CMV: You can earn a degree spending only a fraction of the time you would on a standard degree. The value of a degree is not in the knowledge you learn

I don't claim to be the first person to think of this, but you can easily earn a degree (in the US at least) by studying on your own, and only going to take the tests. In other words, just pay the institution for the degree after you've passed all of the required courses, or only pay for the classes you can't test out of.<br><br>I did this for my Political Science degree at a state university, with no prior experience in the subject, just by studying on my own, and I was able to finish my degree in 2 years. And the best part is, it only cost me around $12,000. The average price for a degree in the US can range from $20,000 to $100,000 depending on the institution and the major. <br><br>The point I'm trying to get across is that the value of a degree is not in the knowledge you learn. We live in a time where you can learn anything you want right from the comfort of your own home for free. The value of a degree is in having a piece of paper that proves to employers that you're serious about your career. Whether you've spent the last 4 years partying, or reading every book that was assigned to you, doesn't matter to them. What matters is that you have a degree. And a degree can be earned on your own, even if it takes a little more dedication. I don't see why it's considered a good thing to pay tens of thousands of dollars to sit in a lecture for 4 years when you could spend all of that money on something that actually matters to you.<br><br>**EDIT:** As I expected this post is getting removed since it's not really a change my view topic. I will message the mods for further clarification as to why this was removed.