What Will They Learn at College?

As our schools stressed self esteem over academics, Walter Williams described the outcome as only Dr. Williams could. And I paraphrase......”We are raising damn fools and they don’t know it”. Wise man. Take heed.

They learn how to hate their country, our values that created this country, and most distressing, they learn to hate themselves.

I've been teaching in the Big Ten (30,000+ students, state school) for nearly twenty years. There is a clear demarcation between student preparation-plus-performance, coinciding with the so-called "smart" phone. Before: students were on the normal bell curve of academic performance; after: students have little ability to concentrate, remember, or think logically. It starts before they get here, too, in high school or junior high. I have a young relative who was given an iPad back in second grade. I have never seen this kid with a book, discussing a book, or even reading anything longer than a text. He is virtually illiterate. Undergrads today are nervous, anxious, and altogether unhappy during what should be a highlight of their lives. It is difficult to swing these kids around, due to the lack of support from the Administration, which seems to think it works for the government rather than for the university community at-large. Diversity, disability, marxist relativism, and the entire catalog of social neuroses have turned undergrad education into a swamp. I am not a history teacher, but I do expand the content of my courses to do a drive-by of Western Civilization's canon, and I can tell this is the first time many of them have heard anything about classical civilization the Renaissance, 19th century romanticism, etc. etc. This is my last year, I am not going to take their money if I cannot be free to teach.

Trade/tech school is far better for preparation for the future than the useless garbage which will only graduate future cab drivers.

Unless a student is going to study career oriented STEM topics, at a good university, many, probably half or more, are far better off going directly into the workplace, or into the military and getting some training, and a chance to grow up in a much more merit-based system. College really is NOT for everyone. Unless you are really learning job skills like accounting, engineering, or similar education which is directly work related, you are likely to be spinning your wheels. And if you seek some art, architecture and literature education (which this engineer does value now although I was a bit dubious at the time), you are probably better of taking courses at a good JUCO to satisfy your learning desires.

As stories continue to hit the Media about what is actually being taught in Colleges, the value of Higher Education to prospective employers continues to drop. What possible worth to an employer in the Private Sector is an avowed Socialist?

These same colleges???? are the ones pumping out (teachers) by the thousands, then complain that students aren't ready for college level work. Thanks for your perspective #3, my personal journey thru the halls of academia left me with a very negative attitude toward the whole process. It was a short walk.