Author Topic: Higher learning is just an overpriced, speculative investment with dismal career  (Read 1040 times)

SAMSON123

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Finally the truth is spoken in regards to education. For the most part education is a business about making money at the student/parents expense with no real opportunity or promise of a job or career once a person "graduates". The scare tactic of "you won't get a job without a degree" has now fallen flat on its face as millions now have degrees and ABSOLUTELY NO JOB!!!!. We are now being told from many persons and sources that college has turned out to be another PONZI scheme that the masses have fallen for. Only a select few occupations require a degree or better still specialized training...such as a doctor, scientist, engineer etc etc. So for the most part the student is doing no more than padding the pocket of the particular university, its investments and faculty that runs the university. Recently I believe it was the university of Texas that purchased half a Billion dollars in gold. WTF? And these same universities cry about not having money...obviously Texas had at least half a Billion dollars tucked away in its mattress...

Is education the next bubble?

Higher learning is just an overpriced, speculative investment that typically rewards graduates with dismal career prospects, says billionaire Peter Thiel

POSTED ON APRIL 19, 2011, AT 1:03 PM


PayPal founder Peter Thiel warns young Americans that shelling out for an overpriced college education is an ill-advised, speculative investment.    Photo: CC BY: Jason Bache
L'Hote, Forbes, Atlantic

Billionaire libertarian businessman Peter Thiel, the founder and former CEO of PayPal, is perhaps best known as the venture capitalist who gave Facebook the angel investment it needed to really get started. But, increasingly, he's getting attention for his controversial views on higher learning. Last year, he launched the Thiel fellowship, which gives grants as large as $100,000 to 20 tech entrepreneurs who drop out of college by age 20 to pursue their own ideas. Then, in a National Review interview earlier this year, Thiel said that higher education is a "bubble in the classic sense," because education is "overpriced," something people have "an intense belief in," and an investment that's unlikely, in the majority of cases, to have a positive return. He made the point again last week at TechCrunch. Given the "financial disaster" of student loan debt surpassing credit card debt, does Thiel have a point?

No, education isn't about returns on an investment:The concept of the education bubble is based on horrifying, false logic, says Freddie deBoer at L'Hote. "To see an education, college or otherwise, as merely a way to increase the amount of money you make is a terrible corruption and fundamentally unsustainable." Increasing earning potential was never meant to be the sole purpose of education, and if it's reduced to that, we're all in trouble.

"Yet another casualty"

Well, college is overpriced: College has gotten too expensive, with state governments cutting aid to public universities, says E.D. Kain in Forbes. But let's not abandon institutations of higher learning. If needed, we should raise taxes to make public universities more affordable. "Yes, education costs money. But that money should not fall squarely on the heads of middle class kids who are forced to take out tens of thousands in debt just to attend school."

"A college education should not result in crushing debt"

And grad school is a particularly poor investment: College is still a good decision for most young Americans, but I can't say the same about grad school, says Conor Friedersdorf at The Atlantic. Grad school has become a socially acceptable way to drink beer, read, and go into massive debt in your 20s. "Upper-middle-class Americans tend to overvalue the non-financial benefits of grad school." Thiel's wrong about a lot. But at least he's "challenging the cultural assumptions that cause a lot of people to make bad life decisions."

"Is there an education bubble?"

http://theweek.com/article/index/214400/is-education-the-next-bubble
C

sync pulse

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But the price of having a population of ill educated adults is far greater...I particularly agree with E. D. Kain that states need to increase their suppport of public universities...

GroinkTropin

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Depends on what you go to school for...

cephissus

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Only a select few occupations require a degree or better still specialized training...such as a doctor, scientist, engineer etc etc.

What the fuck else would you go to college for?

Anyone in college or highschool, listen up. Get a degree in a demanding, high-paying field, whether or not you like the idea of having a career in that field.  Nobody is forcing you to get a job in the field once you graduate, but if you opt for some retarded liberal arts degree because engineering is too hard and you "aren't sure if you want to be an engineer anyway," you are making a huge mistake, as you will be forced into doing a shitty, degrading job in order to survive.  These degrees are worthless, and contrary to what people like to say and joke about, life does not end after college!  Here's the reality: if you dick around and half-ass your way through college and end up with a poli-sci degree, you are either going to have to go back to school anyway or end up working at burger king.  Sure there are exceptions, but here's a hint: if you don't have a strong idea of how you're going to make enough money to live the kind of life you want without using your degree, YOU PROBABLY NEED A DEGREE.

In the end there are few who can get away without a good degree, and if you think you're one of them, DON'T KID YOURSELF.  Prove it to yourself by honing your skills and checking your confidence.  If you can't or don't feel comfortable, you'd better get a good degree now, or you're just going to end up paying for it later.

Hereford

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I gotta agree with Samson here, I've been to several major universities and a few small colleges, and the one thing they all have in common is that they are institutions of business, not education. It's been a few years since I was in school, but even then something like 86% of students were on some form of student aid. This means that it was so expensive that almost everyone had to take out (school and government) loans. Also, there are a tremendous number of people that are going to school for the lifestyle, not the education.

To the second point cephissus makes: Wholly agree. I have several friends and a family member that spent upwards of six figures to get degrees in things like 'recreational planning' and theater. These people are all unemployed at the moment or working at Applebes-type jobs. Complete waste of money and they'll be paying until the're 45 or older.  Even with a job relating to their degree, they would be making 26K/yr if they were lucky.

But hey... it was fun/easy in school and there were no classes before 11am in the program...

tonymctones

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Depends on what you go to school for...
yup...you arent getting a job as a financial analyst or accountant with a high school education.

I agree that college has become a business as opposed to providing education being the main point.

I tend to try to explain it like this, there are few degrees in which you pretty much do need to get a job finance, accounting, engineering, med etc...but having a degree of almost any kind opens alot more doors for you.

Same with graduate school I think having a masters degree opens alot more doors to different jobs so I wouldnt call it a speculative investment its just like with ALL investments you need to do your home work. Dont go get just any degree and think you will be handed a good job when you graduate.

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People should skip getting an education and sell gas pills or gold.  ::)

Natural Man

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kwnoledges and diplomas are products nowadays, like everything else.

Roger Bacon

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I gotta agree with Samson here, I've been to several major universities and a few small colleges, and the one thing they all have in common is that they are institutions of business, not education. It's been a few years since I was in school, but even then something like 86% of students were on some form of student aid. This means that it was so expensive that almost everyone had to take out (school and government) loans. Also, there are a tremendous number of people that are going to school for the lifestyle, not the education.

To the second point cephissus makes: Wholly agree. I have several friends and a family member that spent upwards of six figures to get degrees in things like 'recreational planning' and theater. These people are all unemployed at the moment or working at Applebes-type jobs. Complete waste of money and they'll be paying until the're 45 or older.  Even with a job relating to their degree, they would be making 26K/yr if they were lucky.

But hey... it was fun/easy in school and there were no classes before 11am in the program...

For the first time ever, I also agree!

Good post Samson

I've got two cousins, one who spent six figures on a degree from a good public university and one who spend around a thousand to become an Auctioneer.  One is doing good, and one works at Budget Rental.  ;D