I agree that for many people, college is a waste of time and money. I could definitely tell that most people in my college classes couldn't give a damn about the content we were learning, but then there were always a couple people in class who started interesting debates and discussions on the topic, as well as teachers who encourage this kind of thing.
For me, I think college was the way to go. I enjoy meeting lots of diverse people in an environment where it's not necessarily nerdy to talk about literature, science, and politics.
I disagree with #9 on the list:
9. College trains you to be a docile and compliant employee.
This is only true if you act like a docile and compliant employee, which is usually the behavior of students who don't care about what they are learning, they just want to get the grade and get out, so they don't absorb anything valuable from the class. Personally, many college classes have taught me to think creatively, be daring with my ideas, and don't be afraid to challenge the ideas of others. Professors (good ones anyway), want their students to have original, interesting arguments about things. They get bored hearing the same old text book stuff parroted back by their students. (Ok, I guess this is only true of classes that are not math, science, and that sort of thing)
Plus, I think college students generally have better social skills, or are at least more comfortable in a social environment, than those who don't go to college. Of course there are probably lots of really social un-college educated people, but I just find that many of them associate with the same people for years on end, and never seem to advance and meet more interesting friends.
All of this said, I do think that paying all that money for a social experience is ridiculous, but I don't regret going to college, so for me I guess the classes and the friends and professors I met were worth the money.  |