I have a BSc from the University of Victoria. I also have a Law Degree from UBC. Both programs were....inconsistent.
Major issues were that some classes were totally useless. I literally had classes in science where the final exam consisted of a dozen diagrams from the text book and the entire test was to fill in the terms. You got half marks for spelling the names of biochemical compounds wrong by 1 letter. Zero marks if you were 2 or more letters off. I instantly forgot all the information as soon as the test was over.
This was 100% a test of your memory and spelling abilities, and barely tested scientific aptitude. Overall I would say that about 30% of what I learned and did in undergrad and at law school was useful, with the rest being filler. A major issue was that many profs were either not involved at all or too personally involved and focused on their own ego and politics.
Another major issue with my post-university career was that I did not have enough writing experience. I had taken many English courses. However, they were all more focused on the subject matter and politics of the courses than the actual instruction in writing.
As for the cost and ability to choose your own courses, Canada is relatively unique in their approach. Most countries either offer little funding or have centralized control of subject matter. For example, the USA is largely private and students must pay considerably more for post-secondary education in Canada. In Sweden and Germany, post-secondary education is free, but strictly controlled by the government. The government strictly limits the number of students in each field, with the total enrolment being based on the country's labour needs.
As for the personal development aspect, do you really need an entire degree in a useless field to achieve that? Wouldn't a directed degree with a few electives sprinkled in achieve the same thing?
|