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> I think having people be transplanted away from their families and friends for a 4 year hiatus to focus on learning is a crucial part of becoming a well round

> I think having people be transplanted away from their families and friends for a 4 year hiatus to focus on learning is a crucial part of becoming a well rounded person. If someone asked you how to educate a society and this was the answer you gave, they might think you were crazy.

pbz 17y ago
There are other things you need to learn beside what's in books, like how to live on your own, be responsible for your actions and so forth. Living away from the nest can be helpful in learning these things. I don't understand why this would make you "crazy."
- davetroy 17y ago
  I am not suggesting that people shouldn't move out of their parents' house. I do think, however, that the system is built in such a way that a false-choice of specialty encourages people to move outside of their native regions for no particular reason. Staying within a region is not the same as saying that someone should continue to live with their parents. Undoubtedly we have too much of that right now.
- gfodor 17y ago
  Right. Another big thing I didn't mention explicitly is that college exposes students to people outside their comfort zone. Cross pollination of ideas and culture are hugely important if we want to stamp out racism, ignorance, and intolerance.
  - coryrc 17y ago
    From your comment, it seems your political indoctrination is more important than cost (monetarily, level of quality, breaking of relationships, etc) of an education.
    - gfodor 17y ago
      And where in gods name did you extract the notion of political indoctrination from my comment? So is it now the case that suggesting people should take an opportunity to live in new places around new people is considered a political statement or one that suggests that that experience is itself indoctrination?
  - _delirium 17y ago
    Does that actually happen, though? To a large extent, colleges are socioeconomically segregated much like high-schools are. Rich kids from private schools go to the Ivy League, poor kids go to state school or community college.
- bmj 17y ago
  Can't one do this without going tens of thousands into debt (unless one has scholarships or grants)?
jgranby 17y ago
Not necessarily. The idea that higher education should be organised with all the best professors &c. in one place, and students come from all around to a centralised place of learning, isn't crazy at all. And, as gfodor pointed out, those 4 years are character-building. I think the article raises some issues but in far too aggressive a way. There are problems with the way students are forced to pick a career path so early, but the assertion that "any system that asks you to devalue a relationship with place or with extended family is evil" doesn't stand up to much scrutiny. He doesn't consider any of the benefits of spending time away from home, and doesn't really back up his claim with anything at all.
- davetroy 17y ago
  I suggest that you tune in for the next post, which will discuss the downsides of excess mobility in society, in very specific ways.
- jcromartie 17y ago
  It's not crazy for specialized schooling, but it is another thing to suggest that it's the best way to educate a society.

pbz 17y ago

There are other things you need to learn beside what's in books, like how to live on your own, be responsible for your actions and so forth. Living away from the nest can be helpful in learning these things. I don't understand why this would make you "crazy."

davetroy 17y ago
I am not suggesting that people shouldn't move out of their parents' house. I do think, however, that the system is built in such a way that a false-choice of specialty encourages people to move outside of their native regions for no particular reason. Staying within a region is not the same as saying that someone should continue to live with their parents. Undoubtedly we have too much of that right now.
gfodor 17y ago
Right. Another big thing I didn't mention explicitly is that college exposes students to people outside their comfort zone. Cross pollination of ideas and culture are hugely important if we want to stamp out racism, ignorance, and intolerance.
- coryrc 17y ago
  From your comment, it seems your political indoctrination is more important than cost (monetarily, level of quality, breaking of relationships, etc) of an education.
  - gfodor 17y ago
    And where in gods name did you extract the notion of political indoctrination from my comment? So is it now the case that suggesting people should take an opportunity to live in new places around new people is considered a political statement or one that suggests that that experience is itself indoctrination?
- _delirium 17y ago
  Does that actually happen, though? To a large extent, colleges are socioeconomically segregated much like high-schools are. Rich kids from private schools go to the Ivy League, poor kids go to state school or community college.
bmj 17y ago
Can't one do this without going tens of thousands into debt (unless one has scholarships or grants)?

jgranby 17y ago

Not necessarily. The idea that higher education should be organised with all the best professors &c. in one place, and students come from all around to a centralised place of learning, isn't crazy at all. And, as gfodor pointed out, those 4 years are character-building. I think the article raises some issues but in far too aggressive a way. There are problems with the way students are forced to pick a career path so early, but the assertion that "any system that asks you to devalue a relationship with place or with extended family is evil" doesn't stand up to much scrutiny. He doesn't consider any of the benefits of spending time away from home, and doesn't really back up his claim with anything at all.

davetroy 17y ago
I suggest that you tune in for the next post, which will discuss the downsides of excess mobility in society, in very specific ways.
jcromartie 17y ago
It's not crazy for specialized schooling, but it is another thing to suggest that it's the best way to educate a society.