if you went to college, do you feel you got your "money's worth"?

Question

did it really teach you what you wanted to know, or what you wanted to learn? or did it teach you to think?
i know, three for the price of one. i'm just curious.

Answer 1

Fallopian tubes

Answer 2

Now that I am working on a PhD, I am very proud of the college I attended and feel that it was more than worth what I am still paying for it (my undergrad, that is).

I went to an expensive small college, was full-financial aid (my parents were dirt poor), and saw this as my ticket out of poverty. In short, it was. I don't think I would have gotten that education, with one-on-one interest from my profs (and no, not the dirty kind of attention) that I got there, and it did teach me to think so thoroughly and as unbiased as I can that I feel like a much better person for it. It did, as you suggest, go along the lines of my natural proclivities, but not everything just reaffirmed my natural feelings or thoughts. In fact, I am a much different person now than I was when I was younger, much kinder towards others and see other people's points of view, even if I disagree with them. I feel that is a direct result of my education, because I was not taught that at home.

Nowadays, what I paid for college doesn't seem much - $45,000 for 4 years. But in the mid-80s, that was like today's tuition for, well, the same school, which is about twice that, pretty high still. But, it put me on a path towards becoming a professor, a dream I did not dare dream in high school or as a child, and for that, I feel I got my money's worth.

Now, also, I am in debt about $150,000 for my entire education (BA, MA, and PhD so far, with two more years to go), and I still see it as worth it. This was my investment in my future. People with PhDs make, on average, more than $4 million a lifetime more than people with high school diplomas, so I know I will recoup the money as I begin my career as a PhD. And again, it has opened my mind to new information and a whole world of knowledge I didn't know was out there, so is my knowledge worth the $300,000 I paid for my entire education, I think so, and I guess that's all that matters!

Answer 3

I went to college and it took me 7 years. The school got PLENTY of my money. I am a teacher and I think that I learned several things about how children learn best, how the brain functions, etc. But the best experiences that have taught me the most were experiences right in the classroom. You can't teach someome how to have strong classroom mangement skills without showing them what its really like. I believe that college is important but just like the real world....you learn best from experiences.

Answer 4

I think I got my money's worth. I didn't have the best college experience, but that was more to do with my own attitude than anything being wrong with the college. The key is to have an open mind and willingness to learn. If you do then college will be the base for the res of your life.

Answer 5

I transferred colleges because I didn't think I was getting my money's worth. The college I go to now, Northwestern, is really enriching and fantastic and I love it. I know where my money is going and I'm proud of my school. I've also learned so much in and out of the classrom. Life experiences are priceless.

Answer 6

I got all three so yes, I got my money's worth. In general, I wanted to learn. It had majors that I was interested and chose one over the other (majored in Ecology). I chose the major in Ecology because I wanted to know and learn more about science. I loved it. I loved learning more about Ecology, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Geology, Field courses (in zoology and botany; more so on the zoology than botany), and Statistics. The faculty and staff definitely encouraged us to learn what we wanted to learn. If we want to learn then we must have a desire to know.

Going to college also taught me to think. I should say that it taught me how to think and not what I should think. There are some colleges and universities where the professors tell you what you should think and try to persuade you that there way is the only right way to think. I didn't get that at my college. My professors gave you the information and wanted you to think about the information. They especially enjoyed it when we'd challenge points of view. Not only did I learn how to think in terms of my academics I also learned more about how to think when it came to my life (personal, social, and professional life).

Answer 7

1. Mostly, you have to own a part in your own learning experience
2. I want to learn about many things outside my specific schooling
3. Well yes, grad school did, well it honed what was already there, I guess that is why there is admission criteria....

Answer 8

You will get out of college what you put into it. I refer to my degree as my "receipt for tuition paid". The most important thing it does is show potential employers that you can finish what you start.

Answer 9

Well I just started yesterday and I already feel that I am not getting my moneys worth.

Answer 10

The only "college", I ever attended, was, "Charles Prine, Academy of Beauty", and NO, I did not get my money's worth, I can't even give a decent shampoo!..................:)