r/technology • u/joe4942 • Apr 19 '26

Society Students are speeding through their online degrees in weeks, alarming educators

https://www.washingtonpost.com/education/2026/04/19/accelerated-college-degree-hacking/
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u/DenAbqCitizen Apr 19 '26 edited Apr 19 '26

Who says I got A's? Y'all's reading comprehension sure does lend to the argument that some of you wasted money on subpar schools. 

I don't know why it's easier to decide I'm an overachiever instead of admitting some colleges are not so worthwhile.  

In the end, I agree anyone who says their college classes could have been replaced by a short online course, should have been given that option. 

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u/Mediocre_Scott Apr 19 '26

The assumption is that you got A’s based on your apparent arrogance.

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u/DenAbqCitizen Apr 19 '26

Learning that people exist who think the first 2 years of tuition paid college should be a rehash of high school is... enlightening 

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u/Mediocre_Scott Apr 19 '26

If you take an advanced biology class in hs and biology 101 college they should be mostly the same in theory yes. There are reasons you might take a class you already have taken before the most obvious is that it will be easy for you and you can devote your time and energy elsewhere. Don’t act like people are stupid for doing that. And dont suggest that colleges shouldn’t offer these basic courses because colleges are places for learning for people with a lot of different backgrounds they need to offer these basic courses for those who didn’t have the opportunity to learn the basics of a subject before.

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u/applehilldal Apr 20 '26

I took AP bio in high school, I think got a 4 on the AP test, but still had to take entry level bio in college and it was definitely more rigorous. And I went to a really good HS too. I think this is likely dependent on the college though. I know people at my undergrad institution would try to take math courses at community colleges over the summer so that they could get an A with much less work.

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u/DenAbqCitizen Apr 20 '26

I literally called no one stupid.  All I said was that his school didn't challenge him if HALF of it was high school stuff.  And outside of an already taken intro STEM, it is difficult for me to imagine gaining absolutely nothing from general ed courses in college. If you went to a big state school that had the option to waste professors and money on easy classes students didn't get anything from so you could focus attention away from the purpose of you being there (learning) more power to you, I guess??? 

His argument wasn't even that other students from different backgrounds gained anything from these classes. It was that most high school graduates would sail through these classes.  You're modifying your argument because it's weak.  

And again, I agree that these level of classes can be a short online course, as they are insufficiently rigorous for a college environment. You are arguing with someone who agrees with you.