I believe that this irrational social structure is one of the major factors behind South Korea’s persistently high suicide rate, which has long remained among the highest in the OECD

In South Korea, one’s undergraduate institution is often treated as a kind of social pedigree.
The name of a university is not regarded merely as information about where someone studied. Rather, it tends to function as a broad indicator from which people infer a person’s academic performance at the time of university entrance, family background, social network, and individual ability. An OECD report has also noted that, in South Korea, people are ranked for long periods according to the prestige of the university they attended, and that educational achievement is closely connected not only to employment opportunities but also to social status and marriage prospects.
What is particularly revealing is that many Koreans mock those who attend a more prestigious university for graduate school than they did for their undergraduate studies, describing it as “academic credential laundering.” In other words, they tend to fix a person’s social status according to the first university that person entered, as though one’s undergraduate institution permanently determined one’s worth.
I believe that this irrational social structure is one of the major factors behind South Korea’s persistently high suicide rate, which has long remained among the highest in the OECD.

Submitted August 6, 2026 at 10:40AM by FactStrong3204 https://ift.tt/2fEVoBc

Why should students have to pay extra just to access education

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Education is often described as the foundation of a nation's future, yet students continue to face additional financial burdns beyond their tuition fees.

In many colleges and universities, students are required to pay separate exam fees, and these charges are not always clearly disclosed at the time of admission. If the examination centre is far from the college, students often have to arrange and pay for their own travel. Even when a college provides transport, an additional bus fee may be charged.

On top of this, many students also have to pay convenience fees or payment gateway charges simply to make mandatory payments such as admission fees, tuition fees, or exam fees.

Education should not become a source of hidden or avoidable costs. Colleges and universities should be transparent about every fee they charge, and students should not be required to pay convenience or transaction charges for making compulsory education-related payments.

No convenience fee or transaction charge should be levied on students for paying admission fee, tuition fees, exam fees, or any other mandatory educational charges.

Submitted August 6, 2026 at 09:36AM by hsgmoon https://ift.tt/SuBQFmH

Virginia school board repeatedly changed rules to block an LGBTQ+ student club. Now families and the ACLU have filed a federal lawsuit against King George County

Crazy story here - Students and their families are suing a rural Virginia school district after officials allegedly changed club policies several times after conservative outrage on a local Facebook group, to prevent a gay-straight alliance from forming at King George Middle School. (The comments on a post about this story do NOT pass the vibe check at all in that group.)

The lawsuit says the district continued allowing groups including yearbook, robotics, an outdoor club where kids learned to skin squirrels, and the Fellowship of Christian Athletes while telling students they could create a similar club only if they removed explicit references to LGBTQ+ people.

The families argue that the district violated the First Amendment and the federal Equal Access Act by discriminating against the students’ viewpoint.

Submitted August 6, 2026 at 09:20AM by Fickle-Ad5449 https://ift.tt/IR3mv6p

What is the point of university?

I am working at the moment doing my bsc in information technology as well on the weekends.

I honestly don't understand whats the point of a bsc is.

Modules in it are all self learnable and literally what we study irl.

I used almost all the tools and theories explained in the courses either self learned or at work, so there's no new logic behind it either.

I have no idea what's the use of a desertation. I'm doing it for the sake of doing it for a really dumb topic as well. No one's gonna read it, lecturer ain't gonna read it completely so what's really the point.

Submitted August 5, 2026 at 11:40PM by RadiantSkiesJoy https://ift.tt/8CBVMjz

I built a financial literacy course for teens—looking for honest testers

Hi everyone! I recently finished building Next Dollar, a 90-minute financial literacy course designed primarily for teens preparing to leave home.

It covers paychecks, banking, budgeting, credit, loans, education costs, moving out, and investing, and includes interactive simulations throughout.

I’m looking for a small number of people willing to complete it for free and give honest feedback on the content, clarity, and overall experience. You do not have to be a teen—parents, educators, and other adults are welcome too.

Please comment or message me if you’re interested, and I’ll send you a free access code.

Full disclosure: this is a course I created and normally sell, but access is completely free for testers.

Submitted August 4, 2026 at 11:53AM by RilesTheSmiles1 https://ift.tt/9iCJBw4

Does anyone else wish they were held back or placed in special ed

i went to a charter school that we couldn’t afford because my mom insisted. i struggled heavily in elementary school with mathematics and socialization, the teacher was openly wondering if I should be held back because I excelled everywhere else and ultimately I wasn’t. I wish I were held back.

in middle school I contributed to struggle with both subjects far more than the average student. and during middle school I experienced a severe death in the family and was in a disruptive unstable home. I should have been held back or placed into special ed.

instead i Wasn’t and just kept being pushed through. I eventually improved grade wise at math but I was never quite alright mentally or academically.

looking back I desperately wish I had been in public school instead and had been held back and placed in special ed. I desperately needed it. It would have been noticeably easier financially. I could have actually gotten help And career guidance. The charter school offered minimal classes and no practical life skill classes at all. I had very poor advising during college applications as well

i know it’s absurd but I wish things could have been different

Submitted August 3, 2026 at 09:44AM by NormalerSchooler https://ift.tt/OYXEwS6

Advice Educators Give to Students Regarding Their Future Given AI Advancements

I informally surveyed 100 university professors on what advice they give students about their future given the advancements in AI.

The first takeaway is that the answers were more generally advice about using AI rather than the impact of their future because of AI. Tsk, tsk. My lesson learned is about asking a question more clearly to get the results I’m looking for.

Still, I synthesized the answers into three sections: The consensus viewpoints, interesting minority viewpoints, and controversial opinions.

If you are interested in the source responses, feel free to DM me and I can share them.

Here are the results synthesized with an AI tool:

Preparing for the Future of AI

We advise students to approach artificial intelligence as a powerful, evolving tool that requires a balanced mindset. You should aim to master the technology rather than fear it, using it to handle repetitive tasks or as a scaffold for brainstorming, while fiercely protecting the core human skills that define your unique value.

Consensus Viewpoints

• Prioritize Critical Thinking: The most consistent theme is that AI must never replace human thought. You must learn the fundamentals of your field independently to ensure you can verify AI outputs, detect inaccuracies, and maintain your own intellectual integrity.
• Use as a Tool, Not a Crutch: AI is viewed as an efficiency enhancer rather than a shortcut. You are advised to use it to support your work, but to rely on your own logic, research, and creativity to produce final outputs.
• Embrace Adaptability: Rather than resisting change, you should learn to work alongside AI. The future workforce will favor those who understand how to leverage these tools strategically while maintaining the ability to pivot as the landscape shifts.

Interesting Minority Viewpoints

• The Case for Analog Learning: Some suggest stepping away from digital tools entirely for basic tasks, arguing that writing and thinking in analog forms strengthens the brain and preserves genuine creative spark.
• Strategic Trade Selection: A subset of voices advocates for pursuing trades requiring fine motor skills or high-touch human interaction, such as plumbing or nursing, as these fields are inherently more resistant to automation.
• Intentional Offloading: Some suggest being highly deliberate about what you delegate to AI, advocating that you should only use it for "grunt work" while retaining total control over your artistic voice and complex communication.

Controversial Opinions

• University vs. Trades: There is a sharp divide between those who believe a traditional education is the best way to develop flexible, high-level problem-solving skills and those who argue that university is becoming obsolete, urging students to learn manual, AI-resistant trades instead.
• Avoidance vs. Integration: While many emphasize learning to use AI to remain competitive, a vocal minority warns that even using it as a tool risks long-term dependency and suggests avoiding it entirely to prevent the erosion of fundamental human capabilities.
• The Future as Predictable vs. Uncertain: Some voices suggest that future job security can be reliably "future-proofed" by selecting specific career paths, while others argue that the rapid pace of AI makes the future entirely unpredictable, suggesting that personal passion is a safer guide than attempts to outrun automation.

Submitted August 3, 2026 at 08:10AM by epreisz https://ift.tt/eYN4vi7