5 ms·

Are students less motivated or disciplined in the US than other parts of the developed world where higher education is free/compensated?

ThrowawayR2 2y ago
Many educators have pointed out that cuts in government funding for higher education in the US now mean that the student is the paying customer and, as they say, "the customer is always right". Institutions have financial motivations to overlook students' incompetence, cheating, and other misbehavior as long as they keep paying tuition fees.
- WalterBright 2y ago
  I bet those students with free rides (and free loans) would do better in college if they were required to hold down a job to pay for some of that. I know I became more diligent with my studies when I started writing tuition checks out of my earnings.
  - paulryanrogers 2y ago
    When my parents couldn't help with college payments, I did worse because of stress and divided attention
    - WalterBright 2y ago
      Helping you implies you were also contributing to the payments.
      - Apocryphon 2y ago
        And also implies that they lived through an example that disproves your supposition.
WalterBright 2y ago
It's just human nature, and human nature is the same everywhere. I know a German who spent over 20 years in the German university system, taking advantage of every free program so she wouldn't have to get a job. For a well known trope, the spawn of first generation wealthy people tend to dissipate that wealth. They didn't work for it, and so they don't value it. It's why people look down on nepotism. Things not earned are not valued.
- drakonka 2y ago
  And I know an American who spent years trying to get through a degree program that he never ended up completing because he was too burned out having to work multiple jobs to live at the same time. Just like I know plenty of Swedes who have and continue to study, developing their knowledge and curiosity for free while being enthusiastically productive members of society. We all have anecdotes.

ThrowawayR2 2y ago

Many educators have pointed out that cuts in government funding for higher education in the US now mean that the student is the paying customer and, as they say, "the customer is always right". Institutions have financial motivations to overlook students' incompetence, cheating, and other misbehavior as long as they keep paying tuition fees.

WalterBright 2y ago
I bet those students with free rides (and free loans) would do better in college if they were required to hold down a job to pay for some of that. I know I became more diligent with my studies when I started writing tuition checks out of my earnings.
- paulryanrogers 2y ago
  When my parents couldn't help with college payments, I did worse because of stress and divided attention
  - WalterBright 2y ago
    Helping you implies you were also contributing to the payments.
    - Apocryphon 2y ago
      And also implies that they lived through an example that disproves your supposition.

WalterBright 2y ago

It's just human nature, and human nature is the same everywhere. I know a German who spent over 20 years in the German university system, taking advantage of every free program so she wouldn't have to get a job. For a well known trope, the spawn of first generation wealthy people tend to dissipate that wealth. They didn't work for it, and so they don't value it. It's why people look down on nepotism. Things not earned are not valued.

drakonka 2y ago
And I know an American who spent years trying to get through a degree program that he never ended up completing because he was too burned out having to work multiple jobs to live at the same time. Just like I know plenty of Swedes who have and continue to study, developing their knowledge and curiosity for free while being enthusiastically productive members of society. We all have anecdotes.