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This article seems to reflect the "entitlement" approach to education. It's up to the person entering school to determine whether the time and debt are worth it

by mentat 16y ago

This article seems to reflect the "entitlement" approach to education. It's up to the person entering school to determine whether the time and debt are worth it to them when they sign up not when they fail to get a job. It is not career services' job to get you a job. They should provide the resources and training to give you a better chance. However, in the end either you made a good choice or a bad one going to school. Either you're someone who has the initiative to get a job or you aren't. Schools are in business to make money, not to get people jobs. They're going to use the same marketing tricks as everyone else.

Travis 16y ago
"Schools are in business to make money, not to get people jobs." And the soonest everyone realizes this, the better off they will be. The problem, as I see it, is that they present themselves as this romantic ideal of higher purpose / education. At least ITT Tech has the decency to tell you that they're focused on getting you a job. Even though they usually don't (from what I've heard).
sparky 16y ago
* They're going to use the same marketing tricks as everyone else.* Exactly. We are bombarded by claims of "give us money and good things will happen to you" every single day. The message from "society" (and colleges themselves) about the benefits of college may have somewhat nobler-than-average motivations, but in the end these claims must be scrutinized in the same way as spam about Viagra or late-night infomercials. In the end, unfortunately the issue of whether or where to go to school is entangled with many soft issues that make it difficult to employ a strictly rational analysis. For instance, if I believe the advice that I should do what I love, it's harder to come to grips with the fact that the schooling required to do so is a bigger financial bet than I can afford to make. I don't think we need special mechanisms (like tuition refunds) for people who made this particular bad bet though.

by mentat 16y ago

Travis 16y ago

"Schools are in business to make money, not to get people jobs." And the soonest everyone realizes this, the better off they will be. The problem, as I see it, is that they present themselves as this romantic ideal of higher purpose / education. At least ITT Tech has the decency to tell you that they're focused on getting you a job. Even though they usually don't (from what I've heard).

sparky 16y ago

* They're going to use the same marketing tricks as everyone else.* Exactly. We are bombarded by claims of "give us money and good things will happen to you" every single day. The message from "society" (and colleges themselves) about the benefits of college may have somewhat nobler-than-average motivations, but in the end these claims must be scrutinized in the same way as spam about Viagra or late-night infomercials. In the end, unfortunately the issue of whether or where to go to school is entangled with many soft issues that make it difficult to employ a strictly rational analysis. For instance, if I believe the advice that I should do what I love, it's harder to come to grips with the fact that the schooling required to do so is a bigger financial bet than I can afford to make. I don't think we need special mechanisms (like tuition refunds) for people who made this particular bad bet though.