thoughts on education

[this post generated by a discussion on reddit]

the point of education has, and always been, about expanding one's horizons and advancing knowledge. over the course of the past century the universities have been corrupted by industrialization and are now businesses churning out qualifications to work, they're desperate to attract as much money as they can get away with and the only things that remain relatively solid are the STEM fields, medicine, the "impractical" humanities (psychology, philosophy, etc), and, arguably, law. it's 2019, and any company that demands a university degree is a part of one of the biggest problems the western world today, please listen to mike rowe on the subect. the economy is changing fast, and there're so many other ways to learn and get paid.

besides, to quote one of my professors, when it comes to work there's only ever been one model that's effective: the master-apprentice model. it's the reason why even those leaving university with engineering degrees still need plenty of on-the-job training before they can be trusted to operate alone.

if you can afford an education, that's great, pick a field of study that's interesting to you and it'll be well worth it. you might even make a career out of it. if you're into medicine or the STEM fields, all the better! but higher education is a luxury, it isn't for everyone, and it's not a job factory. if parents are concerned about quantifiable value for money, then they should save their money and let their kids pay their own way.

and for the love of god, never take a student loan. that's only an intelligent investment for a tiny percentage of graduates.

also, read this article on education and economic mobility