Hacker News Reader

Comment by Nelkins | Hacker News Reader

A professor at the University of Rochester (my alma mater) has begun a project to better evaluate the value of a liberal arts education, and to try and quantify what impact it truly has on the career trajectories and future earnings of graduates[1].

[1] https://www.rochester.edu/pr/Review/V79N6/0304_lennie.html

View on HN

The benefits of a higher education are more than just career path and earnings.

There is no evidence of this.

This is such an absurdly HN comment.

Perhaps they are, perhaps they aren't; I'm not a Doctor of Education, so I can't and won't claim that I know the answer to that question.

My question to you, is applicable regardless:

As an industry-destined BSCS student, in what ways does my future improve as a result of my education, except for career path and earnings? And if there are such (nontrivial) ways, then why should I care about them?

I can only speak from personal experience but I grew a great deal as a person while pursuing my B.S. I had experiences and met people I never would have otherwise. I very nearly stayed in my small rural town working retail and farming jobs but my education opened doors to new people and experiences. My worldview is much different now than it was before college and my life is much more fulfilling on a personal level.

While I was fortunate to select a degree that had positive economic benefits for me that is far from the only benefit. My B.S. was far from just a job training course. I studied a variety of topics and was exposed to ideas that I never considered before. I learned to think much more critically and to be more open to the world.

You should care about this because money and a job are not everything in life. I know that sounds cliche but I am finally reaching a point in my life where I understand that. My education helped me reach this point.

I really cannot say enough about how much my education means to me. Even if I did not leverage that education to start my career I would still consider it to be completely worth it.

> I very nearly stayed in my small rural town working retail and farming jobs but my education opened doors to new people and experiences.

So, that still falls under career path and earnings.

It doesn't, please read the rest of my post.

I would like to read a study that evaluate the value of education for the full society. I think we need an educated public because Democracy needs it.

Reply on news.ycombinator.com