Bailout U. - A college degree certainly doesn't mean what it used to.
1–10 of 21 posts
Re: Bailout U. - A college degree certainly doesn't mean what it used to.
#2Couldn't agree more
Re: Bailout U. - A college degree certainly doesn't mean what it used to.
#3The thing I don't get is, when we were growing up (I'm from this generation of college grads), we knew that a humanities degree was utterly useless. Didn't everyone?
We were always told that a humanities degree was just fluff, liberal arts degrees were real degrees but you could only work as a teacher with them, and science/professional (such as engineering, medicine, law, etc.) were the only degrees that would convert to money.
It's nothing new but reading this article, you'd think we only just discovered this?
Re: Bailout U. - A college degree certainly doesn't mean what it used to.
#4The thing I don't get is, when we were growing up (I'm from this generation of college grads), we knew that a humanities degree was utterly useless. Didn't everyone? We were always told that a humanities degree was just fluff, liberal arts degrees were real degrees but you could only work as a teacher with them, and science/professional (such as engineering, medicine, law, etc.) were the only degrees that would conve…
I was told that arts and humanities degrees would demonstrate some sort of general intelligence and maturity to prospective employers, even if the subject matter wasn't directly applicable.
In reality, I think the boomers would have had an easy time getting jobs no matter what they did. I don't think employers ever cared about the degrees. But it was convenient to rationalize all that time spent in school as the reason you have that cushy desk job.
Re: Bailout U. - A college degree certainly doesn't mean what it used to.
#5The thing I don't get is, when we were growing up (I'm from this generation of college grads), we knew that a humanities degree was utterly useless. Didn't everyone? We were always told that a humanities degree was just fluff, liberal arts degrees were real degrees but you could only work as a teacher with them, and science/professional (such as engineering, medicine, law, etc.) were the only degrees that would conve…
Few start in French literature.
Many start in Computer Science, or Engineering, or Physics, or Pre-med. They get weeded out because of a combination of poor teachers, poor pre-college math and science preparation, and a lack of study skills or scientific ability.
Well, you have a year in, you're stuck in the sunk cost fallacy (Well, I've already spent a year in college, I'm going to have all this debt anyway, so I should get something...) and they enjoyed that French Literature elective.
Re: Bailout U. - A college degree certainly doesn't mean what it used to.
#6The thing I don't get is, when we were growing up (I'm from this generation of college grads), we knew that a humanities degree was utterly useless. Didn't everyone? We were always told that a humanities degree was just fluff, liberal arts degrees were real degrees but you could only work as a teacher with them, and science/professional (such as engineering, medicine, law, etc.) were the only degrees that would conve…
Nope, the common argument is "it doesn't matter what degree, as long as you have one." This is repeated at all levels (high school teachers, college students, parents, college tour guides, etc.)
Re: Bailout U. - A college degree certainly doesn't mean what it used to.
#7The thing I don't get is, when we were growing up (I'm from this generation of college grads), we knew that a humanities degree was utterly useless. Didn't everyone? We were always told that a humanities degree was just fluff, liberal arts degrees were real degrees but you could only work as a teacher with them, and science/professional (such as engineering, medicine, law, etc.) were the only degrees that would conve…
The best I can figure is that you thought about after college when most students didn't.
I can't tell you how many times during my college years I had conversations with Arts/Humanities majors like this:
Me: I'm taking CS, probably gonna get a programming job after school, what are you taking?
Them: Humanities/History of Art/Whatever
Me: Oh, that's cool, what are kind of job will that get you once you get your degree?
Them: ??!!?? I'm getting a college degree.
Me: Riiiight.
Re: Bailout U. - A college degree certainly doesn't mean what it used to.
#8I know there is a pretty strong superiority complex here pertaining to cs and engineering degrees, and for good reason, you are in demand. That however does not equate to the assumption that all people should get cs or engineering degrees.
For example, my girlfriend and I both having writing degrees and make a six figure income each. We both know how to script, direct media production and do a variety of things related to technology production -- things we would not have learned with a cs degree. We focus on, as jobs put it, the intersection of the liberal arts and technology. I produce apps on the side that help teach writing and logic for students.
To be perfectly honest, at work we often spend our time directing cs and engineering majors who "don't get it" and never take the human interface, overall purpose, or business and social impact of the product into account. But we don't insult them, because we respect that they are very smart people who focus on other complex problems.
Re: Bailout U. - A college degree certainly doesn't mean what it used to.
#9I'm sympathetic to this viewpoint (though I think some of the criticisms are over-simplified), and have read a dozen or so articles on the subject. One pops up on HN every 3-4 weeks.
So, I'm baffled as to why this particular article exists. What does this add besides a kind of half-assed recycling of the same articles every journalist has been writing? It's not even a particularly analytical or insightful spin on the topic, just the same stuff we've read about many times: college degrees are expensive, may not guarantee you well-paid employment, may not be worth the cost. I thought that was the lead-in to the article, setting the tone with a quick recapitulation of what we've already read elsewhere, but then... the article ended and there wasn't anything else.
Re: Bailout U. - A college degree certainly doesn't mean what it used to.
#10The thing I don't get is, when we were growing up (I'm from this generation of college grads), we knew that a humanities degree was utterly useless. Didn't everyone? We were always told that a humanities degree was just fluff, liberal arts degrees were real degrees but you could only work as a teacher with them, and science/professional (such as engineering, medicine, law, etc.) were the only degrees that would conve…
I was told that arts and humanities degrees would demonstrate some sort of general intelligence and maturity to prospective employers, even if the subject matter wasn't directly applicable. In reality, I think the boomers would have had an easy time getting jobs no matter what they did. I don't think employers ever cared about the degrees. But it was convenient to rationalize all that time spent in school as the reas…
It's still true to some extent, though maybe more in reverse: if you don't have a degree, employers will assume you lack general intelligence and maturity, and not let you past the first-line HR screen (tech is a bit of an exception to this in its openness to hiring people without degrees).