Is a College Degree Worth It? In 2015 the employment rate for young adults with a bachelor degree was 89% for as the young adults who only graduate high school and do not pursue a college degree was 67%. A college degree is not useless, especially if it is going to help you achieve bigger things in life. People often ask if it is really necessary to have a college degree, but people need to look into it not just only as a degree. Earning a degree can help with better employment opportunities, meeting variety of people, and with our personal life. Job opportunities will be coming in and out of our door with a college degree. Many people can argue that as an individual we do not need a degree to have a well-paid job, all we need is luck. That has some truth to it, it is all luck, but why not be prepared with something you know is going to help your resume stand out from the others. As my parents used to tell my sister and I growing up, “never stop going to school because you do not want to be working in a working environment that you do not enjoy.” People think that they can just wal...
Imagine telling that to a student who just finished four years of hard, grueling, expensive work; or, even worse, a parent who paid for their child to finish that same grueling work. But, in some ways, that statement can’t be any further from the truth. College can prepare a student for life in so many more ways than for a career. However, in the way that college is supposed to prepare soon-to-be-productive students, that statement could be right on. As a student myself, I’ve found college to be a little bit of both. I often find myself asking, "How will this help me later in life?" But, then again, college gives me more control over my life and where I want it to go. In trying to figure out what exactly made college like this, and whether the way I felt was felt by others as well, I interviewed an Anthropology teacher at Las Positas College, Mr. Toby Coles, and I examined an essay by Caroline Bird called College is a Waste of Time and Money. The two sources offered interesting views from both side of the spectrum.
Imagine telling a student who just graduated from college that you have wasted four years of hard, stressful and even worse, expensive work. Unfortunately, in this cynical society today, the world isn’t just full of competitors, but it’s full of greedy money-grabbing businesses. The worst businesses aren’t manufacturing or electric companies, but colleges and universities. In Caroline Bird’s essay “College is a Waste of Time and Money,” she examines how college has been viewed for so long as the best place to send high school grads no matter whether they actually want to go or not. She adds that students don’t realize how much college costs and are wasting their parents time and money, which is especially a horrible thing to waste. Now that the economy is better since September 11th and states have been stabilizing their budget debts, it doesn’t make sense that tuition prices higher than ever for college students.
Contrary to popular belief, a college education can help with any job, regardless of whether the job is within a certain major or not. In fact, a college graduate even benefits if they take up a job as a plumber or a police officer- not only from their academic education, but also from learning important skills such as persistence and discipline (Leonhardt). Having a college experience and exposure to the world creates well- rounded people with higher skills and work ethics- and therefore better workers. Though they aren’t immune to being turned down, college graduates are more likely to actually get jobs, and be paid more for them, as shown in a study d...
Elementary school, middle school, high school, college―that’s how we’re told our education careers should go. After college you go on and get a job based on the degree you received. Seems simple right? According to Erik Lowe in his Seattle Times article “Keep Washington’s College Tuition Affordable,” he informs that people in his generation are the first to be less educated than their parents, in the United States. He explains that this is due to the high cost of tuition followed by a huge amount of student loan debt. Lowe believes that there needs to be a significant change in the country’s higher education systems (in reference to the tuition costs) or the decline of college attendance will continue. There needs to be a decrease of college tuition because as it currently is, many people are unable to go to college due to the cost and if they do, they are loaded with debt and faced with the daunting task of finding a job.
With tuition rising every year, students face the challenge paying the debt achieving a college degree comes with. “Student debt surpassed credit-card debt in June 2010 for the first time in history, rising to about $830 billion — or nearly 6 percent of the nation 's annual economic output”(Clemmitt, Marcia). Not everyone has a ton of money just laying around. Being that financial trouble is the biggest problem for students, they begin to question whether college is worth it or not. In recent years, students have taken out loans to help with expenses. Most students choose to attend a community and junior college to help minimize the debt. Even after graduating with a degree, students still face the struggle of finding a job in this economic time. For higher class families this may not be a problem to them. But for the middle class and low income families, they face tougher times being that they don 't have the financial help like higher class families do. For the middle class and low income families, it makes more sense attending a community and junior college rather than a four year university.
Is it necessary to have a college degree before having the opportunity to experience the dream career of your choice? Depending on what background you came from, there are different reasons why we go to college. Most of us go due to career change/job position, increase our intellect/knowledge, not to be stigmatized, playing as a role model either to our children or even someone that we care of. In his essay, “A College Education: What Is Its Purpose?” Andrew DelBanco mentioned the three reasons college still matters which are: Economic (A college degree has replaced the high school diploma as “the minimum requirement into the skilled labor market.”), Opportunity (Our democratic form of government requires an educated
First, college degree graduates have better opportunities in finding a high wage job. “Graduates enjoy increased opportunities for employment at higher rates of pay, providing them with the wherewithal to pay off debt, if they are wise stewards of that debt.” (Smith, 29) People with college degrees have higher chances of being successful in the future because employers would rather employ those who holds a college degree. However, although there are some people who did not attend college find jobs that can help satisfy and support their lives, they cannot compare the earnings of college graduates who holds a degree. My cousin, holding a Bachelor’s degree of Business Management, graduated 5 years ago from College. At first, College education can guarantee the success of her goals, but because of her persistence, she is now a successful businesswoman. She has now a full-time job that can support her family and has already built her own home. With this means, having a college degree helps a person not only achieve their own goals but also being independent. “Realistically, having a college degree will likely mean a com...
In today 's society, there are multitudes of pressure high school students face. One of the biggest pressures put on high school students is the decision of going to college. From the moment students enter into a secondary education, they are constantly asked questions about their future plans. Teachers and parents expect students to perform their best, while giving them no chance but to look towards college. In some cases, however, college might not be the answer. Other options exist as alternate avenues after high school, however, these are not as often expressed as the idea of a four year university. Although a college education and degree is most often more impactful than a high school diploma, there is too much pressure
In “Should the Obama Generation Drop Out?” Charles Murray talks about how a college degree now days, is looked at higher than it should be when it comes to meeting the qualifications for a job. Most jobs that pay over minimum wage will require you to have a college degree, making it very difficult for people that either can’t afford it or do not believe in it, to get a reliable well paying job. Like Barack Obama said “It’s what you can do that should count when you apply for a job, not where you learned to do it”(Murray 97); a large amount of people have the skills for a job but do not have the degree to show for, making them not qualified for the job. Companies will not even give you an interview if your resume does not have any type of degree on it. That situation makes life very unfair for multiple individuals. There should be some kind of certification test for applicant to take to see if he or she meets the skills needed for the job. The benefits of discarding the bachelor’s degree as a job qualification would be huge for both employers and job applicants. Therefo...
You don’t need a college degree to have a good paying job. Not attending college affects ones literacy of financial awareness, their ability to receive a job, and their ability to carry our responsibilities.
...truth. today’s job market is fiercely competitive. With unemployment at an all time high, it is near impossible for one to find a job with or without a college degree. Hundreds of layoffs and fewer openings can really make it hard on those who have just graduated and are trying to find a career. Just because you have a college education does not guarantee a job, or job security. It just makes you a better candidate.
Right now in our society a college education is no longer an option or privilege, but rather a necessity. We are practically raised and conditioned to believe that one needs higher education in order to succeed in life. There is a saying that says "if you think education is expensive, try ignorance." But as technology is constantly advancing and computers are running almost anything, is a college education really necessary? There are people whom have never set foot in a college and are doing better than people who have their master's degree. There are views from both sides that contain a valid argument.
In today’s society, the idea of receiving a college education has been pondered quite a bit as to whether or not it is actually worth it. According to Michelle Adam, many people “…today believe that getting a good education is key to success in our society, this revealed surprising issues that challenge the notion of higher education being worth its price tag” (59). Naturally, many high school graduates apply for college right before or after graduation. Others decide to go into the work force, armed forces, or simply remain unemployed. The question that many people debate about is, is a college education worth it in the long run? Though some people believe a college education will benefit ones’ career, others believe it will cause a mass of debt and loans for college students and graduates, and postpone life events.
...s comes with college being too expensive and is growing at a rate higher than inflation (Kantrowitz). There are many great jobs out there that don’t require a degree and pay good as well as on the job training. The truths many people aren’t willing to admit are getting a college degree will lead people to better careers too. People don’t need a college degree to be successful, but having an education is important, along with a desire to continue to learn, work hard, and adapt.
To find employment, the quality of jobs we get generally goes up according to how much college education we have. There are employment opportunities for individuals with and without a degree. However, with a degree, it is possible to explore more options and create a better future. While there are employment opportunities for those who do not have a college degree, earning a degree it important because it opens the door to gainful employment, allows one to negotiate benefits, and helps one remain employed.