Value of a University Degree

[El Barto]

What is the true value of a University degree?

If your field of study is one of the social sciences or liberal arts, can't you "learn" what you need to know on your own?

What true value is a university to you, if you are a disciplined learner?

I think I should get one of these degrees, but only because employers out there fall for the phony value of a real diploma.

[Kurn, son of Mogh]

If your goals are purely financial, don't go to college. Be a plumber. You can make a ton of money and I don't see technology making the need for plumbing obsolete.

That being said, I wouldn't trade my 4 undergraduate years for anything. Over 30 years later I still look back at that as the best 4 years of my life. Of course, we didn't have AIDS to worry about back then.

[crazy canuck]

Yeah I want to get my PhD. in online poker too! Then I can be a pokerologist.

[toots]

Depends on what field you're looking at.

If you want to be a licensed psychologist or social worker, you'll need to get a graduate degree in specific areas of social sciences. Doesn't matter whether you can learn that stuff on your own; the sheepskin is a necessary checklist item for licensure.

At that rate, the degree can be worth your entire career, if that's the career you choose.

More down to earth, I'd be willing to bet that within the US, there's a positive correlation between level of college education and income, even among those who "just" have a social sciences or liberal arts degree.

Not that it matters a whole lot in any specific case. If you're sufficiently self-motivated, you can probably succeed without having the degree to put on your resume. I personally have found a distinct negative correlation between my income and level of education, although I in no way regret having obtained all the degrees I have.

[El Barto]

[ QUOTE ]
If your goals are purely financial, don't go to college. Be a plumber. You can make a ton of money and I don't see technology making the need for plumbing obsolete.

That being said, I wouldn't trade my 4 undergraduate years for anything. Over 30 years later I still look back at that as the best 4 years of my life. Of course, we didn't have AIDS to worry about back then.

[/ QUOTE ]
If someone wants the social aspect of college, they can move to a college town, get an apartment and act like a student when "on the town."

If you want to learn the course material, go to the bookstore and see what books you should read.

But why not save the tuition?
No matter how good the college is, is the tuition really worth the cost, if you don't care if you get a diploma?

[Cptkernow]

"If you want to learn the course material, go to the bookstore and see what books you should read.

But why not save the tuition? "


Would you rather read a book by Slansky or have a year long period of lectures and one on one tutorials with him ?

[El Barto]

[ QUOTE ]
If you want to be a licensed psychologist or social worker, you'll need to get a graduate degree in specific areas of social sciences. Doesn't matter whether you can learn that stuff on your own; the sheepskin is a necessary checklist item for licensure.

[/ QUOTE ]

I agree. I was trying to exclude professions like law, medicine, and others that have specific requirements to hold a job. Although it should be pointed out that oftentimes these requirements are put there by the members of the profession as a barrier to entry (like the old guilds of the middle ages).

[El Barto]

[ QUOTE ]

Would you rather read a book by Slansky or have a year long period of lectures and one on one tutorials with him ?

[/ QUOTE ]
If college was a one-on-one experience with the best in the field, I would agree. But lets face it, we just sit in a lecture hall of 500 people for a lecture that just goes over the material in the book - not the same thing.

[Cptkernow]

Your college is obviously different to mine.
In the UK we have a system of tutorials where we spend time with the tutor alone or in small groups not numbering more than 5.

We aslo have lectures.

[Gamblor]

The degree is as much proof of ability and discipline to learn as it is proof of knowledge, IMO.