If I have to do it over again, I would not be doing a hard science major. I would subjects like psychology, sociology or economics or even Lit - I like reading. The long hours of lab work and homework was not the best way to spend so many hours of my youth, esp when I was adapting to a new culture and a new country.
+1 this really is the truth- i had one teacher (my french teacher of all people) in high school who told everyone that college wasn't for everyone and the debt they'd take on might not be worth it. at the time i thought she was crazy, but now in hindsight i'm thankful that she might have saved some people the worthless expense of college. after getting only 1 b+ in high school, i managed to get into one of the best universities in the country with a 32 act and 1520 sat score- and even taking what some would deem a "real" major of economics (not one of the blow-off liberal arts majors or the athlete's "communication") i almost never did any work. sure i had a problem set or two due each week, but they rarely took more than 3 hours to complete, and i basically skipped all classes besides the midterms and finals preferring instead to play diablo 2 (great game!). my school even gave us a week off before finals so that you could read your books, lol- and that's what i'd do, oftentimes it'd be the first i picked up my coursebook for the semester but i'd read the entire thing in a day or two before the test and always squeeked out a B with minimal effort. i was amazed at how stupid most of the people i went to college with were (although there were definitely a few standouts that i would tip my hat to) the majority were not smart enough to be there and basically struggled through only to face the tougher burden of all of the debts they accrued during school. college nowadays is a joke and waste of time for all but the most elite, or those trying to break into the most elite fields. if you aren't going to a top 20 school, getting a real major (science / math / pre-med), and shooting for straight A's to truly get one of the highest paying jobs in our country- save yourself some money and just go to the local state school. those are my 1.99 cents also it was playing diablo 2 that got me a trading job, so i can safely say that college actually interfered with my becoming a successful trader (although i wouldn't have gotten an interview without that name on my diploma so maybe it was worth it for me) dm
Well, doing so you could have dogged and partied your way to a worthless degree. What's the benefit in that?
You bring up an interesting point. The day I really started learning was the day I graduated. Unfortunately, to get a job these days, short of working a production line or flipping burgers, requires a college degree. Without it the door simply doesn't open. You're degree can be from Bum Fuck U but as long as your resume says Bachelors Degree you potentially got the keys to the door. What really matters is what you do and what you learn when you get on the inside of the door. There is no substitute for experience and unfortunately, I have to say that at my undergrad level I was a victim of massive brain washing that you refer to. It wasn't until recently that the brain washing I received way back when was quite severe. College Degree and Real World Experience is like comparing the North Pole to the South Pole. About as far away from each other that you can get.
I attend university in The Netherlands so my experience may differ significantly from those that attended university in America. However, media and politicians usually criticize the Dutch university system for the same reasons. Actually attending university I can conclude that this type of critizism is blown way out of proportion. What I found out was that my university was highly efficient in weeding out slackers in the first year. In fact, the financial incentive structure was set up in a way that promoted this. Staff was highly motivated and professional and were very principled in maintaining academic rigour. They set the standards and as students you could love it or leave it. You weren't left to your own devices though and professors usually went out of their way to help a student if their problems in mastering the material were sincere. Perhaps it works differently in America as there's a pretty steep drop off between first and second rate universities and not all universities grant doctorates. In The Netherlands every university is a research institution whereas this is not the case in America.
This morning Obama said that he is increasing the education budget. He wanted USA to have the highest proportion of college graduates. Yea. Highest proportion of college graduates with minimal literacy. lol Many college graduates today cannot read any better than high school graduates of yesterday.
They will succeed in making college, other than perhaps top 50, the new high school degree, and that is all. I repeat: 90% of the population does not have the mental firepower to do what used to be considered college level material. Hands on business skills, a trade, or career skills that can be learned on the job or in an internship are all most people need, and it would not require becoming a student loan indentured servant.
I live near a large public university. I know as a fact that a large portion, perhaps a majority, are doing remedial classes that used to be considered considered junior high material or lower. The student body oddly enough also very fat and physically unattractive. Folks, it is the new america.