• This is a political forum that is non-biased/non-partisan and treats every person's position on topics equally. This debate forum is not aligned to any political party. In today's politics, many ideas are split between and even within all the political parties. Often we find ourselves agreeing on one platform but some topics break our mold. We are here to discuss them in a civil political debate. If this is your first visit to our political forums, be sure to check out the RULES. Registering for debate politics is necessary before posting. Register today to participate - it's free!

College: Over-rated?

Bodi

Just waiting for my set...
DP Veteran
Joined
Sep 29, 2007
Messages
122,701
Reaction score
27,443
Gender
Undisclosed
Political Leaning
Independent
Is it? So many go to college and end up hopelessly in debt.

This video is humorous but inadvertently makes some good points... is college necessary or is it over-hyped?

 
Not overrated, but improperly utilized in many cases.
 
Is it? So many go to college and end up hopelessly in debt.

This video is humorous but inadvertently makes some good points... is college necessary or is it over-hyped?



1. I have an education addiction. I am currently in my 4th degree program, because I find it hard to stop. I love reading, I love learning. I want to teach one day.

2. Yes, college is over-rated. It is also over-priced and seems to be providing an under-performing product.

3. This guy is hilarious. His "if meat eaters talked like vegetarians" routine is fantastic.
 
IMO we should not denigrate vocational training by driving kids with the idea that a college degree is their ticket to success.

All that does is force kids into debt by making them think they need a college degree, so they pick any subject just to get through college to punch that ticket.

We end up with lots of people with useless degrees managing K-Marts and McDonalds trying to figure out how to get out from under student loans.

Instead, I support the European method allowing a split between a vocational and an professional educational track while still in Secondary School.

Encourage vocations, because we need electricians, mechanics, carpenters, etc. as much as we need scientists, medical doctors, and lawyers (okay, we really don't need more lawyers but still ;) ).
 
I think college is great, but I also think it's over rated. I'm a big fan of Mike Rowe and his drive for trades instead of college.

 
Depends what you go for. STEM is generally not a waste if you can get through it. Gender studies or any other fake degrees invented by the progressive left are generally worthless.
 
College is librul brain washing!!
 
Personally, I wish I had gone to trade school. I went to school on scholarship, so I'm not in debt. But, everyone and their mother had a degree when I graduated. Spent years washing dishes before I found a career that only touches the area I have a degree in and didn't even require one. I could have gone to trade school and climbed the ladder by now, made some real progress on my retirement.
 
It's not so great mostly if you major in liberal arts. Pretty much every other degree greatly increases salary. I never heard of a Math Major looking for work or a Finance major working at a Starbucks unless they're managing the place.
 
Last edited:
Is it? So many go to college and end up hopelessly in debt.

This video is humorous but inadvertently makes some good points... is college necessary or is it over-hyped?



It was a topic on the News today of how many young people are majoring in the wrong subjects to get their money's worth out of a $65k a year education.
 
It's not over-rated for those who will benefit from it, but not everyone needs to go to college.
 
When I moved to a suburb of Columbus Ohio decades ago, they had one of the top ten school districts in the country. It was why we chose to live there. Part of the curriculum they offered was a top notched vocational school. In the late 70's till 2000 it was thriving. They offered training in just about anything one needed to be certified by the state to practice. Everything from electricians, plumbers, machinists, auto mechanics, cosmetologists, dental hygienists etc. It was a two year program. The vocational school worked with local businesses and all students were placed in a work program in their senior year where they worked so many hours a week. And they had to pass their state certification in order to receive their HS diploma.

Back then kids were evaluated by their counselors. You were placed in three different catagories. Some were college prep material, others were business material and others were vocational material.

They also had an excellent business program to prepare students to find a job as secretaries, file clerks, bookkeepers, receptionists, typesetters, proofreaders and a number of entry level positions that the student upon graduation could have a job, a stepping stone to something bigger and better. The school worked with several companies in the area and in Columbus where their students would attend classes half a day their junior and senior year and work half a day on the job training and upon graduation they had a full time jobs which often offered additional training to advance in the company that they had already spent 2 years working.

The original vocational school in my area was converted into needed classrooms for 5th and 6th graders as the school district had greatly expanded and an new career center opened up a few miles away.

I am a huge supporter of vocational schools. Not everyone is college material and that lie that so many spew claiming they are needs to stop. Because of that lie, entrance exams have been lowered so far just to accommodate those who really shouldn't be there. But there is a lot of federal money the universities and colleges can lap up in doing so.

It is far better to provide training so a student upon graduation can actually be certified and get a job, be self sufficient, pay taxes and contribute to society.
 
When I moved to a suburb of Columbus Ohio decades ago, they had one of the top ten school districts in the country. It was why we chose to live there. Part of the curriculum they offered was a top notched vocational school. In the late 70's till 2000 it was thriving. They offered training in just about anything one needed to be certified by the state to practice. Everything from electricians, plumbers, machinists, auto mechanics, cosmetologists, dental hygienists etc. It was a two year program. The vocational school worked with local businesses and all students were placed in a work program in their senior year where they worked so many hours a week. And they had to pass their state certification in order to receive their HS diploma.

Back then kids were evaluated by their counselors. You were placed in three different catagories. Some were college prep material, others were business material and others were vocational material.

They also had an excellent business program to prepare students to find a job as secretaries, file clerks, bookkeepers, receptionists, typesetters, proofreaders and a number of entry level positions that the student upon graduation could have a job, a stepping stone to something bigger and better. The school worked with several companies in the area and in Columbus where their students would attend classes half a day their junior and senior year and work half a day on the job training and upon graduation they had a full time jobs which often offered additional training to advance in the company that they had already spent 2 years working.

The original vocational school in my area was converted into needed classrooms for 5th and 6th graders as the school district had greatly expanded and an new career center opened up a few miles away.

I am a huge supporter of vocational schools. Not everyone is college material and that lie that so many spew claiming they are needs to stop. Because of that lie, entrance exams have been lowered so far just to accommodate those who really shouldn't be there. But there is a lot of federal money the universities and colleges can lap up in doing so.

It is far better to provide training so a student upon graduation can actually be certified and get a job, be self sufficient, pay taxes and contribute to society.

That is how the education system works in most of Europe. They have specialized schools for each kind of education. Though what you called business material is rather obsolete nowadays.
 
Personally, I wish I had gone to trade school. I went to school on scholarship, so I'm not in debt. But, everyone and their mother had a degree when I graduated. Spent years washing dishes before I found a career that only touches the area I have a degree in and didn't even require one. I could have gone to trade school and climbed the ladder by now, made some real progress on my retirement.
Went to welding school and dropped out at 18 weeks ( to busy being in my early 20's and doing drugs) Still, a skill that serves me to this day.
 
I went to college because when I asked my dad what to do next my dad said "go to college"... He paid so I went.

I got two degrees (History and Geography) and then a Masters in Education. No idea what I wanted to do but I thought teaching.

I was already working restaurants waiting fine dining and bar tending private parties and weddings in college so I kept going... made freaking tons of money/cash a night for 5 to 6 hours at 5-Star rated establishments doing semi-work because we were always drinking and goofing off on the job, meeting girls, meeting celebrities, screwing with the chef... I mean, I was professional as hell but the guests never knew we were having a great time. Anyway... I didn't go into teaching until I was almost 35. College turned out to help. I had the degree so I could instantly go into teaching.

College is great if you use it. I fear that far too many just go because they don't know what to do or because they think it is what they are supposed to do.
 
That is how the education system works in most of Europe. They have specialized schools for each kind of education. Though what you called business material is rather obsolete nowadays.

LOL, yes the business material I listed is certainly obsolete today but speaking back in time decades ago, it was relevant. The newer career center that took the place of the old vocational school has kept up with the times. But the message is no matter what era, there are positions HS grads can fill if the proper teaching is provided and results in paying enough to be self sufficient. Maybe some in HS were just not ready for college but a couple of years later want to seek higher learning. It's nice to have a trade you can work that pays you a decent wage while you pursue taking on classes. And not only that, many companies/corporations have incentive programs for their employees to do just that by providing funding. For example if you are taking classes to advance in the company, they will pay 100% if you pull an A. A lesser amount if you pull a B and next to nothing if you pull a C. It's all good.
 
It really depends.

I will say, however, if you've been told you cannot go to college your entire childhood (being allowed in---I'm not about the finances), getting there may tend to be beyond satisfying. That's just my experience talking.

So I tend to have a jaundiced view with the recent anti-college talk coming from folks who would have been allowed in, so long as they took out a loan. Folks don't know how good they got it to at least entertain the idea of going, even if it means debt. Lucky sods.
 
Last edited:
Is it? So many go to college and end up hopelessly in debt.

This video is humorous but inadvertently makes some good points... is college necessary or is it over-hyped?



College today is a racket. The education is mediocre at best and more correctly described as subversive, and the cost is astronomical.
 
Is it? So many go to college and end up hopelessly in debt.

This video is humorous but inadvertently makes some good points... is college necessary or is it over-hyped?

no, learning is never over-rated

but if you are smart, you will still consider all of your options and what makes your heart sing while you work

do that as your career...never stop learning

I intend to take law classes at university when I retire
 
Back
Top Bottom