why people attend college or university?

[Lei]

well, i come by this question when i was watching a TV program that bring out the question "why do you think people attend college or university?" somebody said for new experiences, someone said for career preparation, and others said for the increasing of knowledge. However all these things can also abtained during working. what do you think?

[LifeFirst]

Some people do it to challenge themselves. Like take a really hard math class or something to test their limits.

[Lei]

Originally Posted by LifeFirst

Some people do it to challenge themselves. Like take a really hard math class or something to test their limits.

well, why do they challenge themselves in the work, they can also earn money during challenging...

[brendannz]

Most people do it for better career prospects.. Some do it because they think it's the only way to get a well paid job, and some also do it just because they think it's expected of them. (parents, society etc.)
The funny thing is, people have different learning styles and some intelligent people just aren't suited for lecture type education.
It's best to go to university to study something you're passionate about I think

[Iggy K]

Because their parents told them so

[YourHumbleNarrator]

Most of them are under the mistaken assumption that there's no way to achieve success in life without it. Keep in mind that they've been in school since they were too young to remember not being in school, so learning without school is a foreign concept to them, as is any form of real independence. Even if they'd rather do without it, they have no idea how to accomplish it.

[SomeRandomGuy]

I agree with what others have said. Most people go to college because they think that is what is expected, or what they have to do to get a decent job. College has become the default path for most people, and many just end up wasting 4 (or more) years of their life and throwing away thousands of dollars to end up not even using their college education.

[Writertype]

There are lots of different reasons. One is professional-- I want to be a doctor, so I had to go to college. Same if you want to be an engineer, lawyer, research scientist, etc.

There is also curiosity. You can read about things, but it is a different experience to actually go work in a laboratory or do research with a top scientist. College lets you do things you can't do at a library.

Most people go for the money. I agree with you that you can get work experience in many fields and make good money without college, but many people don't know that coming out of high school or feel like those aren't the jobs for them.

And finally, many people just do it because it's what you are "supposed to" do when you graduate. That's not a highly conscious reason to go, granted, but hopefully they will grow and mature while they are in college so that they can make better decisions once they are out.

All in all if you avoid going into much debt through grants or scholarships, take your studies seriously, and spend time growing socially and otherwise college can actually be a great experience.

[Beuford]

Originally Posted by Iggy K

Because their parents told them so

Hit the nail on the head I think. But also that is what they were told during high school. Unfortunately maybe these people did not get a chance to discover alternatives, or to realise it is not necessary to be successful. But there are people who know that, and still want to go. But those are only a few things where you legally need a degree to do. Or maybe they are just not bothered exploring other ways and just accept going to college as normal.

And especially considering a lot of people who have just finished high school and move on to college have only vaguely decided on what they want to do, the degree might hardly help them. Who knows what they want to do in 10 years? I don't think going to college for 3 years is worth it unless, as I said its required by law, and that you are serious and certain and have probably done some sampling of things before you commit yourself to a degree.

[Plays With Life]

Originally Posted by Iggy K

Because their parents told them so

I agree with this. I think most people who do it, just follow what their parents, family, media, peers, everyone around them expresses regarding life path - you go to college. Some people also consciously think through whether they want to go or not, and decide to go. I reckon the latter happens less often than the former.

[brendannz]

Tony Robbins, talks about how we do things to gain pleasure or get out of pain.. being motivated by the carrot or the stick..

I think if you're going to college / university, it shouldn't be because you'll end up a failure in life if you don't (because there's many more life possibilities) it should be because you're passionate about learning what you're learning

Here's a youtube video of auto-didacts who didn't go to college;
YouTube - Penn & Teller - The Autodidacts

[brendannz]

I think in some cases college or university can be an excuse for being unemployed.. After all, we always have to tell people what we do for a job..

[Plays With Life]

Originally Posted by brendannz

I think in some cases college or university can be an excuse for being unemployed.. After all, we always have to tell people what we do for a job..

So true .. I've spent much of my life without school and without a job .. and I never really know how to respond to the question "what do you do?".

As though I have one single thing I do with my life.

[Thekla]

I went to a liberal arts college. I went because I felt like it would prepare me for working and because I felt that having a college education would be needed to get the sorts of jobs I was interested in. At that time, I was still leaning towards a number of careers that would have required a master's or ph.d, like a psychologist or attorney. However, I felt that many jobs in the business world are also more accessible to people with a four-year college degree. My experience in the HR world suggests that this is in fact the case. (Whether it should be the case is another discussion.)

I learned things that I would not have learned anywhere else, and I don't regret it. While I agree that there are lots of other ways to learn material, the teachers I had exposure to changed the way in which I learned, spoke, read and thought. Work experience or learning things from books or more informally would not have allowed me to learn the same things, quite.

However, I definitely don't think college is the only valid path, and I find the debates I've seen lately on whether it's worth the price tag very interesting.

[myjourney11]

The fees to attend these institutions is ridiculous and sets young adults off on the wrong foot of debt.

You have to make the choice at age 18 as to what career defining courses you would like to take. Seriously at age 18 how could anyone possibly know what they would like to do for the rest of their lives?

There are some professions that must receive the proper education. Aside from certain professions, hands-on experience is the best teacher.

[Daffy Duck]

Because they choose to. It's as simple and profound as that.

Some smart people go to college. Some smart people don't go to college.

I've enjoyed my college experience thus far. I've had experiences and met people I wouldn't have otherwise met if I didn't attend. Many of my professors are now friends. And I have a full time career. Everything I learn at college I could teach myself at home, but I prefer the college experience, especially because I've been unschooled and teaching myself since I was nine years old. Actually, going to college IS a form of teaching yourself, if you think about it.

I don't need to go to college. I make plenty of money without it. But I like college.

I've heard some people knock others for spending money going to college, and yet they spend tons of money going to self-help seminars. Ironic or hypocritical, perhaps.

[James81]

Because taking a piece of paper to a prospective employer greatly increases their chances of getting hired.

Because a lot of today's careers require licensing by the state that also requires graduation from an accredited program.

Top two reasons right there.

It's possible to attain success without college, but that also greatly depends on what you're interested in doing.

If you want to be a doctor, lawyer, engineer, or accountant or something like that, then there's not really a way around getting a degree. Not if you want to make the money for doing the kind of work those people do.

However, if you want to start your own business, be a writer, artist, etc. it's not really required (although it might HELP you develop yourself) to go through a college program for those types of things.

[KazeCraven]

I never really considered doing anything else. Not that it's the most wise, conscious thing to do, but I've had the label of "intellectual" all my life, and nearly all the career options I'd like to pursue (researcher, psychologist, educator) require a college education. Plus it's the fun, easy way to networking for the socially challenged and for those who are actually looking to network, and it can help teach how to learn or how to acquire resources for those who actually schedule such classes in.

Not to mention that my parents actually insist on paying my way through college anyway, and I'd disappoint them if I didn't take the money and go through it. But that's only relevant because my interests match up with their interests for me, and thus using their money to go to college isn't a problem for them.

I'd imagine most people are in a similar situation, except they don't necessarily have any job they want to pursue and they aren't particularly interested about the whole point of attending a university: setting yourself up for success in a career of your choosing. That being said...

Originally Posted by YourHumbleNarrator

Most of them are under the mistaken assumption that there's no way to achieve success in life without it. Keep in mind that they've been in school since they were too young to remember not being in school, so learning without school is a foreign concept to them, as is any form of real independence. Even if they'd rather do without it, they have no idea how to accomplish it.

Very true. Teaching yourself is hard if you've been resisting learning all your life like some kids. The people who aren't going to take responsibility for their own learning (and life, for that matter) need college for what many personal development junkies can do by themselves in a third of the time, and with magnitudes less money. They simply wouldn't succeed without it, despite it being objectively possible.

Originally Posted by brendannz

I think in some cases college or university can be an excuse for being unemployed.. After all, we always have to tell people what we do for a job..

Very true. Some people are FULLY aware of what they are getting into, but would rather have the idealized party-life college experience before having to deal with the bleak, painful reality that comes after said party-life. So have fun (aka Hedonism) as much as possible now, and we'll worry about the debt and stuff later.

Originally Posted by myjourney11

The fees to attend these institutions [are] ridiculous and sets young adults off on the wrong foot of debt.

You have to make the choice at age 18 as to what career defining courses you would like to take. Seriously at age 18 how could anyone possibly know what they would like to do for the rest of their lives?

There are some professions that must receive the proper education. Aside from certain professions, hands-on experience is the best teacher.

My university has actually recently removed all student debts from their students, making the financial aid completely paid off by the university. Not that this is normal, but debt can be avoided.

Most people don't introspect enough to know how they want to start their career, but with all these long summer breaks, I didn't find it hard to know where I want to start. And I'd imagine if the school system actually integrated this activity, people could get an idea of what they probably want to do for the next, oh, 10 years or so. Just because you can't know what you want to do for the rest of your life doesn't mean you won't know where to begin.

And yes, aside from professions that aren't theoretical in nature, actually going into the profession itself as an apprentice is better to learn what to do.

[rocksupreme]

Originally Posted by Lei

well, i come by this question when i was watching a TV program that bring out the question "why do you think people attend college or university?" somebody said for new experiences, someone said for career preparation, and others said for the increasing of knowledge. However all these things can also abtained during working. what do you think?

That seems a little simplistic. You can get money just as easily by stealing as you can by working. However, we live in a society in which stealing is verboten.

We also live in a society (though it's changing) in which a college education carries some weight. In many fields, the certification is more valuable than the experience one could get by simply working.

Also, I'd be wary of trusting a self-taught doctor, lawyer, architect, etc.

I'm not saying that the traditional educational process is necessarily ideal, but I would disagree that a self-teaching or apprenticeship program would be adequate for all professions. I'd also point out that the ability to perform a vocation is not all that is required for meaningful participation in society.

[Plays With Life]

Originally Posted by rocksupreme

I'd also point out that the ability to perform a vocation is not all that is required for meaningful participation in society.

Hey - this was an interesting line. What else do you think is required?

[Talkofthatown919]

Originally Posted by Iggy K

Because their parents told them so

i agree with this

i personally didn't go because i know if i did all i would focus on would be girls, partying and hanging out with friends.

[kwicherbichen]

Experiences - You can do this by traveling... However, university offers a safer environment to meet new people and to study abroad.

Work Prep - wtf?? This person has no clue.

Increase Knowledge - I agree with this. As much as some of you love to say you can just look on the internet, no you can't. There is so much dubious information. College offers you the PEOPLE in that field who can help you. It offers you the money and equipment to do research.

I am in college because I need that piece of paper in order to do the work that I want to do. In the mean time, I'm learning some things that will probably help me later in life by adding 2 more major.

[jimmyk1006]

I'm 19 and a Sophomore in college now. I attend for several reasons. To start off, I have all of the money now to pay it off, thanks to my scholarship. If I don't take advantage of it now, I'll regret it. I'm also in college to get an education -- something that many people take for granted these days.

I knew ever since I was in the 3rd grade that I wanted to be working in the television industry. The sad thing is, many people are attending college now because of the suckish economy (and yes, I know suckish isn't a real word, but no real word can sum up our economy right now). Many of these people who had no intention in attending college are finding out that it's not easy. This is why the college dropout rate is skyrocketing. In the 60's, the dropout rate was 1 in 5. Now, over 50% never graduate college! I can tell that people are only doing it for the money because people I knew who played football in high school major in nursing for college. In my opinion, that's ridiculous! We all have a passion to do something in life, whether it requires a college degree or not. To finally grow up and go through our whole childhood in school, people major in fields that's 100% opposite of him/her.

The point I'm trying to make is that you should not attend college unless you have a passion for it. If you really want to endure College Algebra and Biology because you want to learn what it's about, go for it! Don't feel that you have to go because everyone else is doing it.

Also, don't work in a job that's not meant for you. If you have to spend your whole life working in a job to only get by in life, then obviously, your life isn't really worth living for. We ALL crave something enjoyable in life. We don't have to settle with something unpleasant to just get by.

[kwicherbichen]

I disagree. Some people should attend college because they do not know what else to do.

I would rather they get a degree that will make them money and not be working as a cashier at freakin' Walmart than not go to college because they don't have a passion for a major.

I very ****ing hate this mentality people have that makes them think that EVERYONE has a passion or EVERYONE KNOWS what they want. Most people don't. And when you encourage someone who doesn't know what they want to just follow their "passion" (which is something that is DEVELOPED out of interest, not born...), it just turns into another I-have-a-Bachelour's-degree-and-work-as-a-secretary-ha-ha!

[jimmyk1006]

Well, that's why the dropout rate is so high. Many people are only attending college as a last resort -- but not everyone. People who aren't equipped to attend college are attending. If you're not prepared for the journey of college, then it makes sense to not attend. If you have an interest, and if it requires a degree, you will be more likely to make it out in the end because of that "interest."

[YourHumbleNarrator]

Originally Posted by kwicherbichen

I would rather they get a degree that will make them money and not be working as a cashier at freakin' Walmart than not go to college because they don't have a passion for a major.

Which often happens when people go to college just so they can make money.

If all they wanna do is make money, they should become a plumber. The trades pay well and those jobs can't be shipped overseas. They can pursue their passions (or figure out what they are) on their own time if the mood strikes them.

Then again, people don't go to college just to make money, they go for prestige. There's this idea that having a degree somehow makes you better than other people. Nevermind the fact that the system lets nearly anyone graduate if they can put up with enough bs for four years or more. Tradesmen are "unclean" and if you willingly become one there has to be something very, very wrong with you.

I know that's more cynical than is often true-usually people are under the mistaken assumption that nobody working a blue collar job is going to make as much money as somebody who goes to college. But there's also the assumption that if you don't go through school beyond 12th grade, you must not be as smart as the people who do.

It makes more sense to encourage people to figure out what their interests are and direct them to a practical career while they're figuring it out. They're never stuck-if they want to go to college later, they can plan for that and leave the option open. What's just as bad as people not giving kids real guidance is fear and pressure caused by the dual mindset that: 1. You have to figure out what you're going to do for the rest of your life right now and you're stuck on the path you choose. 2. You cannot opt to go to college later if it isn't for you right now.

Take away the fear of "screwing up your life" and you'd see smarter decisions on the part of kids.

[Foggy]

I am not smart enough not attend college - or in other words I have no marketable skills and if I'm not in school I'm working a dead end job instead. College gives me a chance to work on developing those skills while not working 40 hours a week at the same time.

I think if you don't want to go to college you better have a damn solid plan. For example if you're a really good musician, cook, dancer, writer, etc, you could probably get out of going to school and still have a successful career. If I could make a career out of playing music I would, but I only just started playing guitar and I'm not very good at it. If I dropped out of school and had to work full time I would have even less time to practice which would lower my chances of succeeding in that area even more.

[CoolBee]

After my first physics lesson aged 11 (38 years ago now!) when we did how submarines work, I went home and said to my parents "I'm going to study physics at university".

I enjoyed the intellectual stimulation - studying Theoretical Physics in the end. I study because I want to - not with any 'future goal' or career goal in mind. In fact advanced study has been a detriment to my career financially!

I did have a bit of a fight on my hands - my mum was supportive but my dad wasn't - believing 'all scientists are illiterate' and neither was my teacher - a 'kindly old buffer' who used to come out with remarks that would be banned nowadays such as "these matters are too complex for female minds" never mind that the first person with 2 Nobel Prizes was a female (Marie Curie).

[kwicherbichen]

Ugh, whatever. College. University. Trade School. Whatever the hell you want to call it -- whether it makes you a plumber or a nobel prize winner, its higher education. And if you do not know what you want, you need to do some form of it.

[Plays With Life]

Originally Posted by kwicherbichen

Ugh, whatever. College. University. Trade School. Whatever the hell you want to call it -- whether it makes you a plumber or a nobel prize winner, its higher education. And if you do not know what you want, you need to do some form of it.

Nahh. You could just work seasonal jobs and travel the world, until you figure out what you want. Or, for the rest of your life.