I just read an email from a professional Software Developer concerned about the lack of challenge for current college students. His point was that students are provided easy ways to get through college and have no idea about developing technology. I will go further than that. I believer that we are completely devaluing the college degrees (even up to a PhD) by the attitude that every one should go to college. Then the colleges have downgraded their classes so that everyone passes (or at least a “curve” where most pass regardless of what they learn.) All this doers is make the degree no more than a high school diploma. After all, if everyone has one, what makes anyone special? It may be too late to change this. With the current attitude of the special “snowflakes” everyone is special and no one should be criticized. Let me remind those snowflakes that in a snowstorm, the only thing that happens is the snowflakes are shoved out of the way. Colleges either must admit that they are not preparing students for the world, or get tougher.
When I got my PhD in Computer Science and EE, I worked hard and took serious classes to accomplish that goal. As long ago as the 90’s, I knew some managers that got PhDs based on their projects that they managed. Most of these were just “Oh Yeah, that will do.” That made them higher level, but seldom very good at their jobs. I must admit that college degrees are more about the ability to learn, rather than specific knowledge. Even so, judging that ability requires some difficulty in what is learned, so making it easy doesw not say much about the ability to learn.
Many arguments can be made counter to this. In any case, I do not believe in “Participation Trophies” and that is what college is becoming.