Re:My experience at community college
by pmoriarty on Wednesday May 11, 2022 @11:44PM
(#31349043)
"Post-secondary education is more about signalling than learning."
Have to disagree. There's a tremendous amount you could learn at a university (depending on the school, and the student, of course).
I've read many threads on HN where people (like myself) who had it easy in high school because we were naturally bright suddenly had to struggle tremendously at university because we hadn't learned how to study in high school, or because we were suddenly among many others who were as smart as ourselves and couldn't just coast.
The usefulness of what you learn will vary from school to school, subject to subject, and teacher to teacher. Simply getting access to talented teachers who are successful in their fields can be invaluable. Clubs and extracurricular activities could be important too, as can networking and friendships you strike up in school.
It's fashionable to bash universities these days[1], but you're really not going to get this stuff from books or videos. Not to mention the structure and motivation that classes and deadlines provide.
That said, I think a lot of students aren't ready for university right after coming out of high school. I know I got a lot more out of it when I came back to finish my degree as an adult, when I was far more motivated, mature, knew what I wanted to get out of school and how to get it.
[1] - somewhat justified by their outrageous fees in the US and the insane amount of debt many students are forced to take on
Have to disagree. There's a tremendous amount you could learn at a university (depending on the school, and the student, of course).
I've read many threads on HN where people (like myself) who had it easy in high school because we were naturally bright suddenly had to struggle tremendously at university because we hadn't learned how to study in high school, or because we were suddenly among many others who were as smart as ourselves and couldn't just coast.
The usefulness of what you learn will vary from school to school, subject to subject, and teacher to teacher. Simply getting access to talented teachers who are successful in their fields can be invaluable. Clubs and extracurricular activities could be important too, as can networking and friendships you strike up in school.
It's fashionable to bash universities these days[1], but you're really not going to get this stuff from books or videos. Not to mention the structure and motivation that classes and deadlines provide.
That said, I think a lot of students aren't ready for university right after coming out of high school. I know I got a lot more out of it when I came back to finish my degree as an adult, when I was far more motivated, mature, knew what I wanted to get out of school and how to get it.
[1] - somewhat justified by their outrageous fees in the US and the insane amount of debt many students are forced to take on