Comments on: Dropping out: Is college worth the cost?
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- College educations, as expensive as they may be, CAN mean the difference between living paycheck to paycheck, working 2 (or more) part-time jobs, OR living 'The American Dream'. But what IS a person to do when businesses and the government set minimum employment standards REQUIRING a BA/BS degree for job duties which (only 2 decades past) could easily be met by someone with only a high school diploma? For that matter - why does a grade school teacher need a Master's Degree in-order to teach 'readin, rightin and rithmatic'? (pun intended) to a group of 5 year olds? Don't the teacher colleges still 'TEACH' all the knowledge they had 20 years ago?
Sure there ARE exceptional people who have made good for themselves and the world at-large (Gates is one) but there ARE many employment positions (paid jobs and volunteer) which I, for one, wouldn't want filled by anyone lacking the skills and information (e.g.: 'education') commonly attained ONLY through formal training - medicine and aircraft engineering being the first which come to-mind.
Still, EVERYONE should be given the chance to prove themselves 'capable' of doing the job they apply for. The US military still does this with all enlistees - requiring they pass the 'ASVAB' prior to entering basic training SPECIFICALLY to ensure trainees really ARE 'capable' of completing their technical training following graduation from BASIC.
Employers (private and government) should never have stopped performing their OWN applicant testing - relying, instead, upon schools' certification if for no other reason than those schools' practice of 'social promotion' - graduating students out of the school as 'qualified' while still 'incapable'.
Another reason being; many people acquire skills and knowledge ('education') through work experience - either in industry or the military. WHICH person would you rather have in the Control Tower directing your flight through a sudden snow storm - a BA degreed recent graduate of the FAA's civilian training program OR a non-degreed sergeant with decades of tower experience in combat flight control?
In the Capitalist system 'supply and demand' mandates higher prices for scarcer commodities and education IS a commodity but what's happened in the USA defies the capitalistic system - steadily raising prices in defiance of increased supply with some schools (not all of which are corporate owned 'for profit') defrauding students and taxpayers out of millions of dollars each year through such schemes as 'Predatory Lending' and 'Musical Degrees' (wherein students are denied classes needed to graduate, switched to other degree programs for a year or more, then switched BACK to their original major - all the while incurring more expenses paid out of pocket or through the FAFSA program).
The President, Congress, the Senate and State and federal law enforcement authorities share the blame for higher college costs with these schools as they refuse to even investigate, let alone prosecute, those schools run by civil service employees and without punishment, meted out to the guilty, college costs will continue to rise and Americans will sink deeper into debt until this latest 'bubble' bursts - taking the US financial system along with it. - Reply to this comment
- I've always had the highest admiration for inventors-- Edison, Franklin, etc. Doctors, lawyers, accountants-- no thank-you. Unfortunately, too many people bet on the wrong horse, money, when they should be looking for someone who truly loves his or her work. Often the inspiration and motivation starts with the right spouse who gives the encouragement and support the person really needs.
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- He is looking for the exceptional mind. He may be the only one looking for that exceptional mind. I believe he is on the right track. I am an old engineer and have seen enough school product to compare it with the non-schooled product; exceptionalism happens in-spite of college.
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- Publicly, he puts millions into some outlandish projects like funding labs determined to extend life by centuries and floating sea colonies
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LOL LOL
I totally agree with everything the Professor said.
And quite frankly, those peoples' ideas sound like an oversell. I think they see this as a chance to get rich, and rub shoulders with somebody rich and famous. And if things don't pan out, they can always go back to school.
60 minutes better do a follow up on this ... this guy's idea is horrific!!! :o - Reply to this comment
- I really hate this guy's idea because he's projecting himself onto others that don't share his genius.
People who are geniuses might not need college. But you can't then go on and extrapolate general rules by looking at the select few.
And even if college isn't giving people an edge in the job market right NOW, doesn't mean that it couldn't give people an edge in the future once somebody gets elected who is willing to re-engineer global trade which will therefore restore growth to the US economy.
Why is 60 minutes even showing this story? It's outside the box, and the guy is successful. But I hate hearing people diss college. It's unfortunate that he didn't feel like he learned anything valuable while in school that helped turn him into the person he is today - because I don't think that's true. - Reply to this comment
- Some thoughts and questions about Mr. Thiel...
• Mr. Thiel is a billionaire. How do you think he became that wealthy?
• If any of these ideas that these 20 former students have take off and become the next 'big thing', what do you suppose Mr. Thiel's cut will be?
• Statistically speaking, I wonder what the difference would be between a person leaving college early to become a professional athlete vs. leaving college early to focus on a start-up? Or trying either one right out of high school?
• Hypocritical? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/03/11/peter-thiel-university-h_n_1338019.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003 - Reply to this comment
- If students start doing projects in the 9th grade, they'll learn the entrepreneurial spirit early on and keep college as an option. http://******/JDkRxN
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- When educational institutions became more concerned with making money than teaching our children (of all ages) they began to fail. Who is paying now?
Children aren't learning in school like they used to. I know - I home schooled my son after being told that I should 'find another school'. Public schools don't know how to teach a 12-year old with an IQ of 170.
Sure, there are profitable businesses that call themselves 'schools' who would happily take $30 - $80 K a year to 'educate' my son but how would we come up with this kind of money? I am ALL FOR incentives to actually teach people of all ages but I don't think schools are the best options.
Perhaps this business of providing an education needs a little competition to help them to get their priorities straightened out. - Reply to this comment
- People think college is the only way to get ahead. Formal education isn't for everyone, as many innervators and entrepreneurs are not college graduates. Don't get me wrong, as everyone needs to learn and have the basic knowledge to survive in this world. But what college doesn't teach that is necessary to survive is common sense and motivation.
For those who think college will give get them a better job, good luck, as your success depends on you and not the education you paid for.
Rickey C.
Hayward, Ca - Reply to this comment
- Why is this article 'controversial' ? College expenses are through the roof and these talented students have an opportunity to go for their dreams. Businesses in general are fueling the perception of the value of a college education with no credit for time served in the workforce. The idea that people should not be considered employable unless they have a diploma is ridiculous. Bill Gates anyone? The worst thing that could happen to these kids is that they learn something you can't learn in the classroom, they grow as a person and if they want to go back to college they have the $100,000 to do that. This is a win-win for the kids and I salute Peter Thiel for bring this problem to the forefront. We're setting up our kids for crushing student debt and another bubble that's going to pop big time. The looser is the taxpayer who is helping to fund these( worthless for the most part) college degrees.
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