Is College a Scam?

Just started my winter semester two weeks ago, and paid nearly a thousand dollars for one class that....while is required for my major....is only worth ONE credit.

College might be a scam.

Marc wrote:
College might be a scam.

Hey, I'm just a high school graduate and I figured that out.

I did a 5 year stretch in college and in my own opinion, YES, it is very much a scam. Why else would so many students be coming out of it with $40,000 debts that they're NEVER going to get paid off even though they spent all that time and money getting the right degree for the sole purpose of getting a great job as soon as they're out?

I think it can turn into one. It is, at least, turning into an artificial necessity.

In many ways it is.

Depends on what you mean by "scam." The bottom line is that a bachelors, masters degree (etc., etc.) makes everyone more employable. So in that regard, I say no because you're getting something out of it, even if you don't have that much of a desire to learn for the sake of learning. If someone completes school, they haven't been scammed.

However, the costs are out of hand, and in this economy, finding a good job that allows someone to make a good enough living without having a degree is become more and more needle in the haystack-esque. So, okay.

Time scam; no.
Money scam; possibly.

Ultimately it's worth it, though.

^^^^But the problem is that even with degrees, it's becoming harder to find a good job. People are also now left with lots of student loans.

I think it's also worth considering if the information you learn in most classes is really helpful to what your goals are. A lot of times, you end up paying and putting a lot of time in a class that isn't really going to do jack for you.

So I'd say college is becoming a racket. Overprices books and services and minimal deliverance. At the very least, they give you a degree that might impress an employer. But the cost of that is becoming a bit too ridiculous.

Nhaiyel wrote:Depends on what you mean by "scam." The bottom line is that a bachelors, masters degree (etc., etc.) makes everyone more employable. So in that regard, I say no because you're getting something out of it, even if you don't have that much of a desire to learn for the sake of learning. If someone completes school, they haven't been scammed.

However, the costs are out of hand, and in this economy, finding a good job that allows someone to make a good enough living without having a degree is become more and more needle in the haystack-esque. So, okay.

Time scam; no.
Money scam; possibly.

Ultimately it's worth it, though.

Agreed. Those bullshit trade schools that promise you a rewarding career in 6 months and supposedly place you in a job in the field of your choice are scams. Colleges are a business. Just like everything else. People are going to complain about the costs just like they complain about the costs of gas, food, etc. Universities run they same way Wal-Mart does. Higher education (unless you got a full ride scholarship) has never been free. But an education is always and will always be valuable. So if it's not for you for whatever reason, no prob. But to discourage someone from attaining higher education, simply because it's too expensive, is complete bullshit and I don't know why any sane person would do so.

I wouldn't use the word 'scam,' but rather a rip-off for enrollees who either aren't serious about being there, have no clue what they want to do with their life after they're done with college, or are just coasting through. That, though, isn't the school's fault. Of course they want everyone's money, but after they get it they will provide everyone with the same opportunity to get the most out of it. It's ultimately the students fault if the whole experience winds up having been a waste of time and/or money.

It used to be that the sentiment, "Even with a degree, it's hard to find a job" rang very true because degree holding applicants would be turned away for being over qualified. Now, employers don't consider them as much a flight risk for when something better comes along because something better isn't likely to come along. So, I think that in a tough economy, it is even more important to have a post-high school degree. Of course, it is not for everyone.

Kral wrote:A BA doesn't guarantee anything, but a loan payment. It seems like everyone has a BA now and days; it's becoming as unimpressive as having a high school diploma. That being said it's a good idea to stay in school to make your parents happy, I guess.

Of course, when does it stop? Staying in school until you're 40 to impress people? It's going to come to the point where if you can't afford a doctorate, you won't bother going at all. I do think, in the end, this college obsession will become counter-productive.