I should start off by saying I love school.
I love colleges and the purpose of universities. I love the idea that a place exists to teach knowledge that creates an environment to support people having great ideas and achievements. I've spent the last 13 years pursuing 2 bachelors degrees, 1 masters, and am now finishing up my doctorate in Sociology. As a graduate student I worked as a teaching assistant and then an instructor teaching undergraduate level courses for six years. I worked as a program evaluator for one university doing surveys and focus groups to make the university a better place.
That being said I often feel discouraged by what many colleges have become...a cash cow. For many colleges, they are no longer a place focusing on intellectualism.The goal isn't to produce great ideas and research.
For many universities the focus in now on the business of education.
It's because of this shift from education to making money that I have become frustrated with the whole system. I remember as a kid I was always told if you want to get a good job and make a lot of money you need to go to college. My mom was a single mom who worked as a hair stylist. We were poor and my mom constantly struggled to make enough money. "Grow up and go to college" was said to me over and over because it was believed to be the solution to get out of poverty.
Record Enrollment This Semester!!! (Translation: Money, Money, Money!)
That belief is still very strong. Colleges where I live are constantly boasting they are having record enrollments each year. More scholarships and the ease of getting student loans make it simple to pay for an education. Colleges lower their standards so more people qualify to get admitted.
When I hear a college is bragging about record enrollment statistics I don't see this as completely good. When college becomes a business the focus goes more on numbers than on the quality of education.
To have a bachelors degree is no longer special in terms of finding jobs. At one time if you had a college degree you were something special. Today, there are so many people with bachelors degrees that there are no jobs. The masters degree has now become what a bachelors degree use to be and more people are seeking even higher degrees (taking out more student loans) to compete in the job market.
All Those Chairs and A Clock Above The Teachers Podium (wonder what the students will watch more?)
The idea that every kid needs to grow up to go to college isn't necessarily a great idea if the quality of the education is lowered and the degree will be useless due to an oversaturated market. If someone wants to go to college to gain knowledge, to be intellectually stimulated, and to learn more about things they are interested in, then I fully support those people.
The shame are the people who go to college just for the degree...and those are a dime a dozen. As a graduate instructor I taught introductory auditorium classes for Sociology with 100+ students in each class. Very rarely did I teach a class where students were majoring in Sociology. I taught countless nurses, engineers, business majors, and more. Kids who wouldn't use the knowledge I was teaching them. Colleges boast record enrollments which as a teacher means class sizes go up and more classes are moved online to cram more students into the money pit. Large classes aren't designed to enhance learning. A teacher can't give 100+ students one-on-one attention, good discussions, or assignments designed to enhance learning.
Books: A Small Thing Containing Whole Worlds Of Knowledge
For me a 100+ student class meant I couldn't learn all my students names, kids didn't feel comfortable having intellectual discussions, and taking care of grading and lesson plans took a huge amount of time. When I taught large classes I felt as if I didn't know my students or the effects my class had on them. I did have some small classes (15 to 30 students) and those were amazing. I knew every students name. I got to talk with every student, had interactive assignments, and knew at the end of the semester I made a difference.
The Pixabay University Woman
She's Smiling Because She Made The University Tons Of Money Off of Signing Students Up For Student Loans
That's why I don't think college should be for everyone. Because when everyone goes to college, the quality of the education people receive slips off. Because when having a degree stops being special, it makes taking out those student loans a big mistake.
I wish that colleges could turn their focus back on education and not the money. I remember upper level professors influencing me to keep my classes easy so students could have a simple time passing. Students are given powerpoint slides and other tools to ensure they can get passing grades by pretty much having the answers handed to them. This isn't education to me. Education is being challenged to think critically and actually learn material to pass a class.
I understand that a degree hold status in society. I understand that it does help people get jobs. I just think it's a shame it's so common for people leave a university with a piece of paper and no greater knowledge of the world. They spend 4 years going to classes that are designed to pass mass amounts of students instead of being challenged to truly learn.
Great post! As someone who has spent 9 years studying in universities, I can totally relate. Most of what I'm using in my work today is due to self-study. Universities have definitely turned into business centers and the value of a college degree is depleting by the day...
Thank you for reading! I'm glad your enjoyed it and I'm glad to meet another long term student. I think lots of skills can be learned from self-study that would be useful in jobs. People just have to be dedicated to teaching themselves skills.
So true!!!! The system is messed up and the students are getting screwed.. no wonder many students get into depressions.. pressures are too high some times.. i can tell.. I will be glad if I get my bachelor degree in July
I know I've been depressed thinking of my student loans I'll have to pay back someday. It's a lot of pressure to go to college and then find a job when none are available. Good luck getting your degree. I hope you are successful in whatever you do after college.
I had a ton of fun at the university I went to! But since I went the self-employed route afterward, I regret really badly not going with the half or full ride to a "lesser" university. Pretty sure it was a waste of money :(
I had so much fun at my university I decided to stay in school 13 years. lol. Self-employed sounds impressive though. At least you are your own boss and in control of things.
Thanks but a failed business and unable to get another "good job" isn't very impressive!
Sorry. I was trying to be encouraging. Didn't know your situation. I wish you the best of luck though and hope you do get an amazing job.
It isn't a big deal, not at risk of going broke by any means. However, the job hunt the last year has been incredibly discouraging. And to the point of this topic, my degree (and "good grades" at a "good university") are 100% meaningless.
It's a sytematic problem, but it only stays a problem when we let it. There are a lot of factors and sides to consider though. It's the fault of employers who take college graduates over non-graduates when the job doesn't require such specific education or when on-job training is part of the job description, and the way they are always trying to pay as little as they can for hard work. It's government which usually protects the interests of the largest companies so we all feel more inclined to compete. It's us for buying into the competitive narrative “Competition leads to progress", well sometimes it leads to shit. It's public (and private) education that focuses so much on test scores and building other credentials that don't really mean anything in the real world that students have no idea what they want to do with their lives.
I could keep going. Thanks for your post. I like to engage with these kinds of topics.
And thank you for taking the time to make a well thought out comment. There is a lot more to it than I put in my post. Along with what you covered I also could have gone into how education has changed so that students aren't prepared for college in high school (lacking basic skills to write and read and study). I have stories of students who could have benefited from a year off in the real world to gain maturity before entering college. Another side is choosing trades over college. My uncle who is a self-employed mechanic made more than me with a masters degree. Educating people in non-college skills is profitable but lacks social status in comparison. Oh dear...so many things that could be covered.
I am not like you in that I hated school. I learn very quickly when I have a goal and am left alone with books and resources. As soon as you throw a test into the mix, I lose the passion and get so lazy. I was getting D's in university until I started to study for subjects I would be taking next semester, then I started getting A's because that extra time gave me a lot of freedom to take an interest.
Hi, we have upvoted and resteemed your post. Please follow us @steemiteducation and help us to make a difference! Use the education tag so that we can find your posts easier. :)
That's very kind of you. I appreciate the resteem. I'll be sure to follow and use your tag if I do anymore education related posts.
I love this post! I also love hearing Mike Rowe (from the show Dirty Jobs) talk about his stance on education. The college degree isn't as special because everyone is getting it and there are only so many jobs available for that degree. Technical schools on the other hand are way under valued. They are a lot cheaper to attend and you are more likely to get a job right after you graduate because those jobs are available. A lot of people want a cushy office job and do not want to do manual labor and getting a little dirty/sweaty.
I hadn't heard Mike Rowe's stance. I do agree with what you say about technical schools though. Those jobs involve manual labor and can be dirty so people aren't attracted to them. People in them however can make good money and may be able to find jobs easier. I have family members who are mechanics, air condition specialists, and plumbers and they all were able to own their own businesses and make more money than me with a masters degree.
Mike Rowe has his own foundation and slogan! http://www.theblaze.com/news/2013/10/23/mike-rowe-of-dirty-jobs-speaks-about-hard-work-how-many-are-following-the-worst-advice-in-the-history-of-the-world/
http://profoundlydisconnected.com/
Hi @marxrab, your sentiments are echoed a hundred-fold in the blog: http://professorconfess.blogspot.com/
Seems to me that at the heart of the scam is accreditation. This isn't just an American problem. I wish there were schools left with the guts to forego accreditation. (This is a long issue!)
I hadn't thought about that before. Accreditation is an interesting thing. I remember when I was looking for colleges back when I was in high school and my parents telling me to to pick an accredited college. The belief that some schools follow higher standards by getting that label can influence a school to charge more money under the belief that kids will get a better education. The whole college system is frustrating.
One question. What's the total amount you owe in your student loan?
A lady never reveals the exact amount of her debt. lol Enough to pay for out of state tuition for 5 years for graduate level classes.
HOLY SHIT. THAT'S INSANE. You better pay them off as soon as you can. They'll just keep compounding on you down the road.