4 ms·

The point of college isn't to learn. It's to get a white collar job. To get a white collar job you need a network and a diploma, private tutor gives you neither

The point of college isn't to learn. It's to get a white collar job. To get a white collar job you need a network and a diploma, private tutor gives you neither.

treeman79 5y ago
You just made a good argument for eliminating college. Or at least any tax payer money for it.
xyzzy21 5y ago
The problem with this oft trotted out theory is that: • Extraverts don't need college to network - the skill is to innate they never need an expensive excuse • Introverts won't learn to network even if put into an ideal environment for doing it - most people who claim university didn't enable networking are usually introverts • This leaves people are in the middle of being extroverted or introverts who need just a nudge. That's less than 5% of the population - so the claim of "networking" is mostly only helping a tiny minority and doesn't benefit the majority. I'm one of those middle people in the last group and quite honestly I didn't even benefit - I wasn't "ready" for the opportunity. Once I had a job in my industry, that's when it "all made sense" and tapped into my extrovert side to enormous advantage. My current job primarily involves tapping into that post-university network for sales leads, collaboration partners, vendor opportunities, etc. I only recently got in touch with my university friends and most "weren't useful" to what I do today. One switched from EE to Gerontology. Another is still mentally in university (don't ask). Most aren't in fields I interact much with despite nominally being EE grads.
- colinmhayes 5y ago
  It is much easier to network in college, no matter how extraverted you are. Career fairs commonly require you to be a student to attend, so I'm not sure how being an extravert accomplishes anything for the most common way for students to network. Anyway, the diploma is what's actually important. Most white collar jobs won't even look at you if you don't have one.
- musicale 5y ago
  As you note, "networking" is often just having access to college career fairs, where companies go to hire for the internships which are required for later employment.
slackfan 5y ago
I had a stable, white collar job approximately midway through college. Some of the best engineers I've worked with in my career don't have a degree. This wasn't that long ago either. The network reasoning for college is vastly overstated.

The point of college isn't to learn. It's to get a white collar job. To get a white collar job you need a network and a diploma, private tutor gives you neither.

treeman79 5y ago

You just made a good argument for eliminating college. Or at least any tax payer money for it.

xyzzy21 5y ago

The problem with this oft trotted out theory is that: • Extraverts don't need college to network - the skill is to innate they never need an expensive excuse • Introverts won't learn to network even if put into an ideal environment for doing it - most people who claim university didn't enable networking are usually introverts • This leaves people are in the middle of being extroverted or introverts who need just a nudge. That's less than 5% of the population - so the claim of "networking" is mostly only helping a tiny minority and doesn't benefit the majority. I'm one of those middle people in the last group and quite honestly I didn't even benefit - I wasn't "ready" for the opportunity. Once I had a job in my industry, that's when it "all made sense" and tapped into my extrovert side to enormous advantage. My current job primarily involves tapping into that post-university network for sales leads, collaboration partners, vendor opportunities, etc. I only recently got in touch with my university friends and most "weren't useful" to what I do today. One switched from EE to Gerontology. Another is still mentally in university (don't ask). Most aren't in fields I interact much with despite nominally being EE grads.

colinmhayes 5y ago
It is much easier to network in college, no matter how extraverted you are. Career fairs commonly require you to be a student to attend, so I'm not sure how being an extravert accomplishes anything for the most common way for students to network. Anyway, the diploma is what's actually important. Most white collar jobs won't even look at you if you don't have one.
musicale 5y ago
As you note, "networking" is often just having access to college career fairs, where companies go to hire for the internships which are required for later employment.

slackfan 5y ago

I had a stable, white collar job approximately midway through college. Some of the best engineers I've worked with in my career don't have a degree. This wasn't that long ago either. The network reasoning for college is vastly overstated.