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> college is about learning to think critically, and independently Are you sure of that? I know that's the common narrative, but I'm not convinced that's the c

by oskarth 12y ago

> college is about learning to think critically, and independently Are you sure of that? I know that's the common narrative, but I'm not convinced that's the case.

Alupis 12y ago
How are you "not convinced"? There is nothing to convince. College teaches you to write better (critical thinking skills in practice), interpret better (more critical thinking), implement better (yet more critical thinking), etc. Even your major courses teach you critical thinking. Of course you can teach yourself all the material you would learn during major courses. That stuff is largely irrelevant outside of college. If the argument is then "college teaches nothing", well then, I can't argue with you because this is nonsense. Get a degree from a reputable 4 year university and then come tell me it was a total absolute waste of 4 years. You may think that while attending college, but it's wasted effort. The true value of a college education is intangible.
saalweachter 12y ago
I actually went to an interesting talk on this subject. The speaker was a classicist and the subject was the debate which happened in the 1860's about what the focus of education should be: technical training (ag & engineering) or the classical education, which was more focused on "well-roundedness". The technical training camp won. Most of the universities founded at the time (including schools like the Midwest Big Ten, MIT, and Cornell) focused on agriculture and engineering and still do to this day. The classical education was tacked on the side. I think there is a huge swath of the population which isn't represented on Hacker News whom this technical education still serves quite well. The gentleman farmer still benefits from learning about soil chemistry and how crop rotation affects it, and the biology of the livestock he raises. Engineers (real engineers, who use differential equations) and technicians still learn the foundations of their craft needed to start the modern day apprenticeship. Programmers are weird outliers.

by oskarth 12y ago

> college is about learning to think critically, and independently Are you sure of that? I know that's the common narrative, but I'm not convinced that's the case.

Alupis 12y ago

How are you "not convinced"? There is nothing to convince. College teaches you to write better (critical thinking skills in practice), interpret better (more critical thinking), implement better (yet more critical thinking), etc. Even your major courses teach you critical thinking. Of course you can teach yourself all the material you would learn during major courses. That stuff is largely irrelevant outside of college. If the argument is then "college teaches nothing", well then, I can't argue with you because this is nonsense. Get a degree from a reputable 4 year university and then come tell me it was a total absolute waste of 4 years. You may think that while attending college, but it's wasted effort. The true value of a college education is intangible.

saalweachter 12y ago

I actually went to an interesting talk on this subject. The speaker was a classicist and the subject was the debate which happened in the 1860's about what the focus of education should be: technical training (ag & engineering) or the classical education, which was more focused on "well-roundedness". The technical training camp won. Most of the universities founded at the time (including schools like the Midwest Big Ten, MIT, and Cornell) focused on agriculture and engineering and still do to this day. The classical education was tacked on the side. I think there is a huge swath of the population which isn't represented on Hacker News whom this technical education still serves quite well. The gentleman farmer still benefits from learning about soil chemistry and how crop rotation affects it, and the biology of the livestock he raises. Engineers (real engineers, who use differential equations) and technicians still learn the foundations of their craft needed to start the modern day apprenticeship. Programmers are weird outliers.