Article: Students increasingly treat college as a transaction

[Anonymous]

I’m not surprised that more students are viewing higher education as vocational training, due to the high cost of a diploma. Kids are feeling pressured to major in lucrative fields vs ones that fit their interests or personality.

Many jobs of the future probably haven’t even been invented yet, so in my opinion, a liberal arts education at the undergraduate level is valuable in teaching students how to learn and adapt. I recognize that my view is in the minority now.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Even when I went to college in the 80's professors were held to zero standards. They cared more about research than teaching. They were terrible at teaching. My tuition literally was just being used to subsidize their research which is mostly garbage and advances nothing.

I wanted to go to college and learn from a teacher. But I didn't. I taught myself or hired tutors.

I would rather learn from a teacher than a professor and I wish there were colleges with the sole purpose of teaching the students.

The current college model is trash.

Where did you go? There are many colleges focused on educating undergrads.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Even when I went to college in the 80's professors were held to zero standards. They cared more about research than teaching. They were terrible at teaching. My tuition literally was just being used to subsidize their research which is mostly garbage and advances nothing.

I wanted to go to college and learn from a teacher. But I didn't. I taught myself or hired tutors.

I would rather learn from a teacher than a professor and I wish there were colleges with the sole purpose of teaching the students.

The current college model is trash.

Where did you go? There are many colleges focused on educating undergrads.

I did engineering at UMCP.

But my friends who went to Richmond, Villanova, Providence, Yale, Dartmouth, UVA, UFLA, JMU, ... we all discuss how teachers did not teach, you literally read the book and took the test... but most of them were business majors or english -> law school.... which I could not do in Engineering, I needed someone to teach me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Even when I went to college in the 80's professors were held to zero standards. They cared more about research than teaching. They were terrible at teaching. My tuition literally was just being used to subsidize their research which is mostly garbage and advances nothing.

I wanted to go to college and learn from a teacher. But I didn't. I taught myself or hired tutors.

I would rather learn from a teacher than a professor and I wish there were colleges with the sole purpose of teaching the students.

The current college model is trash.

I went to a small school with excellent undergraduate teaching, although it wasn’t as highly ranked as schools that focused on research. Look at who will be teaching your classes. TA’s or full professors? Is the school’s priority undergrads or grad students? That makes a huge difference in the quality of education. Will you be just a number in a large lecture hall, or will you get to know your professors well?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:colleges treat students as a transaction so .. this seems totally reasonable.

LOL +10

[Anonymous]

College is mainly a stepping stone for job/career.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Back when people read philosophy in college and the like, the assumption was that employers hired bright people and then trained them. The real issue today isn’t universities but employers who no longer provide any training. This puts us in the situation where either your university now teaches project management and data analysis or the student pays for boot camps and the like later on their own. The fault is really the employers who don’t want a broadly educated workforce. They just want serfs

Recent grads are complaining about this a lot. Companies seem to have forgotten what it's like to be a new grad in your first real job. The problem has been compounded by the number of new grads who are starting their jobs as remote workers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Back when people read philosophy in college and the like, the assumption was that employers hired bright people and then trained them. The real issue today isn’t universities but employers who no longer provide any training. This puts us in the situation where either your university now teaches project management and data analysis or the student pays for boot camps and the like later on their own. The fault is really the employers who don’t want a broadly educated workforce. They just want serfs

Recent grads are complaining about this a lot. Companies seem to have forgotten what it's like to be a new grad in your first real job. The problem has been compounded by the number of new grads who are starting their jobs as remote workers.

Big reason internship/coop is getting more and more important, and schools like Northeastern is getting insanely popular.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Do they mean “transformational” like a a huge wake up call to be accountable, work hard in class, and adult? And you may be just a so-so student despite the hard work?

Or “transformational” like a calm yoga retreat with a healthy drink? Fun and tasty?

Too many kids are thinking the latter.

For 90k a year, why not both

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The cost of college is the main issue. Very few can afford intellectual exploration at 90k/year or even 30k/year.

+1 I went to a state U back in the early 90s where it was very much the norm that it took 5 years to graduate and 6 was not uncommon. But tuition/fees were only $500 per quarter (that's not a typo) and part of the 5 years was usually a 2-quarter coop. So nobody cared that it took longer to graduate.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:colleges treat students as a transaction so .. this seems totally reasonable.

+1

BS holistic admissions, insane college costs. So, the kids and their parents play the game.

It's not up to the college students to change things. It's up to the adults, the colleges and society in general.

The kids are a product of our society.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Back when people read philosophy in college and the like, the assumption was that employers hired bright people and then trained them. The real issue today isn’t universities but employers who no longer provide any training. This puts us in the situation where either your university now teaches project management and data analysis or the student pays for boot camps and the like later on their own. The fault is really the employers who don’t want a broadly educated workforce. They just want serfs

Recent grads are complaining about this a lot. Companies seem to have forgotten what it's like to be a new grad in your first real job. The problem has been compounded by the number of new grads who are starting their jobs as remote workers.

Big reason internship/coop is getting more and more important, and schools like Northeastern is getting insanely popular.

A lot of schools have co op programs. But yes, work experience in college and Co op, especially if you're an engineer, is super helpful.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:As others have said, it comes down to how expensive college is now (thanks Obama).

Paying for something that can range from $15k - $90k a year, you're damn right people expect to get their money's worth. And with so many jobs requiring a degree, even when it doesn't make sense, college has become a means to an end.

? What did Obama have to do with college costs?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:colleges treat students as a transaction so .. this seems totally reasonable.

+1

BS holistic admissions, insane college costs. So, the kids and their parents play the game.

It's not up to the college students to change things. It's up to the adults, the colleges and society in general.

The kids are a product of our society.

College students are adults.

[Anonymous]

You don't pay $30K - $90K for hobbying around.