Welcome to Thunderdome

The long predicted college collapse might finally be arriving.
-Fewer 18 yos
-Fewer people see college as necessary, particularly men

Ah, the financial crisis overhang. Our first was born 2007, college very competitive. Our second, late 2010, in the mini-baby bust. The baby bust kept going though, it's all downhill until at least 2020.

College tuition has gone up 914% since 1983.

Meanwhile, we started the big lie that "everyone must go to college".

College needs to go back to 100% in person, at least for testing. Although, I do think Charles Darwin would have something to say about people going into massive debt for an education only to intentionally avoid learning anything.

When I was in high school, my AP Calc class had 1/2 take home exams, 1/2 in-person. And yeah, I cheated on the take homes. Mostly by working with others, but sometimes by programming my computer (in 1991/2!) to do calculus and draw the graphs. So yeah, I learned less by cheating, but I learned something far more valuable by programming my computer.

It almost bit me once. I had two friends (a couple) who wanted to look at my work before class, and I said "Sure, but DO NOT COPY #4! It's COMPLETELY wrong!"

They copied it. The teacher then interrogated the couple and me about it. I said I had been studying with them before hand and we discussed how to do problems like that, so that's why we had the wrong thing. I was let off, they got in trouble.

TheCatt wrote: Thu Jul 09, 2026 9:15 am When I was in high school, my AP Calc class had 1/2 take home exams, 1/2 in-person. And yeah, I cheated on the take homes. Mostly by working with others, but sometimes by programming my computer (in 1991/2!) to do calculus and draw the graphs. So yeah, I learned less by cheating, but I learned something far more valuable by programming my computer.

Different from today when they just open an app and type in the questions. You get a pass because you had to learn to create something to get to your goal. Why you didn't just spend that time learning the Calc...

Leisher wrote: Thu Jul 09, 2026 9:19 am Different from today when they just open an app and type in the questions. You get a pass because you had to learn to create something to get to your goal. Why you didn't just spend that time learning the Calc...

I'd say that life turned out a lot better from me learning to program my computer to do calc, than programming my brain to do calc. But yes, very different today.

Honestly, I spent way more time getting my PC to do it than if I had got myself to do it, I bet. But it reminds me of this:

That graph is true.

It's honestly the biggest danger of AI. Innovation comes from us doing the work. AI is absolutely going to assist some people progress, but I fear a growing majority are going to be left behind.

I'm more disturbed by the polarized House/Senate, since that impacts my life a lot more. Like why no middles?

TheCatt wrote: Thu Jul 16, 2026 11:11 am I'm more disturbed by the polarized House/Senate, since that impacts my life a lot more. Like why no middles?

A fair concern and a great question.

Somewhere along the way, as a country, we lost our ability to find common ground and we need to get that skill back.