Reply to Is getting a college degree just a huge scam?

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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Education isn't just a vocational undertaking. [b]We want plumbers, sure. But we also want citizens. We want people who know how to live life with a sense of purpose and meaning.
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Paying $30k/year to learn how to make widgets isn't really the best investment. But if you find a place that helps you land a higher paying job and teaches you what you need to know to be a more complete person, then it's a good investment. [/quote]

This is a disgusting and demeaning point of view.  Why would plumbers be less than "citizens" and why wouldn't someone who chose a trade like plumbing "know how to live life with a sense of purpose and meaning?"  [/quote]

I agree with the PP's statement that we want all citizens to be educated sufficiently so that they can be informed and active participants in our democracy. I don't agree that college is the only way to make that happen. A high school education should provide a sufficient foundation for most individuals.  Of course, there is a question of whether a high school education in this country actually does that (probably not).

I also agree that education isn't necessarily vocational training; however, education also should not be viewed in a vacuum without consideration of finances. If you are full pay and graduate with a degree in an esoteric major without any idea of how you will earn a living, was your perceived ticket to "a sense of purpose and meaning" worth it?

By definition, a scam is a fraudulent or deceptive scheme. Whether college is scam depends on what you think you are getting out of it. If, as the first poster suggests, college is nothing more than an opportunity to learn for education's sake, then it isn't a scam. If, on the other hand, you believe that college is a great equalizer and a ticket to a well-paying job and career, it might well be a scam if you graduate with no marketable skills.

I think that Maher is on point when he suggests that sending everyone to college does not promote equality and financial security as has been promised.[/quote]

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