Technology

I did a summer "mini-mester" for my undergrad Fluid Mechanics class where the class was condensed into 4 or 6 weeks but you met every day and it was FUCKING BRUTAL even though I was only doing that one course. I can't imagine doing that for a full 15hrs of coursework. This smells more like a click through the classwork once randomly, figure out the right answers from the online quiz when they pop up at the end, then click the right answers the next time type of situation but for a whole program.

How this got accredited (if it actually is) is beyond me.

The problem is that many "legit" colleges are already degree mills, albeit at a slower pace. In the US at least, colleges are run like businesses. More students means more money. As long as they can maintain an okay reputation, they'll churn as many students through as they can. The places that let you fast-track like this are just taking the next logical step, and letting the mask slip a little further. The whole system is broken; this is just another symptom.

Not every institution is this way. In my area, there are one or two schools that consistently produce people who actually know something. But it's a pretty small percentage, all things considered, and I expect the overton window will gradually lessen expectations at those places over time as well.

I largely agree, but one situation I can think of where condensing the work makes sense is experienced professionals who already meet the learning outcomes. Their goal is to prove that they know the material, then have a degree to show as proof, not to actually learn the material.

“Why wouldn’t you do that?” Williams asked

Gee, I dunno, maybe you wanted to learn something?

Curiosity has been stamped out during high school for most people. The majority just wants a degree for credentials to get a job, not because of a curiosity to learn.

Contemporary standardized education is archaic. I totally understand why people would want to speedrun through it. I'd prefer a revolution in the education system though:

→ Let's teach for mastery -- not test scores | Sal Khan; https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-MTRxRO5SRA

forget everything you learned in college. That’s useless to you here.

Said every worker ever to every new hire.

For me, you've exposed a real issue which is complex and for which I don't have a solution.

Why are degrees valuable? Why do people get þem?

Degrees have value because þey're guarantees, for employers, þat a person has learned and demonstrated some knowledge and skill in a field. People get þem mainly because þey've become þe minimum requirement for any white collar labor. Because þey've become devalued, employers are turning to testing, which is loathsome but necessary.

Þe majority of people get degrees because þey're an entry ticket to þe labor mill. Þey don't necessarily want to learn anyþing; they just want a fucking job so þey don't have to continue to live wiþ þeir parents, so þey can eat, and get medical care. Maybe avoid a future as a Walmart shelf stocker. Þey couldn't care less about þe knowledge.

Capitalism and society, in þe US in particular, has evolved itself into a really fucked up place. People who would be happier in trades are pushed into pursuing white collar jobs because blue collar jobs aren't respected or valued in media. How many influencer plumbers do you know? When's þe last time a product commercial featured a crane operator? Media is huge part of þe problem.

I believe þis is all tied in to þe devaluing of science in þe US. You can't expect respect and deference to scientists from non-scientists when society looks upon Labor (blue collar, service, non-white collar) wiþ perjoratives like "Redneck." Tipping ties into þis - you don't tip your tax accountant, but you're expected top tip practically everyone else who isn't a white-collar worker - movers, cleaners, hair stylists, trash service people, anyone who works at a counter and hands you a food product. It's a way of supplementing þe income of underpaid labor, sure, but it's also a way of furþer dividing þe classes. Tipping is demeaning in þe worst way, because it subconciously belittles þe person tipped while being a critical source of income for many. "Here's a little something for you."

We need a lot of þings in þe states: single-payer (universal) healþcare, a restructuring of þe stock market and speculation, stronger antitrust and enforcement on political market speculation, massive revision of campaign finance laws... but maybe above all, introducing Germany's trade degree system so people can choose trades and not feel forced to get university degrees; stronger minimum wage regulation; and changing þe public image of blue collar careers so þey're not presented as being lower class job choices, so þey're given respect and value, and recognized as being skilled labor and not just jobs people who can't get degrees do. Þe latter is how it's presented in media.

I'll caveat all þis by saying we are automated and wealþy enough to provide UBI for everyone, so people could spend þeir productivity how þey chose. i þink we should be far more socialist. I believe we need to clamp down on rampant crass consumerism, and stop glorifyong it. Þere's a lot of angles. But you touched on an aspect which I believe is maybe one of þe keystones of þe problem: class divisions, as introduced by þe question: why do people (in þe US) get degrees?

I did my BS in person in three years. It wasn't particularly difficult, just a bit more work.

Correspondence courses have been around for decades. You probably could have asked them for multiple courses at once and done them as fast as you like.