Are some American students wasting their time pursuing college degrees?

Too Many American Kids Go To College

By Elizabeth Weingarten|Posted Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011, at 1:14 PM ET
111011_IQ2_graduateFW

Are some American students wasting their time pursuing college degrees?

Photograph by Digital Vision/Thinkstock.

Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft founder Bill Gates are Harvard College dropouts. Apple founder Steve Jobs quit Reed College after one semester. Albert Einstein barely made it through high school. Walt Disney didn’t make it at all. But despite the success of these legendary quitters, we’ve been taught for years that higher education is the only path to financial and career success.

Today, that notion is under attack. Student-loan debt has surpassed credit-card debt. Unemployment for bachelor’s degree holders is at an all-time high. And entrepreneurs like Zuckerberg and Gates prove that extraordinary achievement is possible without a college diploma. Still, recent studies show that college is economically beneficial even to those whose jobs don’t require a degree.
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The economic and social value of higher education is the subject of the next Slate/Intelligence Squared U.S. live debate on Oct. 12. We'd like to invite you to attend the debate—and you're invited to submit questions for the debaters. We'll pick the most interesting one and moderator John Donvan will ask it at the debate. Be sure to pick up your tickets soon–there are only a few left for this popular event.

The proposition of the debate is: “Too many kids go to college.” In other words, is a college degree still the best way to ensure social mobility, or is America’s love affair with higher education unjustified?

Edited on 10/12/2011 12:50 PM by Atabey.

"If you want to sleep well at night, it's best to avoid watching the making of sausages or politics." Otto Von Bismarck

#3 - Posted 12 October 2011, 2:52 PM
abc200 Location: United Kingdom, Dominican Republic Join date: August 2008 Member #: 1307 Posts: 10352	RE: Are some American students wasting their time pursuing college degrees? Many are: The German system is far better - practically free university education for the most talented and practical experience for many augmented by specialist college courses or distance learning. It's stupid paying professors $150,000 per year just to bring students in maths up to stanards achieved by school leavers in other countries. Hong Kong and Shanghai are doing well in education. I used to work in teams with Hong Kong graduate engineers - very clever people mostly. http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-14812822 S. Quote: Atabey previously said: Too Many American Kids Go To College By Elizabeth Weingarten\|Posted Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011, at 1:14 PM ET 111011_IQ2_graduateFW Are some American students wasting their time pursuing college degrees? Photograph by Digital Vision/Thinkstock. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft founder Bill Gates are Harvard College dropouts. Apple founder Steve Jobs quit Reed College after one semester. Albert Einstein barely made it through high school. Walt Disney didn’t make it at all. But despite the success of these legendary quitters, we’ve been taught for years that higher education is the only path to financial and career success. Today, that notion is under attack. Student-loan debt has surpassed credit-card debt. Unemployment for bachelor’s degree holders is at an all-time high. And entrepreneurs like Zuckerberg and Gates prove that extraordinary achievement is possible without a college diploma. Still, recent studies show that college is economically beneficial even to those whose jobs don’t require a degree. Advertisement The economic and social value of higher education is the subject of the next Slate/Intelligence Squared U.S. live debate on Oct. 12. We'd like to invite you to attend the debate—and you're invited to submit questions for the debaters. We'll pick the most interesting one and moderator John Donvan will ask it at the debate. Be sure to pick up your tickets soon–there are only a few left for this popular event. The proposition of the debate is: “Too many kids go to college.” In other words, is a college degree still the best way to ensure social mobility, or is America’s love affair with higher education unjustified?
	Post IP/Country: 190.167.72.11* / DO

#1 - Posted 12 October 2011, 12:49 PM
Atabey Location: United States, NYC Join date: October 2009 Member #: 3761 Posts: 12073	Are some American students wasting their time pursuing college degrees? Too Many American Kids Go To College By Elizabeth Weingarten\|Posted Tuesday, Oct. 11, 2011, at 1:14 PM ET 111011_IQ2_graduateFW Are some American students wasting their time pursuing college degrees? Photograph by Digital Vision/Thinkstock. Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg and Microsoft founder Bill Gates are Harvard College dropouts. Apple founder Steve Jobs quit Reed College after one semester. Albert Einstein barely made it through high school. Walt Disney didn’t make it at all. But despite the success of these legendary quitters, we’ve been taught for years that higher education is the only path to financial and career success. Today, that notion is under attack. Student-loan debt has surpassed credit-card debt. Unemployment for bachelor’s degree holders is at an all-time high. And entrepreneurs like Zuckerberg and Gates prove that extraordinary achievement is possible without a college diploma. Still, recent studies show that college is economically beneficial even to those whose jobs don’t require a degree. Advertisement The economic and social value of higher education is the subject of the next Slate/Intelligence Squared U.S. live debate on Oct. 12. We'd like to invite you to attend the debate—and you're invited to submit questions for the debaters. We'll pick the most interesting one and moderator John Donvan will ask it at the debate. Be sure to pick up your tickets soon–there are only a few left for this popular event. The proposition of the debate is: “Too many kids go to college.” In other words, is a college degree still the best way to ensure social mobility, or is America’s love affair with higher education unjustified? Edited on 10/12/2011 12:50 PM by Atabey. "If you want to sleep well at night, it's best to avoid watching the making of sausages or politics." Otto Von Bismarck
	Post IP/Country: 66.108.196.20* / US

#2 - Posted 12 October 2011, 2:04 PM
dreadlocks Location: United States Join date: December 2007 Member #: 4 Posts: 17814	RE: Are some American students wasting their time pursuing college degrees? why bother pursuing college degrees, when you can simply tell people that you have one, or two?
	Post IP/Country: 190.167.73.15* / DO

May 24, 2012, Updated 6:47 AM
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