On Wed, 22 Sep 2010 20:59:30 -0700, "Bill Noble"
wrote:



"J. D. Slocomb" wrote in message
news

The problem is that Collage/University is basically just another form
of apprenticeship - i.e., it trains one to do a specific job and
certainly if one plans a career as a doctor, lawyer, engineer, it is a
distinct advantage as it crams a lot of knowledge into one's head very
quickly. On the other hand, if one is not to work in one of the
specialized career fields I wonder whether it is not highly overrated.
I wonder whether collage really was an advantage to Warren Buffett's,
who initially dropped out of collage saying that he knew more then the
professors. Bill Gates, who famously, dropped out of Harvard and Steve
Jobs who attended only one semester.

Cheers,

John D. Slocomb
(jdslocombatgmail)

you have a very distorted view of College/University, certainly different
from that of any college graduates with whom I associate - in fact the
typical difference between trade school and college is that a trade school
teaches you a specific trade, a college teaches you to do research, to find
information for yourself, and the theory behind certain things (for example,
why do fluorescent lights glow, why does mercury emit UV light when excited,
why is the sky blue (answer-bragg refraction)) - a trade school teaches an
immediate skill (weld, drive, operate), college teaches reasoning.

Bill gates dropping out doesn't invalidate the above, nor does warren
buffet - there are those who wish to use their hands and manual skills,
there are those who wish to employ mental and not manual skills, and some
enjoy a bit of both.


I suppose that I really need to be a bit more explicit, rather then
assuming that readers will get the point.

I was simply pointing out that if an individual is aggressive about
advancing himself that, apparently, collage is not specifically an
advantage... other in the specialized career fields.

Your point about the research, et al, is hardly applicable to a
doctor's training or a law degree, to name two, and my experience with
freshly graduated engineers is that they certainly understand the
basis and theory of their trade but are sadly lacking in the
application thereof. Hardly proof of research and finding information
by yourself.

Of course, if you are talking about advanced degrees, i.e., Master and
Doctor then it is a different story as generally these two degrees (as
practiced in the US) involve a certain amount of research.

Cheers,

John D. Slocomb
(jdslocombatgmail)