Is college is a scam? Let this film be the judge and jury

[Via Garibaldi 8]

I love it when people knock that aid package Obama is trying to get through to help college graduates with their loans... people against it go, "oh it's just to help the liberal arts majors..." I had a teacher in HS who had been at the school for about five or six years and she said she was still paying her loans off from college.

 

I'm at a CC right now. On top of all the work I get hit as an Accounting major, I'm about to lose my buses (that's another story) but at the same time I'm tired of all these people with "connections" just getting free jobs just screwing around. Never mind the people who busted their asses hardbody just to get through college and graduate school only to come out with a fancy piece of paper and thousands of dollars in debt... on top of the economy still being shit. As much as I hate them, most Fortune 500 company CEOs went to school as well. I'd say good for them if they weren't so full of crap.

 

Yeah, my grades aren't so hot and I'll get some flak if I get into a four year college just because I'm a minority... then there's grad school and the CPA exam. What the world will have come to if I ever get through this doesn't look too great.

 

I've talked to people who got jobs after HS in construction and all that, but then they went back... but I can't stand some of these faculty members at the same time, just spewing non-helpful crap and never ever really teaching anything.

 

If you drop out/don't go to college at all and can get a job that can afford you a car + insurance + gas + maintenance, and a roof to live in + costs for that, I'm not stopping you. As for the people who think they'll "crack under the pressure..."

 

 

I was forced go to a community college and personally I think it's biggest waste of time. I'm failing constantly yet I'm trying so hard, pulling all nighters, skipping hangouts, and even sleeping in the parking lot overnight so I can do work at school before class in the morning.

 

I just ended my 3rd semester and personally, I don't want to go back. I have the skills and diploma to get my dream job (Conductor for a RR) so why am I here? Oh yeah, because the gov't brainwash my parents into think this joke is good for me. I've learned very little, I've failed half my courses, and to top it I CANT GET A JOB because school work alone, takes hours. Is there a point anymore

 

And the worst part, there another round of college after this. Why is it we go to a Community college and we HAVE to go to university after. I blame the stupid reputation my college has. They refuse to let u be free after u graduate, they insist on transfering to a four year school.

 

 

I think the question is why are you two doing so poorly in your classes??

Is college for everyone? No, but it's about what you do with your opportunities in life and how you apply yourself. You can either b*tch and moan about the system or take advantage of it. It doesn't matter what type of the college you go to. I took my classes very seriously, worked my @ss off and had several part-time jobs (tutoring Spanish & Italian at the Learning center in my college, working at my college ice rink as a skateguard, working at the hockey games doing security and working in my college dorm) and I made it work with my schedule and kept a 3.92 GPA overall. I did most of my classes at SUNY Plattsburgh, but finished my studies in Europe at a small international university in Italy which was expensive (~20k for the semester), but worth it.

 

You can't put a price on education and like I said it doesn't matter where you go. If you don't give a damn about your education or want to find an excuse then you'll do poorly. There are so many things that I learned about myself as HUMAN BEING from college that I can't put a price on. The experiences I had during my time studying and living in Europe and here in the US helped to shape who I am today and those are memories and experiences that I can never forget and I will take to my grave.

 

I personally think that this country is going through a lack of education phase. Kids don't give a damn anymore and they're coming out of school not able to write properly, speak properly and so on. Yes, college is becoming more expensive, in fact astronomically expensive, but that's not the main problem. Kids aren't learning. That's the real problem. College is supposed to train you for your professional career, but it's also about exploration. It's about finding out who you are, and learning how to overcome new challenges and exposing yourself to new things, but no, who gives a damn about education? No one needs to learn anything because we know everything and what we would learn would be pointless anyway since it doesn't directly related to what we're interested in. Typical ignorant statement. :tdown::tdown: :mad:

 

All this generation cares about these days is how can I make a fast buck, but they don't want to put in any hard work. Also, just because you work hard doesn't mean that you're automatically rewarded. Another hard "fact" of life that folks need to learn. In life no one owes anyone a damn thing and the same holds true here. You can sit back and be jealous of the next guy because he has connections, or you can see how you can also get connections.

[Joel Up Front]

Yeah, it shaped a guy who brags about spending infinity billion dollars on clothing and meals. If you land yourself a job that pays enough for stuff like that, good for you, but nowhere in my post did I state that what I'm learning isn't going to help in any way.

 

And so what, you speak three languages... not everyone has that ability, you know? God forbid someone tries to get a job and doesn't have any outstanding abilities. I can do basic addition and subtraction in my head, so what?

 

You really think you can put me under the same banner most of these kids are under because I got a couple C's... you've got another thing coming if you think that.

[B35 via Church]

Well said. Which I agree 1000% with B35. Back when I going to undergrad at Kingsborough, Univ of Buffalo for a semster and graduating from SUNY Oneonta, I did know of at least a few students who did not want to be there. Thus those kids (young adults)were in school only for 1)Extended High school to go get wasted and drunk at parties 2)Semi hook-ups for dates/long terms romances for guys and 'chicks' 3)To keep Mommy and Daddy paying for school and also if they(the students) luck their first car as well 'happy.'

 

Exactly what I'm referring to, when I say you got folks out here wanting to go to college just to experience the college life.... Sure, the rampant drunkenness, party-going, and whoring (whether that be [for] attention, or the literal meaning of the word) isn't all that it entails, but when you hear people refer to the college life, that's what they're talkin about..... Athletics is also included in that.....

 

...and peer pressure from parents (or w/e other elder in the family) also plays a role in the half-hearted attitudes you see from some college goers.... I'll go as far as to say it's cyclical; where you'll have that same elder say somethin like "I didn't finish college because _______" (insert reason here, whatever it is)......

 

 

My "snide ass" question, talk about the pot and the kettle....

Doesn't detract from you having asked a "snide ass" question.....

[B35 via Church]

I personally think that this country is going through a lack of education phase. Kids don't give a damn anymore and they're coming out of school not able to write properly, speak properly and so on. Yes, college is becoming more expensive, in fact astronomically expensive, but that's not the main problem. Kids aren't learning. That's the real problem.

You have a point with the IDGAF attitude that's exuded out here regarding education.... My whole thing is though, even if every kid comin up in America were dead serious about higher learning, you would still have these ridiculous/astronomical tuition rates..... Matter fact, I'd stop to think tuitions would be worse than what they are now..... A proverbial weeding out process, if you will....

 

...which is an argument I've heard a few people make about the current college setup now.....

 

 

 

All this generation cares about these days is how can I make a fast buck, but they don't want to put in any hard work. Also, just because you work hard doesn't mean that you're automatically rewarded. Another hard "fact" of life that folks need to learn. In life no one owes anyone a damn thing and the same holds true here. You can sit back and be jealous of the next guy because he has connections, or you can see how you can also get connections.

 

It doesn't mean you're automatically rewarded, true... but why does the avg. college goer have to be put in a financial hole after they've put in the hard work to get that degree or w/e (rhetorical question).... You said it yourself, you can't put a price on an education.... But that's how things are, and these institutions/colleges/universities, etc. are takin it (and mr. college goer) to the bank..... "Haha, got you sucker"....

 

I mean, if I want a brand new Maserati, I can't complain that I'ma need 6 figures in order to get one... If I wanna live in a house where I can sit on the docka' the bay, watching the tides roll away, I can't complain I'ma need buku bucks to get it.... These things are tangible, an education is not.... (higher) Education shouldn't have to be an investment....

 

The rest of what you say here, yeah.... No one's gonna hand you anything on a silver platter with the spoon accessory! If you wanna sit back on your a** and hope & pray for success to hit you, on top of being envious of what the next man's holdin, then you have no one to blame but yourself....

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Yeah, it shaped a guy who brags about spending infinity billion dollars on clothing and meals. If you land yourself a job that pays enough for stuff like that, good for you, but nowhere in my post did I state that what I'm learning isn't going to help in any way.

 

And so what, you speak three languages... not everyone has that ability, you know? God forbid someone tries to get a job and doesn't have any outstanding abilities. I can do basic addition and subtraction in my head, so what?

 

You really think you can put me under the same banner most of these kids are under because I got a couple C's... you've got another thing coming if you think that.

 

Yeah well guess what? When all of the folks who thought they were so "cool" i.e. neighbors in my dorm, etc. going out Thursday, Friday & Saturday and drinking their @sses off, I stayed true to what I was in college for which was to get an education. College is an investment and yes, it's a business and you have to make it work for you. I'm doing better than most of my friends and it's solely because I apply myself, not because I'm some sort of genius.

 

That whole snippet about me speaking three languages... That's the norm in Europe. I also know a bit of French, a tad bit of German and Portuguese, but the point is here in the states, it's seen as a big deal. It's another example of how low standards are in this country and it's quite sad actually.

 

I know we're not in Europe and we're the U.S. but our low standards are costing us all around. You have companies here in the U.S. paying big bucks to freaking foreigners who don't even speak English (but they do eventually learn and learn quickly I may add) when Americans could be taking those jobs, but they're not qualified. Some require being multilingual and some don't but one of my Spanish professors had a sign on his door that said "The monolingual speakers are being left behind" and boy is that statement true.

 

 

 

You have a point with the IDGAF attitude that's exuded out here regarding education.... My whole thing is though, even if every kid comin up in America were dead serious about higher learning, you would still have these ridiculous/astronomical tuition rates..... Matter fact, I'd stop to think tuitions would be worse than what they are now..... A proverbial weeding out process, if you will....

 

...which is an argument I've heard a few people make about the current college setup now.....

 

 

 

 

 

It doesn't mean you're automatically rewarded, true... but why does the avg. college goer have to be put in a financial hole after they've put in the hard work to get that degree or w/e (rhetorical question).... You said it yourself, you can't put a price on an education.... But that's how things are, and these institutions/colleges/universities, etc. are takin it (and mr. college goer) to the bank..... "Haha, got you sucker"....

 

I mean, if I want a brand new Maserati, I can't complain that I'ma need 6 figures in order to get one... If I wanna live in a house where I can sit on the docka' the bay, watching the tides roll away, I can't complain I'ma need buku bucks to get it.... These things are tangible, an education is not.... (higher) Education shouldn't have to be an investment....

 

The rest of what you say here, yeah.... No one's gonna hand you anything on a silver platter with the spoon accessory! If you wanna sit back on your a** and hope & pray for success to hit you, on top of being envious of what the next man's holdin, then you have no one to blame but yourself....

 

Well the only way to change the astronomical price to attend college is to change how we do things here. In Europe one doesn't have to pay for college. It's free, but the citizens pay for it in taxes, so do we raise taxes so that kids can go to college and how many people will support this? The idea of paying for someone's education here is viewed as more of a private matter rather than a public one. I mean it's not like there aren't choices. No one is forced to attend college. I think some things should be changed, but at the same time college is a business and it's fierce competition to get the best teachers, the best accommodations, etc. and if you want those things, there's a price for it. No different than anything else in this country and that's the great thing about capitalism. Anything is obtainable. If parents want their kids to go to expensive universities, they can most certainly plan for it by opening up college fund accounts (i.e. 501 college fund, etc.). There are also tons of scholarships out there, which I learned when preparing my proposal to be accepted to my study abroad program in Italy. I didn't do much digging and my university gave me a $500.00 scholarship. Doesn't sound like much but that money can be used for books, or in my case, went towards the housing costs for my apartment. :cool:

 

I will say this though. I put myself through college with grants, some loans and my own personal money that I worked for. My parents spent very little for my education. They took care of me during my earlier years and my mom simply said to me, if you want to go to college you'll have to pay for it because that's your education, I agree 100%. When you're putting your own money out there, you take things much more seriously. That's the problem these days. These kids want it too easy. They need to be taught about hard work, sacrifice and how to be independent.

[SubwayGuy]

I think the question is why are you two doing so poorly in your classes??

Is college for everyone? No, but it's about what you do with your opportunities in life and how you apply yourself. You can either b*tch and moan about the system or take advantage of it. It doesn't matter what type of the college you go to. I took my classes very seriously, worked my @ss off and had several part-time jobs (tutoring Spanish & Italian at the Learning center in my college, working at my college ice rink as a skateguard, working at the hockey games doing security and working in my college dorm) and I made it work with my schedule and kept a 3.92 GPA overall. I did most of my classes at SUNY Plattsburgh, but finished my studies in Europe at a small international university in Italy which was expensive (~20k for the semester), but worth it.

 

You can't put a price on education and like I said it doesn't matter where you go. If you don't give a damn about your education or want to find an excuse then you'll do poorly. There are so many things that I learned about myself as HUMAN BEING from college that I can't put a price on. The experiences I had during my time studying and living in Europe and here in the US helped to shape who I am today and those are memories and experiences that I can never forget and I will take to my grave.

 

I personally think that this country is going through a lack of education phase. Kids don't give a damn anymore and they're coming out of school not able to write properly, speak properly and so on. Yes, college is becoming more expensive, in fact astronomically expensive, but that's not the main problem. Kids aren't learning. That's the real problem. College is supposed to train you for your professional career, but it's also about exploration. It's about finding out who you are, and learning how to overcome new challenges and exposing yourself to new things, but no, who gives a damn about education? No one needs to learn anything because we know everything and what we would learn would be pointless anyway since it doesn't directly related to what we're interested in. Typical ignorant statement. :tdown::tdown: :mad:

 

All this generation cares about these days is how can I make a fast buck, but they don't want to put in any hard work. Also, just because you work hard doesn't mean that you're automatically rewarded. Another hard "fact" of life that folks need to learn. In life no one owes anyone a damn thing and the same holds true here. You can sit back and be jealous of the next guy because he has connections, or you can see how you can also get connections.

 

I generally agree with this, but one of the biggest reasons no one gets educated is the schools themselves.

 

Case in point: one of the requirements at my college to graduate was to demonstrate English proficiency. This could be done by either taking a test, taking a certain level course and passing, or by taking a basic writing course. I elected to take the high level literature course, and pass, because there's nothing I'd rather do less from a school standpoint than have been 18 years old in a writing workshop learning such educational gems as subject/verb placement and the difference between active/passive voice. And I hate 3 hour tests, so the choice was logical.

 

But that said, that was a private college. Why the f*** do you have to prove English proficiency in college? That's something that should be established by the end of the 4th grade, let alone 8th, let alone high school.

 

The schools themselves are dumbing down the education by requiring undergraduate students to take high school level math courses to meet basic graduation requirements...limiting the amount of new and career focused knowledge one acquires in college - hence why I keep saying college is now the new high school.

 

Great example - a friend of mine majored in physics at a private college with an outstanding grade for that major (since all grades are not created equal, based on major) and after working for 2 years has decided he wants to take night school to study Mech. Engineering. He was accepted to a program, but it was recommended (not required) that he take undergraduate level courses FIRST as a way of boosting himself up to be fully prepared for the graduate program (which he's going to do). After asking about some of those courses, I'm convinced there things he should have been taking in undergrad at HIS school instead of wasting time on things like English proficiency (his school was different than mine but they had a similar requirement), or basic algebra/geometry courses just to fill a requirement.

 

The product of college/university now costs more than ever and teaches less material at a lower grade level than at any point before.

 

That's why I say it's a scam because what the schools deliver is not even close to what they promise.

[CenSin]

Funny… the video says that the Chinese—with their strong currency—will come over and outcompete Americans' in the fight for college education because the dollar will eventually collapse due to bad student loans.

[R10 2952]

I was forced go to a community college and personally I think it's biggest waste of time. I'm failing constantly yet I'm trying so hard, pulling all nighters, skipping hangouts, and even sleeping in the parking lot overnight so I can do work at school before class in the morning.

 

I just ended my 3rd semester and personally, I don't want to go back. I have the skills and diploma to get my dream job (Conductor for a RR) so why am I here? Oh yeah, because the gov't brainwash my parents into think this joke is good for me. I've learned very little, I've failed half my courses, and to top it I CANT GET A JOB because school work alone, takes hours. Is there a point anymore?

 

 

You're not alone on that one. Ever heard of a school called Brooklyn Tech?

[East New York]

I definitely agree that it is one of the biggest scams of all time. The cost of schooling is not equal to that of the actual profession in many industries.

 

Freedom is free. It's future destruction is what is being financed by tax dollars so long as the practice of lobbying and political contributions is legal.

 

As to the OP, higher education is THE next bubble. You're seeing it already. Right now they're in the pump phase. Soon it will be dump time, and many degrees will be worthless. Hence why the four year undergraduate degree is the new high school diploma, and graduate school is the new college degree. If you want to distinguish yourself in the workforce the way a postgraduate school graduate would have in the past, it's going to take an undergrad and graduate level degree, a professional certification that requires an examination, and 5 years work experience in a relevant field including two in a supervisory capacity.

 

How many people can afford all that and still get that kind of job to begin with? Not many. Which is why the well connected continue to do well in the job market and everyone else is banging their heads against the wall.

 

I agree untill the part where you say freedom is free. "Freedom is NOT free. It costs folks like you and me! And if you don't pitch in your buck o five, who will?" Lmao!

 

as B35_via_church said...aim for that c/r job...

 

I am a college drop out and proud to state it...I was just 15 credits shy of graduating but when transit called I wasn't going to miss that opportunity for anything in the world. Luckily I was able to pay my student loans in full and what's crazy is that I actually make more than my mom who has a bachelors degree and holds a high stress position at a well known medical center....I'll stay doing what I love and getting paid fairly to do it.

 

--

 

as for the video...I didn't watch it but I did read an article on it recently....here is some food for thought for those of you in sky high tuition universities, colleges etc...

 

Not even filing for bankruptcy can clear a default on a student loan...you are stuck with that debt until it is paid off...do what I did and pay it in full before the loan begins to accrue interest.

 

I as well am a college drop out, but it was because of unforseen circumstances. Now that I have more than a decade of experience, as well as book knowledge, I'm just going to test out on my BBA in Marketing, then go back for my Masters. Many people who are above average academically, dont need to go to college. All we need are a few books, and a test. But the colleges would NEVER tell you that openly. As a matter of fact, they dont even want people to know that bit of info at all. I call bullshit! Scam anyone? Most definitely. And that's a hard core fact. NOT an opinion.