paraplegic_T_Rex t1_iuhto79 wrote on October 31, 2022 at 1:22 PM

Honestly, colleges haven’t been a place for open discussion for years now. I went to a Massachusetts state school, and it was a one sided education.

I had to write papers a certain way to make sure I got the grade. Other opinions were graded lower.

Now I’m no MAGA Republican, not even close, but I can recognize that what colleges are doing right now is creating an even further divide in the country by only teaching one side of things.

There are issues which are right and wrong, 100%. But you have to at least be willing to hear someone else’s opinion, and colleges don’t allow for that anymore.

ccoyote1 t1_iuhxrcz wrote on October 31, 2022 at 1:53 PM

I hear this complaint all the time, and consistently it's not because the student was arguing against the point, it was because they never bothered to figure out the point that the faculty member was trying to make. Most don't care if you disagree with them, but they get annoyed when students spout off about their views being ignored while not making even half an effort to understand the positions being taken by the readings. Sorry, but you're writing papers that show an understanding of the course materials not an op-ed for the newspaper. Some students seem incapable of understanding this.

paraplegic_T_Rex t1_iuhy63i wrote on October 31, 2022 at 1:56 PM

This isn’t very true. In a Political Science class, for instance, you’re not writing about your understanding as much as your opinion on a subject. A history class may ask you to write an opinion on the use of the atomic bomb in WWII. That’s an opinion piece you back with facts (to show you understand the material). But if you disagree with the professors view on the topic, good luck!

It’s why college is largely a waste in my opinion. Get real world experience, even in fields like engineering or teaching or business, and get the professors out of it. They are there to push a narrative at many schools, and have a holier than thou attitude.

ccoyote1 t1_iuiobmn wrote on October 31, 2022 at 4:56 PM

In both history and political science you are not writing your opinion. You are creating a fact based argument, something which is very different from an opinion and needs to show a full grasp of the arguments others have made in the readings. If you approach it from the angle of writing your opinion you are going to end up with a badly written assignment. I'm sorry that this was not made clear to you, but it's an important distinction.

I strongly disagree that college is a waste, but will agree that there are other options and that it shouldn't serve as the roadblock to employment that it currently does. However, for the careers you outlined both teaching and engineering are going to require a base knowledge that is best learned in the classroom before real world experience makes the needed impact. If you've ever worked with an engineer you would know that they don't have the time to cover 101 topics with every new hire because they never learned it in school.

There are many issues with universities and colleges that need to be addressed and our path from school to work needs to be cleaned up. There is so much space here for compromise. But unfortunately the arguments around what happens at institutes of higher education are too often made from a position of ignorance or bad faith which prevents us from even being able to start discussing how we could re-imagine it's relationship to society & work. People need to put in the minimal effort needed to understand how and why colleges are an invaluable resource before they can start to dismantle why they're also kinda fucked up. Like the papers you wrote in college and did poorly on, it should start with understanding the position you are against.

paraplegic_T_Rex t1_iuiol4w wrote on October 31, 2022 at 4:58 PM

Funny, I didn’t do poorly. I graduated at the top of the class. I appreciate you making the assumption.

I also said you are writing an opinion, BACKED WITH FACTS. In these classes you aren’t just writing facts. Anyone can regurgitate facts on a page. It’s an opinion piece typically backed with facts.

Read the entire comment before you make yourself look bad next time.

ccoyote1 t1_iuj1r5g wrote on October 31, 2022 at 6:25 PM

I'm sorry, so you weren't penalized for writing opinion pieces, or that top graduates in your class didn't do well in their courses? I'm just trying to figure out what you are saying.

But whatever it is... I'm not sure you're interested in a good faith debate and would rather just keep shitting on things you don't understand despite my holding out a huge fucking olive branch to you in the above response. You seem kinda like snowflake who can't take a little criticism or engage in a real discussion. Colleges can be rough for people who are used to be coddled.

paraplegic_T_Rex t1_iuj1xm1 wrote on October 31, 2022 at 6:26 PM

There’s some serious boomer speak if I have ever seen it. I’ll get off your lawn - but I’m doing just fine, thank you. College just didn’t do a damn thing for me or many others.