Instead of giving away "free college," why not just do the following:
>Nationalize Universities
>Cull useless subjects (No more Latin American Studies majors, sorry Jeb!)
>Restructure major requirements (STEM majors shouldn't need English composition)
>Freely educate anyone who deserves it (Merit based. SAT scores, GPA, etc.)
>Everyone else who wants to attend but hasn't demonstrated merit has to pay their way in.
It's a good idea, but do you mean nationalize ALL schools? Because I think private schools would still be needed for those who wanted it
>>Nationalize Universities
Hm, not sure. Has this been done elsewhere? How is it paid for? What are the results?
>>Cull useless subjects (No more Latin American Studies majors, sorry Jeb!)
Agreed, provided it's not a part of a larger track. Latin American Studies should fall under history majors for example.
>>Restructure major requirements (STEM majors shouldn't need English composition)
There is an actual reason for this, removal of non-major subjects will actually degrade the education received. In fact, there's plenty of support for this because it produces specialists instead of independent thinkers, but I digress. In your example, English is required so that papers can be published and opinions articulated.
>>Freely educate anyone who deserves it (Merit based. SAT scores, GPA, etc.)
The dividing line should be low enough that most people have a chance, but no so low that any dipshit can land a degree. Perhaps a minimum 2.75 GPA and demonstration of ability?
>>Everyone else who wants to attend but hasn't demonstrated merit has to pay their way in.
Fine.
Not all of them. Just most. Though I would expect we'd realistically see an uptick in smaller, private colleges.
I would be for some nationalization of large state schools, but private colleges should still have the right to exist if they want and the market allows it.
>>Restructure major requirements (STEM majors shouldn't need English composition)
College graduates still need to be well rounded.
As an engineer, I am already autistic as fuck, but I am glad I had to take some non-engineering classes.
>history majors
he said cull useless subjects
The problem is with conventional formal schooling and how its been rendered obsolete by modern technology. Government monopoly won't solve this structural problem. I contend university has nothing to do with education. You're just over paying to take exams, so that you can signal to potential employer that you jumped through hoops that competing labour did not.
2.75 is way too low. It is too easy to get a minimum 3.0 in high schools. I'm honestly not sure how you would create a balanced merit based system.
There were students with 4.0s in honors classes who struggled with pre-calculus and wrote terrible essays, but there were also students who didn't have high GPAs, but were absolute genius's.
Agreed, nevermind the assholes who game the GPA system by intentionally avoiding difficult classes or going for a bullshit senior year.
Top schools already 100% match the need of any student who gets accepted. For example, if Harvard accepts someone who is poor as fuck, they will get a financial aid package that will pay for their school outright. Rich people have to pay the full tuition.
When I went to college, I was awarded a $10,000 scholarship and about $40,000 financial aid. Then I got loans from the Federal Government for the rest. I studied STEM, got a good job and now have paid all my loans back. Now I'm gonna propose to my future wife and settle down.
>tfw the american dream is real
Just nationalize the ones that take state/federal funding.
>(STEM majors shouldn't need English composition)
Why?
why not just nationalize everything?
>Nationalize Universities
Each state should "nationalize" (stateilze?) their universities. Private universities should be given autonomy under the state and adhere to certain criteria to receive credentials.
>Cull useless subjects (No more Latin American Studies majors, sorry Jeb!)
>Restructure major requirements (STEM majors shouldn't need English composition)
What this guy said >Freely educate anyone who deserves it (Merit based. SAT scores, GPA, etc.)
3.0 unweighted GPA minimum for Freshmen going out of high school with a strong ACT/SAT. For others, they need to prove themselves by passing college entry exams.
>Everyone else who wants to attend but hasn't demonstrated merit has to pay their way in.
Agreed, at least until they do demonstrate merit during college. Community colleges and technical colleges should be available with more lax entry requirements, provided individuals prove themselves on truly wanting to learn. Either through passing entry examinations, work experience, or recommendations.
>>Cull useless subjects (No more Latin American Studies majors, sorry Jeb!)
Jesus Fucking Christ, this x1000.
Can't even begin to express my frustration with the people I see getting absolutely worthless degrees, having $100k in debt, and struggling to find a job that isn't minimum wage.
People need to understand the distinction between a fucking hobby and a career.
The problem is students having Bachelor degrees available. for such subjects. It makes sense for the most intelligent students to want to specialize in more niche fields such as "Latin American Studies."
those who do not learn from history are doomed to repeat it.
Americans are dumb enough as is because they dont teach shit. theres nothing wrong with having history. it makes you more cultured to learn about the past
I dunno, maybe it's just the way I was raised, but do people just pick college majors without any forethought on "what can I do with this later"?
There's a strange parallel with the HS athlete mind that they'll go pro and make millions.
the reason Bernie's Free college would never work, is because it would need major reform. he likes to talk about European colleges being free, but European colleges are also
1.fewer in number
and most importantly:
2. incredibly selective. you need to test into almost all of them, and they are very strict in what grades they expect.
can you imagine an American college becoming that selective? after all, that would require getting rid of affirmative action and accepting people 1005 SOLELY on their grades.
they would lynch Bernie under a tree because all of a sudden, the enrollment for blacks and other minorities would drop like a rock, and suddenly theyd start saying that the intake bar is way too high.
Instead of giving away free college why don't we
>remove all nonwhites so we can recapture the productivity of our cities and don't have to pay the welfare/infrastructural burden
>restore our manufacturing base by making better trade deals
>but do people just pick college majors without any forethought on "what can I do with this later"?
I went into college wanting to "make videogames" so I enrolled in the computer science class.
when I realized I can't math and the major was mostly math, I floated around in liberal arts getting all my core classes out of the way. eventually I had to decide and picked writing, not because I liked it, (I somewhat dislike it) but because I'm just good at it and always was, so i figured it would be a relatively easy major, AND I could "probably" apply it to something in the future since it's a fairly broad subject.
then again my college didnt have much interesting in the way of majors.
>I went into college wanting to "make videogames"
Would you say your facial characteristics are similar to this?
He's a good lookin guy
>>Restructure major requirements (STEM majors shouldn't need English composition)
Are you retarded? How is writing not important in STEM fields? It's one of the most important prerequisite classes.
>>Restructure major requirements (STEM majors shouldn't need English composition)
Our country should not have middle-age adults incapable of correct usage of there/their/they're. Basic English composition needs to stay, and if anything, be improved.
why should they spend a year on something that is mostly bullshit when they can spend that time in classes for their major?
That's how we deal with college here in France
>That's how we deal with college here in France
How's that working out for you?
Serious question, I would like to know.
History is important.