Today I had a pretty intense constructive talk with one of my assistants on a course I totally despise. He's a really skilled guy and bright in what he does, however I see him as totally naive, thinking this environment enpowers people. It does not, instead, it humiliates and puts everyone in their lowest points.
How did we get here?
At the moment I am facing a tough semester, with some courses being totally useless, others having their place but are quickly nerfed by their totally stupid course teams. Now that I accumulated experience here, I realized that despite how ambitious I can be, I don't matter. All I am is a UUIDv7 with some arbitrary numbers, also known as grades.
There is no point in honour to begin with
Since we are all numbers, without having any human element, what is the point of trying? The courses started becoming harder to the point of having lack of common sense and sensible tutoring. Exams have become literal shit shows, where you either robotically learn an excessive amount of information without being able to understand deeply, cheat your way or just draw random stuf on the sheet if all else fails. And take this, cheating is both easier and more rewarding. Sure, you get caught and you risk retaking the course, something you'd do anyway if you didn't cheat. Who is going to judge your unethical means of passing, if all you are is a UUIDv7?
You don't get to learn anything and please, tell me someone who got a job doing this
Many people I know! Ranging from executives at big tech firms, to university professors, they publicly admitted they cheated without an ounce of remorse in their minds. The reason they climbed the ladder is because their knowledge has accumulated over time from their personal experience and passion, not a lame course recycled 15 years ago. And let's be real, who cares? You worked your ass your entire life just to get your paycheck by those guys who also earn way more than you. It really sucks being you!
Now, I do not despise people doing honest work, real talk, they're the reason society still hasn't imploded. But sometimes work isn't the same, there is a fine curb between actually delivering added value and just being exploited, being consumed like a used soda can. Just look at the massive layoffs from big tech, big software engineers who proven themselves are all at risk. Yikes! All I'm saying is that it's never wrong putting uni work in a lower position and prioritizing learning other fun stuff, that's how you differentiate from others.