Re:Ask HN: Why hasn't college changed in the past 100 years?
by lutusp on Saturday March 08, 2014 @01:47AM
(#7364467)
> Shouldn't a private company find a better way?
But they do. When I went to apply for work on the NASA Space Shuttle in the early 1970s, I entered a room filled with college degree holders, and I didn't have one. But I had something better -- the prior night I had drawn up a circuit diagram showing how I intended to solve their technical problem. When the interviewer saw the diagram, he cleared his throat, rose from his chair, went into the other room and told the college degree holders that the position had been filled.
Things are even better now -- because of the speed of technical change, companies are more willing to consider life experience and other factors apart from formal education. I have a young friend who dropped out of high school and was almost instantly hired by Google, for an excellent reason -- he knows a lot about the kinds of things Google cares about.
My point is that the chasm between the real world and the classroom has never been greater, and students need to listen to many different voices, not just those of teachers.
But they do. When I went to apply for work on the NASA Space Shuttle in the early 1970s, I entered a room filled with college degree holders, and I didn't have one. But I had something better -- the prior night I had drawn up a circuit diagram showing how I intended to solve their technical problem. When the interviewer saw the diagram, he cleared his throat, rose from his chair, went into the other room and told the college degree holders that the position had been filled.
Things are even better now -- because of the speed of technical change, companies are more willing to consider life experience and other factors apart from formal education. I have a young friend who dropped out of high school and was almost instantly hired by Google, for an excellent reason -- he knows a lot about the kinds of things Google cares about.
My point is that the chasm between the real world and the classroom has never been greater, and students need to listen to many different voices, not just those of teachers.