Interesting take on college education..

Skyh13 · 04-30-2008, 09:26 PM

America's Most Overrated Product: the Bachelor's Degree - Chronicle.com

I will say, however, I completely agree with the part about universities being a business..

JJ4ISU · 04-30-2008, 09:31 PM

Does the writer have a bachelor's degree? Since when is high school written as "high-school?"

ISUAlum2002 · 04-30-2008, 09:53 PM

Without reading the article, I'm beginning to think that the bachelor's degree is not overrated at all. As in, it doesn't seem to matter that I have a bachelor's degree in management while I'm out applying/interviewing for entry level supervisory positions.

Wesley · 04-30-2008, 10:08 PM

All sour grapes. One can make it if one tries hard enough.

iowa_wildcat · 04-30-2008, 10:09 PM

I have a BS. All it really proves is that you can tolerate pure ******** for 120 some odd hours of classes.

jtaconutz · 04-30-2008, 10:18 PM

I think it might help you get your first job but after that it is all up to the individual.

theshadow · 04-30-2008, 10:23 PM

Originally Posted by JJ4ISU

Does the writer have a bachelor's degree? Since when is high school written as "high-school?"

When it's an adjective.

She is a high-school student.
She is a student at the local high school.

clonefan_80 · 04-30-2008, 10:31 PM

I might get burned on this, and granted I'm extremely biased, but I think there are some flat out useless majors. I'll give credit to any science, mathematical, or technical field. Accounting, teaching, and even design and music have their places. But business management, marketing, advertising (wth is the difference), and psychology etc. seem very useless to me. You can't learn to be a good business manager, you can, however learn the accounting principles and develop great leadership qualities to run a business. You can't learn to be a creative advertiser, you either are, or you're not. Discussions like these give me great comfort that the name of my major will also be the name of my job title.

SeattleClone · 04-30-2008, 10:34 PM

Originally Posted by clonefan_80

I might get burned on this, and granted I'm extremely biased, but I think there are some flat out useless majors. I'll give credit to any science, mathematical, or technical field. Accounting, teaching, and even design and music have their places. But business management, marketing, advertising (wth is the difference), and psychology etc. seem very useless to me. You can't learn to be a good business manager, you can, however learn the accounting principles and develop great leadership qualities to run a business. You can't learn to be a creative advertiser, you either are, or you're not. Discussions like these give me great comfort that the name of my major will also be the name of my job title.

You won't get burned by me, I agree with you, for the most part. I do think there's something to be said for having a degree at all, whether it is the name of a job or not. Proving that you can make it through a four-year program is worth a little boost, at least.

clonefan_80 · 04-30-2008, 10:36 PM

Originally Posted by SeattleClone

You won't get burned by me, I agree with you, for the most part. I do think there's something to be said for having a degree at all, whether it is the name of a job or not. Proving that you can make it through a four-year program is worth a little boost, at least.

That is true, I should have said that. Someone with a college degree in basket weaving interviewing for a job that requires little skill but still pays well, still has a heads up on someone with only a HS diploma.

benjay · 04-30-2008, 10:39 PM

He's basically saying, among other whines: If you aren't smart, don't bother with college. He might be right in many cases but it's a defeatist attitude and at the article's core he's just whining.

Phaedrus · 05-01-2008, 01:38 AM

Originally Posted by clonefan_80

I might get burned on this, and granted I'm extremely biased, but I think there are some flat out useless majors. I'll give credit to any science, mathematical, or technical field. Accounting, teaching, and even design and music have their places. But business management, marketing, advertising (wth is the difference), and psychology etc. seem very useless to me. You can't learn to be a good business manager, you can, however learn the accounting principles and develop great leadership qualities to run a business. You can't learn to be a creative advertiser, you either are, or you're not. Discussions like these give me great comfort that the name of my major will also be the name of my job title.

I'm not a big fan of non-scientific/technical "functional" fields, such as "Business". Though I will argue that a degree in "History" is greatly undervalued in the work world. History is the original "science" field. The basics of research and evaluation of data are taught well, and a well-trained historian brings perspective to most endeavors in nearly any field.

I have an A.A.S. in Aircraft maintenance, a B.A. in History, and an M.A. in International Relations. I have used the B.A. in History more than the other two, throughout my life.

For example, a student of mine works for BMW, in their hybrid vehicles department, and none of his fellow workers were aware that hybrid vehicles were not a "new" technology. In fact, a company owned by BMW had produced hybrid power vehicles from around 1908. (diesel-electric locomotives.) This "discovery" (prompted by me, with my "worthless" History degree and training) led to the digging up of some useful data, which may assist them in their development efforts.

Most mathematics and science efforts would benefit from a well-trained Historian. It helps to provide inspiration, and to avoid going back to poisoned wells, if you will.