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I'm always surprised by the negative comments about US colleges. Sure, they are expensive, and many students pursue useless degrees, but is it that big of a dea

I'm always surprised by the negative comments about US colleges. Sure, they are expensive, and many students pursue useless degrees, but is it that big of a deal? Most people really enjoy going to college for the social experience. It's the first away from home experience for most young adults. I doubt that Lambda Schools or Devry will offer anywhere close to the social experience that a typical US college offers, even if they give better economic results. It would be a sad outcome if college saw a huge decline and wasn't an institution available for future students.

seibelj 6y ago
Rather than send child to college, I let him party in Asia for a year then he gets a Porsche when he lands back in the states. And I still come way out ahead! A far more useful social experience for a lower cost IMO.
- erik_seaberg 6y ago
  I'm reminded of https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/college-level-mathematics https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/college-level-mathematics which contemplated adjunct professor pay …
scarface74 6y ago
Do you think that people should get in tens of thousands of dollars of student loan debt for the “social experience”?
benrbray 6y ago
College campuses are the closest many people get to living in a proper city center (in the spirit of Europe or Japan), as opposed to the suburbs we all flee too later in life. At face value, you're right--but shouldn't we focus on building places people (young and old) can feel a sense of community beyond just college?
cm2012 6y ago
Being able to waste money on a fun social experience is an enormous privilege for the upper middle class. For the other 85% of Americans, getting a job with an investment that doesn't put you into debt is super important.
notsureaboutpg 6y ago
$200000 of student loan debt with high interest rates because federal government has to subsidize defaulters is not worth "a social experience" or a "first time away from home experience". Spend a summer backpacking in Asia if you want that. It's way cheaper as a bonus.
watwut 6y ago
> Sure, they are expensive, and many students pursue useless degrees, but is it that big of a deal? Most people really enjoy going to college for the social experience. It's the first away from home experience for most young adults. Yeah, the thing that it is expensive and simultaneously all too often primary referred to as "social experience" is issue. Because people don't want to pay that much money for social experience. Experience of being away from home, frankly, is absolutely not worth that much money. It just does not give that value. If you ever leave town, there is gonna be time when you are away first time. And if you dont leave town, well then you dont. Non college educated students, which is the majority of population actually, somehow so without expensive social experience. So I think that college educated minority should seek more and colleges themselves should provide more to be worth the price.

seibelj 6y ago

Rather than send child to college, I let him party in Asia for a year then he gets a Porsche when he lands back in the states. And I still come way out ahead! A far more useful social experience for a lower cost IMO.

erik_seaberg 6y ago
I'm reminded of https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/college-level-mathematics https://www.smbc-comics.com/comic/college-level-mathematics which contemplated adjunct professor pay …

scarface74 6y ago

Do you think that people should get in tens of thousands of dollars of student loan debt for the “social experience”?

benrbray 6y ago

College campuses are the closest many people get to living in a proper city center (in the spirit of Europe or Japan), as opposed to the suburbs we all flee too later in life. At face value, you're right--but shouldn't we focus on building places people (young and old) can feel a sense of community beyond just college?

cm2012 6y ago

Being able to waste money on a fun social experience is an enormous privilege for the upper middle class. For the other 85% of Americans, getting a job with an investment that doesn't put you into debt is super important.

notsureaboutpg 6y ago

$200000 of student loan debt with high interest rates because federal government has to subsidize defaulters is not worth "a social experience" or a "first time away from home experience". Spend a summer backpacking in Asia if you want that. It's way cheaper as a bonus.

watwut 6y ago

> Sure, they are expensive, and many students pursue useless degrees, but is it that big of a deal? Most people really enjoy going to college for the social experience. It's the first away from home experience for most young adults. Yeah, the thing that it is expensive and simultaneously all too often primary referred to as "social experience" is issue. Because people don't want to pay that much money for social experience. Experience of being away from home, frankly, is absolutely not worth that much money. It just does not give that value. If you ever leave town, there is gonna be time when you are away first time. And if you dont leave town, well then you dont. Non college educated students, which is the majority of population actually, somehow so without expensive social experience. So I think that college educated minority should seek more and colleges themselves should provide more to be worth the price.