Comment by rweba | Hacker News Reader

Comment by rweba | Hacker News Reader

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(1) Your sentiment is common on HN and I do agree that a college degree is overemphasized as a universal panacea, but it's also absolutely true that lots of people benefit from a university education. Comments like yours make it sound like every individual student would be better off if they skipped college. I don't think that's true.

(2) Going to college is like joining a gym. Some people go to the gym every day, seek out the in-house trainers for free tips, study fitness YouTube videos in their spare time, maybe even make a ton of friends at the gym. Other people pay the same monthly fee but can never seem to find the time to actually go to the gym yet they find plenty of time to play video games and eat junk food. My point is that you can't blame the gym if you don't get in shape. Students have to actively participate in the process if they are going to get the most out of it and unfortunately many do not. I don't think that's entirely the responsibility of the college.

So either you're not from the States or you were well funded in your own educational pursuits. Both are fine this, is not a personal attack.

It is not hard to find evidence that American university is outrageously expensive. And for what is the average result? You learned the theory/basics of X subject? Or you met cool people and had a good time?

I think we're getting to the point that it is not worth it for a common job and certainly not for a common job in tech.

(Not arguing medicine or advanced science/engineering degrees!)

Even in the crudest measure, lifetime earnings, going to college still looks pretty good. Getting a tech job in the first place is much easier if you have a degree. This is not to deny that some have managed without it and have done very well, but they walked a harder road to get there.

At what cost? $100k in debt and delayed start at life? Again if all things are equal. Uni is free, sure why not.

This argument is invalid too. We can say most that go to college are better off thus the net positive results.

I agree that college is too expensive but I don't agree that the answer is to stop letting people go.

You have to weigh the lack of debt and the "head start" against the fact that many doors will be shut to you without a degree.

Who said stop letting them go?

At the very least you're arguing fewer people should be encouraged to go, are you not?

I don't mean zero-sum. I mean another means. One which requires more on the job training and working your way up the ladder.

If you want to go because you have the resources and for every other reason other than I need to get a degree to work and live. Than have a blast.

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