

The Benefits of a University Education Over Self-education - ekpyrotic
http://mailmymp.com/blog/posts/the-benefits-of-an-old-fashioned-university-education-over-self-education.php

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lutusp
A quote: " ... there is no obvious mechanism by which self-learners will come
to grapple with divergent viewpoints or challenging disciplines."

The same argument can be made about college graduates, but with more evidence.
The implication of the above is that college graduates are less narrow in
their outlook, and this springs from the college experience. But much evidence
points the other way.

One of the points of the often-recommended academic sabbatical for students is
to broaden their horizons, give them a chance to see how the real world works.
Students who've had some real-world exposure tend to be more practical in
their academic choices than those who stay in school.

Corporate personnel recruiters often complain about the poor skill sets and
unrealistic expectations of new college graduates, who often seem to think
employment is like education, a system in which there's an answer to every
question, there's no ambiguity, and goals are well-defined. But the real world
isn't like that. Autodidacts know this from direct experience. College
graduates learn it over time.

"Many recent college graduates lack basic practical skills":
[http://www.videtteonline.com/index.php?option=com_content...](http://www.videtteonline.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=15925:many-
recent-college-graduates-lack-basic-practical-
skills&catid=67:newsarchive&Itemid=53)

A quote: "The issue [...] is the educational system emphasizes the wrong
values. She said classes are more focused on memorization and regurgitation
than understanding the underlying concepts of the lessons."

Couldn't have said it better myself.

In any case, all these issues aside, the bottom line is that there is a
rapidly approaching point at which, advantages notwithstanding, college will
cost more than it's worth.

"College Tuition's 1,120 Percent Increase":
[http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-08-23/college-
tuit...](http://www.businessweek.com/articles/2012-08-23/college-
tuitions-1-120-percent-increase)

A quote: "Schools are investing and building more than ever—and students are
paying for it."

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jonathancordeau
Donald Eastman, President of Eckerd College in Florida wrote a great op ed
piece on this subject a while back. It's worth a read <http://awe.sm/d6AhQ>

As a graduate of this small liberal arts school, I can relate to the power of
"participating in learning communities, in which they [students] live, study
and socialize with other learners."

