Do Universities teach you to independently think? Or to fall in line with "what

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   threekeysposted 7 years ago

   Do Universities teach you to independently think? Or to fall in line with "what is" in society?
   
   Do Universities now gear you up to be "ready to go" in your profession? Should Universities be about profit making or not? And why?
   
   

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   Ericdierkerposted 7 years ago

   I saw this as an interesting question. I have attended a few universities and lectured at a couple. I always approached them with the idea that I could get what I wanted to out of them. Spoon feeding was a good start. But then you really need to dig deeper on your own, and no better place than a University. I never approached them with an idea of how to make a living or what grade to get. I don't do PC or falling in line very well. And I really could not have cared less for any profs bent on a subject.
   But at the core of any university is knowledge, it is up to you to find it.

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      threekeysposted 7 years agoin reply to this

      It does depend on why you are studying at University. However the feedback I received from younger students at University was that they felt they were more or less being groomed to "not to think and be curious" but adopt a way or system.

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3. 84

   Au faitposted 7 years ago

   It mostly depends on the professor/instructor.  Some subjects don't require a lot of thinking, they require memorizing. 
   
   English literature is a good class to learn thinking and I do believe they attempted to teach it in my class at UNT.  Same is true in philosophy classes, and history, etc.  Yes, and political science.  Thinking is required and encouraged in these classes, and often the essay questions in political science or philosophy for example, only require that you make your case well, not that you agree with the prof -- if you even know what s/he thinks.  Some questions have no definite answer and depend on opinion.  To do well you have to support your opinion well.  Sources for your opinion matter. 
   
   But when it comes to learning to think, keep in mind, you can lead a horse to water . . .
   
   I think society is who/what teaches falling in line.  If you want to fit in, you parrot whatever it takes to do that.  Research studies have shown that most people will do whatever it takes to fit in, including undermining their own best interests.
   
   80% of all graduates never work in the area of their major.  Never.  Book learning is good, but it can't replace actual experience.
   
   Most universities are government owned or nonprofit.  Some for profit schools are popping up to respond to needs of students who can't make the grade in state or nonprofit schools.  Their entrance test scores and GPAs are way too low to be accepted at most schools.  For profit schools give them a chance.  Is that good?  Personally, I think if they aren't interested or capable of doing well in state universities or nonprofit private schools, why should they be allowed to practice medicine or law or anything else?  Do you want a D student handling your lawsuit?  Doing surgery on your child?
   
   I like to know where my doctors went to school and what kind of grades they got.  Not all schools are equal.  A lot of people don't know that. 
   
   A's don't guarantee a doctor isn't a quack, but at least s/he learned the basics and did well in them if s/he got A's.  C students have only learned about half of what is required to do something well in that subject.  It's the grades in the subject they're working in that matter.  Who cares if the doc got a D in philosophy so long as his biology grades are excellent, ya know?

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