College Student Earns 4.0 GPA,Then Drops Out: "You Are Being Scammed!"

originally posted by: Edumakated
The bigger issue with college is that not everyone is supposed to go. There is basically an over supply of college graduates.

It used to be that college was sort of a finishing school for the wealthy. You'd go and learn to think critically hence the emphasis on "liberal arts". Very very few people went to college as it simply wasn't necessary for the vast majority of people.

No, there are actual Finishing Schools for the wealthy. Or there is a combination of Finishing School and Prep School. I went to one for 3 years. Gave me prep for college, placed me in classes based on ability, not grade level. Archaeology was the most fun class. I was in that class and Literature classes with students 5 years older. I was in math classes with students my own age.

a reply to: rickymouse

Going thru a University course of study and attaining a degree shows that at least you have the determination to achieve a goal. That counts for more than the actual knowledge...at least in a corporate setting. Team players and all that jazz....

Corporations are like the NFL...if you can't measure up, you get cut, traded or sent back to the farm team.

They screwed me. I had 3.98GPA clearing my AS. They yanked my funding out then telling me I had to pay $600 monthly minimum payments, even though AS doesn't hardly change your expected income much higher than an 'HS' (you mostly just get preferential hiring over people with only HS). Because of them I cant really ever get a 'proper' 'corporate job'; they and mey will forever get the shaft basically.

I would have had a 4.0, but that damn 'comma-nazi' English teacher, this guy was insane over comma's. Every week we did an essay, and over the course I had this theory, that even when he reads published novels and such he probably sits there the whole time with his red pen circling the comma's. At the end of his course, one of my classmates came in forgot to do the weekly essay, so he took another classmates essay from the beginning of the course... and rewrote it verbatim except he applied all of the teachers own corrections... I cant even make this up, he even corrected his own corrections!!!

As a recent graduate.. December 9th.. the final exams we were preped for was bu#.. so easy everyone passed. I've seen it in high school though.

Its like the school system dropped along the 2008 crash.

originally posted by: olaru12
a reply to: rickymouse

Going thru a University course of study and attaining a degree shows that at least you have the determination to achieve a goal. That counts for more than the actual knowledge...at least in a corporate setting. Team players and all that jazz....

Corporations are like the NFL...if you can't measure up, you get cut, traded or sent back to the farm team.

Life in the Rat Race. I lived in the Rat Race till I discovered other Rats consume you if you leave your guard down.

The problem with the degree is that it's larded down with stuff you should have picked up in high school.

The uni argues that it needs to be well rounded, but that's what you get in high school.

Instead of packing in numerous credit hours of classwork that doesn't contribute much of anything toward your career path, you should be able to progress right into your major progression and mostly only take courses that relate to it if you choose. That would cut the costs of college dramatically. Let electives ... be, you know, elective. Great for kids who want to either go into debt for them or for those who want to pay for them.

I feel guilty for contributing to the funding of the organization. But it's the main reason I joined the service. Free college. I still have to pay for the ridiculously priced books, but the rest is free.
And to be honest, I gain more knowledge from reading nonfictional books like Michio Kaku's works than I do from text books...
Even though I'm not paying for it, the government is and the universities are still getting heir money. At some point it needs to stop, but for now, I'll just take advantage while I can. Looking forward to the day I no longer need the military in my life.

There is a lot of scamming going on. But as long as students insist on getting liberal arts degrees in English, anthropology, and feminist studies, and using loans to do it, while avoiding math and anything truly difficult to study, the cycle will continue. If you want to claim these majors are all about personal value and becoming a well-rounded educated individual, that's fine, but don't whine that no one wants to hire you at $100K out of the gate when you didn't learn any useful skill!

Most of these people shouldn't be in college on the first place. The only reason they can graduate is because the curriculum has been dumbed down to such an extent that you can't even be sure a college graduate has the writing and presentation skills expected of a high school graduate a few years ago. If you take the time to look back at graduation requirements in 1960 (You won't.) you will see this is so. Why was this done? Because of a lot of whining that college was "too hard" and "irrelevant" and discriminatory against minorities who did not have the academic skills necessary for success. It was "unfair" to expect people to understand the basics of calculus because, you know, feminist studies was more relevant to the "real world."

Well guess what? Unless you have skills, the "real world" means McDonald's and the minimum wage. Duh. This is not rocket science and it is not new. It was true in 1970 as much as it is true today. It's not as if you could not have amassed the evidence necessary to realize these cold, hard truths. I don't know of any chemical engineering majors who can't find a job or who will have trouble paying back student loans.

What the greedy banks and evil government should do is stop giving out loans like candy and start demanding some accountability because throwing money at a problem NEVER WORKS. All you do is create yet another entitlement generation who believes they should get everything free and not be accountable for their actions.

originally posted by: reldra

originally posted by: Edumakated
The bigger issue with college is that not everyone is supposed to go. There is basically an over supply of college graduates.

It used to be that college was sort of a finishing school for the wealthy. You'd go and learn to think critically hence the emphasis on "liberal arts". Very very few people went to college as it simply wasn't necessary for the vast majority of people.

No, there are actual Finishing Schools for the wealthy. Or there is a combination of Finishing School and Prep School. I went to one for 3 years. Gave me prep for college, placed me in classes based on ability, not grade level. Archaeology was the most fun class. I was in that class and Literature classes with students 5 years older. I was in math classes with students my own age.

Yes, there are boarding schools and other prestigious schools. However, college was often the last step which is my point. You go to Andover or some other top high school and then you'd be off to college at Yale, Princeton, etc.

It is only relatively recent that going to college is considered the norm and expected of middle America. Up until the 80s college and particularly graduate school were not really all that necessary.

Yeah, but we live in a "Credential" based society. Pretty big obstacle to overcome in regards, therefore must pay the price of education.

Metaphorical chains? Hmmmm?

originally posted by: schuyler
There is a lot of scamming going on. But as long as students insist on getting liberal arts degrees in English, anthropology, and feminist studies, and using loans to do it, while avoiding math and anything truly difficult to study, the cycle will continue. If you want to claim these majors are all about personal value and becoming a well-rounded educated individual, that's fine, but don't whine that no one wants to hire you at $100K out of the gate when you didn't earn any useful skill!

Most of these people shouldn't be in college on the first place. The only reason they can graduate is because the curriculum has been dumbed down to such an extent that you can't even be sure a college graduate has the writing and presentation skills expected of a high school graduate a few years ago. If you take the time to look back at graduation requirements in 1960 (You won't.) you will see this is so. Why was this done? Because of a lot of whining that college was "too hard" and "irrelevant" and discriminatory against minorities who did not have the academic skills necessary for success. It was "unfair" to expect people to understand the basics of calculus because, you know, feminist studies was more relevant to the "real world."

Well guess what? Unless you have skills, the "real world" means McDonald's and the minimum wage. Duh. This is not rocket science and it is not new. It was true in 1970 as much as it is true today. It's not as if you could not have amassed the evidence necessary to realize these cold, hard truths. I don't know of any chemical engineering majors who can't find a job or who will have trouble paying back student loans.

What the greedy banks and evil government should do is stop giving out loans like candy and start demanding some accountability because throwing money at a problem NEVER WORKS. All you do is create yet another entitlement generation who believes they should get everything free and not be accountable for their actions.

Something like 30-40% of freshmen in college need remedial course work. This doesn't reflect well on our high schools...

originally posted by: rickymouse

originally posted by: olaru12
a reply to: rickymouse

Going thru a University course of study and attaining a degree shows that at least you have the determination to achieve a goal. That counts for more than the actual knowledge...at least in a corporate setting. Team players and all that jazz....

Corporations are like the NFL...if you can't measure up, you get cut, traded or sent back to the farm team.

Life in the Rat Race. I lived in the Rat Race till I discovered other Rats consume you if you leave your guard down.

That's very true. Competition is fierce and the meanest rat always gets the big piece of cheeze.

Truth be told....I wouldn't hire most ATS members. To many crybabies.

I've told my story a few times on this site, but I'll gladly tell it again.

I graduated high school in 2008 with a 3.9 GPA, the whole time always being pushed by teachers to 'go to college so I can make more money'.

I looked at everything going on. The economy was slipping, the banks and other corporations were being bailed out, jobs were being cut everwhere. It didn't look good.

I saw my older sister, who was just as smart or smarter than I, graduate college, come home, and settle for a job she didn't need a college education for so she could pay her debt.

It wasn't easy for a few years, but I managed. Now, almost 9 years later, I see these people I went to school with that went to college come back home and settle for some job they could have done without a degree, working their butts off just so they can pay their loans off. Even my girlfriend is suffering that fate. But here I am, I make about as much as they do, I have a car I bought brand new almost paid for, planning on buying my next vehicle and giving the car to my girlfriend. I have built a house and owe less than $2000 on the loan I took out for that and hope to have it paid off in a few months. I work a day job in a body shop and co-own another shop where we are taking work in on the sode, trying to build that business up so we can quit our day jobs. Life is good, and I wouldn't be here if I had gone to college.

As someone who works as an administrator at a college, I largely agree that college is not worth it anymore for most people. There are many reasons it has become very expensive; government mandates requiring a bloated administration for largely useless things like Title 9 coordinators, student health services (why does a school have to pay that?), labyrinthine student loan and government grant laws requiring dozens of folks in financial service departments, etc. is one big reason for higher costs.

Also, people require more now. When I went to college, I lived in a cinder block room with two beds, two desks, two lockers, and a single 60 watt light bulb, that was it. One shared bathroom for the whole floor. Now kids want 4-person suites with private bathrooms, full kitchens with granite countertops, and limitless free wi-fi. They want meal plans with multiple choices for vegetarians, kosher, gluten-free, vegan, peanut free, you name it. Used to be it was spaghetti and meatballs day in the cafeteria and that's what you ate or you just didn't eat. All of this costs money, a LOT of money, and thus prices go up. And don't even get me started on the cost of college sports...

Lastly, people have confused college with trade school. College is a place to learn HOW to learn, and HOW to think critically, not to train for a job. You want job training, you go to a trade school or you apprentice. And by the way, med school and law school are trade schools too, nothing wrong with going to trade school. When people say "I didn't learn anything useful in college", that's an indication that they didn't understand what college was for. They thought they were going to a trade school to learn a specific job, but instead they were taught how to think. Shame on them for not understanding what they were buying, and shame on the schools for not making that clear to them.

a reply to: IgnoranceIsntBlisss

I counted 8 well-used commas in your reply. You definitely like your commas no doubt!

Want free college?
Go enlist. The GI Bill.

It's clearly different for each person. What work makes a person happy is serious consideration also.

Dropping out and not then at least learning a trade is a dumb move however. Too many of those complaining are the I was too busy partying to bother learning crowd and they simply are too lazy to learn it seems to me.

Another big issue is the major's some young people are taking. They spend a fortune on a degree for which no work exists and treat school like playtime. They deserve what they get. You learn the right profession and a degree is still the quickest route to a great income. To say otherwise is just a lie, generally spread by those who can't be bothered to learn IMO.

Some worthless majors to consider are things like Theater Arts, Fine Arts, a general Liberal Arts Degree or Music. Some of them only a tiny percentage will ever do well, others are easy courses that kids from family money take to waste time or to shut their parents up.

I personally think one thing that needs to happen is government guaranteed student loans, need to be limited to degrees where a job and good income are possible. The taxpayers should not be guaranteeing loans to kids who want to create paper mache art for a living

A masters degree or Doctorate are worthless. I am a working class person. If I put out money, I get get paid dividends bitch or I don't put out money. Take your worthless "Letters" I can put after my name and stick them! If it doesn't make my life easier, if it doesn't improve my lot in life, then forget it. My ego isn't worth that much.

a reply to: infolurker

Bumped for truth in content, infolurker. There's a real
and succinct reason they call it 'being accredited'.
I always loathed that nickname for the exit document
being called a sheepskin though... it's just cruel.

originally posted by: olaru12

originally posted by: rickymouse

originally posted by: olaru12
a reply to: rickymouse

Going thru a University course of study and attaining a degree shows that at least you have the determination to achieve a goal. That counts for more than the actual knowledge...at least in a corporate setting. Team players and all that jazz....

Corporations are like the NFL...if you can't measure up, you get cut, traded or sent back to the farm team.

Life in the Rat Race. I lived in the Rat Race till I discovered other Rats consume you if you leave your guard down.

That's very true. Competition is fierce and the meanest rat always gets the big piece of cheeze.

Truth be told....I wouldn't hire most ATS members. To many crybabies.

Aren't you the same clown that I've seen boasting about his "good looks" and "money" on this website before?

You are a rat, for sure, just maybe not the kind you imagine yourself to be.