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College degrees largely serve the social function titles of nobility once did. Having one shows that you have a shared set of experiences and a personal investm

by Zak 10y ago

College degrees largely serve the social function titles of nobility once did. Having one shows that you have a shared set of experiences and a personal investment in a certain set of values and social norms. Requiring one for many jobs is much more about ensuring applicants belong to the class the employer prefers than any specific education the job requires.

rnd33 10y ago
True, but regardless of whether you think that is a good or bad thing it's part of the value of a college degree, and should be included in your calculation when you decide if college is worth it. I've seen the insecurity of some of my colleges without degrees, almost like they think college is a mystical place where deep and unique knowledge is shared. That insecurity can really cripple your career.
- aphextron 10y ago
  > That insecurity can really cripple your career. I struggled with it daily as a self taught developer working at a large company. I eventually dropped out of the workforce and went back to school because of it. I feel pretty awkward now as a 30 something in class with freshman, but the satisfaction and confidence of having that piece of paper seems worth it to me.
  - Neliquat 10y ago
    Just realizing the paper is not the change might be a cheaper solution to what amounts to a psychologocal issue.
    - aphextron 10y ago
      Well, "just the paper" isn't really all of it. Since I've started going back to school and learning the fundamental maths and science that I missed out on, I've come to understand how ignorant I am to practically everything. If I had just kept going the path I was on as a web developer, I feel like I would have ended up with a career as a specialized technician, which is something I really don't want. Learning just calculus and basic physics is really blowing my mind and opening me up to completely new ways of thinking.
YCode 10y ago
> Requiring one for many jobs is much more about ensuring applicants belong to the class the employer prefers than any specific education the job requires. I'm not sure this is the case. A lot of employers probably just require a degree because they get so many applicants and it serves as a lazy filter. On a practical level it also shows that a given applicant has the tenacity to power through a long term plan and come out successful. Supposedly a degree is also signal of critical thinking, but this has not been my experience with people at all.

by Zak 10y ago

rnd33 10y ago

True, but regardless of whether you think that is a good or bad thing it's part of the value of a college degree, and should be included in your calculation when you decide if college is worth it. I've seen the insecurity of some of my colleges without degrees, almost like they think college is a mystical place where deep and unique knowledge is shared. That insecurity can really cripple your career.

aphextron 10y ago
> That insecurity can really cripple your career. I struggled with it daily as a self taught developer working at a large company. I eventually dropped out of the workforce and went back to school because of it. I feel pretty awkward now as a 30 something in class with freshman, but the satisfaction and confidence of having that piece of paper seems worth it to me.
- Neliquat 10y ago
  Just realizing the paper is not the change might be a cheaper solution to what amounts to a psychologocal issue.
  - aphextron 10y ago
    Well, "just the paper" isn't really all of it. Since I've started going back to school and learning the fundamental maths and science that I missed out on, I've come to understand how ignorant I am to practically everything. If I had just kept going the path I was on as a web developer, I feel like I would have ended up with a career as a specialized technician, which is something I really don't want. Learning just calculus and basic physics is really blowing my mind and opening me up to completely new ways of thinking.

YCode 10y ago

> Requiring one for many jobs is much more about ensuring applicants belong to the class the employer prefers than any specific education the job requires. I'm not sure this is the case. A lot of employers probably just require a degree because they get so many applicants and it serves as a lazy filter. On a practical level it also shows that a given applicant has the tenacity to power through a long term plan and come out successful. Supposedly a degree is also signal of critical thinking, but this has not been my experience with people at all.