quote:

Originally posted by BamaJeepster:
They already have those...They're called 'Technical Schools' or 'Trade Schools'.

Yes but what Trade Schools don't teach are Chemistry, Physics, pre-med, the various Engineering fields, Math, Biochemistry, etc., etc. What they are really called is "Institute of Technology" as Case, Carnegie, MIT and similar.

UWSP isn't dropping English, History, etc. classes, they just aren't going to offer them as majors.

IMHO, getting "any degree" is still better than no degree.

made a difference for my friend's dad who was able to become a colonel in the Army with his history degree.

The "free college for everyone" crowd really don't understand education. Were the government to look at jobs in high demand and support students earning those degrees, i.e. "Free education," things would be good. However, colleges are filled with ethnic, gender, art, theater and similar soft courses. Pay students for the degrees society needs and offer loans for those seeking jobs in overfilled fields.

quote:

Originally posted by radioman:
IMHO, getting "any degree" is still better than no degree....

As long as you earn the degree, develop discipline and skills, complete meaningful requirements (rather than warm fuzzies.)

Back when the "occupy wall street" was going on some guys went to one at NYC and asked a girl protesting about high tuitions. They asked her how much hers was,she said over $200,000.00. Then they asked her what her major was,she said Minority Womens Studys. Wonder how that worked out for her. She couldn't even manage a McDonalds with that.

quote:

Originally posted by satch:
Back when the "occupy wall street" was going on some guys went to one at NYC and asked a girl protesting about high tuitions. They asked her how much hers was,she said over $200,000.00. Then they asked her what her major was,she said Minority Womens Studys. Wonder how that worked out for her. She couldn't even manage a McDonalds with that.

I wonder what she, and her parents were thinking, paying $200K for a college degree that is worth $1.99. But no matter, if she has student loans, odds are the taxpayers will end up paying for the degree.

quote:

soft courses

Help me out here, don't those exist largely just to fill seats?

quote:

Originally posted by reloader-1:

quote:

Originally posted by 12131:
History, who needs history?

As a history minor, there’s a massive gap between History, the knowledge and understand of the past and how it shaped the present and will impact the future, and the absolute garbage that is packaged as “History” in college.

Long reply started, but deleted to simply say:

+1.

quote:

Originally posted by radioman:
IMHO, getting "any degree" is still better than no degree.

made a difference for my friend's dad who was able to become a colonel in the Army with his history degree.

I disagree. More damage has been done to the way we do business in America by idiots with a degree, because "I have a degree so I know it all" even though they have never done the job a day in their life.

I was a Computer Engineering major. I didn't have the best GPA because I had far fewer fucks to give about the core coursework. I knew by about my junior year that if I were to do something related to my degree, I'd be a sysadmin, rather than a developer, so for me my degree was ticking the box of "has a Bachelor of Science degree." And if I were doing a job not related to my degree, it would have been in Emergency Services, so just checking the "must have a degree" box.
I worked at a low-paying job for several years to show I had experience, then moved on from there to a large financial firm.

quote:

Originally posted by Pipe Smoker:
English, philosophy, history and Spanish are legit, IMO. But drama, dance, etc. – no.

Hell, way back in 1977 in my last semester at Uni MD, they had a gimme course called the psychology of Death. Literally!

Another vet told me that I should take it as it was a guaranteed "A". I already had very close to a 4.0 average and said I would rather spend the time and money on something useful.

Note to those defending the soft degrees as places where one learns critical thinking, logic, expression and so forth. Sure they are. But they do not have a monopoly on it.

Thought exercise - imagine getting an MIT engineering degree (as an example) without those skills, and then some.

Even Engineering and Science majors need a few "soft" courses thrown into the mix, just to give their brains a little room to roam and relax. "All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy" is operative here. During my B.S.in Ch.E. education I included a semester course in Philosophy and one in Music Appreciation. There was provision in my curriculum for a couple of unrelated courses, and I took those.

That does not mean I think there is much demand for persons with degrees in those subjects, other than in teaching or performance.

flashguy

quote:

Originally posted by flashguy:...During my B.S.in Ch.E. education I included a semester course in Philosophy and one in Music Appreciation....flashguy

My first major was EE, then Chem E. Then Army Reserves, then downhill skiing, motocross, stereos. When I got serious about school again I went into accounting -- 4 days a week rather than 6, and accounting is add-subtract-multiply-divide, no partial differental equations or integrate trig functions.