tl;dr: Joshua rants about society & current post-secondary education system. Don't go to university because you don't know what to do. Define your objective so you're solving the right problem. If you want a job, go to vocational school and augment knowledge gaps with MOOCs as needed.

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This TED talk more or less encompasses the criticisms I hold for the current 'mass delivery' system for post-secondary education and the societal expectation of a university degree because it's the 'logical next step' from high school. However, I disagree with the professor's suggested solution. The professor's premise is that one must attend university and the purpose of such is for seeking higher employment since it pays more - a very industrial-age way of thinking.

If a person's goal is only to attain employment, my suggestion is that they opt to attend vocational school. I might add that vocational schools are usually better equipped to support specific career paths because they are focused. This focus manifests itself in more trade-specific equipment and apprenticeship programs available to students, stronger community relationships, and a more relevant alumni network. Not to mention lower tuition and shorter program durations. These factors result in increased accessibility and expedited transitions to employment.

To augment vocational training, a person can easily pick up the theory by attending massive open online courses (MOOCs) like Khan Academy, edX, Udacity, Coursera, etc.

Is the purpose of attending university not to expand our minds and change our lives? Its purpose is, by definition, to be focused on academia and research.

Blegh..

Link: http://www.ted.com/talks/sajay_samuel_how_college_loans_exploit_students_for_profit