Dr. Taylor Swift

[collegecareerstudent]

I have no doubt she legitimately wants it, it's a nice honorarium under one's belt. but to use a joke about Sheeran as evidence that she thinks it's real academic degree isn't really fair. I guess "no one" wasn't accurate to say, especially considering her young fanbase, but IN GENERAL, adults and people in general, and certainly someone at the level of Taylor Swift, know what an honorary degree is.

I agree that the general idea of honorary degrees is a bit silly, but as has been pointed out, they're a huge fundraising effort for schools and schools are certainly not going to give that up anytime soon.

Let me be clear- I never said that I think she thinks it's evidence of a real "academic degree"- I think she thinks of it as evidence of a real "degree" "someway, somehow" (please re-read what I wrote. I used the term legitimate. I never used the term academic) as she has stated in Marie Claire and to ABC News she desired. It's also not been uncommon for people who obtained honorary doctorates or even purchased them from diploma mills to refer to themselves as doctor or attempt to use them in an academic context. I doubt she will be doing that, but other individuals attempting it sours my perception of honorary degrees in general- especially honorary doctorates.

It's not the joke about Sheeran alone. It's the joke about Sheeran combined with the multiple interviews of her wanting a college degree "someway, somehow" at the top of her bucket list that leads me to believe that perhaps the honorary doctorate fills an unmet desire for herself. While I'm happy for her and a massive fan, I hope this doesn't dissuade her from going back to school at some point and getting a legitimate degree. I think that'd be an even greater message.

I agree with everything else you said.