(This isn’t a rant, this is why I have this opinion)
I stayed in high school a year longer than I had to for the extra education. From 19-23 I spent so much time researching career options including MANY degrees. Not once did I hear that college is a place of education. All this research…and I only ever heard of college as basically vocational training. I only ever heard of “this degree makes this much”. If I knew it actually taught critical thinking and analysis, I would have gone right after high school WHILE I was figuring out what I want for a career. Heck the skills probably would have helped me pick.
Even though I’m going into a career that doesn’t require college, I’m still going…to a community college for a two year marketing diploma. It’s the most English heavy subject there, and I view English as the most critical thinking heavy subject, thus the most valuable. All I need, really, and imo that’s what should be pushed to kids: “go for an associates degree in English or a English adjacent field”. Unless of course they’ve picked a better option. But strengthening those skills is very important.
Argue what you can, my opinion remains that the point of college has been diluted.
For those scratching their heads, this is a North American perspective.
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What should be for kids is to figure out what steps they want to take and how to get there. Want to get into medicine? Programming? Edgineering/? Plumbing? Why would you do an English degree or English adjacent field?
The goal isn’t getting a degree, the goal is what the degree gets you into. You do the degree that gets you to that goal. Maybe a degree won’t get you there, want to drive a truck? Become an electrician? You get qualified to do that and a degree won’t get you that.
You know, one thing can have more than one purpose.
And people are probably not interested in talking about critical thinking and analysis in everyday conversation. They had enough in class. Similar to how some people don’t like to talk about work after work.
On the other hand, money/career sound like a topic that most people can relate to which is why that’s the thing you heard about most.
It doesn’t mean people don’t care about those
I mean fair enough, but I’d say it’s still a net positive in the whole to have a more educated society
It’s not different in Europe