Reply #82: Point made.

[boppers]

She did get an education out of it, and I'd likely really enjoy having a conversation with her... my point probably could have been made with less snark (and more clarity), so I'll give it another shot:

Unfortunately, the way the US educational system is set up, there are very expensive ways of imparting information and teaching skills, that, post-graduation, are of little monetary value to balance against the accrued debt. Students go in with grandiose dreams, spend lots of money learning, and then ultimately that expense (for too often) turns out to be the equivalent of having a *very* costly (aristocratic?) hobby.

For example, my religious studies bookshelf is currently at over 100 titles, but many were purchased secondhand, and accrued over the course of many years, rather than being accompanied by costly tuition, facilities, and infrastructure. I consider it a hobby. My computer science bookshelf is slightly larger (including a few I wrote and edited), but it's paid enough, as an ongoing career, to sustain my hobbies.

Understanding this balance, between socially valued knowledge, and knowledge of lesser social value (or use "monetary" for "social", I'm using them interchangeably) seems to be lacking.