College is not a commodity!

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I don’t think he’s arguing that college is worth any cost and that people should just shut up and pay. I think what he’s saying is that college is a process, not a product. You’re buying a chance for an experience, not a piece of paper or a credential. Incurious passive students who just sit in class and don’t take responsibility for their own learning are legion. They have a cargo cult attitude toward college (“if I get a college degree, I will have a middle- class life”) but they don’t understand the demands of the experience, and they get resentful if they are treated like students instead of consumers.

I feel NJSue nailed it with the above post. The original article was brought to my attention by a public college dean, whose bachelor’s, master’s, PhD, and previous teaching experience were all at top public colleges. Quoting from the article:

Unlike a car, college requires the “buyer” to do most of the work to obtain its value. The value of a degree depends more on the student’s input than on the college’s curriculum. I know this because I have seen excellent students get great educations at average colleges, and unmotivated students get poor educations at excellent colleges.

I’ve always felt that “fit” needs to take finances and the parent’s budget into account. I personally do not believe in amassing large undergraduate school debt, but to each his own. I do think it’s OK to spend a lot on education (or anything else) if you value and can afford it.