Do you think that education from school and diploma are overrated?

Question

(Yes, this is ranting and raving... Don't read if you know you wouldn't like to read it.........)

Well, I think if you want to become a doctor or lawyer, it helps to learn from college up education. I mean, the school DO train you...

But in some other cases... like language learning, art, etc.
I'm such a self-paced learner. I ACtually am better off just sucking knowledge up OUTside of school! I hate teachers spoon feeding us, having to cooperate with your Classmates level... and even meeting the requirements of P.E.!? (I don't underSTAND why we still do P.E. in college?!) and my old University (I dropped off) requires us to attend some meetings (doing chores? helping your schoolmates in second language learning? all those things that should had been voluteering, but it's now all mandatory, and require every single student to do it?) And each semester, they want you to listen to two speeches (ppl come to the school to give speeches.) and visit three museums? (they say to train ppl to appreciate Art, etc. So that we won't be ppl who only study, and care not more than what our Department is focusing on?) I mean... that is so elementary. At a University level, one should know already to exercise by themselves, and if they are interested in Art or want to listen to great ppl giving us speeches, we should go automatically bc we are ourselves interested! Why does my old school (and it's the same with others in my country, and maybe even schools worldwide??!) treat students like "robots" and requires you to do this and that at the time they ask you to? Like at the end of each semester, ppl go like... ah! I forgot to attend a second meeting required for this semester!...

We even had to do chores (as requirement of each semester) to get the credit required.

They require you to learn a third language. I already know three. So... I'm forced to learn a fourth. But I seriously don't want to learn a new one before I am good enough with the three I already started learning. For instance, Mandarin is my first language, English is my major, and my Spanish is like... I learned it with native speakers and went to school with them. And I'm not going to waste my time in Spanish I, II OR III. And the two choices left are French and Japanese. Ok, I took a little French in HS, it's not that it'd be too easy for me (different from Spanish). I think I really have no interest in learning French whatsoever.... let alone I'd tried to pronounce, but it seriously isn't for me.

I don't mind learning Japanese though. However, it is super hard to sign up to that class, since it's the most popular... Ppl all trying to get into the class. Ppl who aren't lucky are left with French of Spanish.
Secondly, I really don't want to learn a new language when I still don't want to. However, schools require you to take it IN your sophomore year, you HAVE to take it THAT year! Why can't they be more "flexible"?

Personally, the school should open third language classes, but I really don't think they should force you (require, mandatory) to take them. Let alone which yr you should/can take them!

I'm not too interested in clubs a dorm life in schools either. I think the outside world is much more bigger and more "real". I had long ago find out that school teach you many thing that actually contradict with what society teaches you. And after all you'd have to adapt to the real society and UNlearn what you learned from school and your teachers!!

I don't think college is for anyone who wants to succeed. (And I'm not focusing on ppl who only want to be waiters, drivers, etc. for the rest of their lives. Uh, no offense.)

I think you should be able to teach (like languages) or become a great writer only by self learning. Ppl shouldn't judge you more from your level of "school" education THAN what you really know (the level of how you're really educated, even if it's outside of school and any system.)

But ppl nowadays only hear the school you're graduated from, and then you're labelled?

Answer 1

I agree with most of what you are saying. Most colleges/universities are set up for a specific type of learner and are far too rigid. They require certain types of liberal arts classes and language to help make their students "well rounded" with the expectation that people can't (or won't) learn these things on their own.



I was raised in a family that encouraged finding answers on your own, because you are far more likely to remember and trust those answers you find versus those simply told to you. I chose a technical (vocational) college to get a 2-year associate degree because I knew I didn't need to take all those fluff classes to make me a "rounded person." I can and do read on my own, and I have always performed well above the rest of my classes. (Really, I'm not bragging here. I did my homework in between classes and always got As and Bs.)

Answer 2

You are on to something, and sadly yes, you are often hired for a job based on your alma mater!



Until the 1950's, most people went to school until about 8th grade, and then dropped out and got a job. Of course, times have changed. However, what happened that began keeping students enrolled longer in school was the scary, scary High School Dropout Plague! The politicians and the upper eschelon of the education industry got together and voila! Magic.



Let me explain further. Politicians want to keep unemployment rates low. If a person is not actually LOOKING for a job, then they cannot be counted toward the unemployment rate. So, if students remained in school and were not looking for a job, then that meant lower unemployment numbers. This was a blessing for the crooks that operate state departments of education, as well as those that may run your local school district. If students are REQUIRED to be in school another four years, then budgets go up drastically. Higher budgets mean what? More pay for those in education!



I am not knocking education. I think it is beneficial, and I do not think that we need to revert to a more agrarian America when students were not completing high school.



This "scam," if you will, simply inched up the education racket, and spread to colleges and universities everywhere. When I graduated college with a Bachelor's Degree, it would take you a lot further than it does today. Sad.



I can say all of these things, for you naysayers, because I am a high school teacher.

Answer 3

Nice writing, man.

You are angry, that's obvious and so am I. I loose rationality when I'm angry and I always balancing between two choices in life:

1. Normal and commonly accepted.

2. Abnormal, freaky and obscure.

You are tipping yourself on the number 2 and I think you are smart enough to take this choice because you aren't going to sink in there as you are able to make decisions for yourself. If you are able to control substance abuse then you will deal will any ******* problem that can happen in this world...but you have to be prepared not to have a good stable job in a common sense...learn to become a freelancer..learn to earn enough to live good without feeling that this life is becoming a burden because you have to save on pizza...if you know what I mean. I've been thru times when money was not there for me so I got myself into IBM...Call that a label?? pretty freakin yes. A big three lettered blood sucking label that kills everything. I wish you luck in pursuing your dream but if you REALLY want to succeed in this alternative way you have to build up the foundation for yourself before you graduate or leave school...don't do stupid things as that asshole from "Into the Wild".

And yeah, if you aren't listening to Tool yet, you should start doing that :)



Bless!

Answer 4

The institution isn't over rated, the schooling process is. A graduate will do a role as according to his popularity, a drop out will grasp something for survival and paintings rough and get to the highest. A graduate will constantly be protecting the levels and looking forward to the proper one to return. What do you suppose of this.

Answer 5

Would you rather be a divorced single parent of 3 living on welfare or a successful business owner?

Answer 6

Do you think that this kind of thinking is why America is a failure in the education department?