4 ms·

Colleges are turning into 'adult daycare centers'. Encouraging people to go into six-figure debt, so that they can get a degree that has zero marketability (ex

by _red 8y ago

Colleges are turning into 'adult daycare centers'. Encouraging people to go into six-figure debt, so that they can get a degree that has zero marketability (except of course to continue on in college), is a deeply cynical enterprise. At least drug sellers and casino owners are open about what they do.

bluedevil2k 8y ago
This is a cynical statement with no truth behind it. How do you explain the stat that college grads make a million dollars more over a lifetime? Almost everyone on Wall Street has a degree, would you call that zero marketability? Doctors all have degrees...zero marketability?
- ddorian43 8y ago
  .... dude why be like that ? You perfectly know he was talking about gender-studies, "art stuff", "business stuff" (depending on the country) etc. People who go doctoring have it good (& hard).
  - Ravengenocide 8y ago
    I concur. Taking his statement as meaning all of college is a bit disingenuous. It's more about the feeling that you "have" to go to college no matter what you study. Of course if you want to become a doctor you need to go to college, but going to college just for having been to college is not something we should encourage young people to do.
- arkades 8y ago
  Average physician has lower lifetime earnings than a UPS driver. Most of the difference comes from time spent in training instead of earning, and ... financing a giant pile of school debt. If one of your exemplars has lower lifetime earnings than a UPS driver, your point may be on shaky ground.
  - areoform 8y ago
    [Citation Needed] There are multiple specialities and multiple pay grades. I'd appreciate seeing a citation for this claim.
  - deleted 8y ago
    [deleted]
  - kozhevnikov 8y ago
    Would you prefer to work as a UPS driver or as a physician? It's like looking at a country's debt while ignoring everything else. Yes, Greece has less debt (inc. per capita) than the US, but you can't seriously suggest it is better off for it. Your estate might be better off with higher lifetime earnings but not necessarily you while you still alive.
  - bluedevil2k 8y ago
    This is BS. I won't even ask for a citation cause I know none exist.
  - ausbah 8y ago
    I believe this is the site he is referring to http://www.er-doctor.com/doctor_income.html http://www.er-doctor.com/doctor_income.html
    - bluedevil2k 8y ago
      These numbers are wonky in the article. Average salary of UPS driver = $57,000. Average salary of a doctor = $299,000 (1) https://www.truckdriverssalary.com/ups-driver-salary/ https://www.truckdriverssalary.com/ups-driver-salary/ (2) https://www.usnews.com/news/health-care-news/articles/2018-04-11/report-despite-physician-salary-increases-wage-gaps-still-exist https://www.usnews.com/news/health-care-news/articles/2018-0...
ausbah 8y ago
>Encouraging people to go into six-figure debt That is just wrong, the average student debt in the US is ~$30,000. It still a lot for a 22-year-old to have, but that is far shy of ~$100,000. It holds for some degrees or personal situations, but in the macro sense isn't accurate. >they can get a degree that has zero marketability (except of course to continue on in college) I do think this is true for a good number of degrees, but I think it simply points to a larger issue with the system as it stands now. The fact that for most jobs, even if you don't need a degree, most businesses won't even look at you if you don't have a degree. Like you are saying, the system encourages a "deeply cynical enterprise" by creating this ginormous industry of college degrees, loans, etc. all so students can simply signal to businesses their "competence" or whatever you want to call. So much for an efficient market!
- mcguire 8y ago
  The average for those with student loans, which is still a minority. http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/08/24/5-facts-about-student-loans/ http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/08/24/5-facts-abou... (Stay away from for-profit schools.)

by _red 8y ago

bluedevil2k 8y ago

This is a cynical statement with no truth behind it. How do you explain the stat that college grads make a million dollars more over a lifetime? Almost everyone on Wall Street has a degree, would you call that zero marketability? Doctors all have degrees...zero marketability?

ddorian43 8y ago
.... dude why be like that ? You perfectly know he was talking about gender-studies, "art stuff", "business stuff" (depending on the country) etc. People who go doctoring have it good (& hard).
- Ravengenocide 8y ago
  I concur. Taking his statement as meaning all of college is a bit disingenuous. It's more about the feeling that you "have" to go to college no matter what you study. Of course if you want to become a doctor you need to go to college, but going to college just for having been to college is not something we should encourage young people to do.
arkades 8y ago
Average physician has lower lifetime earnings than a UPS driver. Most of the difference comes from time spent in training instead of earning, and ... financing a giant pile of school debt. If one of your exemplars has lower lifetime earnings than a UPS driver, your point may be on shaky ground.
- areoform 8y ago
  [Citation Needed] There are multiple specialities and multiple pay grades. I'd appreciate seeing a citation for this claim.
- deleted 8y ago
  [deleted]
- kozhevnikov 8y ago
  Would you prefer to work as a UPS driver or as a physician? It's like looking at a country's debt while ignoring everything else. Yes, Greece has less debt (inc. per capita) than the US, but you can't seriously suggest it is better off for it. Your estate might be better off with higher lifetime earnings but not necessarily you while you still alive.
- bluedevil2k 8y ago
  This is BS. I won't even ask for a citation cause I know none exist.
- ausbah 8y ago
  I believe this is the site he is referring to http://www.er-doctor.com/doctor_income.html http://www.er-doctor.com/doctor_income.html
  - bluedevil2k 8y ago
    These numbers are wonky in the article. Average salary of UPS driver = $57,000. Average salary of a doctor = $299,000 (1) https://www.truckdriverssalary.com/ups-driver-salary/ https://www.truckdriverssalary.com/ups-driver-salary/ (2) https://www.usnews.com/news/health-care-news/articles/2018-04-11/report-despite-physician-salary-increases-wage-gaps-still-exist https://www.usnews.com/news/health-care-news/articles/2018-0...

ausbah 8y ago

>Encouraging people to go into six-figure debt That is just wrong, the average student debt in the US is ~$30,000. It still a lot for a 22-year-old to have, but that is far shy of ~$100,000. It holds for some degrees or personal situations, but in the macro sense isn't accurate. >they can get a degree that has zero marketability (except of course to continue on in college) I do think this is true for a good number of degrees, but I think it simply points to a larger issue with the system as it stands now. The fact that for most jobs, even if you don't need a degree, most businesses won't even look at you if you don't have a degree. Like you are saying, the system encourages a "deeply cynical enterprise" by creating this ginormous industry of college degrees, loans, etc. all so students can simply signal to businesses their "competence" or whatever you want to call. So much for an efficient market!

mcguire 8y ago
The average for those with student loans, which is still a minority. http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/08/24/5-facts-about-student-loans/ http://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2017/08/24/5-facts-abou... (Stay away from for-profit schools.)