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by zdragnar 2248 days ago
I generally detest the large expense of universities given the difference between what they claim to offer and the actual value. That said, the options here seem to not be any better.

Get a job? Fresh out of high school kidd are going to have a hard time finding gainful employment for awhile, especially in the hardest hit areas.

Volunteer for a political campaign? Meh. That isn't much of a substitute, even if it has its own intrinsic value.

Why not encourage kids to instead look for schools that have been doing distance learning for years, or starting at a local community college instead? Its a heck of a lot less expensive (addressing the articles risk of investment point) and they are far less likely to take the money you ponied up for dormitory living while kicking you out.
2 comments
dmoy 2248 days ago
> Volunteer for a political campaign?

How is that an option, do they house and feed you if you vomubt for a political campaign?

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ForHackernews 2248 days ago
Sometimes, yes. It's common for local supporters to open their homes to out-of-state volunteers. When I was younger, I spent months living for free in a nice lady's basement in Iowa.
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ryanmarsh 2248 days ago
Get a job? Fresh out of high school kidd are going to have a hard time finding gainful employment

In software I feel a strong guild/apprenticeship program could solve this.

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milquetoastaf 2248 days ago
The open source community serves as an ad hoc application of the apprenticeship / guild concept. I have some friends who don't have college degrees but have been hired due to their demonstrable and attested technical skill in serious FOSS projects
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bosie 2248 days ago
Wouldn't working on FOSS projects be closer to an internship rather than apprenticeship? Are they really being mentored and taught while working on the FOSS projects?
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StandardFuture 2247 days ago
Yes it would be more akin to an internship rather than an apprenticeship. Also, contributing to open-source is not a learning experience like an apprenticeship can be. You cannot contribute to FOSS without a minimal skill level. Whereas, you can enter an apprenticeship from scratch.

Whether or not you agree with apprenticeship systems being good or bad, it is clear that the GP comment on FOSS being a replacement for an apprenticeship system is wrong.

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