A Certain Degree Of Purchasing Power

(I am teaching a computer programming class and one of my students is actually a professor of electronics at a technical institute. We’re commiserating after my class over trouble students. I have just finished telling my worst story of a student who did no work, yet expected to pass.)

Teacher: “I’ve got one worse than that. He was some kind of Arab prince. Others at my school would bow to him and that sort of thing.”

Me: “Yes, I know the type. I went to school with one myself.”

Teacher: “Well, to continue with the courses at my school you have to have proficiency in basic electronics.  He didn’t have any, so he took my class… six times, to pass.”

Me: “What the heck was he doing? Partying the whole time?”

Teacher: “I can only assume. But here’s the really terrible part: He had his bachelor’s degree in electronics.”

Me: “That was a degree simply purchased.”

Teacher: “Yup.”