Education is a funny word since it entails a very broad spectrum of practices. Words though are meaningless if they fail to be properly applied to cultural context. When parents today wish for their children to get a higher education they often imply the act of attending teachings from an institution which grants magic papers called "degrees". That paper, although it does not necessarily imply knowledge, is believed to give people jobs. it is upon this belief that universities today face their demise.
Degrees can easily be bought if one knows where to look. If you spend enough time in academia like I have, you will too find out that research grants can also be bought. A school is nothing but a business. It employs people and it needs to make a profit in order to survive. For the most part, this is facilitated through taxes. Citizens pay their share and then pay again to send their children to school. Colleges multiply as much as student debt, student fees and unemployment. Now ain't that an interesting statistic?
Colleges have become a farce for the very reason that people chase titles and reputation rather than knowledge. People who get their "bachelors" then want their "masters", then their "phd" and then a "post-doc". I rarely met students that had a specific ambition to research something that genuinely interested them. Most struggle to find a topic to research. When they do come to a decision, they end up choosing something easy that has a shitload of references to get away with. The result? Pointless circle-jerk research is flooding the academic world with limited replication — the actual scientific work. Humanity was able to advance with a handful scientists that made key discoveries in eras when college was not a common endeavour. The sheer amount of students we have today involved with research, should be able to take humanity in an inter-galactic empire rather than the superficial intellectual facade we are witnessing.
What we see instead?
Numbers and ego measuring. You want to make it in academia? Publish papers. Quality? Doesn't matter. What matters is numbers. The more you publish the better. Most universities have a "quota" that you have to meet as well. Doesn't really matter what you write as long as you keep in within publishing parametres. This is not only evident from the objectives of universities but also from the attitude of the people involved either directly or indirectly. Most people value academics from the numbers of their publications and how famous they are in their area of research. Science apparently, has also become a meme for success, progress and intelligence when science itself can debunk all 3 claims quite easily.
Degrees are becoming more and more useless for the very simple fact that knowledge is abundant. Going to college to learn something is similar to buying sand from the beach. The only thing that makes the whole thing legit is the "authority" that reassures you that the knowledge you are acquiring is legit. You get a stamp of approval, even if you don't remember most of the things you studied and in 4 years your knowledge becomes obsolete.
The only reason the whole thing keeps existing is because it has become a cultural meme. People believe that "objective" research can only be done in the pantheon of Academia but not so much on private ground. The amount of irony in this belief staggering. Private research can be bought as much as grants that are funded from specific political initiatives. Humans like money. It doesn't matter if they get it from the private or the public sector. The belief that the government sector is there to "protect" from the "evil" private sector is just that; a belief. Nothing else.
Way back in the day, schools used to be free. In some countries they are. Nonetheless, the entry requires some kind of knowledge beforehand. Call it charisma, dedication or combination of both. Students before the business era of colleges, needed to prove themselves beforehand, demonstrating that they were worthy of education. In my country this was the case as of recently. People who did well in exams (much like SAT's) gained free access to universities. The rest had to find another career, mostly technical or in sales. After University.Inc stepped in, every single person who didn't make it through the real exams, was able to attend a university in the U.K. There was something for everyone. Even if you were struggling with English, daddy's money could grant anyone a degree. Even if you found the material extremely hard you could "rent" a service to write you papers. Today the situation has become even worse. In an attempt to get more and more women into colleges the standards for STEM fields in many countries dropped, in defense of memes like "feminism". The eventual result is the decay of academia for the sake of student numbers and political maneuvering. More and more bills today are targeted in order to push specific groups into specific fields. Culturally, it has created reverse discrimination.
At the end of the day, it all came down to money. Even in the U.S the most privileged attend Ivy League institutions because they can afford it, not because they are worth it. Numerous scandals are surfacing left and right that you can also pay someone to take the SAT's for you. It makes one wonder; What is the point of all these, if not to satisfy a cultural meme? Do people have to go through it because everyone is doing it? We have reached a point where nobody knows exactly why we are doing something because the narrative has changed so much that it has lost its original point. Some people attend Church based on the same premise. Most people are not really religious. They just go to Church due to cultural habit.
Academia has ended up being a cheerleader for the status-quo. It has become an indirect political tool to preserve and sponsor specific initiatives that stem primarily from tax-payer money. There is no critique, no debate since that might upset the customers, aka the students. This is how the notion of safe-spaces has been born. Universities are running more like businesses, eye-balling on benchmarks rather than focusing on research.
I am a big proponent of science but the only thing I see in universities is the butchering of the scientific method for the sake of profit. Couple this with pop-culture science cheerleading and no wonder the whole thing has ended up being a joke. There is nothing wrong with making money. We are all capitalists one way or another. Nonetheless, when it comes to doing science you can't have your cake and eat it too. If competition and money are your objective then actual research becomes secondary. If ranking up in journals is the main goal and number of publications seem to do it, then again, research becomes pointless.
Eventually we will all come to realize that there is no real use for institutional relics such as Universities or Churches (heck even jails). We have advanced in our way in understanding how the world works. One can be spiritual in the comfort of their own home. One can learn about any profession by using online sources like khanacademy or coursera. Many companies are already onboard with actual field work so one can gain experience with lab work. All in all, the institution version on a physical location has become obsolete.
Much like the move of FIAT to the blockchain, universities have started a shift to the online world. There, they offer basic courses that anyone can attend, avoiding the ridiculous fees. In this reality, they have to compete with the entire internet world that offers myriads of free courses that even better in quality. They too have to adopt. Eventually, Academia.Inc will perish due to overabundance of knowledge. The money scheme lasted for a while but is not sustainable. More and more people own degrees but with no value in the real world. Those that will not adopt, they will perish. My bet is that the next economic hiccup will be partially caused by students loans. Only then we will see a massive shift toward a new educational paradigm.
Nice analysis. I also think the problem with modern Academia how science is funded. To be a scientist today you need to be good at writing grant proposals. But people to write good grant proposals are not not necessarily good scientists.
Bring on the Jordan Peterson university
right on. this guy is amazing
Uni-versity. Uni Veritas. One thruth, by those who pay them. The Government.
While your larger point is still correct (university means "everyone into one,") i>veritas is not part of its derivation.
more or less it stands. Take a look at tenured professors for example. No different than the pope. They get dethroned only after they die. ridiculous.
Haha, fantastic remark mate! :D
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So is the problem that universities exist or that government funds them?
The last, of course. :)
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When in doubt blame the government, it's usually there fault 110% of the time anyway...
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To get into a Dutch university, you still need a secondary school education of the highest level, called VWO here, but, as you say, if you can afford it, there are plenty of alternatives abroad.
The last bullwarks against the malarky you describe seem to be our Technical Universities that train engineers up to the MSc and PhD levels, but they show signs of crumbling as well. Still, graduating incompetent engineers is rare as protests from industry would be vicious.
Outside of the engineering and some exact fields things are indeed turning into a sick joke fast.
Yeap, technical schools are the only only ones that hold respect still. Incompetent engineers are rare because you can't really fake it in engineering. You cannot bullshit your way through as with humanities.
if only you have seen the things I witnessed...
Not in Murica, they're like blades of grass here.
Eventually they drift into other fields, like selling real estate, but they leave a wake of destruction in their path that destroys companies. I speak from the viewpoint of 20+ years in the american auto industry.
I've heard they like being assets in financial firms as well. Apparently their meme stands.
Those type of trades are best taught as they were for decades, with an apprenticeship.
Universities long term will become places to study accredited fields such as medicine.
A lot of the other current courses could be replaced by open and free education and the world would be better for it.
Very thought-provoking text that was worth reading and would take even more time to discuss thoroughly. I am very curious to see how universities are going to cope worthy disruption, while I would not completely simplify their function and role in society. There is no easy answer to this, not to mention differences in cultures and job markets. For example, as a young student I appreciated practical and "mechanical" courses in order to enter the relevant job market, while later on I came to appreciate more abstract and indirect benefits that the disciplines had - even though they did not sufficiently guide completion of any specific task. Being unable to memorize most of the content on the successfully completed courses is not eventually a problem, but rather a proof that a person is capable of handling the area.
Indeed I share your worry:
"Academia has ended up being a cheerleader for the status-quo."
This happens very often. Rather than just preserving, they also enhance changes in the mainstream fashion without maintaining a marketplace for ideas. For example, we have seen that Jordan Peterson is not having the easiest time institutionally, even though his ideas are generally rational and transparent.
Furthermore, far left that is fighting against free speech is trying to establish its cultural presence and memes around Western campuses in the form of "safe spaces" and new variations of Critical theory, feminism etc. Their intellectual nature is about staying on the meta-level and maintaining a distance to certain substance debates. By this, they are also disarming potential critics of core left ideas (like socialist economics) by driving economic way of thinking into marginal. For example, in management and accounting studies I see more meta-level research about narratives and sociological structuration theory, which has very little to do with conventional economic analysis or organization theory.
well put.
You are so right. I am a graduate student right now and a lot of people in the department do not have the brain capacity you would expect from holding a Ph.D. There is no market place at Universities, my professors lack the ability to even comprehend the free market. Like, what, pay you for working? But you are a student? You have to do what I tell you because I have a higher title. Really frustrating.
I mostly disagree with this. If you are getting a technical degree (science, engineering, math, medicine, even law, etc.) than I think degrees are very useful. Yes, in most of those cases you can get the knowledge in other ways but that has ALWAYS been the case (for as long as books have been widely available anyway). What a degree gives you (in theory) is proof that you have a certain level of competency in your field before you are hired. And some things you can't get from a book and require a more hands-on approach (medicine for example). Once you have significant work experience, a degree becomes much less important.
I agree that universities are in for big changes in the near future but I don't think they will go away. Most of what you describe above is due to a form of corruption than the idea behind a university itself. It's due to politics more than anything. This will ultimately correct itself but its just a matter of how far it goes before it does. Getting government less involved would help. If government is going to fund universities then how about a voucher system? At least then individuals could decide. But it is government subsidization that drives up the cost.
At the end of the day, there should be a cost/benefit analysis done before someone decides to attend a university. Degree A costs B. Will that enable me to get job C that I like and pays at least D? In many cases the answer is yes. In many others it is no. Here's a hint though. Don't pay a quarter of a million for a bachelor's in philosophy. Those numbers won't work out to your benefit in the long run. Personally, I got a degree in computer science. Yes, I could have learned everything I learned at school on my own, even in the late 1990s when I was in college. But it would have been a lot harder to get a good paying job. For me it was worth it and I think that's still true today.
And I can't speak to the churches you've been to but as a general rule, most people are not going because of "cultural habit" at least not any more so now than in the past. A church is about more than "spirituality". It's about community among other things. And yes, there is plenty of corruption in churches too but corruption is a human thing, not a church thing or a university thing.
I agree, some of the resources available to Universities is amazing you can't get that over the Internet. Take Electrical Engineering, Manchester University in the UK has its own Power Lab capable of generating Millions of volts and must of cost a few million to have been built and maintained.
In every field but STEM the answer is NO. And now, the answer in STEM fields is maybe.
An interesting thing is happening in computer science. Places that hire programmers are trying to get them before they go to college, get them into a programming camp and hiring them straight out of there. Why? Because colleges teach programming wrong. In a way that fucks you up for actually programming. All of those proper structures... that go right out the window as soon as the program goes from 0.9 to 1.0.
Electrical engineering is much the same way.
EVERYTHING they teach about electric theory is wrong. Besides, you never use the theory again in your life. You just learn to connect chips together with the correct capacitor couplings and pull down resistors.
However, if you wanted to follow in the footsteps of Tesla, you would have to unlearn EVERYTHING you thought you knew about electricity.
So, it is not that universities are getting to big and bloated with administration. They have also stopped teaching things that are worth learning.
Engineering yes. STEM..is more like a meme. take a look at the word "Science, Technology, Engineering, Math".
Science is as generic as "potato chips". Almost everything in nowadays falls under the term. (from soft to hard)
Technology almost always goes with Engineering and I would agree it is the only worthwhile field/branch
Math has become pretty useless. Engineering has some pretty hardcore math. This is why I believe engineering is king.
At the end of the day what matters is utility. You have to stay relevant to the market. If not then no matter what you study is pointless.
As far as computer science, there's a difference between "programming" and "software engineering" that largely has to do with design. A well designed software product, particularly if it is large, is much easier to maintain than one with poor or little or no design. "All those proper structures" shouldn't go right out the window of a well designed piece of software even when there are significant changes down the road. That's the whole point. Designing easy to maintain software is notoriously difficult but usually worth it, at least for large projects.
While some employers might be looking for programmers pre-college, they are probably also looking to pay them less. And MOST employers still want a college degree for programmers or for anyone else looking to get into a technical career. I can't speak to electrical engineering in particular but I don't understand why they would be teaching you wrong electrical theory.
It's also important to keep in mind that tuition prices vary wildly. In the U.S. at least, an in-state public school is far, far cheaper than a private school or an out of state school and hence typically a much better value. Quality varies wildly too so it's important to do your research.
At the end of the day, someone with no work experience and a degree is going to have an easier time finding a better paying job than someone with no work experience and no degree, even in most non-STEM areas. You want to be a teacher? Still better off with a degree. Want to be a lawyer? Still better off with a degree. Etc.
Lets look at a typical design: model-view-controller. A lovely idea, that doesn't work, doesn't apply at all to modern computers. It would be really nice to separate each of these into their own little compartments, but when you actually try to code it, you find that each piece needs access into the other pieces to be anywhere near efficient. So, unless it is a small widget with a small data set, MVC just doesn't work.
And there are many more inside OOP where the facts on the ground do not match the ivory tower view.
And I do not say that there are companies that want cheaper labor, they actually want a person who is NOT tainted by the CS department. They are putting in great effort to get them before getting to college.
I have been to a lot of colleges. In total, the best education I got at community colleges. The state college was shit in comparison.
Now, comparing useless degrees: a degree helps you get that first job... sometimes. But after that, there are only a few places that require a degree. Ten years of experience and they really do not care if you got a degree. So, with the ever inflating price of education, I would suggest learning on the job instead of getting a huge student loan, and then learning on the job.
Now, on private schools. Which would you rather spend your money on?
$50,000 with no opportunities for employment after or
$200,000 with employers waiting at the door to hire you out of college?
This is not wishful thinking, this is the usual stories I hear from private colleges students and professors.
Your examples are actually two pet peeves. Sorry if this comes off harsh.
If you graduate high school and actually know your stuff, then you are more than qualified for teaching kids up to 8th grade. And, my personal views is that govern-cement K-12 prison system is so bad that anyone that goes through it should be kept away from children until they have been deprogrammed.
Lawyer is a very special case. You do not need law school at all. You need to pass the bar.
Law school teaches law in the first two years, and then the next two they teach you how to lie. And then, you swear fealty to the bar. Meaning you give up your sovereignty and become a citizen of the crown. Woe unto yee Lawyers is a good book to read to know just how bad it really is.
And everything I learned in college (especially science) I have later learned was wrong.
So, I have quite a hate for the school system.
MVC is a design pattern and isn't directly related to OOP (though it uses some of those concepts). Design patterns are just useful shortcuts for things if you happen to be doing something that fits that pattern. If you aren't, then you shouldn't use it. You aren't supposed to force what you are doing into that pattern. It has little to do with the value of OOP as a whole. The whole point is that you can create your own objects and patterns as best fits what you are doing. The problem with OOP is that you can't just helter skelter throw crap together on the fly. You have to spend serious time and effort on design. This pays off on the back end in terms of maintainability. My previous employer paid for my masters degree in this stuff. They are not unique. If they aren't looking for it then why are they paying for it? If you are just developing iPhone, Android or Web Apps then it becomes less important.
I'm not sure which employers are looking for people who have NOT gone to college but I can tell you in my experience looking for jobs, they ALL put down college as a requirement (there may be an "or 10 years experience" but getting that experience without the degree can be a bitch. Where do you get experience if everyone requires a degree for those without experience?) Employers don't necessarily expect that a college teaches you everything you need to know about programming, they expect that if you successfully make it through that then you are capable of learning everything you need to know and have some minimum competency level. I have never found a college degree a detriment to getting a job.
Regardless if you pass the bar or not, if you want to be hired by a law firm you also need a degree. Yes, technically you don't have to have one to practice law but it helps...a lot. And the same is true for many other career choices. I don't like how the whole bar system works either and have never had a desire to be a lawyer. But if I did, I sure as hell wouldn't skip college and expect success. That's just not reality.
Knowing your stuff isn't sufficient to make you a good teacher. You can be extremely knowledgeable about math and be a terrible math teacher. Though I agree that government shouldn't be setting the standards, that doesn't mean there isn't stuff you can learn to make you a better teacher or that you aren't taught some of those things when you get a higher level education in teaching. Besides, there's a difference between how you or I think it SHOULD work vs. how it DOES work. If you really want to be a teacher, whether in public or in private schools, then a degree is a big help if not an absolute requirement in getting such a job. This is true of many other jobs as well.
As far as the quality of K-12 education it depends hugely on where you are. I live in Florida where schools are generally crap. Having said that, I live in a county where they are generally pretty good and while my kids attend public schools they are school's of choice and also happen to be excellent schools.
But yes, the school system as a whole would improve drastically if the government got out of it.
I think you present somewhat of a false dichotomy above. You can spend <$50,000 and have much better employment prospects than not spending anything (not going to college). Many career choices require a college degree if you expect to get hired. But if spending $200k will land you a $100k/year job then go for it. To me, in most cases the decision isn't really about whether or not you should attend college because in many cases it is impractical not too if you want to have the career of your choice. The decision is what degree you pursue and whether that Ivy League, private or other "prestigious" out of state school is going to be worth the 10x or more cost. In some cases yes, in most cases no. Good grades in high school also tends to lead to scholarships which can significantly reduce your costs. Poor grades might mean college isn't right for you anyway.
This is why I mention apprentship. In practise even doctors do it. Heck, even engineers have to build specific projects. Surely the argument cannot be "only universities can do this". Reminds me of the argument from statists "who will build the roads".
In all the fields that matter, hands on experience is vital.
In your case your degree was worth it because the times were different. You wouldn't have the same opinion if you have attended with in this century.
I would agree that community is also a big part. That is rather obvious. Nonetheless same can be said about bars. Although there is a community there, habit eventually becomes lifestyle.
I wouldn't argue that only universities can do some of this but as someone who has just graduated high school it is often the only practical option.
And I missed attending university in this century by a little over a year. It has not changed that drastically.
Today, for someone who is graduating high school and they want to go into computer or software engineering or they want to be a lawyer, doctor, or teacher, or they want a career in pharmacy, chemical engineering or biology, what would you recommend they do? Not go to college? While spending a million dollars at an expensive private or out of state school may not be worth it, spending the cost of a new car at a community college and state university is probably a very good investment, at least in most cases.
well said.
The Meme Degree
Sad Work Life
this is simply mental
Now people are turning towards online education like Udemy and Coursera , they have best tutors around the globe and very advanced support. The days are not far behind, the complete education system will be revolutionized the traditional education. Soon we will be seeing VR and AI to enter the field of education and have better results than our so called teachers and professors.
Do you think entering the world of online degrees could be really a competitor for attending Harvard physically? It is still one of THE doors to financial elites
But why only one Harward, everydody cannot be at Harward so they can learn something online.
Stanford? Princeton?
I know but what about people who do not go away from their family, country or due to some other reasons. Is education meant only for specific people and places?
Of course not! But I wonder how this social aspect, networking could be arranged within online settings, too. Maybe steemit' rep score could be a good model we can learn from, still a long way to go... Also a question of how disruptive the ideas can be in practice to shake a whole elite system existing for such a long time already with spreaded tentacles everywhere
Bang on mate. I too have faced these situations. I believe the education system needs to change as per the students not as per money. The unemployment rate is steadily increasing and to counter that I don't believe enough steps are being taken by the government.
Increasing the number of institutes doesn't guarantee the availability of quality to every student.
The government is actually making the whole thing worse because they sponsor this lunacy.
100% true!
The rising unemployment rate is the most positive influence on human freedom extant.
I have held many 'jobs', both in public service and private (corporate) industry. When I beheld my firstborn son, I began my career of itinerant handyman and investor in real property, so that I could forego the expense of currency while reaping the real wealth of service and property.
I have lately foregone property as well, and find the increase in freedom that comes from abandoning the 'tyranny of stuff' practically incalculable. I own my tools, and fix things for folks that cover the expenses for which money is needed, such as electricity, rent, and internet.
Jobs are slavery. Arbeit Macht Frei!
Jobs are slavery, spot on!
Without "jobs" there would be no electricity or internet. Working as an independent contractor is still a job.
That remains true today, but only because the future hasn't happened yet. I cannot denigrate those that have, and do what is needful, but do also what is needful myself, and I wouldn't call myself a contractor, although I have the skills.
I reckon I correctly categorized me as an itinerant handyman, even though I am just finishing a 'job' that was fairly extensive. Most of my work is less involved, and takes less than two months to complete.
I have just watched a video on view.ly of an interview of Elon Musk at the World Government (something or other. Forum, Institute, Congress.. don't recall exactly). One of the last points he makes is that automation is going to replace human labor. What he neglects (and may not realize) is that non-point source production is going to replace capitalism at the same time. The means of production are being dispersed into the population, in the form of 3D printers, laser cutters, etc.. Over time these products are becoming better, smaller, and cheaper, and the distribution is growing.
A day comes when nothing, no product, nor any service, will be necessary to any individual that they cannot make themselves. I already have a solar panel on my truck, and just recently discovered that my alternator hasn't worked for ~6 months or so, and the solar panel was charging the battery bank enough that I never even noticed that the alternator wasn't working until I took a longer trip.
Mesh networks, IPFS, cryptocurrency, and similar endeavors are being undertaken for the internet, which also eliminate centralization and need for capitalist ventures.
All systems people rely on are becoming decentralized, personalized, and eventually, will be free, as automation seeks no pay. Robots have a capital cost, but once robots that build robots are common, there is no labor cost. Robots that mine, process, and distribute resources will also be involved, and eventually, there will be no capital costs any more - at all.
As we purchase such production equipment, we are purchasing our freedom, just as slaves did with wages just a couple hundred years ago. Indeed, as in the USA all prisoners are slaves, not only confined, but forced to work (and which work is sold), so paying fines in lieu of jail is a form of manumission today.
sigh - I need to make a post about it lol.
Anyway, this is part of the reason for the current unemployment spike. In the USA about 20% of workers are unemployed, although the government figures count only recently unemployed persons, so underreport the number dramatically. This is the beginning of real freedom.
Prepare for war LOL.
I laugh, but am serious. Freedom isn't free, and our masters care more about their power over people than luxury goods. Even if they don't need labor to have their standard of living, it is primarily the power over people that causes them to chafe at the prospect of the post market economy.
I do expect war, famine, plague, and more, as a result.
Free Ulbricht Ross!
The future is the future and anything can happen. Maybe the singularity is coming and Skynet will kill us all. Certainly, no matter what, big changes are coming but I don't think capitalism will go away completely nor will universities go away completely.
Automation is certainly going to play a huge role in the types of employment opportunities that exist in the future but it will be a long, long time (if ever) before automation is absolute. And I'm pretty sure "itinerant handyman" is a specific type of independent contractor :)
Either way, for today, attending a university is still an excellent investment for a large number of people. Everything dies eventually but I don't think universities are going away in my lifetime.
meep
You get a stamp of approval, even if you don't remember most of the things you studied and in 4 years your knowledge becomes obsolete.
When I was in college I used to call it "the sheep dip." I pictured us as sheep being herded into a pen where they dipped each of us into an anti-parasitic. Because in many ways it didn't seem to matter if you learned anything. It was all just about getting your stamp of approval in the form of a degree.
I think in many ways the university is "an instrument of class distinction" as an Englishman once called an umbrella. They are there to decide whether you are officially Middle Class or not.
yeap. and the middle class is getting all too crowded...
And they keep moving the goalposts. If too many people get college degrees, there will be more requirements to join the Middle Class.
@kryriacos I couldn't agree more. Another point is that too much intellectualism will lead us down a rabbit hole of narcissism. We must learn to sometimes shut off thinking and become one with the all. Too much emphasis is placed on "experts" and their "credentials" when in reality you can learn from your own experiences and be just as knowledgeable :) This is especially evident/applicable in the fields of health/medicine. Thank you brother :) Namaste
yeap. well said.
I hope to see the day where education is offered to all and not just to the small percentage its offered to now - where children and adults learn about the things that inspire them to be creative productive members of society and not greedy money chasing monsters.
We are very very far from this fairytale and thats to bad...
it is called "the internet".
Exactly - how much of Africa currently has access to the internet or what percentage of the global population can't afford the resources to access the internet.
Add the countries that have massive/complex programs to limit what can be accessed or seen on the internet and we're left with the western world.
It is what it is... And it's to bad that the "Educated" let this happen.
Oh and around 3/4 of the western world isn't using the internet to educate themselves, but are doing the total opposite and spend priceless amounts of time drooling over the bullshit mainstream feeds them ; )
In times where education should be; like you said, plentiful. I believe the total opposite and education is in full decline.
yes..!!
The university takes people who are quite good at many things, tells them that they are very good at one certain thing. This turns good people into entitled pricks who will only regurgitate nonsense and never listen to solid reasoning, just because they've been given a certificate of mastery for the four years they've wasted. The education system is a disgusting institution altogether, keep your kids away from it. It's for the matrix dwellers only.
Dude smashed it !!!! I recently went through the Open University part time and got my degree without paying extortionate fees. I have now tried to enter the job market with this degree and find my self working with degreed numb skulls who talk more about their uni mates,tales of drinking and shitting the bed and other pointless nonsense then what they actually learned.
P.S : I would love to study more and do a masters and research something really awesome but economies of scale mean I can . FUCK YOU KNOWLEDGE YOU DICK
Yeap. It has become like camping. You have lots of fun and if you pay attention you can learn a thing or two. At the end of the day though everyone gets a "medal" and recognition for attending.
how very convenient.
Of course it is a business. With student loans et al it has to be a business. If you take a look at the financial records of the top Universities and colleges, you cannot help but wonder what it really is all about value to the society or value to .... ....
Besides the relevance to the current realities in the work place can be somewhat outdated. Several skills and knowledge set would have to be developed in other to be relevant. Sometimes they foundation is built by these institutions and at other times they create a paradigm that could be problematic.
The world is out there with numerous and unlimited opportunities, Yes by all means get a degree or more if you can but do not let it limit nor define you.
Remember it is not what you know but what you do (though you cannot do what you do not know) that determines where you end up and how you end up.
also, who you know. It becomes more and more necessary nowadays to know the right people.
Yes, people who resorts on money itself to gain the so called "title of knowledge" are not solely to be blamed, it's perhaps the people who has the authority over the schools' systems who priotized business more rather than focusing on providing quality education to students. And yes, students can "learn" a lot from school academically but looking at the "real world" perspective, only a handful of knowledge they acquired from schools especially universities can be applied. So basically, all other "required" subjects that are paid equally are just for the schools' business advancement. I'm not saying that schools/ universities should be banned since theres no doubt that there are those that have been recognized as top callibers in this field, rather controls should be established over its systems especially for those that are proven to be incompetent in this field and those engaged in unethical business practices.
This has been really clear for a long time now, but people still go along with it, even when the fees are tripled and graduates are ending up stacking shelves at supermarkets. There is no initiative, people go through further education because they don't know what else to do. They'll never admit it though. But I remember feeling that myself when everyone around me was applying for university, there was a feeling of 'if I do this course for the next three years I don't have to think about what to do with my life for a little bit longer'. I decided not to waste my time in the end and learned to play guitar and started singing, then busked my way through Europe - time well spent, and it was free.
Part of the reason is because people neglect the idea of being their own boss. Opening their own business. All that money that goes into education could as well be used for funding one's own business.
You probably avoided one of the biggest scams in human history — paying for education...
I'm so glad I got out before I fell further into that debt trap
Simply brilliant post to put this on the table. I live in Spain, and there, going to the university has become kind of a trend, everybody goes to the university and everybody needs to have a title to be somebody no matter how much money, years and resources you need to put in it. And of course, if the topic is something you love or not is completely out of the equation. Insane.
Let's at least talk about it, like Patrick Bet-David says because at least in my house was a topic out of discussion. Thank you for sharing @kyriacos :)
Nice post thanks for sharing.
This is precisely the same reality we have here in Portugal! If you don't attend University it's mainly because your parents are poor. But the irony is that students that attend Technical/Professional Courses have the same (if not higher!) levels of employment. And they even get a job within the first year after studies! Whereas we have a huge amount of people with degrees and still waiting for a job. I had "rich parents" that forced me to go to University but if it wasn't for the practical post-graduate course I did after I would also be unemployed. But I don't think this reality will change as soon as you claim, people in Portugal (and for the portuguese out here please correct me if I'm worng!) will continue having this "status" type of mind for many many years! Here it's really important to be called "Dr.", doctor, or to be seen as one.
The only reason people will change their mind is when the whole thing collapses under its own weight. The reason will be financial rather than intellectual.
Yes, that's true. But things only seem to get worse :/ It will take a lot of years until the whole "graduate studies" structure collapses... I fear for our today's children. Will they keep paying to have a piece of paper that worths nothing?! Maybe I just have a dark view of the future :)
It's well written. And interesting. ))
I think jobs in the future will be more relient on skill rather than degree. A person I strongly admire, Elon Musk, already does this for his company Tesla. He doesn't look at your degree but rather at what you're capable of.
Switzerland functions more or less on the same premise. Also Elon Musk, heavily relies on government, much like universities
https://steemit.com/science/@kyriacos/debunking-the-elon-musk-meme
Thanks for that link! I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, and, despite it being three months ago, commented profligately.
I also proffered a bet. Take it.
It's like everything else my friend, just add a lot of money and it turns to shit. Great post thanks for sharing.
Amazing post @ have a happy journey here
i just upvoted your post and following you.i hope you will follow me back
Death of universities where young people used to express their opinion fearlessly! Birth of institutions that promote meanness!
Good writing ..
Regard
@steem77
My son goes to university and it's so bloody expensive nowadays he'll be paying it off probably for the rest of his working life, very interesting article thanks mike
that's fucked up.
Good job. Nice Posting Thanks for shearing. i like it.
I like your post, thank you
Our education sure is rotten but shifting to a new paradigm will involve changing the mindset of the whole world, which can be an enormous task!
the shift has already begun. Khan Academy and Coursera are leading the way.
Non-profit universities aren't anything new (here are some brick and mortar ones: http://colleges.collegetoolkit.com/colleges/browse/institutional_control/results/private__nonprofit_/2.aspx). At a glance, it looks like non-profit university tuition ranges from about $5,000 at the low end to about $40,000 at the high end. Being online doesn't make a university not a university though it will usually help reduce costs. Coursea is $15K to $25K for a Master's Degree...
This reminds me of Robert Kiyosaki in his Rich Dad, Poor Dad book where he was talking about the industrial age being over. Unfortunately, many people still live in the industrial age, where you had to go to school/university, get a degree, and get a good secure job with benefits. This is what universities/tertiary institutions thrived on for years, in the meanwhile taking advantage of a ton of students who, after their studies, find themselves in a sea of debt.
But unfortunately, that era is over. We live in the information age now and those who work the hardest are also those who get paid less.
Those with the correct information and right timing, earn more.
Yes
That was so damn powerful. thank you for those words. Incredible mind you have it really helped me see insights of yours I never thought of.
Bless you and all those your heart touches
I always say that universityes try to teach you how to walk in the footsteps in the old hoping your footprint matches. People need freedom to create and express in any means necessary.. Its good there are platforms like this one so people can share how they / we feel.
Cheers and all the love brother!
Be Free
Good..
I need votes Exchange.
May you vote for me, I voted for yours? :)
Not a bad idea, just read the content and put valuable comments.
Good luck
I think that the education have to change. The students should formed to generate solutions to the world not only to get a title. Agree with you.
This is profound
Very sharp! Who control the whole system, quietly designing and manipulating all the actors without them knowing that they are just pawns in the Big game. Setting up the 'divide and rule' structure, turning people in to two camps of ideologies, being too preoccupied by the micro level struggle to see the macro state of affairs: who are actually moving the pieces on the chess board!
You are raising a lot of valid points and criticisms, I just think you are taking them to a bit of an extreme. There are indeed some systematic problems and biases and the business side is eating away and the integrity side, but I don't think universities are going to die really.
A lot of them might fail, but many will probably adapt and are still redeemable. It's the natural way for things to evolve.
Excellent post, I fully agree. We live in the digital/information age. Where anyone can get access to information more easily than ever before. Not to mention school and colleges do not give you practical skills. People must look to alternative outlets to attain the skills they need to succeed in life. Especially looking inward and learnin gto do critical thinking.
Thanks to the modern universities(finance by corps) for destroy the integrity and the holistic knowledge.
My "elite" university degree earned me : an anxiety disorder, $100k+ student loan debt bondage, and the most expensive piece of toilet paper I have ever shined my indentured butt with.
Colleges and universities are programmed institutions to brain wash the youth in a socialist mindset. You will be in debt forever for what they cost. A better value for your money would be a two year trade school leaning welding or becoming an electrician. Many economists has expressed this sentiment. Gerald Celente expresses it well in this video. Thanks for takiing us to school. - troy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=11&v=IXq3DHWO5mM
I completely agree with your post but there are areas where you need practice and in some areas of knowledge you can not get that onlie. You need to attend a hospital surgery to get your hands into that, you need to spend time on a toolshop to learn how to deal with a milling machine.
In my opinion, universities will shift more into online courses plus practice classes.
I'm actually looking forward to this happening. As a mother of two homeschoolers I know that you can learn almost anything you want over the Internet. We've been using all the resources you mentioned in your post. What we need is a change in mentalities. People need to understand that there's plenty of knowledge available and those who really want to master a subject can do it without going to a university.
Good article / good topic. It's unfortunate that for many we have to keep throwing ridiculous sums of money at institutions just for the privilege of having a title. But yes, new online models are the future because the current system is getting ridiculous and pointless for the needs of many. Virtual links over the expense of so much physical infrastructure. Ties directly into the future of work and productivity in an automating economy.
I like this:
Very true...!!
Sad, but true.