Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you haven't been through an American University, you really can't judge.

I was hoping your post would talk about how they raise tuition to cover gyms, fancy dorms and amenities. I have only good things to say about the education I received though.

My children have and I have come to this conclusion having had conversations with them. So much money goes into "general ed" classes such as P.E. or Public Speaking 101. And you are correct, the students do NOt need fancy dormitories or state of the art laundry facilities or Gourmet cafeteria food. Excess at its worst.

So you picked one overpriced private college designed for kids from rich families and decided that this represents every university in the country. I went to a state school and never had to take a public speaking class. Every semester I took at least one math class and one science class and sometimes more than one class of each. Yes, I had to take general education classes such as English, humanities, and social sciences. I would never have chosen those classes for myself but the requirements are there so we can broaden our views of the world. That is one of the many reasons we go to college.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are you from OP?

I am from Pakistan. We do not have a public school system to speak of but we do have some really well regarded private schools which are actually more rigorous than most American public schools and probably some privates. We also have solid medical and STEM colleges where students actually go to learn.

You also have many villages where children, particularly girls, are not even able to obtain a basic education. Maybe that ought to concern you more than whether a student at an American university has distribution requirements.

I'm pretty sure you think that the only career worth studying for is a physician. A student must complete a 4 year undergraduate degree before attending another 4 year medical school. There is no "pre-med" major but many study a related science if medical school is their goal. To attend medical school, the student must score well on an exam called the MCAT. Only the best students with the best undergraduate grades and the best scores on the MCAT are admitted to medical school. It is not something where any student who takes 4 particular courses is guaranteed to get in.

Also, not all students do the bare minimum in those years. Since you are paying for "school" and not per course in this system, my brother actually took enough courses to get two bachelor degrees. Not a double major; he earned two degrees.

I can't make gross generalizations (like the OP is), but for me, I had to work in college. So it was a very good system for me to be able to get my work hours done, get my classes and study time in, all while keeping at the same schedule as my peers.

I think the alternative is work a bunch to save up and then go to college, work full time and go at night but take 6-7 years to do it, that kind of thing. This allowed me to keep my scholarships, earn enough money for books and then work summers to have some savings for the next year of school.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are you from OP?

I am from Pakistan. We do not have a public school system to speak of but we do have some really well regarded private schools which are actually more rigorous than most American public schools and probably some privates. We also have solid medical and STEM colleges where students actually go to learn.

Which is why everyone is flocking to Pakistan for their fantastic universities.

Pakistan actually has really well regarded Medical and STEM institutions. Our liberal arts suck.

Anonymous wrote:If you haven't been through an American University, you really can't judge.

I was hoping your post would talk about how they raise tuition to cover gyms, fancy dorms and amenities. I have only good things to say about the education I received though.

My children have and I have come to this conclusion having had conversations with them. So much money goes into "general ed" classes such as P.E. or Public Speaking 101. And you are correct, the students do NOt need fancy dormitories or state of the art laundry facilities or Gourmet cafeteria food. Excess at its worst.

I'm sure that Pakistani universities do a great job of teaching critical thinking. LOL

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Where are you from OP?

I am from Pakistan. We do not have a public school system to speak of but we do have some really well regarded private schools which are actually more rigorous than most American public schools and probably some privates. We also have solid medical and STEM colleges where students actually go to learn.

Which is why everyone is flocking to Pakistan for their fantastic universities.

If you haven't been through an American University, you really can't judge.

I was hoping your post would talk about how they raise tuition to cover gyms, fancy dorms and amenities. I have only good things to say about the education I received though.

Anonymous wrote:Where are you from OP?

I am from Pakistan. We do not have a public school system to speak of but we do have some really well regarded private schools which are actually more rigorous than most American public schools and probably some privates. We also have solid medical and STEM colleges where students actually go to learn.

If this is so, then why is the U.S. consistently ranked at the very top of all countries for higher education?

http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Global-Issues/2012/0516/College-rankings-Which-countries-have-the-best-education-systems/No.-1-United-States

http://www.universitas21.com/article/projects/details/152/u21-ranking-of-national-higher-education-systems

https://www.timeshighereducation.com/world-university-rankings/2010-11/world-ranking/analysis/usa-top-universities

Where are you from OP?

Oooooooookay, OP.

The longer I observe the American college system, the more I am confused by it. In America, an average college major requires you to take 10-12 classes. You get 4 years to complete them. It takes 2 years tops to complete those courses and the other two years are usually squandered away by students because college here is a 4 year vacation paid for by mommy and daddy. Most schools do not really provide much academic rigor and are just easy diploma factories. Also, whats up with the "college experience?" What does that even mean? You go to school to specialize in a field so you can get your degree and join the workforce.

Don't even get me started on the medical education system here. A student takes 4 classes in undergrad to qualify as "premed" and then spends another 4 years getting a medical degree. Most other countries have medical colleges where students get MDs after graduating college!