UK higher ed -- and interdependent and codependent things in other spheres as well -- has so much changed so much so much that I'm not sure comparisons to the past that I'm not sure they can be considered alike for some important stuff, like, I've seen commentary from the early 90s about how UK polytechnics were being transformed into universities and thats pretty historically recent and there were many other deep changes, and in regards to their community function they have changes in those regards and very importantly the other elements of the system and society that they are interdependent and codependent with have changed so much that the university is not a stable category over time and thus any statistical analysis that proxies them with a constant variably is rife with measurement error
It depends on what you want to define as wasted youth. I'm not sure this is the case but would be open to hearing more about why you think university is an opportunity cost at a young age.
I think that universities can still be useful incubators in some fields. But the process relies upon the genuine talent and natural aptitude of the student. I was aware of AlphaFold and DeepMind before I watched this documentary, but it's still a great documentary:
UK higher ed -- and interdependent and codependent things in other spheres as well -- has so much changed so much so much that I'm not sure comparisons to the past that I'm not sure they can be considered alike for some important stuff, like, I've seen commentary from the early 90s about how UK polytechnics were being transformed into universities and thats pretty historically recent and there were many other deep changes, and in regards to their community function they have changes in those regards and very importantly the other elements of the system and society that they are interdependent and codependent with have changed so much that the university is not a stable category over time and thus any statistical analysis that proxies them with a constant variably is rife with measurement error
In the US, almost anyone would be better off putting off the choice til the mid 20s. Work, get married, figure some life out.
95% of the youth are ill prepared at 18 to make a big choice.
In the UK, where costs are lower, the oppertunity cost of wasted youth is still huge.
It depends on what you want to define as wasted youth. I'm not sure this is the case but would be open to hearing more about why you think university is an opportunity cost at a young age.
I think that universities can still be useful incubators in some fields. But the process relies upon the genuine talent and natural aptitude of the student. I was aware of AlphaFold and DeepMind before I watched this documentary, but it's still a great documentary:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J5XFYMsczy8
Thanks, I'll give this a watch.