College Kids turning to Prostitution to pay off college bills?

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YukonGlocker

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I wanted to hug my professors that did that. I almost wonder if they pay profs who use the current edition textbook. It's ridiculous. I bought a 9th (or whatever it was) edition textbook for calc, only to find out they were going to use the "enhanced" 9th edition - the difference was about 10-15 extra homework problems at each section, and full color vs 2-color. The extra problems I think were thrown in by the publisher to change page numbers, which made it near impossible to use the older (much cheaper) book. I was not thrilled. Another time I bought a current edition physics book ($300), dropped the class and re-enrolled the next semester to find there was a new edition. Another $300. For one class! Screw that!
No, profs don't get paid for it. For the most part, it's simply the traditional, accepted way. In short, profs are persuaded to use the new edition because (a) they typically do update the content--at least some--to be in line with more-current findings on that content (b) they get new test banks, and (c) they get new powerpoints. In 2011, my pedagogy was based on (a) all online, open-access learning materials, (b) creation of novel test questions every semester--for lots of reasons, and (c) no powerpoints. Although university administrators, fellow profs, and many involved parties told me it would fail and be unsustainable, it's actually been a huge success (at all levels). There is still a lot of push back against this approach, but to date not one person has been able to argue against the data I have that evidences the overwhelming success of the approach.
 

RETOKSQUID

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I use all online, open-access materials in all my courses; and my students love it. Textbooks for profit is a dinosaur model (but still fighting against extinction).
It would be awesome if more did this. I know of a few that do, however, in most of my classes it was not an option, even had a few professors teaching classes with books they wrote.
 
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Glocktogo

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Personnel Financial Literacy, 7-12 grade is a mandatory subject required to graduate in the state of Oklahoma.
Then either the course content sucks, or the students don't actually have to do that well because if they did, they would do a LOT better making financial decisions! LOL
 

Pokinfun

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Then either the course content sucks, or the students don't actually have to do that well because if they did, they would do a LOT better making financial decisions! LOL
we use a Dave Ramsey curriculum. The problem is their parents never teach them about finance. Money management is a value, we can teach a set of skills, but we cannot teach values.
 

MacFromOK

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Reminds me of the old joke where a rich guy asked a pretty young girl if she'd sleep with him for a million dollars.

She replied with a giggle, "Well, yes I would."

He then asked her if she'd sleep with him for ten dollars.

Angrily, she replied, "Of course not! What kind of a girl do you think I am?"

He answered, "We've already established that, we're just haggling over the price."

Morals: You either have 'em or ya don't. ;)
 

tRidiot

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No offense here and please don't take any.

100k for an art degree is absolutely insane and I can see why people can't pay loans back on that. I know a ton of people getting degrees in stupid things like art, political science, liberal arts etc and they are stuck with huge loans and dead end Jobs because there is nothing out there for them. I guess you can lump me into that generation but i have learned a skill and do well with it, sure a degree could help me in the future but for now I'm doing good. I see people I graduated high school with who either are still In school (ten years later) or got a degree and are still working at crest/BestBuy/Office Depot, it's because they didn't choose a marketable skill. I would hope schools would tell people that there's no need for 200+ art majors a year but safely they don't care because they got their money.

I agree, and there is no way I would recommend this for most people. However, our situation is a little different - coming from outside of the country, you're at the mercy of the institution for costs. any other options in developed countries (i.e., England, EU, etc.) are just as bad if not worse. Since we paid cash for everything, she has no debt, so that is the only way she could manage it. She now has a productive job making decent money for a new college grad.

She is also contributing to a future scholarship fund for other members of the family as part of the agreement. This is intended as an ongoing, rolling fund to help the family out. There are MULTIPLE other nieces and nephews who will be coming in the next 5 years or so. <sigh>

As for me and my own student loans, I only WISH I could look at being paid off in 10 years. <sigh> I'll be continually paying my loans probably until retirement, and maybe until death. :(

<edit> I had one doc in one of the classes I was teaching who said he was 40 before his net worth reached ZERO. I laughed.... mine won't hit that point until at LEAST 50, probably longer. :(
 

NikatKimber

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No, profs don't get paid for it. For the most part, it's simply the traditional, accepted way. In short, profs are persuaded to use the new edition because (a) they typically do update the content--at least some--to be in line with more-current findings on that content (b) they get new test banks, and (c) they get new powerpoints. In 2011, my pedagogy was based on (a) all online, open-access learning materials, (b) creation of novel test questions every semester--for lots of reasons, and (c) no powerpoints. Although university administrators, fellow profs, and many involved parties told me it would fail and be unsustainable, it's actually been a huge success (at all levels). There is still a lot of push back against this approach, but to date not one person has been able to argue against the data I have that evidences the overwhelming success of the approach.

That was tongue-in-cheek. Mostly. :)

The content of Calc, Chem, and Physics at the gen-ed level don't get updated, much less every 2-3 years that the "new and improved" editions would suggest. Maybe new teaching methods, but not content.

@Pokinfun: if the textbook proceeds go to the school, then they need to make that cost included and flat. My engineering textbooks were WAY more expensive on average than my business and art school friends' books were.
 

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