"I left college two months ago because it rewards conformity rather than independence, competition rather than collaboration, regurgitation rather than learning and theory rather than application. Our creativity, innovation and curiosity are schooled out of us.
Failure is punished instead of seen as a learning opportunity. We think of college as a stepping-stone to success rather than a means to gain knowledge. College fails to empower us with the skills necessary to become productive members of today's global entrepreneurial economy.
College is expensive. The College Board Policy Center found that the cost of public university tuition is about 3.6 times higher today than it was 30 years ago, adjusted for inflation. In the book "Academically Adrift," sociology professors Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa say that 36% of college graduates showed no improvement in critical thinking, complex reasoning or writing after four years of college. Student loan debt in the United States, unforgivable in the case of bankruptcy, outpaced credit card debt in 2010 and will top $1 trillion in 2011."Dude makes some good points. College is definitely more crucial for some than others. I think the most someone takes away from his/her undergrad years thinking and writing skills, so if this kid just graduated high school and can crank out an op-ed publishable by CNN.com, I'd say he'll be just fine bypassing the ol' BA.
On the other hand, what he's really criticizing is the status quo, the bare minimum a degree requires. Not what college can give to people who soak it all in. Also, he's talking about college as it functions in professional development/career opportunities, but we all know there's more to the college experience than the job it gets us.
Plus, for a guy interested in business/entrepreneurship, I don't blame him. B-School: The Default Major
"Of course, some people want a formal education. I do not think everyone should leave college, but I challenge my peers to consider the opportunity cost of going to class. If you want to be a doctor, going to medical school is a wise choice. I do not recommend keeping cadavers in your garage. On the other hand, what else could you do during your next 50-minute class? How many e-mails could you answer? How many lines of code could you write?"
