this post was submitted on 14 May 2025
957 points (97.0% liked)

Comic Strips

16773 readers
2190 users here now

Comic Strips is a community for those who love comic stories.

The rules are simple:

Web of links

founded 2 years ago
MODERATORS
957
College Degree (lemmy.dbzer0.com)
submitted 2 weeks ago* (last edited 2 weeks ago) by [email protected] to c/[email protected]
 
you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments
[–] [email protected] 52 points 2 weeks ago (4 children)

I hate the idea of considering college/uni as just job training. Seriously, why can't our society just encourage people to go learn just to LEARN. Oh yea because wage slavery.

[–] [email protected] 14 points 2 weeks ago

Oh, for real! I went to school for pharmacobiology/biochemistry (very affordable in my country) and it changed my outlook on life, my thought process, my ideas, my horizons, etc. Even if I don't use any of it at my current job, I don't regret it one bit. Life is too big to live it in ignorance is my motto.

[–] [email protected] 12 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

If I'm going to spend a few years of my life in full time study, I'd expect there to be a payoff in terms of future income.

Learning for the sake of learning is good fun, sure, but life is expensive.

[–] [email protected] 20 points 2 weeks ago

That's exactly their point. The pursuit of knowledge for the sake of knowledge should be encouraged. Whats considered mankind's greatest societies all encouraged the pursuit of knowledge not only for financial gain but because it's important for society as a whole

[–] [email protected] 9 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

The primary goal of a university is teaching the next generation of academics. That's it. The entire goal is teaching and research.

But like everything else in this society, it must become a profit-driven endeavour and if it doesn't contribute with the revenue of some company, it's not worth it.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

That's a bit OTT IMO. You don't need to become an academic for knowledge of the world, the ability to digest information, and the ability to effectively communicate, to be useful. I think it's valuable just as, like, life enrichment, too. Not to mention that spending the first few years of your independent adult life around people going through that same transition has other value - socialising, shared experiences, it's not unusual to make many friends for life.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago (1 children)

You're absolutely correct - but what you're describing is a learning institution in general, not a university. That's the fundamental issue.

Universities have a very specific purpose and it's academic. Unfortunately, our society not only shoves a bunch of commercial values in the mix, but also eliminates most of the other learning opportunities, which turned universities in this weird mix of conflicting interests and unrealistic expectations.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 2 weeks ago

Is this some American usage of the word University as opposed to College that I'm too British to understand? I don't think I quite followed your second paragraph; unless you mean that a university that doesn't support genuine academia over conflicting interests is undeserving of the name, in which case I agree with that much... But I would say that as far as value goes, it should also have those same benefits I mentioned for those as attend it.

[–] [email protected] -5 points 2 weeks ago

Speaking of learning... *yeah, not yea or nay. It isn't a vote.