From the Woodpile Report #543 "Minding the Campus - Grade inflation and a cavalier attitude towards education treats the student as a consumer who should have fun at college. In 1960 a student was fortunate to have a seat, had to compete to get that seat, and was told entering freshman calculus to look to the right and the left, and that one of those two people would not there next year. And, by the way, you can look in the catalogue to see what courses you are going to take, the same courses your competitors are taking at other universities. Over the long haul, power and wealth depend on engineering, and in turn, engineering depends on mathematics and science. Engineering will decide who holds the industrial might in the Twenty-first Century." I make the personal observation that the seat I took in 09/60 was hard won. No such thing as a free seat in the lecture halls.
I saw many a graduate engineer working at positions below their level of training, just because they had cruised through the this is the word, memorize and regurgitate of college and never had the ability to actually apply the knowledge they studied. For the seemingly simple job as a Navy Electrician's Mate, we studied basic math, algebra and trigonometry with a little calculus thrown in...
I Struggle to find hired help of the university variety during the summers that can make change without a calculator......... Not sure what this strange sorcery you call calculus plays into that
Education now is just a business. It's not about learning. It's not about the people. It's about big corporations making money. My degree is in 'Computer and Information Science' and half of the classes I had to take had nothing to do with Computer or Information Science, just pure BS that I didn't need and didn't want but had to pay for.
Funny, when I went to GunSmithing school, my classes were split between those just coasting through and those who took it seriously enough to want to learn more then the AR and Glock world! I speciffically requested revolvers and Custom Rifle building because not only were those my interests, but I could make good money doing that sort of work! After the first year, I started building rifle actions from scratch and learning the more complex designs that we just don't see any more like those wonderful Browning designed 1895 Winchester, and Remington Auto rifles. I also became a armoror for many systems including the 1911, the Garand and and it's off shots, the FAL, and Winchester and Marlin lever actions, and all semi and pump shotguns and break barrels! I also discovered that smithing is a feast or famish type of living, so I went into the fire fighting world, which meant lots more school in fire sciences and specific training for hotshot work which after training took me two years to earn my certificate as a tier 1 hotshot! Money well spent!
I think the best example that University is nothing more than a business is when one tries to transfer credits, even basic skills credits like English and Math, they will not always be accepted and the student will have to retake classes. It's about money
Come to Australia to study...many overseas students do this....under the (National) Australian Qualifications Framework, academic credit transfers are relatively easy to achieve within that system. Australian Qualifications Framework, Australian Government AQF levels | Australian Qualifications Framework Australian Post-School Qualifications Explained But that's what top down, heavy handed socialistic style government can do.....
My kid's school just wants them to score well on state tests. Any new subject is given one week. The kids and teachers don't care about learning anything.it's all about the tests. I am not saying this is good, I am just pointing out the thinking going on. the teachers can't even tell them what the math would be used for. I think knowing this would at least offer a reason for wanting to learn the math.
Understood. Bear in mind that a "few" years ago, a batchelor's degree (or higher) was a formal acknowledgement of a well rounded individual. That piece of paper was supposed to open doors, and usually did. Whether or not the well roundedness was needed for the job had no bearing on the subject. (Nor did the lack of one indicate a narrow view of just a single subject.) The paper also carried a few other indications, not worth yapping about here and now. You've touched on a very important point. The proliferation of standardized tests and the insistence that every hesheit that goes thru school can pass the tests (if for no other reason than the school can participate in dot gov largess distribution) has surely dumbed down the "talent" getting turned loose on an unsuspecting world. Getting the performance up has inevitably lead to "teaching the tests" rather than the subjects. I suppose here's a good point to mention that employers ask for qualifications that are totally unnecessary for the job offered. When employers realize a BA or BS is really not needed to run a tire changing machine, the educational standards will probably self heal. I won't be around long enough to see that, but we can hope.
That may depend upon which university is conferring the accreditation.... 'Hamburger' University may graduate a 'well rounded' individual, Hamburger University - Wikipedia Trump 'University' may have graduated a well fleeced individual, Trump University: It’s Worse Than You Think and Ozark Bible Institute and College may graduate a well disarmed individual (Campus handbook page 28 General Rule#25 http://www.obicollege.com/generalinfopage/handbook.pdf Fundie school - RationalWiki "Name it and Frame it" -- Phony Doctorates in the Church A university degree may open some doors, or enable graduates to enter certain professions that require certain specific academic qualifications....for others, pass or fail, University is an opportunity for networking...go ask a 'Bonesman'...
I think people would be better off working first and then getting an education in the chosen field . I learned far more out of school than I did in school .It was information I actually had use for.
