60 ms·
We all know how valuable network effects are in staving off competition, and universities are an excellent example of that. If you don't like dem apples, you ca
by awillen 6y ago
We all know how valuable network effects are in staving off competition, and universities are an excellent example of that. If you don't like dem apples, you can get a great education at the library and online for free, but education isn't the only (and possibly not even the primary) benefit of the university - it's the resources and connections that surround it.
The other big thing universities have going for them is status signaling - I went to Stanford, and because of that, my resume will get looked at/people will listen when I open my mouth/etc. Whether or not that's good is a separate question, but it's true. If you get an education of equivalent value at a place nobody's ever heard of, you don't get those benefits. As the number of resumes/people speaking/etc. goes up, the ability to quickly filter becomes more important, and thus my Stanford degree has more value.
- st1x7 6y agoThis sounds right but how relevant do you think it is several years after graduating?
- tarboreus 6y agoProbably still important, in the sense that a head start is a head start. If a Stanford graduate goes to Google after senior year, their whole career is likely to look a lot different. Steps lead to other steps.
- awillen 6y agoMuch less - then you get to the same brand name effect but for companies you've worked at. Though those brand names probably correlate a lot more heavily to real employment value.
- hnracer 6y agoA lot less for sure. I've met many top 10 university graduates who are 30+ and have nothing to show for it with little respect in their domains and mediocre job prospects. It certainly is a massive help in the early 20s though.
- the_only_law 6y agoI’d argue it’s the credential even more than the connections. The connections are extremely valuable but I imagine in a number of fields you can have an impressive network and be very knowledgeable but will never break in without the credentials.
- derbOac 6y agoI don't think it's the ability to quickly filter that's the issue, it's the morality of it and/or the long-term costs of doing so. This is why the discussion of meritocracy is so prominent in the last several years, along with a rise in populism.
- awillen 6y agoThe ability to filter isn't the issue, it's what keeps the system in place. Not saying it's a good thing, just that it's the reality of the situation and a reason so many attempts to get rid of the existing university system fall flat.