Tuesday 24 May 2011

Thoughts about University

As I've mentioned in my introductory post, I'm a university student. I pay around 8,000$ a year for tuition alone, and then another odd 1,000$ for books. Now, by no means is my family rich, but we're not poor either. We're "rich" enough that I don't qualify for a student load, but "poor" enough that my parents cannot pay for my tuition. I want to go to school, but I can't pay for it... This leaves me with a dilemma.


In order to go to school, I have to work. And I work pretty hard... I'm a full time worker, and a full time student. How is that possible you ask? I go to work from 7am to 3pm, come home, eat something quickly, and try to catch my bus to make it to school on time for a 7pm class. At least I have the weekends free, haha. All of this would be fine, if I was actually taught something.

I find the only time where I did any learning was in most of my first year classes. The professor would ACTUALLY go over the material, and explain it in their own way. After completing my third year, I find that more and more professors are simply reading out of the book instead of actually lecturing. This is very discouraging for me, because that means I have to go over all the material on my own again, and understand it on my own! What's the point of going to class then?

It's a little ridiculous if you think about it. I'm paying so much money, in order to work my ass off and get a stupid piece of paper that says I completed "school". I'm not really paying for an education, because the professors are hardly doing anything. I'm paying to know what books I need to read in order to pass an exam. Good use of my money huh?

Society places so much value on a university education, but honestly from my experience, it's mostly bullshit. You're paying to learn on your own. Why pay at all then? Why aren't you able to study on your own, read whatever books you'd like, and then opt to take a certification test of your knowledge. Obviously this test wouldn't be free, since somebody would have to mark it, and there's costs associated with processing. Even if it costed 1,000$ to take the test once, it'd still be cheaper than the 36,000$ (8,000 a year for four years, plus textbooks) you'd end up spending on an "education". This would be an alternative solution to getting a degree, and a more practical one for many people. But alas, it's obvious that the whole education system is based around business first, education second, so this will never happen.

31 comments:

  1. I've always been of the opinion that College/University are useless unless you want to be an MD/PHD.

    ReplyDelete
  2. have you engaged in a discussion about it with your professors? i had the privileged of having one with someone who was a professor of mine before here in the states. they deal with so much pressure and politics within the educational institutions. mind you, my professor was from a community college. he mention that the bigger the institution the worse the problem became....

    ReplyDelete
  3. your not paying for the information. your paying for the cetification that you can put in 4 years of your life to something and succeed. thats all employers really want

    ReplyDelete
  4. ps which school do you go to. i was thinking of doing my masters at ryerson or york

    ReplyDelete
  5. @Derrick O

    I'm at York. If it was simply about paying to put your life into something and succeed, why should it cost so much?

    I was certainly under the impression that you're paying so that other scholars (the professors) could teach you, and pass on the information that they've acquired over the years.

    ReplyDelete
  6. I think university is best for those learning a skill or looking to get move onto a masters or a PhD. I am a Computer Science Major and so far it's worth it.

    ReplyDelete
  7. My god, university's are EXPENSIVE.

    ReplyDelete
  8. The university system is really fucked up.

    ReplyDelete
  9. the system could be better...

    ReplyDelete
  10. Thank god here in portugal, university is a bit cheap, compared to the us.

    ReplyDelete
  11. That sucks man! I was lucky enough to get some scholarships.. can't imagine paying that much for college!

    ReplyDelete
  12. I hate it when teachers can't teach you something.. They might now the answers but they can't transfer that knowledge to you.. :(

    ReplyDelete
  13. Truth. I've lost belief in the entire education system even though it's pretty close to free in Norway. You pay for the bragging rights of completing school. Learning is something you'll have to do on your own time

    ReplyDelete
  14. @lasse.. true. i have lazy ass teachers that dont even teach.. fuck you lazy asses im paying for a reason

    ReplyDelete
  15. I've been to college... never a university. Bleh.

    ReplyDelete
  16. ahh yes the experience makes it worth it.

    Not really, getting a degree and having a better job makes it worth it.

    ReplyDelete
  17. That's the university industry, unfortunately. It's very hard to change this. Try to just make a goof use of your studies.

    ReplyDelete
  18. i feel you about the university education and societys placement of priority on it. i think education will soon be mostly through the internet and hopefully free for everyone..itll be a slow and gradual process but it will eventually happen i think.

    ReplyDelete
  19. and not only is the education system severely messed up, academia itself is a fucking conundrum!

    ReplyDelete
  20. In France, students finish school without a debt in their bank account! In Canada, when we finish school, we have to work our asses off to go our bank accounts out of the red ... so sad!

    ReplyDelete
  21. well universities gives good education

    ReplyDelete
  22. I'm also reaching that point in life whether I choose between Uni & huge debt, or no uni but potentially worse jobs :/

    ReplyDelete
  23. Interesting point of view my friend, keep posting.

    ReplyDelete
  24. I know what you mean. I don't money but my parents can't pay my way through it...nor can I D:

    ReplyDelete
  25. It sucks how much University costs.

    ReplyDelete
  26. I'm currently in college, and it seems so pointless. Anything you really need to know for a job, you can learn it on the job, except for doctors and the like. It really does seem like a waste of money for me and my family, but society and future jobs want it....*sigh*

    ReplyDelete
  27. University tuition just keeps going up. I can imagine when my younger siblings reach University the prices are going to have inflated tenfold.

    ReplyDelete
  28. i feel like university made me a better person but not necessarily more successful

    ReplyDelete