Is college a scam?

Originally posted by GradyPhilpott
You might argue about the value of a degree, but there is no arguing about the value of an education.

Stick with it and use your electives to acquire a well-rounded education. Take music, art , sociology, literature, business, and history classes and maybe even earn a minor in a field related to your major.

When you graduate, put your diploma on the wall and take your education out into the world.

Even if the the diploma never returns the investment, your education will do so many times over.

There's more to life than money and that's what an education is all about.

for some people, I don't need to be educated, I like to read.... do you know what I mean? If I want to know something I aquire the information... once you learn that what else is there to school unless you need validation for some reason?

Well, you're still a Freshman so of course school is gonna be a bit of a repeat of your senior year for now.

Give it until the second half of Sophomore year.

And also...ask around about which professors are well-liked. I good teacher can turn your outlook around really fast.

If the main reason you are going to college is to get a job (as opposed to immersing yourself in academia), then switch to a trade school or vocational school. I have tried all routes over the past 20 years... started as an English major, switched to Art History... and ended up going back to school for Design at an art school. I wish I would have gone to art school as a 19 year old - it was amazing and exhilerating. It gave me the career boost I needed too, and I have a job that I love - it is partially creative and partically technical. It's perfect. As far as my other interests, I have pursued writing and art history on my own.. for fun. They are still part of my life.

Explain to me again why I should pay $20,000 for a stamped piece of paper when all the information is available for free at a library(you can also sit in on classes if you're sneaky, and that's free too!)?



Anyway travel is the best education you can get.


edit - darn smiley's
[edit on 17-7-2008 by AreaMan]

[edit on 17-7-2008 by AreaMan]

reply to post by mopusvindictus



No one needs a formal education. Society seems to accommodate everyone to one extent or another and some manage to do well financially without a formal education, say, Bill Gates and Richard Branson.

A formal education is a gift to oneself.

I care not so much about my degrees, but I do value beyond any measure the education I acquired in the process.

I do believe that I will be returning to college again in the near future. My state provides free tuition and books to Vietnam in-country veterans who have been a resident of the state for 10 years. I will meet that requirement by the end of this year.

I can hardly wait. By the way, I will be 59 years old by that time. It's never too late for scholarship and academia.

College has become the new high school. It is increasingly common to require a college degree for jobs that don't need one. Is it a scam? Not really, its a recognition that we as a society value a higher education. However, a college degree is not a marker of intelligence. Everyone can name at least one person who is college educated and extremely dumb, I can name several.

Graduate school is where you can actually set yourself apart from the flocks and settle down to study what interests you. Like college it can be done free, but since your more involved with your subject area you get to know it more in-depth. Of course its also much harder if you go into a good program, but its worth it.

Yes, I believe many colleges are scams now..I just heard of one that is offering a video game degree for 40K..Yeah that sounds like a fun job-but get real..One guy teaches all the classes..If there is so much money in them why is he floundering teaching this. I asked the simple question of how many have they put out in industry? Please provide contacts of those to talk about this degree...nothing..

reply to post by BlackProjects


People definately should not go to any unaccredited college (ITT Tech, Devry) and online colleges that are 100% online should be avoided at all costs (University of Phoenix). Those would be the classical examples of "scam" universities.

Originally posted by Illmatic67
As a freshman in college, I started to get the thinking. Is college a scam?

I never believed that going to college will guarantee you a better job paying more money than the person who didn't go to college.

I'm in college right now and we're learning the same # we did when we were in high school. I thought college was a place for higher learning.

I've come to learn that I got most of my education from Barnes n Nobles than my high school and current college. It's crazy. What does everyone here think?

hauns.com...

"Illumination not education to bring the blind sight."

Actually, my father earns enough to support a family of 6 (including parents) AND have enough left over to afford things like Rock Band, Xbox 360, etc. He dropped out of high school in his Freshman year and lived on his own, joined the Marines, and then got into Radio-Frequency Engineering (which is easy and boring as hell, IMO - but it sure does pay). So no, college certainly isn't necessary (or maybe it wasn't necessary when father was younger).

reply to post by BlackProjects


The "video game" degree to which you refer is actually a computer science degree that focuses on video design.

That's a highly lucrative field and computer science is not for dummies.

reply to post by GradyPhilpott


Its actually highly competitive and people aren't likely to be able to get into that because so many people want in it, plus all of the degree mills offer unaccredited degrees in it - I would guess one of those advertisements is what he is referring to.

This thread makes me think of the movie "Accepted"
It is one of my favorite movies... its absolutely great.

Are there any alternative colleges like the one in Accepted? Are there any like that outside of the U.S?

If there is not, there definitely should be!

I don't think it's a scam, or it wasn't for me. I don't think college is for everyone, and I know several people who've made an excellent living without going..... in many cases a bountiful living. I was pretty naive though, thinking that my degree would shoot me into instant employment. What it did do was to demonstrate persistance, a modicum of discipline and rudimentary training for the employers who eventually hired me. On-the-job training is usually still required.

Most of all, I think college gave me an opportunity to discover what I liked to do, what I had a knack for doing, as well as ruling out some things I thought I'd like, but turned out to be not for me. Learning how to learn. My Dad said, "matters less where and how you get it, as long as you DO get it" (meaning experience and direction)

Originally posted by Illmatic67
As a freshman in college, I started to get the thinking. Is college a scam?

I never believed that going to college will guarantee you a better job paying more money than the person who didn't go to college.

I'm in college right now and we're learning the same # we did when we were in high school. I thought college was a place for higher learning.

I've come to learn that I got most of my education from Barnes n Nobles than my high school and current college. It's crazy. What does everyone here think?

hauns.com...



"Illumination not education to bring the blind sight."

if you want more money in a jay-oh-bee, get the degree. nuff said

[edit on 20-7-2008 by jimmyx]

reply to post by GradyPhilpott


Ha..the one I referred to is thru ITT tech college, not accredited by North Central association or the like..Not a computer science degree. I do agree legitimate computer science degrees are a good choice from accredited institution. Purdue would be a good example of that.

Every 10k you borrow to get a degree will cost you $100/month for the most of your working life.

Every 10k you spend on a 30x100 city lot could generate you $100/month in positive cash flow on parking fees or other rental use.

$10k could also purchase you a rural acre full of fruit trees.

For $10k you could have four diehard 1980's toyota pickups.

I owe $40k to accredited institutions, I pay $400 every month. By the end of the year I'll have paid near $5000 to float. I will have paid off a less than $900.

I learned to be a carpenter, by believing I am a carpenter, acting and behaving as my internal idealization of such dictates.

Sri Oracle