Ask HN: What is the value of a degree now?
When the crisis began, the quality of my education took a massive hit. This was expected because it was sudden and it was the week before finals. Professors were scrambling and using any quick solutions they could find. Now, I am a month into a new quarter and nothing has improved. With the exception of a single class, all of my professors have switched to a completely useless powerpoint/zoom combination. I have already paid for this quarter, so I am stuck. Luckily, I am okay at learning from textbooks/wikis.
My parents and I have been discussing whether it even makes sense for me to enroll next year. It seems unlikely that they will cram us into 400+ person lecture halls come fall. Paying 60k for zoom powerpoints seems absurd. I am at the point where most of my classes are electives and project based (both in math and cs). I feel that I could accomplish a decent amount of that learning independently. In fact, the most concentrated period of learning I had this year was working on a personal project. I've got of other projects I want to pursue, but that I've sidelined because of coursework.
What would you do if you were in my position? Is the value of a college degree now the same as what it was? Should I enroll next year? If not, the year after? Will I be unable to find work unless I finish?