Subj : Re: Screens Distract Stud
To   : Rob Mccart
From : Dr. What
Date : Wed Apr 09 2025 07:53 am

-=> Rob Mccart wrote to Dr. What <=-

 RM> That's one of those 'in a perfect world' situations. Many people going
 RM> into University have no idea what they want to do after graduation.

Then they didn't do their homework.  You should know that before your senior
year of high school.

 RM> students know exactly what they need to take. And college is generally
 RM> more for learning a job than a general education, although I guess you
 RM> can't speak for all students.

"Career" is probably a better word than "job", but yes.  We are spending lots
of money (mostly in room and board, BTW) to get an education in our chosen
career.  Anything that takes us away from educational focus is a waste of money
and time.

But, yes, that's not all students.  I had a cousin who went to college to get
her MRS degree (i.e. find a husband).  Others go to take some feel good classes
that are worthless in the real world.

 RM> I bought University text books on programming and taught myself. I
 RM> didn't stick with it long enough to get into learning the newer
 RM> programming langauges though so I became obsolete other than doing it
 RM> for my own use. But, knowing those basics of programming helps you
 RM> better understand how computers and software works which is helpful
 RM> too.

Yup.  My first class was in FORTRAN.  Worthess?  Nope.  It got me a summer job
fixing FORTRAN programs at a large auto company.  Another line on my resume.

After that, it was all Pascal in college.  But that was to teach us good
programming habits.  Which served us well when we got to C.

I did take a class in COBOL (which was offered by the business school) and that
got me a decade of paychecks.  And more experience.  And more resume lines.

 RM> Depending on exactly what they were teaching it could be handy just in
 RM> your everyday life, coping with balancing spending and best ways to
 RM> save for the things you want or need. There are far too many people
 RM> out there who can't balance s check book..   B)

And I would agree with you if that was what the Economics class was about.  But
it wasn't.

Balancing a checkbook and such was taught to me by my parents.

 RM> Being able to do a lot of stuff like that was the only way I could
 RM> afford, early on, my custom motorcycles and muscle cars, and later
 RM> how to keep an old house I bought fuctioning without having to call
 RM> a plumber or electrician for every little thing.

Yup.  We gain skills.  We use them.  We gain experience.  Get better jobs. 
Gain more skills and experience.  Get better jobs.  Etc.

It works great until the worthless people decry the Meritocracy.


.... You're not old, You're chronologically disadvantaged
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