The Realities of ‘College Education’

Pajamas Media ^ | June 15, 2009 | Abraham H. Miller

[decimon]

The soaring costs of a college degree are prompting colleges to consider a three-year degree program. Britain has long granted a degree for three years of college.

I would like to suggest a one-year degree program. And I don’t mean an associate’s degree.

Here are some hard facts most colleges will never tell you and most parents could not tolerate hearing. The general requirements of the first two years at most colleges are what high school should have been. That is what junior should have learned had he not been busy getting high, getting drunk, and being socially promoted.

Better high schools frequently use the same textbooks for the mandatory requirements that are used in the first two years of college. If a high school draws from the upper end of the socioeconomic scale, the courses will be more demanding than the first two years of most colleges.

[decimon]

To sit for the CPA, I simply bought text books of my choice and took equivalency exams offered by the state.

Looks like you chose well. A text that informs rather than confuses is always a plus.

[SonOfDarkSkies]

And I had friends at work that were always eager to help me.

[1010RD]

It depends who’s paying.

[MamaTexan]

The general requirements of the first two years at most colleges are what high school should have been.

My twin girls will be starting dual credit courses at their high school next year, and will take as much of their credit courses as they can though the local community college.

My sister has a double Nursing/Business doctorate, and has mentioned several times how much BS work is involved in a degree.

[AD from SpringBay]

The general requirements of the first two years at most colleges are what high school should have been.

I absolutely agree. Have you noticed the rise of the 'Community College'? Education has become a growth industry and the community colleges are becoming High School II offering 'developmental' courses in everything from study skills, English, and basic math. How do the kids get high school diplomas without understanding basic math and how to write a complete sentence? Has anybody ever done a study on how much money is paraded as opportunities for the 'at risk' young adults?

[WayneS]

How true. That does seem to make a difference.

I paid for the vast majority of my college education myself. I finished an engineering degree at Virginia Tech in four years, at a time when they were just starting to consider making their engineering program a five year degree (like their Architecture program) because so many were having trouble finishing it “on time”.

Since tuition, books, room & board, etc. were ultimately coming out of MY pocket (and I paid back every dime of my student loans... early!), I was truly motivated to get it finished in as little time as I could.

Many of my classmates whose parents were footing the entire cost did not seem to share my urgency.

[Kevmo]

Sounds like I’m close to the same page as this author.

Proposal for the Free Republic High School Diploma.
Saturday, January 08, 2005 2:35:26 PM · by Kevin OMalley · 34 replies · 1,603+ views
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1316882/posts
Free Republic ^ | 1/8/05 | Kevin O’Malley

[decimon]

Thanks. I’ll try to read through that later today.

Something to consider is that CLEP, DANTES and some other tests can be taken at any age. They enjoy wide acceptance at RA institutions and near universal acceptance at DETC schools.

[decimon]

Read through the old threads...pretty much. Interesting stuff.

Alternate forms of “degree-getting” are easy to pursue these days and I think more people should consider them.