Free college for all?

[Sketcher]

And giving a better education starting in elementary school with an actual foundation in ethics would be a good start

Whose ethics? They've been teaching liberal values in public schools for decades now. And for everything liberals say about being inclusive, they've been simultaneously unable or unwilling to adequately discipline bullying and delinquent behavior.

instead of just passing kids through because their feelings might be hurt if we demand they actually perform at grade level.

There's a financial incentive to pass them anyway.

 

[kittysbecute]

I believe my grandpa attended UC Berkeley when it was free. I’m not sure if it was residents only or free for anyone. Now it’s expensive to go there I’ve heard.

I think having more options of free or less expensive accredited public education would be good. People will still choose the more expensive options though.

 

[JAM2b]

I think it would be a blessing. I hope it becomes a reality. Our country can afford it. It's a matter of priorities.

 

[kittysbecute]

The current education system needs major improvement overall as well, at least in my opinion. Schools no longer teach logic, critical thinking or how to learn, they just expect students to memorize and recite information.

In my experience I found that to be more true of highschool level and lower. I guess I was fortunate to take general education classes in college that focused more on using critical thinking above memorization.
Of course my language classes and geography classes (as a couple examples) were mostly memorization focused.

 

[Rigatoni]

In my experience I found that to be more true of highschool level and lower. I guess I was fortunate to take general education classes in college that focused more on using critical thinking above memorization.
Of course my language classes and geography classes (as a couple examples) were mostly memorization focused.

Yeah, I don't think it's too much of an issue in college. A friend of mine and I attended summer programs in middle school, which were aimed at enhancing skills necessary for a career in engineering, such as problem solving, reasoning and understanding of mathematics. Logic was part of the curriculum - it focused on how to reach accurate conclusions based on limited information and deduction. Overall though, it was actually a lot of fun.

I loved the Logic course. We also held egg-drop competitions and made buildings out of marshmallows and toothpicks. I didn't end up going the engineering route later on. But, what we learned was very valuable, and showed me the vast difference between this program and the typical system of education. Although, memorization is still necessary sometimes, lol.

I hope you also didn't have any professors preaching to you about the Matrix in college.

 

[kittysbecute]

Yeah, I don't think it's too much of an issue in college. A friend of mine and I attended summer programs in middle school, which were aimed at enhancing skills necessary for a career in engineering, such as problem solving, reasoning and understanding of mathematics. Logic was part of the curriculum - it focused on how to reach accurate conclusions based on limited information and deduction. Overall though, it was actually a lot of fun.

I loved the Logic course. We also held egg-drop competitions and made buildings out of marshmallows and toothpicks. I didn't end up going the engineering route later on. But, what we learned was very valuable, and showed me the vast difference between this program and the typical system of education. Although, memorization is still necessary sometimes, lol.

I hope you also didn't have any professors preaching to you about the Matrix in college.

That sounds like a fun middle school experience.
I don’t know about the Matrix.... but we did learn about matrices in one of my college math classes. It was so fun!

 

[Daniel C]

Well It won't be free,because someone will pay for it.

 

[Niels]

There's more to it than a lack of funds. Unfortunately, there are people who make a fortune off student loan debt. They have power because of that money, and they won't easily give it up. Passing legislation to eliminate predatory lending in the education industry might go a long way toward resolving the underlying problem.

 

[HisGraceAbounds]

First, I'd like to see society come to the realization that not everyone needs to have a college degree. Second, I'd like to see more recruitment for the trades and a major increase in trade school enrollment. Third, I'd like to see k-12 schools do a better job of preparing students for post-secondary education so college professors aren't spending time teaching remedial lessons about basic skills that should already be mastered before the first day of college coursework.

 

[blackribbon]

There's more to it than a lack of funds. Unfortunately, there are people who make a fortune off student loan debt. They have power because of that money, and they won't easily give it up. Passing legislation to eliminate predatory lending in the education industry might go a long way toward resolving the underlying problem.

Or don't go to expensive schools and pay as you go. Way too many people think they need to go full-time and are majoring in things that will never provide the income to pay back the loans they take. Take a year off and save up. Go part-time while keeping a full-time job (and often jobs will contribute). Even better yet, do a low level job in the field you want and have "real-life" experience to go with that degree. Now, experience is often worth more than a degree.

 

[Niels]

Or don't go to expensive schools and pay as you go. Way too many people think they need to go full-time and are majoring in things that will never provide the income to pay back the loans they take. Take a year off and save up. Go part-time while keeping a full-time job (and often jobs will contribute). Even better yet, do a low level job in the field you want and have "real-life" experience to go with that degree. Now, experience is often worth more than a degree.

Agreed. Experience is hard to beat, but it can be more difficult to evaluate than a degree from an accredited institution. Especially when one is just entering the workforce, and may not have much of a track record.

Fortunately, state colleges were founded with the purpose of providing a high quality, affordable, education. Another reasonable option is to start at a community college, and then transfer the credits. Attending a big name school, let alone for all 4 (or more) years, isn't necessary.

My alma mater, a state university, apparently offers a better return on investment than the Ivy League schools. What it may lack in cachet, it makes up for on the bottom line. There's something to be said for that.

I think private colleges should remain an option for those who can afford the tuition, but they aren't the only game in town.

 

[blackribbon]

Agreed. Experience is hard to beat, but it can be more difficult to evaluate than a degree from an accredited institution.

Fortunately, state colleges were founded with the purpose of providing a high quality, affordable, education. Another reasonable option is to start at a community college, and then transfer the credits. Attending a big name school, let alone for all 4 (or more) years, isn't necessary.

My alma mater, a state university, apparently offers a better return on investment than the Ivy League schools. What it may lack in cachet, it makes up for on the bottom line. There's something to be said for that.

I think private colleges should remain an option for those who can afford the tuition, but they aren't the only game in town.

I promise that experience will often trump a degree with no experience unless the job requires a degree for a license. It is hard to get that first job out of college. Even top students can have a difficult time. If the degree is important, many jobs will hire an experienced person with a condition of getting a degree by a certain time...and often will offer financial help in getting that job.

The reality is that many degrees have no real application to the jobs that are available.

 

[Niels]

I promise that experience will often trump a degree with no experience unless the job requires a degree for a license. It is hard to get that first job out of college. Even top students can have a difficult time. If the degree is important, many jobs will hire an experienced person with a condition of getting a degree by a certain time...and often will offer financial help in getting that job.

The reality is that many degrees have no real application to the jobs that are available.

No disagreement here. I've seen that happen with colleagues. Their employment was contingent on working toward, and eventually earning, their degree. On the other hand, some have been hired based on experience with no such conditions.