Why bother?

[Σ]

University was a place of enlightenment and learning. Now it is a place where people go to be programmed so they may preform their function as a cog in the machine. Does one really need a four year degree to become a receptionist? Does one really need two years to learn a trade that takes but a few months to gain proficiency?

The old way was better.

[Arnox]

Like it or not, a lot of employers are screaming for them now so for the most part, you don't really have a choice.

[Sirfearoth]

Yes I think what colleges/universities have turned into are nothing but institutions for thought control.

[peskybear]

The system takes a long time to complete unless you're ready to drop a fat stack of cash. Going to a 2 year and then transferring can take wayyyy longer than it's supposed to because of not taking the right classes for transfer, not being able to get classes, life getting in the way, etc. but it tends to be a significantly cheaper route. If you go to a 4-year outright, you'll be in serious debt (most likely) but you'll probably be done sooner. Then you can get to not being able to find a job you're qualified for and having a difficult time keeping up with your loan payments even faster!

[Tungsten.Chromium]

Unless a specific job you want to get requires some sort of certification(which requires some formal schooling) than any advanced college is rarely useful IMO.  Someone with a four years of industry experience will always be hired over someone with a four year degree. 

[RustyShackleford]

Yes I think what colleges/universities have turned into are nothing but institutions for thought control.

It is sad how people don't realize this and think that they came to the conclusions on their own.

I also think that very soon, as in the current generation, will see that college degrees are not going to be worth more than scrap paper. Life is all about what skills you posess, yet university is moving in the exact opposite direction and claiming that instead it is better to become a balanced individual, which was addressed above. I'll be laughing my to the loan defaults.

[Soso0]

Ever since I dropped out of college last fall I've realized how important schooling is in order to get decent job. Now by schooling I don't mean a bachelors in philosophy but rather learning a trade or actual skills. I want to go back to school so bad but never to a four year ever again. Sure it was fun at times and did learn some life experience but it's way too expensive. I don't remember learning shit there either just took a bunch of bs classes.

[Soso0]

Yes I think what colleges/universities have turned into are nothing but institutions for thought control.

It is sad how people don't realize this and think that they came to the conclusions on their own.

I also think that very soon, as in the current generation, will see that college degrees are not going to be worth more than scrap paper. Life is all about what skills you posess, yet university is moving in the exact opposite direction and claiming that instead it is better to become a balanced individual, which was addressed above. I'll be laughing my to the loan defaults.

My thoughts exactly. No way I'm fucking paying back my loans. They can all go fuck themselves.

[Σ]

Its interesting to hear that as I recently went in to a couple local places looking at things like apprenticeships and the like. Its not conventional schooling but if I take five years and become an apprentice to a journeyman learning a trade I know will net me at least $18 an hour (while getting paid for those years rather than paying for them) then why not? If you finish your apprenticeship and want to go to college you still have something to fall back on.

Also trade school isnt what it used to be. Community colleges in my area make people go for two years to get "certified" for skilled trades that should take 9 months on the job experience to master if you are diligent. Its sad to see that the idea of having an institution dedicated to learning has been turned into a money sucking think-inside-the-box institution.

[Soso0]

Its interesting to hear that as I recently went in to a couple local places looking at things like apprenticeships and the like. Its not conventional schooling but if I take five years and become an apprentice to a journeyman learning a trade I know will net me at least $18 an hour (while getting paid for those years rather than paying for them) then why not? If you finish your apprenticeship and want to go to college you still have something to fall back on.

Also trade school isnt what it used to be. Community colleges in my area make people go for two years to get "certified" for skilled trades that should take 9 months on the job experience to master if you are diligent. Its sad to see that the idea of having an institution dedicated to learning has been turned into a money sucking think-inside-the-box institution.

I haven't looked into trade schools lately but if that's the case then fuck everything. Friends I've spoken to have been feeling the same way about life as I have for a while. We work, work and spend countless hours working our asses of and it feels like we are getting NOWHERE. We end up in the same situation we were in the day before or worst.

[Lanny]

The system takes a long time to complete unless you're ready to drop a fat stack of cash. Going to a 2 year and then transferring can take wayyyy longer than it's supposed to because of not taking the right classes for transfer, not being able to get classes, life getting in the way, etc. but it tends to be a significantly cheaper route. If you go to a 4-year outright, you'll be in serious debt (most likely) but you'll probably be done sooner. Then you can get to not being able to find a job you're qualified for and having a difficult time keeping up with your loan payments even faster!

Is it really cheaper if you have to take an extra year to finish? You end up with 3 years of 4 year debt and 2 years of community college expenses plus one less year of your life. Maybe if we're talking about transfering from like whatever CC to Harvard or something but no one does that, generally people go from a community college to a state school where the tuition probably isn't that far beyond double of whatever CC you came from. I mean I guess if you might drop out it's better to drop out after a year at a 2 year place than somewhere else but if you're planning on getting a degree I'm not convinced the transfer scheme really works out that well in your favor.

[unbreakable matter]

I don't think I'll leave college with much debt and I really just want to learn shit and then get a piece of paper that says I might not be a degenerate so hire me and find out, I also have some ideas I want to test and I like young and naive girls

[Infinityshock]

Not only is the curriculum bullshit but the costs and fees are beyond ridiculous. The only way they don't get RICO charges is because the rule-makers are alumni and get a cut of the take

The price for books is beyond disgusting.  Now they dont even pretend to let the students own the books.  They have a new option for just renting them

[fanglekai]

The books for one class I took were $500...plus $60 for an access code to an online homework grading program that literally took a job away from a GTA who would otherwise have gotten paid to grade all the homework instead......needless to say.......torrents are free....

[Infinityshock]

As bad as college is, government-mandated licenses are even worse. I need about 10 books for the study materials for a particular licensing exam and the total cost is about $1300.

Utter and complete bullshit