4 ms·

> Knowledge (from best universities as well) is free nowadays. I'm sure for 4y in solitude of your own house and internet knowledge you can advance your skills

> Knowledge (from best universities as well) is free nowadays. I'm sure for 4y in solitude of your own house and internet knowledge you can advance your skills a lot. That's true, but one thing missing is personal discipline; that is, staying on track, avoiding procrastination, and actually doing the work instead of playing video games or watching TV. Most people need the discipline of having to show up in a physical classroom, having deadlines for assignments, having an obligation to do work. Not everyone, but most people need this. This brings up an idea of a meetup-style classroom: Suppose we had a physical weekly meeting of everyone in a city who's interested in learning genetics, or Java, or French, or oil painting. At the first meeting, we'd agree on what online books, videos, or courses we'd study, and each week we'd meet to discuss what we'd learned so far, tutor each other, maybe even make tests for each other. It would serve as that little push that most people need.

weixiyen 10y ago
> Most people need the discipline of having to show up in a physical classroom Went to UC Berkeley and literally did not show up to class except for finals. Nobody forces you to go to class when you hit a 4 year institution, esp public ones. For a lot of people, the value of going to college is going to college itself, not the actual education.
- vlehto 10y ago
  Degree is standard enforced on humans. The value of a degree is the information it conveys. A degree is only as valuable as the least skilled person having it. Only compulsory classes and pass/fail grades matter.
- mysterypie 10y ago
  > Went to UC Berkeley and literally did not show up to class except for finals. I assume you did well in your courses, hence you're the exception with the necessary self discipline. What you did won't work for most people. Even though no one takes attendance at Berkeley, the classrooms weren't empty, were they? So some kind of subtle pressure is being exerted for all those students to still show up. They're thinking about all the money they paid, parents will ask, "How was class?", friends will say, "I didn't see you in class today". Some students learn better by being hearing the lecture rather than (in addition to) reading the textbook. But having the lecture imposes an obligation and schedule as well. Here's a thought experiment: Suppose Berkeley eliminated all classroom lectures but had videos or transcripts of all the lectures, and still had all the same assignments and exams, do you think the pass/fail rate would stay the same? Not for you, but in general.

weixiyen 10y ago

> Most people need the discipline of having to show up in a physical classroom Went to UC Berkeley and literally did not show up to class except for finals. Nobody forces you to go to class when you hit a 4 year institution, esp public ones. For a lot of people, the value of going to college is going to college itself, not the actual education.

vlehto 10y ago
Degree is standard enforced on humans. The value of a degree is the information it conveys. A degree is only as valuable as the least skilled person having it. Only compulsory classes and pass/fail grades matter.
mysterypie 10y ago
> Went to UC Berkeley and literally did not show up to class except for finals. I assume you did well in your courses, hence you're the exception with the necessary self discipline. What you did won't work for most people. Even though no one takes attendance at Berkeley, the classrooms weren't empty, were they? So some kind of subtle pressure is being exerted for all those students to still show up. They're thinking about all the money they paid, parents will ask, "How was class?", friends will say, "I didn't see you in class today". Some students learn better by being hearing the lecture rather than (in addition to) reading the textbook. But having the lecture imposes an obligation and schedule as well. Here's a thought experiment: Suppose Berkeley eliminated all classroom lectures but had videos or transcripts of all the lectures, and still had all the same assignments and exams, do you think the pass/fail rate would stay the same? Not for you, but in general.