The best arguments for NOT going to college...let's have them! \ stacker news ~Education

The best arguments for NOT going to college...let's have them!

442 sats \ 26 comments \ @Signal312 27 Jul Education

What are the best arguments against a bright high school kid (with no desire to do medicine or law, maybe a yes on software) going to college? Stories welcome.

I'm advocating a no on college for this kid, others are advocating yes.

One problem with my argument is that it's hard to come up with anything that has the...certainty of college. No, there's no certainty of getting a good job, or anything like that, but it is a well recognized "thing", that people understand and mostly respect. You jump through the hoops, pay the money, and for 4 years you have a place to be, and things to do (useless though they may be).

I'll start us out:

Colleges are all about wokeness now
very little actual learning is taking place
the cost is enormous for what you're getting
you're just postponing entering the real world for 4 years

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279 sats \ 0 replies \ @TNStacker 27 Jul

Grandparents: Fourth-grade educated Mississippi Sharecroppers

Parents: Aviation Electrician (Navy, and then Defense Contractors and General Motors Journeyman Electrician (Some college)

Sister: Advanced Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner Me: Healthcare Informaticist and Administrator (Masters Degrees)

Niece and Nephew (Engineers - EECS and Construction)

Niece got $96k at 23 years old coming out of college. Nephew got 70 starting witha defense contractor.

$0.00 in loans!

Don't believe the hype. College is good if you do it right.

Don't borrow hundreds of thousands for degrees that have negative ROI.

And don't borrow money! Period!

97 sats \ 0 replies \ @TheBTCManual 27 Jul

I mean surely you can just look at the outcome the business produces is less favourable than what you're paying, if you're not going to study something that the market deems valuable

I think if you have a knack for a legal, finance or STEM career go ahead, other than that you're just wasting your time, money, and the opportunity cost attached to 4 years of not working + years of debt payments is insane

I dropped out of my masters and I am so glad I dodged that bullet

76 sats \ 0 replies \ @398ja 27 Jul

College won't make you smarter than you already are. Learning takes place everywhere, whether inside or outside of college.

Therefore, IF you're already naturally driven and curious, it can be a waste of your time...

The problem is that it's difficult to go through the school system and maintain that natural drive and curiosity, let alone learn useful things, i.e. things you're truly passionate about.

This is because schools are actually daycare institutions where we dump our kids so we can go to work to make a living. 8 hours per day in these institutions is too long, especially for kids...

55 sats \ 1 reply \ @k00b 27 Jul

I'm surprised you didn't link to your prior posts:

I bet you could write a great post about what drives your curiosity around this.

121 sats \ 0 replies \ @Signal312 OP 27 Jul

Should have linked to them, forgot!

Also Bryan Caplan has a great book called "The Case against Education: Why the Education System Is a Waste of Time and Money". Good stuff but it's really hard arguing against something that's so deeply entrenched.

55 sats \ 2 replies \ @thecommoner 27 Jul

This seems to easy to be honest with you...though I guess it depends on your(their) timeline???

If it is this fall....and they don't want to learn any of the free online coursework that is out there then it gets a little more difficult...

There are a bunch of online free college courses and degrees right now....

Everything else will be free in a matter of years....literally AI is going to be able to provide you with free learning on any subject for virtually free...

Just saying

21 sats \ 1 reply \ @Signal312 OP 27 Jul

Hmm. Interesting idea. I wonder if that's true, that college will disappear or be free in a couple years. The idea that you need a college degree to succeed is just so very embedded in our society. Not to mention the immense wealth that colleges have

The thing that's hard to fight is that the "what else" is unstructured. In the US, for kids that are maybe in the top 10 or 25% academically, it's very rare for these kids not do go to college. (If you know otherwise, please let me know).

There's no well-trodden path, if you choose not to go college. I asked in previous posts (thanks k00b for reminding me) about some options, and of course they're out there.

What are some solid alternatives to college/university? Alternatives to university?

There's a lot of thing you can do (as mentioned in the previous posts), like technical college, get a job, start a business, travel/work, etc.

It's just hard doing something that's not the standard college path (i.e what all your friends and classmates are doing).

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @Bell_curve 27 Jul

Trade schools and apprenticeships

34 sats \ 0 replies \ @DawnoftheDead 27 Jul

Workplaces that are full of people with college degrees can be depressing. Why? Because there is usually a lot of bureaucracy in them and everyone is just trying to climb a ladder. Its not about making a good product or service, its just about climbing the ladder and fancy titles. This may not sound bad on paper but when you are in that world you are likely going to regret everything. It will make you unhappy.

But what is the alternative?

31 sats \ 1 reply \ @DiracDelta 27 Jul

Just ask him if he wants to be a wage cuck neo slave or if he wants to be a self owned man

0 sats \ 0 replies \ @oliverweiss 27 Jul

Lol

21 sats \ 0 replies \ @kruw 27 Jul

Here's a short argument: I didn't even mention that I went to university in my last job interview (and got the job).

21 sats \ 0 replies \ @Satosora 27 Jul

Waste of money and not worth the loans!

100 sats \ 5 replies \ @oliverweiss 27 Jul

very little actual learning is taking place

I’d disagree with this one. I can’t speak for all fields but high school and university mathematics can’t be compared. Students will learn a lot if they wish to.