Does anyone wish they had a traditional classical education like this instead of what they got in college?

I wish I'd become an electrician.

PhD in philosophy wrote:

I wish I'd become an electrician.

Nothing stopping you. You don't even need a degree. But at least with this curriculum, you'd be an electrician with an education.

Yes, the curriculum sounds amazing. Honestly, I'd consider enrolling today if they offered an on-line degree.

Why not just but the Harvard Classics and teach yourself.

Or better yet join a library.

Lenny Leonard wrote:

Why not just but the Harvard Classics and teach yourself.

Or better yet join a library.

I have been teaching myself for the last fifteen years or so. The problem is that I work 60-70 hrs a week and have a family. It's not so easy now. But I do what I can.

Uhh, no. I would prefer to remain gainfully employed.

The Great Books wrote:

I think this is truly awesome. It's hard to think of anything someone couldn't be successful at if they excelled in this curriculum. Plus, you might actually learn something.

http://www.sjc.edu/academics/undergraduate/features/

Angry Willy wrote:

Uhh, no. I would prefer to remain gainfully employed.

The Great Books wrote:

I think this is truly awesome. It's hard to think of anything someone couldn't be successful at if they excelled in this curriculum. Plus, you might actually learn something.

http://www.sjc.edu/academics/undergraduate/features/

And what do you do that having taking this curriculum would have prevented you from doing well?

Lenny Leonard wrote:

Why not just but the Harvard Classics and teach yourself.

Or better yet join a library.

Angry Willy wrote:

Uhh, no. I would prefer to remain gainfully employed.

The Great Books wrote:

I think this is truly awesome. It's hard to think of anything someone couldn't be successful at if they excelled in this curriculum. Plus, you might actually learn something.

http://www.sjc.edu/academics/undergraduate/features/

Here is what happens to graduates of St. John's. They get regular jobs, like you and me.

They teach Ancient Greek, at a time when almost no Americans can understand Mandarin or Arabic. Seems downright precious and silly.

I grew up in that area and got to know many "Johnies". St John's students are very different, almost vulnerable and have a tough time fitting in sometimes. Many are wealthy and don't have to worry about jobs after school. One kid for example graduated and was "practicing" for a year on how to be a volunteer firemen. Really ?? Not all are like that but many had similar stories.

Pulls pants up to chest wrote:

I grew up in that area and got to know many "Johnies". St John's students are very different, almost vulnerable and have a tough time fitting in sometimes. Many are wealthy and don't have to worry about jobs after school. One kid for example graduated and was "practicing" for a year on how to be a volunteer firemen. Really ?? Not all are like that but many had similar stories.

Fitting into what? A bunch of kids who like to spend half their day on facebook and watching stupid crap like TMZ?

I'm more interested in the curriculum, anyway.

Dude it is obvious that you have a hard on for St. John's - go already, and STFU!

A liberal education is bullshit. All a liberal education is is vocational training to sit at a desk in front of a computer screen for long periods of time without getting bored.

I have a phd in engineering and personally hated how during undergrad I had to take lib ed courses that just took away from the time that I could have spent becoming a better engineer.

Just go there if you my little sweetness. You asked about the place and I know dozens of people that went there. If you are from a rich family and don't have to work life might be ok. If you have to work for a living and pay for school you'll spend the rest of your life paying for school.

If I could do it over again, it would be a resounding yes!

That is a great classical curriculum.

No. I studied Engineering.

Take a look at this chart of Median Lifetime Earnings by major, and see if you can figure out why I'm glad I did that.

http://www.hamiltonproject.org/files/downloads_and_links/MajorDecisions-Figure_2a.pdf

Today, even the prestigious colleges that pride themselves on their traditional liberal arts curriculums don't offer as thorough of an education in the classics as the one offered by that school. Back in the day, classics majors were required to read/write fluently in Latin and Greek in addition to broad exposure to literature/art/music/philosophy/history. My parents were classics majors at ivy league schools and both were accomplished in their chosen careers. FWIW- They did not suffer from want of money later in life, either.

Traditional liberal education is just a sad artifact of older times, when rich folks just wanted to make sure their kids sounded smart at dinner parties. It's too focused on Greeks, it's outdated (a whole class on Freud?), and it misses huge swathes of the world. It's not broad at all; it's actually very narrow.

I think you'd do better taking a more concentrated approach studying whatever it is you want to do, then using the electives to "broaden" yourself. I was an engineer, but still had time to take 32 credits of things that interested me.