Degree != Tool to Advance in Workplace (Score 1)

It's interesting that so many people view a college degree as nothing more than a career opportunity. I actually just completed my Computer Science degree at Penn State, and I can't tell you the number of times I heard people say "I'm only here so I can a degree and then get a job." I think many have lost sight of what a degree represents. It represents a desire for knowledge, to move beyond simple facts and figures and programming. I'm not saying that there is anything wrong with those who simply want to program, but a college degree should represent so much more.

When I received my degree, I did not say, "Oh, good, now I can get a job. That's all this degree is good for." To me it represented the culmination of almost four years of hard work, in which I did study Computer Science, but I also studied Latin, Jazz music, and many other topics.

Unfortunately, the mentality in college has changed, not just in computer science. The notion of "I hate going to college, but I need a degree to get a job" is growing. College is becoming more of a votech sort of education. I'm not implying that there is anything wrong with a votech education, but there are institutions that specialize in such things.

So in response to the question, no, you cannot get a college degree in a year. To do so would really be an insult to what the degree represents. It represents a dedication on one's part to learning, to expanding one's mind. And really, that can't be accomplished in one year.