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09:10 AM
I haven't read his book, but from his tone in this excerpt, he seems to feel that those who toil for years in school to earn a degree aren't really independent thinkers, but sheep in the quest of a piece of paper.
"I talked to coworkers who wanted to further their education, but they typically spoke in terms of getting a new piece of paper, such as a bachelor's degree, a masters, or a PhD."
Right. That's because this is how we've measured and confirmed the educational level of individuals for centuries. Educating yourself is fantastic, but try getting a research or medical position by telling them you've really been boning up on your biochemistry lately.
Granted, an advanced degree on someone's resume is by no means a guarantee of the person's intelligence or ability, but it does demonstrate that they've put in the years of hard work that the degree required. That, more than anything else, speaks to the nature of the person.
08:31 AM
07:58 AM
Psychologically, this thread is quite compelling.
07:45 AM
Granted it does have to be done but I don't think I could ever bring myself to do something like software testing full time. I prefer to write stuff, do some informal testing, when I'm happy it should work forget about it and just fix it when someone else finds a problem with it.
05:34 AM
05:46 AM
01:04 AM
And on the topic of university and education; if you can combine that thirst for knowledge in a good educational setting, it can be nirvana. Reading through the course calender is like walking through a Candy-shop as a child. Sitting in discussions about topics that have kept you up at night is an amazing experience. University certainly isn't for everyone, but there are good reasons it is valued.
12:25 AM
... also I'm sure you probably just forgot, but a mention of the price and a link the iTunes store would be nice. I wouldn't usually complain, but since that info is usually in these reviews I just wanted to point out the small oversight. Which for the record, it's $2.99 [itunes.apple.com]
12:16 AM
James sounds like an exception, so this is definitely not applicable to everyone, but those who can relate (and may feel doubt if they're following the right path) will surely leap up and do *jazz hands* like myself. After all, exceptions are exceptional.
I give thanx, James and Gizmodo!
12:16 AM
I was thankful that HP let me design calculators because I had the ability to, even though I had no degree.
Getting that 'paper' does give you a place and time to develop and learn on your own at the same time.
And getting my degree later on gave me a place to identify myself with. It's like the 'paper' is a symbol of who I am more than testimony that I'm smart enough to do a job. It's something desirable for emotional reasons, in other words.
12:02 AM
01:23 AM
Heck, I still don't have a degree - I've used all my spare time learning new programming techniques, learning to develop for new game systems (popular and not), etc. As long as you keep learning, you can keep yourself in the game doing what you want.
01:29 AM
03:08 AM
11/26/09
The institutions established by our society might suck, but only those who manage to get through them will ever be in a position to put an end to them.
11/26/09
11/26/09
11/26/09
Compliment: "You look marvellous!"
Complement: to be something that fills up, completes, or makes perfect; one of two mutually completing parts; counterpart.
11/26/09
11/25/09