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I Know It Doesn't

This isn't just because I have one. This is because of the vast amount of people that rely mainly on stereotypes and only care about the socioeconomic potential of a particular degree. And it gets even worse with the job title that often come with the degree, such as Engineer for example. Someone with that title is automatically "seen" as super intelligent people that do work that requires rocket science. However, when I was studying, I've met many aerospace and mechanical engineers that were nowhere near as sharp as some of the physics majors I know and I even help write their FORTRAN programming assignments, which I didn't even know myself at the time. BUT, because engineers often make the big bucks, they "must be" rocket If they were rocket scientists/geniuses, they were that way before entering college. They had the temperament, the IQ, the analytical reasoning, and even the diagnostic reasoning; in short, they had those strengths that work very well with their discipline BEFORE getting the degree. However, and interestingly enough, not everyone having the degree possess the strengths/traits that is often desired by the field that degree is in.

I guess to make this short: Just because a physicist can compute the exact trajectory of an object off the top of his/her head, it does not mean he/she is a great basketball player. And vice versa, just because a basketball player can shoot a perfect three almost every time, it does not mean he/she is excellent in physics! *smh*

Of course, this story is on the Bachelor Degree level. I do however perceive one as being intelligent if he/she has a PhD. 
Tummie Tummie 26-30, M 1 Response May 7, 2012

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I think the way it works is that the college experience makes you more aware of the world and more open to new ideas; it kind of expands your mind in a sometimes inexplicable way. That is its value. Then once your mind is open, all sorts of ideas get in there that challenge your parochial way of seeing things. <br />
The degree means nothing if that metamorphosis does not occur. But if it does--your whole perspective on life has probably changed in the process. That is cool--and valuable beyond words. That's what I think anyway. The experience changed my life.

too bad I can only like the comment once