Professor X forewarns!

Apr 03, 2011 20:18

I've read a book by Professor X ( Read more... )

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Comments 15

piterburg April 4 2011, 02:05:43 UTC
All very true. In the last 30 years, the value of a run-of-the-mill bachelor's degree went down while the cost of getting one went up dramatically. So, except for those who could get into a highly selective college (which, incidentally, happen to provide more generous financial aid) with an eye to eventually enter a graduate/professional school, a college degree is a losing proposition financially.

That is why my 17-year old son intends to join the armed forces upon his high school graduation..;-)

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shkrobius April 4 2011, 02:53:14 UTC
I wonder what drives this demand for meaningless degrees from obscure colleges. No one is fooled by such diplomas anyway. Professor X's confessions suggest that these are mainly state employees whose promotion is predicated on a college degree, but it is probably his college's niche rather than the general case.

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piterburg April 4 2011, 03:04:01 UTC
The most important factor that drives the demand is called "groupthink".

Besides, a college degree does serve as evidence of a certain perseverance and commitment to a goal, which has a value to potential employers. However, there are also much less expensive ways to impress them.

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bagira April 4 2011, 02:07:43 UTC
Он немного перебарщивает насчёт полицейских и bank teller-ов. Проблема, на самом деле, в том, что работать всегда лучше и легче головой, а не горбатиться спиной. И никто не идёт в колледж, думая, что им придётся работать банк теллером.

При этом пузырь есть, конечно. Точно также, как есть медицинский пузырь, где из-за того, что страховка за всё заплатит и нет соревнования за пациента, пятиминутная встреча с врачом стоит $100. Я помню, как легко было получить государственные деньги в долг в конце 90х годов. Даже субсидированные. (Выплачивать из значительно тяжелее. %))))

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piterburg April 4 2011, 02:18:50 UTC
In medicine, there is a competition for patient, it is just not price-based.

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bagira April 4 2011, 02:23:42 UTC
I guess I meant the price-based kind--the kind that all other businesses have for their customers.

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shkrobius April 4 2011, 02:59:57 UTC
He says (I do not know if this is true) that a policeman can't be promoted beyond a certain level w/o a college degree. His policemen students were in their late 30s or early 40s, taking late classes after work; 9 out 15 of these students fail his English 101, the mandatory introductory course!

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xaxam April 4 2011, 05:23:08 UTC
Буквально вчера услышал про ещё одно "зло", причиненное раздувшимся пузырём. В Израиле в начале 90-х колледжи ("михлалот") стали расти как грибы - при семи университетах их число измеряется сотнями. Отчасти это связано было с "понаехавшими тут", у которых, как правило, было высшее (самое разное) образование, что сдвинуло равновесие и девальвировало первую и даже немного вторую академическую степень и привело к спросу на "корочки ( ... )

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shkrobius April 4 2011, 18:31:10 UTC
This sounds very familiar; Professor X himself was an "adjunct professor" in his sh*tty college meaning he is paid peanuts as compared to the faculty; still, this was better than he'd be paid in a school. There must be a whole world of such bottom dwellers barely scratching a living. I am amazaed that there are so many people buying into it ( ... )

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xaxam April 5 2011, 08:06:55 UTC
Взрывной рост числа третьесортных колледжей объясним только инфляцией "академических" степеней, и она началась не вчера ( ... )

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shkrobius April 6 2011, 23:43:48 UTC
Thank you for sharing your thoughts.

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