<p>Sometimes I have the impression that the people at my college (not an elite college by any means, but still comparable to American R1 schools) attend college and many (though not all) seem to be credential-driven and, at the same time, being more or less disengaged in the educational process. </p>
<p>Perhaps physics and pure mathematics have been spared the problem of student disengagement but I heard many people around me that aren’t physics or mathematics majors saying that, if they could pay the tuition and get a diploma without having to take a single course, they would do so, albeit with varying degrees of reservation.</p>
<p>^^Wow, lazy college students looking to do the minimum and wishing they could get by with even less? I’m sure that’s never happened before.</p>
<p>Actually, it’s nothing new. I bet you could find mention of similar student laziness as far back as the writings from ancient Rome.</p>
<p>For those kids who are serious about just paying their money and getting a degree with no work at all there are plenty of options. You can find dozens of diploma mills advertised in the backs of magazines - usually with a pitch about giving you college credit for your “life experiences.”</p>
<p>Of course those diploma mills are totally disreputable among employers and and other real schools. And if today’s real colleges started doing doing the same, as the students say that they wish, their degrees would soon be just as worthless as those from the bogus schools.</p>
<p>I think it’s a non-issue. As coureur says it’s as old as time. There will always as many people that put the minimal amount of effort into a task as there are people who put in more effort than needed. And there’s a microcosm of people who simply love learning. You’ll find all kinds in all colleges.</p>
<p>Some people do both. I know a guy that was a complete slacker through most of undergrad and then found something that he really loved and did fabulously well in graduate school.</p>