I want to point out that university ought to really be about the pursuit of knowledge. It isn't, or shouldn't be about prestige or income. Many people seem to

I want to point out that university ought to really be about the pursuit of knowledge. It isn't, or shouldn't be about prestige or income. Many people seem to have this massive chip on their shoulder, "these fing kids just thinking they're so much smarter than me but they're just hipsters getting useless degrees." God forbid anyone should pursue knowledge for knowledge's sake. You want to work in the private sector and make a killing? Good for you here's a pat on the back. You might not realise this, because you're close minded, but fundamental research happens to pay terribly, requires long hours, is super stressful, but is good for everyone. Pharmaceuticals, for example, almost always rely on fundamental biological discoveries made by academic science. You need to sort of understand a disease a bit, before you find a drug to cure it, and guess who is figuring that stuff out? It's the grad student over there who went to lab on christmas, because that's when the mice were born. Let nerds spend 60+ hours a week in the lab or library doing what they love, and let's make sure they can eat and survive, so we can all reap the benefit. These people will literally go to work all day including weekends for fun. What motivates these people is discovery of new information, and having the respect of their peers. They aren't motivated by money, but they need enough to be mentally and physically healthy. Have the kind of rationality that sees what a terrific resource that is. You can pay them less than half of any worker in private industry and they will work twice as much. Just the sheer ignorance, hautiness, and closed mindedness of some of these comments. Chill, university isn't really supposed to be there for that annoying kid you all think of when you think of college loans. There are literally people trying to give us their lives as long as we allow them to do research. And y'all are ruining it.