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"You spend it to increase your net worth and hiring price in whatever field you wish to work within." I don't like the direction the world is heading. Knowledg

by hepek 15y ago

"You spend it to increase your net worth and hiring price in whatever field you wish to work within." I don't like the direction the world is heading. Knowledge is not a commodity. Nor are we livestock that is being bred to be sold on The Market. I still hold the illusion that some people go to academia with non-material motives. How could research in some obscure part of some obscure field ever increase your price tag. Yet how can we hope of any academic progress if we base our research on what the economy needs.

iqster 15y ago
Yup ... money isn't everything (for everyone). I knew at least two people in grad school who had sold their startups for decent but not exorbitant paydays and then had come to grad school for personal satisfaction and other non-monetary reasons.
amouat 15y ago
Fully agree. Education should be primarily about furthering knowledge, not finding a job. The same should be true about school as well as Uni. I studied Computer Science because I was interested in it, not because I thought I would make a lot of money. Frankly I deplore the attitude that the only point in education is to get a job. Many (most?) advancements in science occur because of curiosity, not from perceived practical value.
- tmh88j 15y ago
  >Fully agree. Education should be primarily about furthering knowledge, not finding a job. I couldn't agree with you more, but unfortunately I didn't feel this way as an undergrad. While I did enjoy the field of engineering, I was ready to be a "big boy" and start chipping away at my student loans with a real income. Soon after starting my job I was blown away by the level of knowledge of my co-workers and it motivated me to push myself to learn more...about anything! I didn't come from a CS background so I didn't know much about programming or hacking, but I was always fascinated with electronics and technology so I decided to learn how to program. I didn't want to feel like a one trick pony. If I could do undergrad all over again I would have taken more classes that were far out of my realm, possibly even a dual major. I feel like I'm playing catch up, but I'm glad I realized it while I'm only a year out of college and not half-way through my career.
cameldrv 15y ago
I agree. The problem is that the price of college is so high now that you'll be financially ruined if you get a degree that doesn't increase your income. That, and the fact that most non-college-required jobs pay so little, if you're going to have a reasonable lifestyle, you need a career-focused degree.

by hepek 15y ago

iqster 15y ago

Yup ... money isn't everything (for everyone). I knew at least two people in grad school who had sold their startups for decent but not exorbitant paydays and then had come to grad school for personal satisfaction and other non-monetary reasons.

amouat 15y ago

Fully agree. Education should be primarily about furthering knowledge, not finding a job. The same should be true about school as well as Uni. I studied Computer Science because I was interested in it, not because I thought I would make a lot of money. Frankly I deplore the attitude that the only point in education is to get a job. Many (most?) advancements in science occur because of curiosity, not from perceived practical value.

tmh88j 15y ago
>Fully agree. Education should be primarily about furthering knowledge, not finding a job. I couldn't agree with you more, but unfortunately I didn't feel this way as an undergrad. While I did enjoy the field of engineering, I was ready to be a "big boy" and start chipping away at my student loans with a real income. Soon after starting my job I was blown away by the level of knowledge of my co-workers and it motivated me to push myself to learn more...about anything! I didn't come from a CS background so I didn't know much about programming or hacking, but I was always fascinated with electronics and technology so I decided to learn how to program. I didn't want to feel like a one trick pony. If I could do undergrad all over again I would have taken more classes that were far out of my realm, possibly even a dual major. I feel like I'm playing catch up, but I'm glad I realized it while I'm only a year out of college and not half-way through my career.

cameldrv 15y ago

I agree. The problem is that the price of college is so high now that you'll be financially ruined if you get a degree that doesn't increase your income. That, and the fact that most non-college-required jobs pay so little, if you're going to have a reasonable lifestyle, you need a career-focused degree.