I listened to some guy's statements to a government board of some sort on youtube a while ago, in which he advised eliminating the Bachelor's Degree entirely. It made sense to me. It doesn't make sense that people should be taught things that they don't need to know, or redundant things, or forced to wade through a whole lot of irrelevant material before getting to the core of their scholastic pursuits.
It doesn't make sense for people to fall short of their scholastic potential for fiscal reasons; but personally as a high school graduate who would like to eventually raise enough money to attend college, it doesn't make sense to me that many companies expect a college degree as a prerequisite for things which anyone could do or learn on the job, such as financial services, or entry-level IT.
We've addressed this issue by refining areas of study. For example, if your job is to make silicone for computer chips or something, you don't necessarily need to know anything about how a computer chip works as much as you need to know about silicone. I'm just pulling that out of the air. My point is, if somebody wants to major in business economics, or computer programming, it doesn't really make sense for them to spend the first two years of college catching up on history and english."
It doesn't make sense for people to fall short of their scholastic potential for fiscal reasons; but personally as a high school graduate who would like to eventually raise enough money to attend college, it doesn't make sense to me that many companies expect a college degree as a prerequisite for things which anyone could do or learn on the job, such as financial services, or entry-level IT.
We've addressed this issue by refining areas of study. For example, if your job is to make silicone for computer chips or something, you don't necessarily need to know anything about how a computer chip works as much as you need to know about silicone. I'm just pulling that out of the air. My point is, if somebody wants to major in business economics, or computer programming, it doesn't really make sense for them to spend the first two years of college catching up on history and english."
What is gained by attending college?
ReplyDeleteSocialization and learning to get along with others.
Thinking from first principles (i.e., not by memorizing, not by quoting either dogma or authorities, not by copying from handbooks), be creative, and know more than one acceptable way to solve a particular problem.
Critical thinking:
Deciding which of two conflicting statements are correct.
Recognize rubbish when one reads/hears it.
Evaluate the credibility of information, without depending on peer review or endorsement by experts.
Accomplishment. Setting goals and reaching those goals.
Learning to think — learning different ways to analyze a problem and find a solution.
What you should take away from college:
Ability to read well
Ability to think critically, to reject propaganda
Ability to write concise, significant prose
Ability to think quantitatively: not only algebra, but also calculus and statistics too
broad range of knowledge (facts + skills): mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology, history, philosophy.
Is college right for all? No, some should seek a trade or a job that stimulates and enhances their life.
I have a problem with one of the original theories here and that would be the statement made concerning learning things that won't be used. How in the heck would you know what may or may not be used? And by used I assume they mean used professionally in one's job performance. The clear implication there is that education is a means to obtaining and keeping a job.
DeleteWhat college age person knows just the direction their life will take even limiting that question to their occupation? Not many. How than will they decide just what they need to learn in college?
Well about education as a means to a better life in general? A life made better by learning such skills as critical thinking and the recognization of propaganda?
I would be a person described as completing a college degree and not working in the chosen field, the degree led to other employment. I have never worked in the Electrical Engineering field however I did work as an engineer in Telecom for a number of year followed by Program Management. Little actual knowledge was used in either field however the critical thinking, problem skills were essential. When you start down a path, the path often changes before you reach the goal.
DeleteNice summary of skills to be learned along with a college education, louman. Thinking critically would be foremost among them. It is absolutely astounding how many people are not aware of how influenced they are by their emotions and how it colors their thinking.
ReplyDeleteWell yes, I also got a great college education that applied hardly at all to my profession. I never regretted what I did learn as a philosophy major and found it shaped my lifa and my thinking.
ReplyDeleteI went to college to get an education, not a job, but then I was bolstered by a time that did not favor working in corporate America.