[eriksank]

>> Getting a decent "education" is the easiest way to get a job

The traditional education system WAS the easiest way to get a job. Nowadays, it is the easiest way NOT to get a job.

Step 1: Download the 10 books x 4 (years) = 40 books of the average university degree. Step 2: Unless it's mathematics, it is just literature. Read it. Step 3: Sit the 10 x 4 exams at an online college.

In most developed countries, you have just managed NOT to spend 100 000 USD and NOT to waste 4 years of your life. All of this sounds useless, and it probably is equally useless, but at least it is not as time-consuming nor as expensive as the traditional alternative.

[kamaal]

You might not learn much by going to college, but looking at it that way you might not learn it anywhere. To learn you need many things. Things like interest, ability to spend time and effort doing and learning things. This is not just restricted to college. There must be some motivation to learn. For us, learning is tied to money in a very direct sense. For students, their motivation might be curiosity.

Let me ask every one a simple question. If you believe you didn't learn much at college. Now that you are out of college why haven't you turned into a knowledge bank? If you ponder at that question long enough you will eventually realize there is nothing really wrong with college anyway.

Coming to your original point, unfortunately degrees matter in our society. Like you I believe that we must do away with that system and look at learning and the ability to perform instead.

Here in India, you can't even get a job interview if you don't have a degree. So we are stuck in this degree system, and probably will be decades to come.

[icebraining]

In most developed countries, you have just managed NOT to spend 100 000 USD

In most developed countries, college is much cheaper than that (to the student). I paid $1400/year to attend a respected university.

[PeterisP]

If you get thousands of job applicants, then it's appropriate to throw 90% CV's out in the first filter by a cursory browsing of the CV. If you don't have a degree, then in such a situation you won't even get an opportunity to be interviewed.

[zem]

you have clearly never lived in india. you absolutely need a college degree to be even considered for most decent jobs.

[brazzy]

He didn't say you should not get a college degree, he said you can get a (legitimate) degree in less time and for much, much less money if you study by yourself and only go to an actual brick-and-mortar college to take the final tests.

[alphakappa]

Going to school or college is much more than just passing the tests. The human interaction, the relationships you form, the ideas you will be exposed to, the things you will learn to avoid... There's value in the education process that goes well beyond the final certificate.

[brazzy]

Sure - but you can probably get similar experiences in other ways as well, again for much less money.

[alphakappa]

Yes, you can always think up some way to get the same benefit, but the point is that for most people, going to college is a good way to get a well-rounded education that involves being exposed to a range of ideas and people. Can a dedicated person figure out a cheaper alternative? Possibly, but that's beside the point.

[jtbigwoo]

Tuition for online colleges is still expensive. University of Phoenix charges tuition of $12k - 15k per year. Strayer and DeVry charge even more. If you want to go to an accredited online school, it can be more flexible, but I don't think it's orders of magnitude cheaper.