Will College Football Be Gone in 20 years?

[hawkdrummer1]

Human contact with whom? Graduate assistants on campus? Or qualified instructors online? The online instructors often have both academic and professional backgrounds.

What is the definition of "distance education?" The space between a tenured faculty member and an undergraduate student at a state university!

i'm referring to the University experience as a whole, not just direct interaction with teachers. No doubt you can get quality education online with some good instructors.

Everything from the interaction in student dorms and cafeterias to campus orgs and clubs, greek system, hanging out at Joe's, and yes...sporting events (and in my case, marching band) etc etc. Just sitting on the Pentracrest rapping with a guy who sits in the back with you in Western Civ, or perfectly timing your walk out of a Communications class to "bump into" that cute chick you've been eyeing since day one.

I'm sure most of us here (tavern Hoks excluded) have good friends to this day...that we made on campus. For many...those are the college experiences they cherish and value most.

 

[1977Hawkeye]

I also feel like my degree, in and of itself, was a waste of money. I had a small handful of classes that were actually helpful for me, and a couple more that I enjoyed even if they weren't relevant to my career. Everything else was pure garbage that I'll never use again. I got 100x more benefit from working two years at the DI than I got from 5 years in the classroom.

Exactly the same thing for me, too. I spent tens of thousands of dollars going to school, and the majority of it was not even related to what I majored in (Management Information Systems - A watered down version of Computer Science). And NONE of the skills I learned in those classes, did I ever ONE TIME use in my professional career. I took COBOL and C++ in school, and I am a Java developer. Go figure.

And when I started my first job, I was a LOUSY programmer. Only years of experience on the job made me into what I am today. My college education prepared me for squat, I have to say.

Oh, but I got a "well rounded education". Bah! I'll take my 50 grand back, thank you very much.

 

[imported_ankle23]

i'm referring to the University experience as a whole, not just direct interaction with teachers. No doubt you can get quality education online with some good instructors.

Everything from the interaction in student dorms and cafeterias to campus orgs and clubs, greek system, hanging out at Joe's, and yes...sporting events (and in my case, marching band) etc etc. Just sitting on the Pentracrest rapping with a guy who sits in the back with you in Western Civ, or perfectly timing your walk out of a Communications class to "bump into" that cute chick you've been eyeing since day one.

I'm sure most of us here (tavern Hoks excluded) have good friends to this day...that we made on campus. For many...those are the college experiences they cherish and value most.

you spent a lot of money to experience all this stuff. you could probably try to bump into that hot chick you struck out on without the tuition fees........(hey, I went to the U of I as well, full disclosure).

 

[1977Hawkeye]

you spent a lot of money to experience all this stuff. you could probably try to bump into that hot chick you struck out on without the tuition fees........(hey, I went to the U of I as well, full disclosure).

Yep, and for me, those things were also experienced in that thing called High School. Not that college wasn't fun, but I didn't need to pay a fortune in tuition to hang with friends and follow around hot chicks like a puppy dog.

 

[OLWPAORWWM]

Exactly the same thing for me, too. I spent tens of thousands of dollars going to school, and the majority of it was not even related to what I majored in (Management Information Systems - A watered down version of Computer Science). And NONE of the skills I learned in those classes, did I ever ONE TIME use in my professional career. I took COBOL and C++ in school, and I am a Java developer. Go figure.

And when I started my first job, I was a LOUSY programmer. Only years of experience on the job made me into what I am today. My college education prepared me for squat, I have to say.

Oh, but I got a "well rounded education". Bah! I'll take my 50 grand back, thank you very much.

If your college education didn't prepare you for life, that's your fault, not the school's. I graduated college at age 32, and it sure as hell prepared me for life after.

 

[imported_ankle23]

If your college education didn't prepare you for life, that's your fault, not the school's. I graduated college at age 32, and it sure as hell prepared me for life after.

what he described is not his fault. probably not the schools fault either. computer science and related field evolve and evolve quickly i'd guess. but in lieu of going to college to learn these skills, one could take an entry level position in his field (and learn what is relevant to the application, not what used to be relevant) and in many fields and learn while getting paid. for the most part, college is a monumental waste of time.

 

[hawkfan33]

Yep, and for me, those things were also experienced in that thing called High School. Not that college wasn't fun, but I didn't need to pay a fortune in tuition to hang with friends and follow around hot chicks like a puppy dog.

If your high school experience was anywhere near your college experience, you didn't do college right.

 

[OLWPAORWWM]

what he described is not his fault. probably not the schools fault either. computer science and related field evolve and evolve quickly i'd guess. but in lieu of going to college to learn these skills, one could take an entry level position in his field (and learn what is relevant to the application, not what used to be relevant) and in many fields and learn while getting paid. for the most part, college is a monumental waste of time.

That's because some idiots go into a university setting and treat it like a trade school. The end game isn't to make a buck, it is to become a better educated person. If someone goes to school only to learn how to do a certain task, they will be irrelevant in 10 years. You need to learn how to read and write at an extremely high level, and learn how to reason, and develop logical problem solving skills.

The LSATs and MCATs are high level thinking exams that require an applicant to prove the can read, write, and reason at an extremely high level. They are not specific to a field of study, but rather test to see how well you think.

That is what college is there to prepare you to do. That is what college prepared me to do.

 

[DP5555]

If your college education didn't prepare you for life, that's your fault, not the school's. I graduated college at age 32, and it sure as hell prepared me for life after.

The bolded part says a lot. I'd be willing to bet you were much more mature considering you were a bit older, and you probably had your priorities straight. Most kids are in college starting at the age of 18 and they have no idea what they want to do, or they know what they want to do but it's not a very dependable degree to rely upon once it's time to find a real job. That's where the problem lies. A lot of parents are okay sending there kids to school to figure out what they want to do. Well unless Daddy is paying for all of it up front, which is rare, that time spent "figuring out what to do" is racking up a lot of debt. I took freaking kickboxing while I was at Iowa for Christ sakes.

I think society has brainwashed parents so much that a lot of them are simply proud of their kids for going to college. In reality they need to sit them down and say "Look, your education is incredibly expensive. You need to decide what it is you want to do with your life and figure out the best way to receive the education necessary in order to accomplish that. A four year degree isn't always the best option. You need to think about your life for the next 30 years. I know some of your friends may be going to four year schools, but they will also be paying off student loans for the next 30 years of their life."

Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of 18 year olds who can grasp how much they'll regret taking worthless classes in college ten years down the road because they aren't used to paying any of their own bills at that point. They need someone to make that clear to them. I know people who have $40,000 or more of college debt and they have absolutely nothing to show for it because they chose to party it up. Is that their fault? Absolutely. However, it's also their parents fault for not figuring out a way to get through to them, and in some cases encouraging it by constantly giving them money when they say they need it.

 

[imported_ankle23]

That's because some idiots go into a university setting and treat it like a trade school. The end game isn't to make a buck, it is to become a better educated person. If someone goes to school only to learn how to do a certain task, they will be irrelevant in 10 years. You need to learn how to read and write at an extremely high level, and learn how to reason, and develop logical problem solving skills.

The LSATs and MCATs are high level thinking exams that require an applicant to prove the can read, write, and reason at an extremely high level. They are not specific to a field of study, but rather test to see how well you think.

That is what college is there to prepare you to do. That is what college prepared me to do.

definitely true for liberal arts colleges. nowhere in their manuals will you find them saying they are there to prep. you for a job. and if you feel that western civ, humanities, philosophy is requisite to making you a better person and prepping you for life in the good 'ole US of A, then more power to you.

 

[WinOneThisCentury]

Wow...the discussion has really gotten off track. That being said, college taught me to be a free thinker and to explore new ideas, and boldly go where no one has gone before. So, in response to the OP's question...no CFB will not be gone in 20 years. The will just learn to handicap players to allow for few injuries. For example, Javon Clowney, at 6'6" and 275 pounds can run a 4.4 forty, well, Javon will be required to wear shoes that weigh between 7-10 pounds. This will prevent him from automobile wrecking unsuspecting QB's and RB's. The NCAA will figure this out...just look at the simple solutions they have come up with to manage the recruiting process and level the playing field for all schools. Brilliant stuff...the game is in good hands.

 

[OLWPAORWWM]

definitely true for liberal arts colleges. nowhere in their manuals will you find them saying they are there to prep. you for a job. and if you feel that western civ, humanities, philosophy is requisite to making you a better person and prepping you for life in the good 'ole US of A, then more power to you.

They do, and it did.

I spent the first 10 years of my adult hood obeying orders on a boat. I can say, unequivocally, that my career was better served not by serving in the Navy for a decade, but by studying liberal arts at University, because, although I saw the world, I had no idea how it worked.

 

[trj]

That's because some idiots go into a university setting and treat it like a trade school. The end game isn't to make a buck, it is to become a better educated person. If someone goes to school only to learn how to do a certain task, they will be irrelevant in 10 years. You need to learn how to read and write at an extremely high level, and learn how to reason, and develop logical problem solving skills.

The LSATs and MCATs are high level thinking exams that require an applicant to prove the can read, write, and reason at an extremely high level. They are not specific to a field of study, but rather test to see how well you think.

That is what college is there to prepare you to do. That is what college prepared me to do.

There is nothing wrong with learning a skill or a trade, college isn't for everyone. The world needs paralegals, construction workers, mechanics, vet. techs., etc. There are people out there with undergrad degrees buried under 6 figure debt. If you are a engineer or a pharmacist then that type of debt is justifiable, but for some LA ungrad degree it is just not worth it I do not care what kind of life skills you learn, you can build lifelong friendships/relationships outside of a college atmosphere.

 

[trj]

The bolded part says a lot. I'd be willing to bet you were much more mature considering you were a bit older, and you probably had your priorities straight. Most kids are in college starting at the age of 18 and they have no idea what they want to do, or they know what they want to do but it's not a very dependable degree to rely upon once it's time to find a real job. That's where the problem lies. A lot of parents are okay sending there kids to school to figure out what they want to do. Well unless Daddy is paying for all of it up front, which is rare, that time spent "figuring out what to do" is racking up a lot of debt. I took freaking kickboxing while I was at Iowa for Christ sakes.

I think society has brainwashed parents so much that a lot of them are simply proud of their kids for going to college. In reality they need to sit them down and say "Look, your education is incredibly expensive. You need to decide what it is you want to do with your life and figure out the best way to receive the education necessary in order to accomplish that. A four year degree isn't always the best option. You need to think about your life for the next 30 years. I know some of your friends may be going to four year schools, but they will also be paying off student loans for the next 30 years of their life."

Unfortunately, there isn't a lot of 18 year olds who can grasp how much they'll regret taking worthless classes in college ten years down the road because they aren't used to paying any of their own bills at that point. They need someone to make that clear to them. I know people who have $40,000 or more of college debt and they have absolutely nothing to show for it because they chose to party it up. Is that their fault? Absolutely. However, it's also their parents fault for not figuring out a way to get through to them, and in some cases encouraging it by constantly giving them money when they say they need it.

This pretty much sums up my situation.

 

[ShadasRevenge]

I am guessing that a social science, liberal arts degree is worth about dodo right about now unless you can study abroad or learn a second language. That Sociology degree definitely isn't worth the debt.

Is any degree worth being in debt for a decade or more once you get out of school? The average Iowa/ISU/UNI graduate leaves schools with an 8x11 piece of paper that costs them 25k or more. Add in grad school or anything else, and that number skyrockets.

 

[BryceC]

http://www.demos.org/sites/default/files/news/StudentDebtInfographic.png

 

[trj]

Is any degree worth being in debt for a decade or more once you get out of school? The average Iowa/ISU/UNI graduate leaves schools with an 8x11 piece of paper that costs them 25k or more. Add in grad school or anything else, and that number skyrockets.

Pharmacy, engineering and a few others where you are going start out with a high five, low six figure salary and you find a place where there is a decent cost of living, you can knock out that debt in a decent amount of time. Places like Pittsburgh and Baltimore are starting to get a huge influx of recent college grads because the cost of living is reasonable.

 

[HawkeyeinMexico]

If you want a degree that leads directly to a specific career you're better off getting an Associates Degree in a technical or medical field. Then get your bachelors to increase your skill set and advance to higher positions.

 

[CBHawk80]

I am one of those typical post grads who owes a ton in school loans with a BA degree in Interdepartmental Studies (Recreation Management) with a certificate in Entrepreneurial Management from Iowa. I currently work for a railroad where I am making decent money. I don't feel like I needed a college degree for doing my job as I work with some people who are 19-23 and never stepped foot on a college campus. I felt like I got more out of the entrepreneurial side of my education and it will help more as I am close to starting my own business. It sucks that I have to write mortgage sized checks to AES, Sallie Mae, etc every month but I feel like it will soon be worth it. My advice to anyone is to pay as you go to a community college for 2 years, get a decent job that has tuition reimbursement and finish you Bachelors that way. You are then building experience in the workforce as well as getting someone to pay for your degree.
To answer someone's question, Iowa does offer a lot of courses online and you can actually get degrees from Iowa now online including Business, Nursing and of course, Liberal Studies. Check out the University of Iowa :: Division of Continuing Education site.

Moral of the post is I have friends who make good money with no degrees and people with master's degrees who make half of what I do. It's all what you do with it.

 

[528646]

I am very concerned with the increasing costs of education, as I think for America to be competitive in the 21st century global economy, we need accessible higher education.

That said, some folks need a healthy dose of common sense. You need to consider your total loan amount divided by your projected starting salary & make sure that ratio makes sense. Also, are you a complete jack off who is going to graduate with a 2.0? That's probably going to impair your marketability in the near term job market until you get some experience under your belt.

There ain't nothin' wrong with community/junior college for a couple years. Certainly better than forking out thousands & thousands of dollars for that "small college experience" at some private school so you can walk away with a teaching degree - which don't get me wrong, is a noble profession but you're going to making < $30K/year.

All of this is of course moot if you have rich parents...but if you're going to be footing the bill with loans, use some common sense.