Colleges, that is enough out of you

[Slew Foot]

I have my BS in ME

HHAHAHAHAHAHHA You're full of shit!!!!

D:

 

[werepossum]

HHAHAHAHAHAHHA You're full of shit!!!!

D:

Just out of curiosity, why would you think he/she would NOT have a BS in ME?

 

[ShawnD1]

There is a place for liberal arts--we need people who are well-versed in human connections for... human connections. Imagine engineers in foreign policy! Our world would be going to hell simply because nobody could deal effectively with anybody else.

George W Bush has a bachelor of arts in history from Yale and he still managed to fuck everything up.

 

[jhu]

I think the Liberal Arts have their place in helping people understand themselves, civil society, and the world. Such education can make better citizens. In some fields, Liberal Arts are pretty useful -- in diplomacy, teaching, military operations (understanding your allies, opponents, other cultures etc).

However, where it comes to products and services that have quantifiable dollar value, the Liberal Arts are generally pretty worthless. A Liberal Arts degree won't help you get a job as a software developer, accountant, chemist, carpenter, engineer, or auto mechanic.

I strongly believe that everyone should receive some Liberal Arts education. But I just as strongly believe that a Liberal Arts education should not be the only education a person receives. What good is being a good citizen if you don't have the skills to get a job to put food on the table?

That's the problem with a lot of college today. A lot of these degrees perhaps make people more able to think about the issues facing people and society, but that's just not enough to make it in this world.

I find liberal arts not all that useful. I went to UCSD. All my friends were going to Revelle because apparently that's what all the pre-meds do. I took a look at all the requirements and said 'fuck that'. I went to Warren instead. Now that I'm a tax payer, I can finally say that literature analysis isn't all that useful in my line of work.

 

[ciba]

NThe only difference is that your debt will be almost $110k from MIT instead of a more reasonable $26k if you attended a public university. Seriously, how do these universities stay in business? Do people line up to throw money in the garbage?

The only difference? I'd say living just outside of Boston is worth quite a bit more than living on the palouse.

 

[fskimospy]

I find liberal arts not all that useful. I went to UCSD. All my friends were going to Revelle because apparently that's what all the pre-meds do. I took a look at all the requirements and said 'fuck that'. I went to Warren instead. Now that I'm a tax payer, I can finally say that literature analysis isn't all that useful in my line of work.

Hey, I went to UCSD too, but I went to Muir. I find the ability to write and convey thoughts in a coherent manner to be immensely useful in my line of work.

What year did you graduate?

 

[jhu]

Hey, I went to UCSD too, but I went to Muir. I find the ability to write and convey thoughts in a coherent manner to be immensely useful in my line of work.

What year did you graduate?

~9 years ago. Muir was my second choice. I don't know why people go to Revelle. Perhaps they like taking the required 6 unit humanities course. Screw that I say. I was in courses with a bunch of engineering majors who didn't really care too much about their grades, which was good for me! And thanks to that particular college's requirements, I ended up with 3 minors, which doesn't really mean much but it sure impresses the ladies (ie, me: hey I graduated with 3 minors. her: wow! let's go back to my place).

 

[jhu]

Just out of curiosity, why would you think he/she would NOT have a BS in ME?

It's a play on words... *whoosh*

 

[Fenixgoon]

Just about any trade out there has a college degree equivalent, where you get the theoretical knowledge as well as as the hands on skills.

Just about all machining-related trades = mechanical engineering. Auto mechanic = automotive engineering. Electrician = electric engineering. Construction = civil engineering.

upon thinking about this a bit, i can now explain (from my engineering view) why college > trade IMO.

a blacksmith knows how to create strong steels, work them into shape, etc. he knows the practice of metallurgy, but not the science. it would only be by sheer luck that he would be able to continually improve steel manufacturing/quality.

however, in studying the science of metallurgy, you are able to understand *WHY* things happen - why steels become strong upon quenching, tougher upon tempering, what makes them strong, and how to continually create stronger/tougher steels.

ironically, alloying is still largely driven by empiricism, *but* scientific understand of metallurgy, which really only began about 1930, is what truly led to the explosion in metals technology. CNTs in damascus steel, for example, was merely a coincidence of practice, rather than a design choice (unless someone happened to have had a TEM 500 years ago) and it is only today why were are understanding what made damascus steel superior to other types.

so in short, teaching the skill of metallurgy is important, but learning the science of metallurgy will allow you to make much greater technological leaps in the long run.

at least, that's my take on it. i am not downplaying trade skills at all - i think they're quite important, and moreover,would *love* to learn blacksmithing, machining, and mechanic skills (currently trying to learn motorcycles) and they most certainly are valuable trade skills.

 

[WhipperSnapper]

Forbes published an article that describes the Education Arms Race that I have been talking about.

Jobless Gen Ys Turn to Grad School

What's surprising is that the rush to graduate school seems insensitive to either negative publicity or dismal job prospects. The vilification of Wall Street and bankers doesn't have students shunning business programs.

Why are people running to grad school? Because they are hoping that a higher level degree will trump the hordes of people who have mere Bachelors degrees. They are hoping to escape the rising tide of misery, unemployment, and underemployment that has engulfed people with Bachelors degrees. However, they don't realize that the gravy train has already left the station and that hordes of other people had the exact same idea. Having been indoctrinated since early childhood with the belief that higher education would guarantee the ability to earn a solid middle class income, they have come to grad school. What our parents and what the media, pundits, and our politicians never told us is that the mantra only holds true if few other people follow it.

 

[Xonoahbin]

George W Bush has a bachelor of arts in history from Yale and he still managed to fuck everything up.

Fair point in some ways, but I never said that having a liberal arts degree automatically makes you better. On a general level though, I think that people who do not have experience in the humanities would be significantly less useful on the level of foreign policy or communications. I really can't imagine engineers running foreign policy, even if liberal arts majors can sometimes screw up foreign policy as well. It seems to me that we could be worse off that way.

 

[Triumph]

Herbert Hoover was an engineer.

 

[Xonoahbin]

Herbert Hoover was an engineer.

Thank you! Look what kind of mess he helped us into

 

[jhu]

Herbert Hoover was an engineer.

Truman didn't even have a college degree.