College comes with debt though

It depends. There's a such thing as opportunity cost. Not sure if you are in the US and not sure what college education you are speaking of. Its not that simple. Few things are. In the US a degree in many fields is required. Where it isn't it is often used as a filter. A stamp of approval. I have a degree and I can say it helped me, but I would not say that is always the case. I can't speak to other countries but in the US a college education is expensive and its far from as obviously the better option. If you can get a college education and skills and not go into debt. That's amazing. I do think it is tempting for people to say you don't need college but also not have a plan. That's not a recipe for success. I think the general advice that everyone in the US should go to a 4 year university hasn't been good. But its also not true that a university education has no value. Depends on the person, their career plan, and the school.

Depends on if the person works for an employer who thinks so.

Not if you are smart and work through it. I worked full time all 5 years of my undergrad.

I have been teaching undergrad freshmen for over a decade. I teach the calculus sequence to future engineers. They become more intelligent through the process. They learn to read technical writing, access and understand primary resources, develop logical flow, and learn discernment. My primary objective is for my students to be able to think critically for themselves and make informed decisions based on their personal values. I do not provide engineering job training. All my students know this. Undergrad courses that forever changed me and influence my teaching: The Comic Spirit The Philosophy of Logic Nonverbal Communication Physical Anthropology Calculus sequence Math Analysis Topology Knot Theory and its Applications Fitness For Living I went to college a basic bitch and came out thinking deeply about the world and how to live a better life. I went to a cheap ass state school and that is where I work. “College is useless” is too general a statement to be true.

Well.. most diplomas is just a proof you can concentrate on some stuff and deliver it (like graduate). If a man can dive in and deliver X, he will be able to handle and also deliver Y.

Fair point

When everyone goes to university simply because they can obtain a student loan, it could become a net negative for those who really possess skills...

I'm not sure I follow If skills + college = skills, then college=0 There are many cases where it really adds nothing of value, but most of the times, collage helps refine and perfect skills and learn tools. You can't just have medical skills. You have to learn things first

True internships for teaching skills to new talent are needed. Not pay intern but demand senior job! Because not everyone has an uncle/cousin/friend to give them a hand.

Controversial for some, but truth for others: if you ever worked and had close relationship with a person that never got a proper education, you can see it, always. No matter how hard people try to rationalize the proll.

💯 people without a college degree simply can't get it.

Sorry, disagree; I regret going to college. I didn't learn anything useful. Just math and physics, things that I haven't used once in real life except for debating friends. And things I could have learned myself on the internet, but I was following the path expected of me.

His opinion is: skills + college is BETTER than just skills, you misread

Which is all something you can learn without going to college.

I mean, it's not because I'm really learning anything in college, because I learn from building my own projects instead. But getting the paper that says you have a degree in whatever, is worth more than someone who does not have a degree. So finding a job should be easier, otherwise college would be useless.

That is true, the degree itself has value, but perhaps in a different society we would be pushing for trade schools again, and have degrees from those count just as much as college degrees.

Sure sure. My degrees are the best investment of time and money I have ever made, though. Pretty sure my life would suck real bad had I not gone to college.

Its always people who dropped out or didnt go who say it was useless. The others do not understand undergrad builds intellect, not skills. You learn job skills on the job.

What are your degrees in? I don't think that reading Applied Mathematics and taking physics classes has helped me in the real world.

I think maybe you did not understand my original reply. You do not typically use the content of undergrad courses directly in the “real world”. You become more generally intelligent by studying. Just like you wont bench press weight outside the gym but you benefit from the exercise in the gym. The exercises help you build muscles you use outside the gym. You use your intellect outside the University. You can exercise without the gym and you can build your intellect outside University, they are just very useful options. A Masters or PhD would be the deeper study of specific content.

And I'm telling you that having read applied mathematics at one of the best universities in the world, I wish I didn't. I don't think I have improved my intelligence by having gone through it, and when I meet recent graduates (especially Americans) I'm always in amazement about how little they know about life.

Good for you! Not everyone needs a gym membership either. So dont buy one. But we shouldnt tell people the gym is a waste of money and time. Gives people the false perception they do not need to take care of themselves. Same goes for learning. People should really spend more time considering if they should go to college, where they should go, and what they should do once they get there. Instead of being confused about why they are studying the courses they are studying.

You're basically admitting that skill > college Adding something of lesser value to something that's already whole by itself doesn't increase the resulted value that much, that's just cope ( like unaware dudes who dupe 39 extra points into VIG past 60 when playing Elden Ring)