[mkross]

"Them darn kids aint learnin cuz they aint tryin!"

Let's consider the assumption that between 36% and 45% of all undergrad students are slackers. Sure, a bunch of students aren't learning because they are slackers, but why there are SO MANY of them? Are there more slackers as a percentage of the population than in the past? Is the internet/cell-phone/facebook era changing the mentality of students to be more focused on the short term easiest/best solution? Or maybe the percent of slackers in the general populace is the same, but a much larger percentage of secondary students go on to undergrad. Well, why are so many more going on in school, especially those that are slackers? Parental/societal pressures might suggest that going to college is just "what you do" after high school. Or maybe peer pressure makes students continue in through school because their peers expect it of them. Perhaps it is sheer inertia that is the driving force; our slackers do whatever is the most expedient at the moment, so when the time comes they'd rather go to a generic college with an undecided major than to go and do something.

Or, (and I like this theory the most), students feel a need, from an economical perspective, to get a degree in order to get a job. And then they go to school, with the singular goal of earning that piece of paper so they can get a job. At this point, "slacker" has been forced into the role by going to school just to be able to get a job afterwards. It's a means to an end, and incidental value is just that. At this point, it isn't just the college's fault, but the general expectations of employers. Why do you require a college degree? Is knowing the theory essential to doing the work or save a substantial amount of training or ramp-up time?

[dspeyer]

Universities don't do much to encourage students to work hard.

You'll pass no matter what, and in many places can get an A by just cramming for the final. Worse, many classes adjust grading standards based on how students are doing, so anyone who studies hard is betraying their classmates.

Fraternities are given official support while study groups are left to fend for themselves (not that much support is needed, but it would be a nice gesture). A football team that wins a championship can expect official schoolwide celebration, which no intellectual achievement would produce.

People are influenced by social pressure. Children are especially influenced. And the pressures aren't really pushing toward learning.

(A secondary conclusion is that if you want to learn a lot at college, your first act should be to find a network of friends who do value learning.)

[spamizbad]

The assumption seems to be that employers are kidding themselves by hiring mostly college grads and are paying a premium for them. So let me pose this: If a college degree truly holds little value to an employer, why aren't there leaner, meaner companies springing up hiring the 68% of students who graduated high school but didn't qualify to attend a 4-year college in the United States? Their labor costs would be significantly less than a competitor's who insists on hiring people with at least a 4-year degree.

The reason why they insist on the 4-year degree, I suspect, is that labor costs are so high in the United States that paying the premium for a 4-year degree is negligible to your bottom line, so hey, why not save yourself the time of filtering through even more resumes and just demand a bachelors degree? It's not like college is going to make anyone worse at their job. As an added bonus, people who carry debt in the form of student loans or mortgages are less likely to strike or change careers - so it's a win/win.

[psyklic]

I'd guess slacking is mainly a culture thing. If your friends accept that it's okay, then you'll accept it's okay too.