Why!?

For an Online class, I have to purchase a book that's almost $200. There's no lectures, and a few videos we have to watch. We're expected to read a couple chapters and then discuss it among ourselves. This is a sociology course. If it wasn't required, I wouldn't take it. I can't afford to rent the book until tomorrow, but the discussion assignment is due tonight. To me it makes 0 sense to make us do this on our own and expect us to learn. The way I see it, there's no point of this class. Honestly, there's no way she can say she taught us anything if she's not doing her part.

At least in my other online courses, my professors has a lecture on there for us to learn. Before anyone say it, I'm not being lazy. This is not how you teach someone.

It would not surprise me to find out that your professor wrote the book. That is not uncommon. go to the library and see what they have on the subject.

Sometimes the books are only a suggestion as an addition to your own library.

I have purchased expensive books with others, shared them, and sold then when we were done.

My daddy went to college. And now he’s dead. He died much later but. Much

If she would have written a book instead of telling students to buy an expensive book for an online class it, it wouldn't be an issue due to the book being free for students who attend Lynn, but no she wants us to get an expensive book. She's not even teaching us. We are practically teaching ourselves.

If any aspect of education in America is f***ed, it’s the undergraduate college/university system.

It’s debilitatingly expensive, the professors are not trained to, nor need to be certified to, teach, alcoholic and sexual crime is rampant among students, and most are not going to be learning anything useful in terms of eventual career paths anyways.

The unfortunate thing is, one still will likely need a bachelors degree to get a leg up on success afterwards. So $150,000 in Roth IRA contributions out of my salary over the next 16 years will fund one for my son despite the above.

Yessir.

I had a lot of problems with the fact that my Chemistry grade pulled down my GPA when I was earning a degree in Philosophy and Religion. Ditto for the Chemistry students getting the shaft in humanities courses like Ancient Philosophy.

I imagine things are not much improved and possibly worse now some 22 years after I graduated.

Not to mention the fact that your major likely has nothing to do where you ended up career-wise either.

At least K-12 education teaches you the basics you need to function, understand, and live constructively in society, whereas undergraduate education just teaches you s*** you probably would be better off just reading and learning on your own or on the job.

Not to mention K-12 education is free. And taught by people who know how to teach.

Although I was taught a lot of stuff .. and have forgotten most of it -

The best thing I learned in college was how to deal with "stuff" - responsibility/accountability, time management, money management, alcohol abuse, peer pressure - and resistance, failure... .. and people.

That's why:
1) I'm glad my son "went off" to college. Not living at home, taking classes and just extending the high school experience.
2) He found a school and degree directly related to what he wants to do for a living. He's not going for a generic "Business Administration", or art history.

Good point. If anything, one is probably educated most on how to live away from home in the real world.

Of course, kicking your kids out at age 18 would do the same, but shipping them off to college is probably viewed as less harsh.

Well, the cost of essential literature has always been something that has to be grinned at and borne. $200 seems pretty darned expensive to me though. Our lot would have boycotted the book and picketed the faculty.

Does your library not have copies that can be taken out, even if it is only on short loan?

It seems your lecturer is pretty neglectful too. To not give you any sort of instruction in the lecture theatre is a dereliction of duty where I come from. It sounds like she's just not doing any work and is leaving it all to you to sort it out between yourselves.

Do you have a student union you can take it up with? We have the National Union of Students and they'd come down on any lecturer who tried to get away with that sort of stunt.

Surely there is an organised body that represents student interests...?