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Actually learning things is easier than ever. The "educational Monopoly" can't sell themselves on the pretense of sharing knowledge anymore; they have to base t

Actually learning things is easier than ever. The "educational Monopoly" can't sell themselves on the pretense of sharing knowledge anymore; they have to base their value of the artificial scarcity of "certification," which is a different thing entirely. To my eye many employers would do better to look at people's Steam stats than at "educational achievement" as its currently shaped: Someone who put 2,000 hours into "Skyrim" can sit and tolerate pointless bullshit without going psychotic. There's doesn't need to be 4 years of institutionalization and suffering to prove that, anymore.

nicksiscoe 5y ago
Not that this is super relevant to the article’s thesis, but regardless of necessity… people still like going to college. People will continue to value a college education because people continue to value going to college. People like going to the state school and rooting for the big football team they grew up adoring. People like going to prestigious institutions and feeling like they’re achieving things that others are not. People like meeting hundreds of new friends every semester, partying on the weekends, learning constantly, and living in an environment outside of the control of their parents/guardians for 4 (and often more) years before the necessities of adulthood demand more effort and action. College is fun and gratifying for millions of people, so it’s not crazy that the world continues to give it “artificial” prestige
yummypaint 5y ago
Maybe it's that software people are the majority on HN, and perhaps this statement can be true of CS majors, but it most definitely isn't true in general. It's also quite sad that so many people have apparently made so little of their time in college. If you are studying chemistry for example, doing lab work with real equipment and reagents is absolutely essential for gaining basic competency. If you want to actually, properly, learn and apply quantum field theory or the standard model of particle physics or other highly technical models, there is no substitute for face to face discussions with a true expert. In the US those experts reside almost exclusively at universities and national labs. Universities also serve important and often less-appreciated roles in sustaining the government through both research and talent pipelines. The need to maintain these pipelines can itself be a major source of research funding (the department of homeland security's SSAP program for example).
- netizen-936824 5y ago
  This is a great point. Too many times I've heard of people skating by and not trying to learn anything in school. I keep hearing from others that they think a degree is only about the ability to stick with something. I call bullshit, just because those people don't care and didn't try doesn't mean that the system is worthless when it comes to actual learning. We need to change the perspective of people on education from "just need degree to get a job" to "going to school to learn things which can be applied later or build a solid foundation for later learning" Employment is important (I guess? private companies just exploit labor but that's another topic) but you can do so much more with a good education than just "get job"
  - yummypaint 5y ago
    I think this is a key distinction made in europe that we could benefit from. German high school for instance leaves people closer to where most Americans are after college, and that is considered enough to have a well paying and productive career. People who go to college and grad school generally pay nothing and receive free food etc, and that is possible in part because the system isn't flooded with people who are forced to be there to check a box.

nicksiscoe 5y ago

Not that this is super relevant to the article’s thesis, but regardless of necessity… people still like going to college. People will continue to value a college education because people continue to value going to college. People like going to the state school and rooting for the big football team they grew up adoring. People like going to prestigious institutions and feeling like they’re achieving things that others are not. People like meeting hundreds of new friends every semester, partying on the weekends, learning constantly, and living in an environment outside of the control of their parents/guardians for 4 (and often more) years before the necessities of adulthood demand more effort and action. College is fun and gratifying for millions of people, so it’s not crazy that the world continues to give it “artificial” prestige

yummypaint 5y ago

Maybe it's that software people are the majority on HN, and perhaps this statement can be true of CS majors, but it most definitely isn't true in general. It's also quite sad that so many people have apparently made so little of their time in college. If you are studying chemistry for example, doing lab work with real equipment and reagents is absolutely essential for gaining basic competency. If you want to actually, properly, learn and apply quantum field theory or the standard model of particle physics or other highly technical models, there is no substitute for face to face discussions with a true expert. In the US those experts reside almost exclusively at universities and national labs. Universities also serve important and often less-appreciated roles in sustaining the government through both research and talent pipelines. The need to maintain these pipelines can itself be a major source of research funding (the department of homeland security's SSAP program for example).

netizen-936824 5y ago
This is a great point. Too many times I've heard of people skating by and not trying to learn anything in school. I keep hearing from others that they think a degree is only about the ability to stick with something. I call bullshit, just because those people don't care and didn't try doesn't mean that the system is worthless when it comes to actual learning. We need to change the perspective of people on education from "just need degree to get a job" to "going to school to learn things which can be applied later or build a solid foundation for later learning" Employment is important (I guess? private companies just exploit labor but that's another topic) but you can do so much more with a good education than just "get job"
- yummypaint 5y ago
  I think this is a key distinction made in europe that we could benefit from. German high school for instance leaves people closer to where most Americans are after college, and that is considered enough to have a well paying and productive career. People who go to college and grad school generally pay nothing and receive free food etc, and that is possible in part because the system isn't flooded with people who are forced to be there to check a box.