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All your criticisms only apply because you got a "worthless humanities undergraduate degree". My computer science degree sure came in handy, and I would recomme

by lacker 12y ago

All your criticisms only apply because you got a "worthless humanities undergraduate degree". My computer science degree sure came in handy, and I would recommend it to anyone.

Chevalier 12y ago
Well, I did say the following: >We should subsidize higher education for fields with high ROI, and immediately cease subsidies and loans for all other academic pursuits. In practice, this means doctors and scientists can and should go to college for free; poets can join a book club or pay out of pocket. But while I support subsidizing STEM degrees, including CS, this is one of the few professional fields where credentialism really isn't that necessary. You can easily take CS classes through MOOCs for free and sit for Microsoft certification or some equivalent if you'd like outside verification of your knowledge. Otherwise, it's more than possible to just enter the work force directly out of high school if you're capable of the work. Silicon Valley should be considered a role model for nearly every other professional field. There's no reason for lawyers to need juris doctors rather than apprenticeships. Banks benefit from the sorting functions of higher education, but a great deal of the work doesn't require advanced courses. And let's not start on the inflated credentialism that's crept into teaching, nursing, policing, or virtually all middle-class professions.
forthefuture 12y ago
I think the point is that the information you learned isn't exclusive to degree seekers. Every book you read in class could have been read outside of class, and for most people the only difference in their ability to learn on their own is motivation. Paying to be motivated is not the same as paying for education. The cost of the education is $200 per book, anything more than that is free money for people who tell you to read the books.

by lacker 12y ago

All your criticisms only apply because you got a "worthless humanities undergraduate degree". My computer science degree sure came in handy, and I would recommend it to anyone.

Chevalier 12y ago

Well, I did say the following: >We should subsidize higher education for fields with high ROI, and immediately cease subsidies and loans for all other academic pursuits. In practice, this means doctors and scientists can and should go to college for free; poets can join a book club or pay out of pocket. But while I support subsidizing STEM degrees, including CS, this is one of the few professional fields where credentialism really isn't that necessary. You can easily take CS classes through MOOCs for free and sit for Microsoft certification or some equivalent if you'd like outside verification of your knowledge. Otherwise, it's more than possible to just enter the work force directly out of high school if you're capable of the work. Silicon Valley should be considered a role model for nearly every other professional field. There's no reason for lawyers to need juris doctors rather than apprenticeships. Banks benefit from the sorting functions of higher education, but a great deal of the work doesn't require advanced courses. And let's not start on the inflated credentialism that's crept into teaching, nursing, policing, or virtually all middle-class professions.

forthefuture 12y ago

I think the point is that the information you learned isn't exclusive to degree seekers. Every book you read in class could have been read outside of class, and for most people the only difference in their ability to learn on their own is motivation. Paying to be motivated is not the same as paying for education. The cost of the education is $200 per book, anything more than that is free money for people who tell you to read the books.