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So, why did you go to college at all rather than just studying/working on your own? Economic reasons, motivational reasons, the seal on the piece of paper with

by lmkg 17y ago

So, why did you go to college at all rather than just studying/working on your own? Economic reasons, motivational reasons, the seal on the piece of paper with your name on it? I agree with your logic, although my experiences were different. There were definitely classes worth skipping, but I also had classes where it was worth it to attend. YMMV, I would recommend to anyone testing the waters before deciding on a course of action.

nostrademons 17y ago
I struggled with that question for most of my college education. The answer I eventually came up with was, "I went to college so I could meet lots of other people who were smart enough to pass the admission requirements and yet still willing to plop down $40k/year to learn things with absolutely no practical application." Oftentimes, it's not what you know, it's who you know.
Groxx 17y ago
Easy. I went to college for the seal on the piece of paper, and access to people smarter than I, and tools I cannot easily access / afford (I'm also an art minor, favorites being metalwork & jewelry. Ever looked up prices for a foundry / smelting furnace?). The seal on the paper is worth a LOT of money in the long run, and access to smart people and tools lets me learn / do things I would not normally be able to. I've always (always) had the stance that nobody can really teach anyone anything. All learning comes from the individual doing the learning, as it can easily be shut out if they simply ignore it. Thus, if you're learning, you're trying at least a little. (exceptions being made for "teaching" under torture) People (teachers) and tools can make it significantly easier / better / faster than learning on your own from other sources, but ultimately you are the one doing the learning. The ball's in your park. I go to school / class because I see the value in it. I also slack where there is little to no value, or when I've learned all the class has to offer. To do otherwise is ludicrous, as I could be spending my time learning other things, which is significantly more valuable to me. My grade is temporary. Learning is not. Which is more important? Also, if an employer doesn't see the value in intelligence / learning, and only looks at my grades, I do not want to work there. They clearly have backwards goals compared to mine. Grades, as pertaining to this, are not a measure of learning. They're a measure of how well you can match the test's metric, typically rote memorization of facts. Learning is connecting facts, and being capable of extending them, and that's hard to test. It also rarely requires real memorization, as you instead build off X to get to Y; you don't need to know Y, just the method, and the method could be applied in a thousand places instead of just the one Y.

by lmkg 17y ago

nostrademons 17y ago

I struggled with that question for most of my college education. The answer I eventually came up with was, "I went to college so I could meet lots of other people who were smart enough to pass the admission requirements and yet still willing to plop down $40k/year to learn things with absolutely no practical application." Oftentimes, it's not what you know, it's who you know.

Groxx 17y ago

Easy. I went to college for the seal on the piece of paper, and access to people smarter than I, and tools I cannot easily access / afford (I'm also an art minor, favorites being metalwork & jewelry. Ever looked up prices for a foundry / smelting furnace?). The seal on the paper is worth a LOT of money in the long run, and access to smart people and tools lets me learn / do things I would not normally be able to. I've always (always) had the stance that nobody can really teach anyone anything. All learning comes from the individual doing the learning, as it can easily be shut out if they simply ignore it. Thus, if you're learning, you're trying at least a little. (exceptions being made for "teaching" under torture) People (teachers) and tools can make it significantly easier / better / faster than learning on your own from other sources, but ultimately you are the one doing the learning. The ball's in your park. I go to school / class because I see the value in it. I also slack where there is little to no value, or when I've learned all the class has to offer. To do otherwise is ludicrous, as I could be spending my time learning other things, which is significantly more valuable to me. My grade is temporary. Learning is not. Which is more important? Also, if an employer doesn't see the value in intelligence / learning, and only looks at my grades, I do not want to work there. They clearly have backwards goals compared to mine. Grades, as pertaining to this, are not a measure of learning. They're a measure of how well you can match the test's metric, typically rote memorization of facts. Learning is connecting facts, and being capable of extending them, and that's hard to test. It also rarely requires real memorization, as you instead build off X to get to Y; you don't need to know Y, just the method, and the method could be applied in a thousand places instead of just the one Y.