ITT Technical Institutes Shuts Down • Hacker News Board

Re: ITT Technical Institutes Shuts Down

#301

Post by dx034 » Wed, Sep 07, 2016, 6:14 AM UTC

MagnumOpus wrote: post #160

dsfyu404ed wrote: post #77

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Most schools will let you test out of pre-reqs if you get the right people on board. I've never heard of a school accepting prior learning as credit hours. If that were the case anyone who figures out what they want to do and starts doing it in high-school would test out of a year or so worth of classes right off the bat. This would be particularly prevalent in STEM where there's a lot more test and "prove you know t…

> If that were the case anyone who figures out what they want to do and starts doing it in high-school would test out of a year or so worth of classes right off the bat Which is bad for the bottom line, but would be the disruption that higher ed needs. Face it, universities' USP is now being credentialing machines, learning can be done quicker and better from internet moocs/OCW/video lectures/tutorials.

Online/remote learning is a good alternative if you want to get an overview of a topic or expand your knowledge. However, I don't think that you can replace a proper scientific university degree just by online learning.

Re: ITT Technical Institutes Shuts Down

#302

Post by traviscj » Wed, Sep 07, 2016, 12:57 PM UTC

jrs235 wrote: post #131

ams6110 wrote: post #55

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The students too. If they are spending their own money they will (at least be more likely to) care more about what they are spending it on.

Touche. Perhaps full deferment should be changed to paying back $200 / month even while enrolled. I know this is controversial. But at least then the students might feel the pinch and squeeze that the loans will have on them and it might also help them learn personal finance. If a student is unable to make the payments and go into default then they'll have to take a semester off and make some money (this would also p…

> and it might also help them learn personal finance.

Also, everyone should learn C/assembly why trying to learn how to make websites, because it might also help them learn pointers.

Re: ITT Technical Institutes Shuts Down

#303

Post by tptacek » Wed, Sep 07, 2016, 2:57 PM UTC

dljs wrote: post #254

jotato wrote: post #110

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I graduated from ITT 11 years ago. Care if I chime in? * Why did I go? I was just out of high-school and I wanted to be a software engineer. I looked at the local university (Robert Morris in Pittsburgh, PA), but I didn't like their program. I was one of those kids who started tinkering with programming at 12 by making Pokemon fan sites :) 4 Years at a university studying a generic comp-sci degree didn't appeal to me…

Hi, I am like you. I graduated 7 years ago from ITT. I went for the same reason you did as I looked at the processes of traditional universities and didn't want to be in a lecture hall. I got a 2 year degree in CNS. I have been a software engineer for 8 years now professionally. Like you I saw it was for profit and the teachers were pressured into passing people even though they clearly shouldn't have. Some of the te…

Neato, both of you. Thanks for answering!

Re: ITT Technical Institutes Shuts Down

#304

Post by WheelsAtLarge » Fri, Sep 09, 2016, 3:12 AM UTC

Yes ITT was a money grabbing parasite and I'm glad they are gone. But the glamorous 4 years schools aren't as great as they set themselves to be.

Many students come out of the great schools owing thousands and having a very hard time getting a job.

This is not new. The fact is that universities weren't created for job training. Their job was to expand your knowledge. That's why you can get a degree in Greek mythology or Latin or whatever.

It was really a way for rich people to spend their time in something constructive. Somewhere the idea of a university and job training came together but universities aren't very good at job training so that's the big problem. We as a society don't have a great way to train the massed for society's jobs.

Community college focus on getting you to a four year college but they need to do a better job at job training.

For profit schools have tried but they focus on profits and lose sight of the students.

We blame the institutions but students also need to take responsibility. If you can't take the time learn don't expect to get a job where someone needs to have a productive employee to keep the business going.

Also the K-12 schools need to do something to fix the problem. How is it that a student goes through 13 years of school and not learn to be a productive employee? That the real shame.Yet we put the blame elsewhere.

Politicians love to argue the effects of same sex bathrooms but they aren't willing to take on why schools are failing society.

We need to fix that.