of the pie but not exclusively the entire pie.
But is GPA an absolute? Perhaps the person with a 3.32 is doing clubs and working while the 4.0 is just doing coursework. I agree it's a large part of the pie but not exclusively the entire pie.
Also, in a lot of classes, at least at my university, the median is as low as 2.8 or 2.6. Having a 3.0 GPA means that you are in top ~40% of the class in the competitive ones that pre-med people are doing. On the other hand, a lot of English classes will hand out 4.0's like candy, and all you have to do is write bogus essays interpreting poems or whatever.
Michigan awards plenty of degrees to people who sit through classes.
Columbia and Stanford award degrees to people who sit through classes. What's your point?
That's why GPA is so important. It tells who is trying and who isn't.
GPA only tells you who is trying and not trying in something that is the least important in terms of higher education. Research and published work is more telling about someone's competency. GPA is pretty useless at the college level.
But is GPA an absolute? Perhaps the person with a 3.32 is doing clubs and working while the 4.0 is just doing coursework. I agree it's a large part of the pie but not exclusively the entire pie.
I was only addressing his point that people from good schools learn and people from 'crappy' schools like Penn State (lol) take away nothing from their education. In truth, people who try hard learn a lot. If you learn, the material, you do well on the tests. It's pretty damn simple. You don't have to have a 4.0.
College is overrated while actual knowledge is underrated. There are many "educated" idiots and also many well informed and intelligent people who never went to college.
Quote:
Originally Posted by mkpunk
Exactly, that is a big problem right now. We have more book smart people than street smart people today. Perhaps because we want more people in college, they aren't getting enough real world experience.
MK, I do believe you overlooked the original premise of what was being said. Many are going to college for the wrong reasons. College was designed to be a place for intellectually driven individuals to satisfy their lust for knowledge. Today, many students are simply pursuing education to satisfy a requirement dictated by employers. Either that, or because Hillary Clinton told young people that college grads earn more over the course of their lifetime. Go to college because you want to be smart. That's how I feel about it anyways.
MK, I do believe you overlooked the original premise of what was being said. Many are going to college for the wrong reasons. College was designed to be a place for intellectually driven individuals to satisfy their lust for knowledge. Today, many students are simply pursuing education to satisfy a requirement dictated by employers. Either that, or because Hillary Clinton told young people that college grads earn more over the course of their lifetime. Go to college because you want to be smart. That's how I feel about it anyways.
It's not that I did. I took it and used my perspective as well. My perspective is we want people to think outside the box but we want them to go into college and when everyone attends colleges they can be fairly binding and create people who think alike and not for themselves. Plus with saying you don't need a job in college, you limit growth of the street smarts at the expense of book smarts.
The issue we have is many of us who were indoctrinated and brainwashed into believing college is about jobs (not about "expanding our knowledge.") Ask millennials about this and we will likely answer that we went to college based on what "Hillary told young people."
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