tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1665619563748706349.post459559404160172602..comments2023-10-07T07:44:17.892-07:00Comments on The New Englander: Well Is It? Or Isn't It? I'm Shrugging My ShouldersThe New Englanderhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06201310505648616855noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1665619563748706349.post-38859181994751545322012-10-30T09:06:19.756-07:002012-10-30T09:06:19.756-07:00I don't disagree - even my college, which is a...I don't disagree - even my college, which is an engineering school first and foremost, required us to take social science and fine arts classes.<br /><br />I guess at the core, my feeling is actually this:<br /><br />We are failing at the elementary and high school levels to expose students to what's really out there, and to prepare them for college and the workforce. I'm tired of girls saying they can't do math, I'm tired of people who can't explain how the government works or how credit cards work, and I'm tired of people who can't type or use a spreadsheet.<br /><br />Perhaps some of the issues we're seeing, where people do go to college "just because", incurring huge debts for bad job prospects, wouldn't be happening as frequently if people were more prepared as to what college can offer and how to get it.Coreyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15044451272825931126noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1665619563748706349.post-76068704633038545632012-10-30T08:10:09.563-07:002012-10-30T08:10:09.563-07:00Also put differently - I am not a career artist. B...Also put differently - I am not a career artist. But my background in art certainly helps OTHER artists who do make a career in that I appreciate, and even purchase, art. Hence, contributing to the economy.Lynnehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09393470871532411277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1665619563748706349.post-67824597482633974932012-10-30T08:08:29.904-07:002012-10-30T08:08:29.904-07:00The purpose of a state education is NOT job traini...The purpose of a state education is NOT job training. If you want job training go do job training, there's lots of programs both private and public.<br /><br />A four year education is not just about job training, it's about high level education - hence, does a science major have to take artsy gen-eds and an English major take some science and math courses.<br /><br />The reason is that you cannot measure a good education just by job prospects alone. Without English, art, etc majors, where would this country be? Would we even have a soul? <br /><br />If I had not gotten the education I had, would I be as inclined to write a blog to try to better the community I live in? Without my well-rounded ability to analyze - that I got from my lit classes, philosophy classes, science classes and even art classes - would I be as productive a citizen, participating in all the things I do? I submit, I would not have as much to offer.<br /><br />The purpose of a publicly-funded education is not just to turn out job robots, but to turn out better citizens. Part of that is increasing the job skills and abilities of future job applicants (and my work at university, like writing a paper and using MS Word, DID help me tangentially) but part of that is the intangible, the development of me as a person and as a productive citizen.Lynnehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09393470871532411277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1665619563748706349.post-646923594357393092012-10-28T14:02:01.488-07:002012-10-28T14:02:01.488-07:00Lynne - my open question on Facebook is what is th...Lynne - my open question on Facebook is what is the purpose of state Universities? If the goal is workforce training, the State needs to encourage some majors over others. This isn't about quality of degrees, its about quantity. Americans are needed in the STEM fields now and we don't have them. Instead, we have too many people with degrees in other things. Perhaps the way to correct this is charging less for in-demand fields.<br /><br />I'm also open to the idea that the public good *is* education for the sake of learing, and that charging on the basis of demand is wrong for that reason and also because its central planning.<br /><br />Also, the liberal/fine arts being at a disadvantage for salaries and job prospects is a disadvantage that people know going in. Again, too many people, in the case of state schools, thay were paying for, going for too few jobs.Coreyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15044451272825931126noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1665619563748706349.post-21818767559133836852012-10-28T09:30:49.894-07:002012-10-28T09:30:49.894-07:00I'm sorry...lib arts majors already HAVE a dis...I'm sorry...lib arts majors already HAVE a disadvantage...it's called "prospective careers." Why for the love of little green apples would you also CHARGE them more??<br /><br />As someone who proudly went to school to better herself and study writing, literature, art, and music, I am pretty offended by the idea that my education was worth less investment than science or engineering or - good god - BUSINESS majors...<br /><br />Can I also mention (as an aside) that I've had to enter the captcha to comment like four plus times? Because there are no instructions telling you to pay attention to the image as well as the word...)Lynnehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09393470871532411277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1665619563748706349.post-6306300802395586282012-10-27T19:37:33.498-07:002012-10-27T19:37:33.498-07:00Renee - while having a college degree always looks...Renee - while having a college degree always looks better than not having one, the degree itself does matter, especially early on. The school matters as well. GPA matters. These are the reasons why the jobless rates among some of the less specific skillset majors of those under 30 are abysmal, and others aren't so bad.<br /><br />Do we have the split between those who leave UML for other schools, versus those who drop out?Coreyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15044451272825931126noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1665619563748706349.post-27470233904692042572012-10-26T09:24:45.241-07:002012-10-26T09:24:45.241-07:00"
Where I would start to draw the line, thoug..."<br />Where I would start to draw the line, though, is when it's "school...just because." If it's a substitute for looking for a job, or a time-holder because of a lack of a job, or just a flight of fancy for some other reason, THEN I will join the chorus of the naysayers who question the value. "<br /><br /><br />College is only worth it, if you finish it. It doesn't matter the major. <br /><br /><br />I'm not the a goal-oriented/high achiever, but I finished what I <br />started. And it kills me to see so much investment in institutions, in which a good percentage will not even graduate from. <br /><br />Just to graduate college, is a 'soft skill' accomplishment. You know like showing up to class without your mom waking you up. So naturally those with college degrees will be more successful.<br /><br />The retention rate at UMass Lowell is not high, I'm not sure what is acceptable. <br /><br />So we're building buildings in which upwards to half the individuals entering, will not graduate from?Reneehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03852754398007790428noreply@blogger.com