Macbeth
Banned
+2,444|5582

Stimey wrote:

the point is we won't get more engineers into the system.
you're underestimating the difficulty of the degree, nevermind a graduate degree
Keep telling yourself that. If you can do it, you can find plenty of other people who could do it. Better than you no less.

We are all replaceable.
Bertster7
Confused Pothead
+1,101|6578|SE London

Jay wrote:

Bertster7 wrote:

Jay wrote:


Oh, ok, how about government funding only for pre-approved degrees? The government should set quotas for every degree amirite?

Why is your solution always more governmental interference to solve prior government interference?
It's not.

My solution is to raise the bar academically. In a privatised system this is unlikely to happen naturally as it would reduce profits by shrinking the market.

We agree degrees are devalued. There is one way to increase their value, give out less of them.

When it comes to giving out less of them, then you can either choose to charge more for them (pricing the bottom end out of the market) or you can increase academic standards so fewer people are capable of obtaining them (ending up with only the best of the best academically). Is it better to have graduates being the richest students or the brightest ones?
The brightest have, and will always be able to attend college. Colleges pay them to attend via scholarship in order to increase prestige.
Yeah of course, because scholarship students make up a significant enough proportion of the population to have a really substantial impact.

Also, whilst you've repeatedly blamed government hand outs and socialisation of the system for the rising costs, you have yet to address the fact that in countries where this is more heavily socialised, costs are rising more slowly (also seen in other sectors). How do you maintain your position and account for this?
Stimey
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+786|6116|Ontario | Canada
Everyone who went to the same school as me for 1st year engineering got weeded out.
I'm literally the only one left from about 8 classmates.
In general the dropout rate is 40%.
Anyone can do it, its just a matter of dedication.
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Jay
Bork! Bork! Bork!
+2,006|5354|London, England

Macbeth wrote:

Jay wrote:

Macbeth wrote:

We have watered down the requirements for every other degree what makes you think engineering is immune from it?
Because the thought of buildings and bridges collapsing rightfully terrifies people. That, and the FE and PE exams are the real limiting factor.
That really isn't the universities problem. And we have plenty of people who manage to get through their bar exams or the GMAT eventually. It's not like there is a shortage of lawyers or MBA holders since it became the ticket to wealth and privilege.

i don't think it's sustainable nor do I think the wages enjoyed by engineering grads is sustainable. Once we manage to get more engineers into the system the wages will begin to decrease.

That was my point. I'm pessimistic about the whole thing.
How on earth can you be pessimistic? American students are getting worse at math, not better. ABET will never lower the standards because it would destroy the engineering market. They have a vested interest to maintain high standards. It keeps out the riffraff and allows the engineering industry to keep its solid reputation. The bar exam is cake compared to the FE. So is the GMAT. Trust me, the GMAT was a joke in comparison.
"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat
Bertster7
Confused Pothead
+1,101|6578|SE London

Jay wrote:

Macbeth wrote:

Jay wrote:


Because the thought of buildings and bridges collapsing rightfully terrifies people. That, and the FE and PE exams are the real limiting factor.
That really isn't the universities problem. And we have plenty of people who manage to get through their bar exams or the GMAT eventually. It's not like there is a shortage of lawyers or MBA holders since it became the ticket to wealth and privilege.

i don't think it's sustainable nor do I think the wages enjoyed by engineering grads is sustainable. Once we manage to get more engineers into the system the wages will begin to decrease.

That was my point. I'm pessimistic about the whole thing.
How on earth can you be pessimistic? American students are getting worse at math, not better. ABET will never lower the standards because it would destroy the engineering market. They have a vested interest to maintain high standards. It keeps out the riffraff and allows the engineering industry to keep its solid reputation. The bar exam is cake compared to the FE. So is the GMAT. Trust me, the GMAT was a joke in comparison.
How is this anything other than an illustration of the point I've been making about academic excellence being the key to all of this?
Shocking
sorry you feel that way
+333|5995|...

Stimey wrote:

Everyone who went to the same school as me for 1st year engineering got weeded out.
I'm literally the only one left from about 8 classmates.
In general the dropout rate is 40%.
Anyone can do it, its just a matter of dedication.
dedication and wether or not you actually like the subjects. Many people flunk out because they simply don't like what they're being taught and don't like the job prospects. Doing math/chem/physics all day isn't for everyone.
inane little opines
Jay
Bork! Bork! Bork!
+2,006|5354|London, England
Because the ABET polices the industry without the government stepping in and doing shit like watering down standards for political reasons.
"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat
Macbeth
Banned
+2,444|5582

Jay wrote:

They have a vested interest to maintain high standards. It keeps out the riffraff and allows the engineering industry to keep its solid reputation.
So why has that vested interest in keeping qualification high eroded everywhere else? Do you really think a solid reputation is enough of an incentive to keep your industry together. lol just lol

Last edited by Macbeth (2011-08-07 14:03:56)

Jay
Bork! Bork! Bork!
+2,006|5354|London, England
Here, and these are easy questions...

http://www.eitexam.com/QuickTest/Quiz11.asp
"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat
Shocking
sorry you feel that way
+333|5995|...
What needs to be done is raising the standards for all the other degrees. That and making it so that the degree is more focused on the job market rather than academic purposes only.
inane little opines
Jay
Bork! Bork! Bork!
+2,006|5354|London, England

Macbeth wrote:

Jay wrote:

They have a vested interest to maintain high standards. It keeps out the riffraff and allows the engineering industry to keep its solid reputation.
So why has that vested interest in keep qualification high eroded everywhere else? Do you really think a solid reputation is enough of an incentive to keep your industry together. lol just lol
Yes. Same for architecture. Or medicine. People die when we fuck up. Standards can not be lowered.
"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat
Jay
Bork! Bork! Bork!
+2,006|5354|London, England

Shocking wrote:

What needs to be done is raising the standards for all the other degrees. That and making it so that the degree is more focused on the job market rather than academic purposes only.
Why should the government subsidize what should be OJT?
"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat
Bertster7
Confused Pothead
+1,101|6578|SE London

Jay wrote:

Because the ABET polices the industry without the government stepping in and doing shit like watering down standards for political reasons.
Where did I say the government needed to do it?

I said in a privatised industry it was unlikely the universities would.

For some fields that's not the case. In those fields the degrees aren't undervalued. Therefore my point is sound.
Shocking
sorry you feel that way
+333|5995|...

Jay wrote:

Here, and these are easy questions...

http://www.eitexam.com/QuickTest/Quiz11.asp
Those are really easy tbh
inane little opines
Stimey
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+786|6116|Ontario | Canada
You cannot water down requirements for engineering.
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Bertster7
Confused Pothead
+1,101|6578|SE London

Shocking wrote:

What needs to be done is raising the standards for all the other degrees. That and making it so that the degree is more focused on the job market rather than academic purposes only.
This is what I've been saying.

Raise academic standards required for degrees. But everyone keeps trying to claim I'm saying the government should be enforcing all these changes. I have no interest in who implements the changes, but would like to see higher academic standards.
Shocking
sorry you feel that way
+333|5995|...

Jay wrote:

Shocking wrote:

What needs to be done is raising the standards for all the other degrees. That and making it so that the degree is more focused on the job market rather than academic purposes only.
Why should the government subsidize what should be OJT?
I like the principle that anyone who chooses to can go straight to uni out of high school. I'd like to keep it that way, too.
inane little opines
Stimey
­
+786|6116|Ontario | Canada

Shocking wrote:

Jay wrote:

Here, and these are easy questions...

http://www.eitexam.com/QuickTest/Quiz11.asp
Those are really easy tbh
Those are grade 11 level.
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Uzique
dasein.
+2,865|6467
im confused is this a thread about student loans or a 3 page wankathon about how difficult and in demand and well paid engineering is

cause to me it sounds like the last 3 pages has been another chance for galt to promote the amazing returns of his insanely demanding education
libertarian benefit collector - anti-academic super-intellectual. http://mixlr.com/the-little-phrase/
Macbeth
Banned
+2,444|5582

You can water down requirements for anything. If you guys want to keep thinking you are in an invincible position be my guest. We'll see in a few years when the first globs of new engineers start to be churned out by the universities.
Stimey
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+786|6116|Ontario | Canada
And in the subsequent 20 years we have 10 more Chernobyls.
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Uzique
dasein.
+2,865|6467
and you're right about science and math and applied subjects dying out in the west. that's because we've reached a situation where our society doesn't actually really need many of them-- they're all outsourced to indians and chinese that are far more assiduous, far more disciplined and far more eager to get into the applied sciences/maths. when a society becomes advanced and comfortable people are no longer pushed to get a degree with a concrete payoff to society. and as macbeth is saying as a devil's advocate... if you think you're special (stimey) because you're a big fish in an extremely small, shallow high-school shaped pond, then wait til you mean my buddy dennis wong and his side-kick harry manpreet, who will ace you on every test because their society is in the stage where it urges young able-minded men to geek out on science/math.
libertarian benefit collector - anti-academic super-intellectual. http://mixlr.com/the-little-phrase/
Uzique
dasein.
+2,865|6467

Stimey wrote:

And in the subsequent 20 years we have 10 more Chernobyls.
the indians and chinese are smarter than you at this stuff, mr. stanley khubris
libertarian benefit collector - anti-academic super-intellectual. http://mixlr.com/the-little-phrase/
Jay
Bork! Bork! Bork!
+2,006|5354|London, England

Bertster7 wrote:

Shocking wrote:

What needs to be done is raising the standards for all the other degrees. That and making it so that the degree is more focused on the job market rather than academic purposes only.
This is what I've been saying.

Raise academic standards required for degrees. But everyone keeps trying to claim I'm saying the government should be enforcing all these changes. I have no interest in who implements the changes, but would like to see higher academic standards.
You would see higher academic standards if the government didn't make it so easy to attend college via loan.
"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat
Jay
Bork! Bork! Bork!
+2,006|5354|London, England

Stimey wrote:

Shocking wrote:

Jay wrote:

Here, and these are easy questions...

http://www.eitexam.com/QuickTest/Quiz11.asp
Those are really easy tbh
Those are grade 11 level.
"Ah, you miserable creatures! You who think that you are so great! You who judge humanity to be so small! You who wish to reform everything! Why don't you reform yourselves? That task would be sufficient enough."
-Frederick Bastiat

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