This Is Why College Really Sucks

[PlunderSteed 1,251]

*shrugs*

 

My employer paid for my undergraduate degree, and they're paying for my masters as well.  There are plenty of ways to get a good education without going into tremendous debt or having to retake classes they took in high school.

[takai 1,060]

I prefer college over high school ANY day.

 

BUT.

 

I completely agree with you on multiple counts. I'm learning shit I already learned in high school. Why am I taking a math class? Two science classes? A speech class? Isn't that what high school was for? I feel like I'm literally throwing my money in a pile and lighting it on fire. Speaking of money, the amount to take classes and rent books is absolutely asinine.

 

I always had the idea that college was a place where I learn what I want to learn for the job I want to be in. To me, that sounds like paradise. Going to a place that's actually helpful. Sure, I've taken an art class or two, and it's helped a bit. But this "required" crap is ridiculous.

 

Let's not mention stress and all the time it takes to do all this crap to begin with. I still enjoy college because your fellow students don't care who you are or what you like, the professors are generally pretty cool and the independence and freedom feel great. But the cons really outweigh the pros.

 

The education system is a joke.

[Invincible 2,090]

I manage a store for my main source of income. It involves a lot of work, sometimes i have to stay overnight and leave at morning, and it wrecks my sleep entirely. I must have been high or drunk or both when i thought that i could deal with college as well as a late part-time job. The amount of work that i have to invest in studying is incredibly high, and so i'm practically stuck between  getting my ass fired or failing classes (In fact i did fail a couple of classes which i had to retake).

Edited August 27, 2014 by Terminus

[GXPBlast 597]

Sadly I am stuck with a class that is 3 hours and I have to take it so I cannot drop it. I am at school from 9am to 9pm on some days and it sucks because I could not do anything about it due to already being late a year for graduation. My professor from my 6pm to 9pm class is really boring and they class is rather hard.  She reminds me of the teacher from this movie. She is very mono toned and does not get her point across very well.

 

 

[Wind Chaser 4,768]

What's odd is that the US is considered tops in the world for higher education...I guess that doesn't account for the difference between the top schools and all the rest. We happen to pay the most for a system that's hard to control.

 

I'm currently going through the motions of core curriculum, and it's not pretty. I have to attend college on a full-time basis due to health insurance requirements.

 

It is a waste of time and money on the part of the students, but it's a big business, like everything else is these days. Unfortunately, the economy and the state of public education is at a point where many see college as the only path to economic well-being, and academic stagflation is making it even more necessary.

 

These people at the top don't realize that what they are doing could end up destroying the economy in the future, if we have a generation loaded in debt for stuff they didn't really need, but took because the System said they needed it and forced them to have it.

 

Education has become an industrial complex. The logical solution would be to have tests to determine whether or not these core curriculum classes are necessary for the individual's needs, but that's not the solution that's going to make the most money in the least time.

[Zoraxe 546]

I think Community College is the best way to go if money is an issue. Oh, and stay away from culinary schools, those things are big rip-offs.

Edited September 17, 2014 by Zoraxe

[GXPBlast 597]

Just thought I would vent abit of another reason why i cant stand college and that is uptight professors who get pissed when people go to the bathroom. I mean I am sorry but I drank a bunch of coffee to stay up all day and it makes you pee. Also, sitting for over two hours someone is eventually gonna have to go to the bathroom. I mean this professor called me and this other student out off class in the middle of a lecture when we got back to scold us for leaving class to go to the bathroom.

Edited October 2, 2014 by GXPBlast

[Jadusstone 52]

I wanted to attend college after high school however, one i cannot afford it. I don't want to be in depth for the rest of my life, i know some people who've been out of college for decades and there still trying to pay off student loans. Also the need to take classes i dont want to take but are forced to take because of the idiots running the college. Like if i were to attend art school, even in community college, id be required to take math...my worse subject, i have a disability that makes numbers not make sense to my brain and also the reason it took me two years extra to graduate from high school. I called the college and told them about my disability, they basicly told me it didnt matter id still have to take a class. 

Also iv heard alot of horror stories of students buying books that were on there course list, only to find they spent 200 dollars on a book for the proffessor to use it once, and only for one page. ONE PAGE!!! 

Americans and Canadians need to do something about colleges and universities, they should by law have a cap on how much they're allowed to charge you to attend, also proffessors shouldn't be allowed to make you buy expensive books only to have use them once or twice it's a waste of your hard earned money you could have put towards rent, or tuition.

[Giygas 40]

This has puzzled me for a while now, but whenever I check reviews for colleges (universities if you're Australian like myself) people never mention the academic quality of the courses and programs themselves. It's obscured by people constantly talking about how good the architecture is, how clean the environment is, how resourceful the facilities and libraries are, and so on. This is really sinister considering that my own university has a poor track record in regards to teaching their students when they actually encourage them to use the internet to complete practicals and assignments, even when teachers-- I mean, researchers say otherwise.

 

I think university is only beneficial to those who have a strong desire to research new ideas and discover new innovations that can revolutionise people's lives. That being said, the majority of people (including myself) do not belong in university for this very reason, and other alternatives that can help people develop necessary skills and experience through vocations, apprenticeships or even volunteering is a much more efficient and cost-effective alternative to those who don't have the drive to research.

[Draxon 214]

I had gone straight to a four-year institute after high school, and in retrospect, I think it was personally a terrible idea.  I wasn't prepared for the amount of work involved in keeping up with my classes, and dropped out after three years of struggling.  I did go to a community college afterwards and altered my study habits, and was successful, but after all of that I decided I needed a break and entered the working world.  After being there for four years, I've come back to college, and I'm definitely prepared to do a lot of hard work, now.  Working for a living can be quite motivational...

But I do agree with everyone's statements about the amount of debt students need to incur now in order to continue their education.  In a couple of months, I'll be broke, and I had saved up as much as I could before coming back.  And then I have to worry about finding another job...

[Zoraxe 546]

Unfortunately, in this economy and with so many people having gotten degrees and the state of our education system (making highschool diplomas worth less than they used to be), It can also be a bad Idea to not get a degree. A lot of jobs that shouldn't require a degree do now. And there aren't a lot of trade schools anymore in this country either, like there is a stigma against them or something.

 

So people today basically have a choice between getting a degree and likely not getting a job related to it, and possibly getting stuck in massive student debt and not finding work in your field or good paying. Or not getting a degree and likely not being able to get their foot in the door anywhere and having to work unskilled labor jobs for minimum wage for possibly your entire life.

 

God help you if you don't even have a High School Diploma.

Edited October 2, 2014 by Zoraxe

[Giygas 40]

Unfortunately, in this economy and with so many people having gotten degrees and the state of our education system (making highschool diplomas worth less than they used to be), It can also be a bad Idea to not get a degree. A lot of jobs that shouldn't require a degree do now. And there aren't a lot of trade schools anymore in this country either, like there is a stigma against them or something.

 

So people today basically have a choice between getting a degree and likely not getting a job related to it, and possibly getting stuck in massive student debt and not finding work in your field or good paying. Or not getting a degree and likely not being able to get their foot in the door anywhere and having to work unskilled labor jobs for minimum wage for possibly your entire life.

 

God help you if you don't even have a High School Diploma.

 

Surely there would be other alternatives out there right? I'd hate to imagine that somebody with a high school diploma would be working five nights at Freddy's. 

[TheMarkz0ne 962]

College is a designed scam. First off, universities and banks are the best of friends because if a bank didn't put you into loan slavery, you would be allowed to have  refund from your classes if you fought hard enough. Refunds can't happen when a college secures you into their system with FEDLOAN. My classes were $999 for 8 weeks part time and the classes didn't match the context of the course. College is like going to Vegas, you're just gambling and surviving. If you fail, the banks eat you like the parasites they are.

[aoEAF2FBvC0MIo2Q 3,673]

Over here it's not as bad. $32'000.-- if you finish in 4 years (tuition, books, campus included and other expenses included).

What's more, the majority of the courses I'm getting in the BA electrical engineering curriculum is relevant -- most of them... There are certain subjects that are more relevant in business which includes economics, entrpreneurship and project management (the terminology). I feel as though I'm forgetting something...

 

One of our teachers told us that the school staff would visit different local industries and consult with them as to what they would want in students who graduate from this college.

[Draxon 214]

I will say, in support of attending college, that there are non-economic benefits of enrolling.  I'm finding all of the courses I'm taking to be very interesting and most of them have relevance to current social issues.  Granted, dedicated, independent study may yield the same results for one not enrolled in college, but having the opportunity to engage with professors who have real world experience and to interact with other students is surely a boon for understanding a subject.

My suggestion for anyone who is considering a college education is to take as much time as needed to review how prepared you are for the costs and responsibilities associated with it; if you aren't, it may be best to spend some time working in the real world until you are.  If you do feel ready, be very thorough in your investigation of prospective institutions, and make sure your priorities are in the right order.  My choice of college right out of high school was made primarily so I could go to the same college as one of my friends (I strongly advise against adopting this as your deciding factor).  And if you do go, make friends with your professors.  Many of them turn out to be pretty cool, they can be very useful resources in your search for a job, and it probably wouldn't hurt your grades, either.

[Shift 4,272]

I'm not in college yet, but I sure am glad i'm not. College looks like you get a crapton of pressure put onto your soldiers, and that's not even counting the pressure on getting into your preferred college (I've already derived a list on colleges that suck, colleges I'd be OK with, and 'GET INTO THIS OR GO HOME' colleges. I... care about my academics and my future. A lot.) . I'm going to enjoy my time in school while it lasts; it's all gonna go downhill from here. And gosh, i'm not even COUNTING the time it'll take to get an actual job.

 

I hope things get better.

[Guest]

College is the bomb here (In a good way), imo. Don't really know what it's like over in the States.

[Standard User 2,127]

My college does away with random filler classes. As a first-semester freshman, pretty much all of my classes pertain directly to my degree. No random philosophy or art appreciation classes for me!

 

Then again, tuition is through the roof and the retention rate is abysmal...

 

Anyway, this school is the only college I applied to because this is the place for me. Everyone is a super-nerd and I'm pretty much guaranteed a high-paying job within a year or two of graduating. PEOPLE. COME HERE. I need more friends.

Edited October 8, 2015 by Kolth

[Nulln 755]

i hate general ed classes.  

my school doesn't really cost much, since it's a community college, though. and once you get into the nursing program, you can have a hospital sponsor you and they pay for your schooling.

you really do need the general ed classes though, even if you think you don't.

[SparklingSwirls 21,282]

I'm actually looking forward to going to college, since it means I'll get to study abroad

 

My family has saved up enough money for me to not have to apply for financial aid (I don't have siblings so it's not that hard) so I don't think debt will be a problem...

 

Then again, I guess we'll see what happens when I get there

Edited October 4, 2014 by SparklingSwirls

[NecroSare 4]

Well, in France college isn't so tough (money speaking), mostly because we have a lot of grants to help poor students with their tuition or their rent. But, due to the french learning system, most of them end their studies without any experience, so they usually end up in jobs that does not even match their studies and are often under-payed.

 

So that's why I'm attending a MUCH harder class which ends with a national contest to get us into great french engineering schools. I'm hoping to do a double degree, one in France and an other in the States, thanks to a partnership between the US' university and my school.

[The Leafeon Pinkeh 3,602]

I should know, I originally went in to be a history teacher. When I learned what my "teaching" entails, I threw my hands up and declared "good riddance" to my own education, which I heavily used as a crutch to get through my troubled childhood, and now can only see stupidity running this country because of what people DON'T KNOW but SHOULD, and those who are told would rather live in their little bubble of ignorance and claim denial for what is right in front of their face. And those who do see and know are deemed "trouble" by the government and communities and are seen as a "hindrance to the betterment of society." Thank you America...

So what did you end up doing?

Im not to collegs yet but reading about other peoples desicions and stuff will help me figure out what I even need to do when I get out of high school (Im in 11th so many of my friends have a career planned out).

Also I'm just curious.

[Heart Beat 34]

I'll be looking forward to that... in 4 years

[Fluttershyfan94 5,741]

It really does, it really does.

[Treble Bolt 1,122]

So what did you end up doing?

Im not to collegs yet but reading about other peoples desicions and stuff will help me figure out what I even need to do when I get out of high school (Im in 11th so many of my friends have a career planned out).

Also I'm just curious.

 

I had a great deal more issues to worry about that most would not have to when it comes to going to college. I had to face homelessness or college out of high school due to foster care (I ended up going through both).  I decided because of my continual spiritual issues, I decided to go to Bible college. I graduated with a theology degree but I never thought about it being a career. I believed I'd go somewhere, where I didn't know at the time.

I ended up meeting my husband and basically have a happy ending story....but as of this year, I decided to go back to college (vocational) and am currently getting a welding degree...because that is an "in demand" job that will never go away (robots can only do so much).