81–90 of 360 posts
What a dismal reading experience, skimming from pages of text to the end to see what the cited figure(s) actually show, then back to the text again.
Who sanctions this sort of thing?
I think the decision worth it* because it opens up horizon, opportunities to working overseas (not just Singapore) and much better living standard.
I didn't even know what a CS degree will do after graduation and just randomly chose it because I like Math back in HS. I guess the real benefit of a degree is the pointers and community you get. Surely this can be replaced with a good mentorship, but that requires a good network beforehand.
*the quality of education in Singapore University IMHO is far from the quality of the content I found in the publicly shared course content in US universities.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
You need some better contractors. I have multiple plumbers with same day service for $95 service calls. My garage door was installed for $400 and it took an afternoon. Obviously prices vary. I can make a living with a trade skill, but data shows I’m more likely to make a lot more with a college degree. You have billionaire dropouts and baristas with phds. But on average, degree nets you a lot of lifetime income. Mayb…
"with same day service for $95 service calls" That means they show up for $95. No work right? When they actually do something there is another charge right? Where you are? So confused.
The biggest value factor of all is Metcalfe's Law of network effects, where the almost universal availability of higher education means that not pursuing it places your starting position in life on the outer long tail of the success curve. Not going to college is like being a business that decided to just never bother getting on the internet, or a person who doesn't know how to drive. Unless you move to some isolated backwater that isn't subject to the network or are some kind of extreme outlier, you are at a huge disadvantage.
Notable that these articles about the doubtful value of a university degree are written exclusively by people who have one.
The wider availability of education (via cheap debt) and downward mobility means a degree (all things equal) is no longer as distinguishing and does not have the same impact on life outcomes as it once might have. Even previously, the people who went to college had such a huge social head start anyway, it would be difficult to control for education as the determining factor in success.
University is starting to resemble a "radical monopoly," (Ivan Illich, summarized here: https://twitter.com/fietsprofessor/status/112207372586260070...) where there is nothing discretionary about it.
Outside of STEM, I'd argue modern colleges offer students very little more than a tribal affiliation, which is the elephant in the room for articles like these. If you told kids why they need to go to college, it would devalue the degree even further as they re-tribalized around other rites of passage. This doesn't mean don't go to college, it means do absolutely everything in your power to graduate college, because the arbitrary biases and disadvantages of the alternative defy all reason and make anyone with an IQ above 90 insane.
When you look at college as a Giffen Good, which people need for participation in a radical monopoly over the labour market, created by a network effect from its debt fueled availability, of course it seems like a college education is not worth it - but it's only ever not worth it to people who already have one.
I'd like a mainstream platform to write that view and put these "is college worth it?" navel gazer articles to rest. If only there were an institution to affiliate with...
Earlier quoted context omitted.
You need some better contractors. I have multiple plumbers with same day service for $95 service calls. My garage door was installed for $400 and it took an afternoon. Obviously prices vary. I can make a living with a trade skill, but data shows I’m more likely to make a lot more with a college degree. You have billionaire dropouts and baristas with phds. But on average, degree nets you a lot of lifetime income. Mayb…
I would argue averaging across all degrees is makes no sense. STEM degrees do pay off. Liberal arts degrees can pay if you want to boost a specific skill and have a solid plan for using it. E.g. getting an English degree to become a more persuasive speaker while promoting your otherwise sound and solidly executed startup. Aside from those 2 examples there are plenty of colleges with a business model of selling overpr…
I've got a few friends who work in science, and it seems to be a pretty poorly paying field, with a real lack of job prospects, unless you secure a job at a government research department.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
"with same day service for $95 service calls" That means they show up for $95. No work right? When they actually do something there is another charge right? Where you are? So confused.
A service call is either something simple. For example, to unclog a toilet is just the fee. If it goes over an hour it costs extra. I had to have a 80 foot line snaked out and a camera run to see what the problem was and that was $180.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
You need some better contractors. I have multiple plumbers with same day service for $95 service calls. My garage door was installed for $400 and it took an afternoon. Obviously prices vary. I can make a living with a trade skill, but data shows I’m more likely to make a lot more with a college degree. You have billionaire dropouts and baristas with phds. But on average, degree nets you a lot of lifetime income. Mayb…
I would argue averaging across all degrees is makes no sense. STEM degrees do pay off. Liberal arts degrees can pay if you want to boost a specific skill and have a solid plan for using it. E.g. getting an English degree to become a more persuasive speaker while promoting your otherwise sound and solidly executed startup. Aside from those 2 examples there are plenty of colleges with a business model of selling overpr…
I’m talking about averages as there are certainly schools that suck. I would take my statement to mean that every single college is a net benefit. But as a general guidance, no other information available, a degree will net me more money over my lifetime.
If I were giving advice to someone thinking about schools, I would have them review the particular school, keep costs low, and study with a particular career in mind, stem/medicine a good target.
[0] https://www.ssa.gov/policy/docs/research-summaries/education...
Earlier quoted context omitted.
A service call is either something simple. For example, to unclog a toilet is just the fee. If it goes over an hour it costs extra. I had to have a 80 foot line snaked out and a camera run to see what the problem was and that was $180.
Right! I need actual work done. I understand it is $95 - to flush a toilet. But like, actual work, with tools, actually doing a job for 30 minutes. It is very expensive.
You brought up a 30 minute job. So I shared what it costs for me for a 30 minute (or more) job. And that it’s easy to get someone to come quickly for such a job.
I’m saying that if the problem can be solved in an hour, it’s $95. This is called a “service call.” Basically coming out and fixing what can be fixed without buying parts.
Any extra labor would cost more. This is a much better situation than yours since you can’t even get a plumber to help you flush a toilet for $300. That’s unfortunate.
Thus my suggestion from me that you could get better contractors. I think it’s reasonable that you should be able to pay $100 for a 30 minute job and be satisfied. Rather than be willing to pay $300 and being unsatisfied.
I have a degree from a no-name university in New Zealand. I'd do it again for a few pragmatic reasons. 1: Lots of companies will reject you on sight without a degree. I don't think it's a good thing, but it is reality. 2: With a degree your ability to move overseas dramatically improves. I moved to America after graduating. I flat out couldn't have done that without a degree. Points based systems immigration systems…
Also Masters (MBA is different) is useless in most fields unless used to get a visa or something. Usually you are foregoing wages with few additional benefits. Might be slightly easier to get first job.
Not sure source of degree matters as long as accredited. Certainly there can be upside like same alma mater but I rarely care but will admit to negative bias to Univ of Phoenix but interview and work history trump everything.
Having said that BS or BE have merit if the student actually takes it seriously. I learned a whole lot that I'm not sure I would have learned through self study alone (a least around that time).