Going to college has become a staple in American society. College helps students achieve greater job opportunities, increased salaries, and an awe-inspiring sense of independence. College has even been called “an economic imperative” (Owen and Sawhill 208). In “Colleges Prepare People for Life” by Freeman Hrabowski, Hrabowski argues that college not only prepares students for jobs, but more importantly prepares students for their upcoming journey through life. Hrabowski’s purpose for writing this argument is to dismiss the views of people who believe that college is not worth their time due to expenses, debt, and the fact that students will not be prepared for the outside world. He argues that students who earn a college level degree are more …show more content…
likely to become employed after school and will earn higher salaries than those who only receive a high school diploma. Hrabowski also points out that more time should be spent in providing students with the proper guidance in finding a college suitable for them.
It should be a joint effort between higher education systems and school educators to inform the next generation of students on their available options for education; picking the right college is imperative for a student’s success. Noticeably, the primary goal of a university is to help students become educated. However, though academics is the way most colleges educate students, a lot of what a student can learn happens beyond the reading of a textbook. In conclusion, Hrabowski’s argument revolves around the view that college is an imperative tool for the preparation of life. Hrabowski makes a valid claim. In response to this argument, college not only prepares students for life, but more specifically college helps lead students to self-discovery and independence, a greater sense of time management, and improved communication …show more content…
skills. Not only does college prepare people for life but more specifically college prepares people for the “real world”. “Welcome to the real world” is one of the most common ways people have heard of this term and have heard their parents, boss, or even friends say this expression to them. The “real world” can be described as the place you enter after college that is full of opportunities, achievements, disappointments, and responsibilities. To conquer this so called “real world” one can take the lessons he/she learned from college and apply these lessons to the numerous amount of challenges faced after obtaining a college degree. For example, some of these challenges could include finding a job, work experience, and financial burdens. With any significant transition obstacles may come about. However, when one attends college, “At stake isn’t just a clearer path to financial stability, but the path to limitless opportunities” (Hrabowski 261). First, college aids in the teaching of independence and self-discovery.
After approximately eighteen years of living under his/her parents roof, an aspiring college graduate is sent off to explore the state of independence in their own college dorm room. He/she is faced with the tasks of doing their own laundry, waking up on time for classes, and obtaining a job, all while trying to make good grades. Independence is an essential value to learn while attending college. When becoming independent, one no longer has to rely on others and has the opportunity to think for themselves. When not having to rely on others one can support themselves and handle situations on their own. The ability to be independent is a skill that every person possesses, but it is up to them to employ this skill into their life. College is the time to seriously contemplate about one’s future, and with this careful consideration comes the freedom to do things one’s way. In addition, college leads students to self-discovery. During the four years of struggling to turn papers in by their deadline, sleep deprivation, and a constant battle of trying to figure out what one wants to do with their future, a four-year long trip of self-discovery took place. This idea is supported by Liz Addison, the author of “Two Years Are Better than Four”. Referring to a “Mr. Perlstein” Addison says, “Yes, it is here that Mr. Perlstein will find his college years of self-discovery, and it is here he will find that college
does till matter” (258). College can open one’s senses to a kaleidoscope of new experiences and images one probably never would have come across elsewhere.
Many kids beginning the college - decision process may be feeling lost at first, and ”By telling all young people that they should go to college no matter what, we are actually doing some of them a disservice.”(Owen and Sawhill 209) For a seventeen/eighteen year old, going to college is arguably the biggest decision that they have had to make in their life thus far, and having the facts that Owen and Sawhill produce can be invaluable to the decision-making process. It is clear that the purpose of their essay is to better inform these young adults and guide them on their journey that is life after high school. The primary claim that Owen and Sawhill attempt to drive in using rhetorical appeals is that on average, having a college degree will lead to a higher income than not having one; however, it is not universally
American’s education system has been entering crisis mode for a long time. Throughout the past few years, the overwhelming question “Is college needed or worth it?” While it is an opinion, there are facts that back up each answer. Plato’s “Allegory of the Cave” mentions that the enlightened must help the unenlightened and further their knowledge. The problem with America today is that high school students are given the option of college and that makes for less enlightened people. While it is possible to learn in the work force or Army, college is a better option. Mary Daly wrote the article “Is It Still Worth Going to College?” which talks about the statistical value of attending. Michelle Adam wrote the article “Is College Worth It?” which mentions the struggle young people are going through to even get into college. Caroline Bird wrote the chapter “Where College Fails Us” in her book The Case Against College where she
It should not be a surprise that many people believe that a college degree is a necessity in today’s world. We are taught to believe this at a young age. The average citizen will not question this statement due to how competitive the job market has become, yet does graduating college guarantee more success down the road? Peter Brooks is a scholar at Princeton University and publisher of an essay that questions the value of college. He obviously agrees that college can help securing a job for the future, but questions the humanities about the education. He uses other published works, the pursuit of freedom, and draws on universal arguments that pull in the reader to assume the rest of his essay has valid reasons.
The right and privilege to higher education in today’s society teeters like the scales of justice. In reading Andrew Delbanco’s, “College: What It Was, Is, and Should Be, it is apparent that Delbanco believes that the main role of college is to accommodate that needs of all students in providing opportunities to discover individual passions and dreams while furthering and enhancing the economic strength of the nation. Additionally, Delbanco also views college as more than just a time to prepare for a job in the future but a way in which students and young adults can prepare for their future lives so they are meaningful and purposeful. Even more important is the role that college will play in helping and guiding students to learn how to accept alternate point of views and the importance that differing views play in a democratic society. With that said, the issue is not the importance that higher education plays in society, but exactly who should pay the costly price tag of higher education is a raging debate in all social classes, cultures, socioeconomic groups and races.
The experience college can give is remarkable. College is a valuable experience because individuals who attend will have a lower chance of being unemployed, will be in better health, and paying off debts will be possible! Unemployment is on the rise, always trying to be avoided. By obtaining a degree, the chance of being out of work is reduced. Baum, Ma, & Payea (2013) claim, “The 2012 unemployment rates for 25- to 34-year-olds were 9.6% for those with some college but no degree and 7.2% for those with associate degrees” (p.20).
Most people in the world thinks that a degree is required almost everywhere. In today’s society it is often thought that if people do not go to college they will not succeed. In Owen and Sawhill’s article “Should Everyone Go To College?”the author respond to people who either go to college and actually earn a degree or people who do not go to college and are actually saving money. The major reason that college is not always the idea for students and their families is the cost. “The cost of college matters as well: the more someone has to pay to attend, the lower the net benefit of attending.” (Owen and Sawhill, 2013, p. 2 ). Although the authors mention the benefits of attending college, they argue that college is only beneficial under certain
“Why College is Still Worth It Even Though It Cost Too Much.” Money.com (2015): N.PAG. MasterFILE Complete. Web. 11 Oct. 2016 The author of this paper address that a lot of college students feel like the time, money, and effort is not worth it; However, studies show that it does pay off by receiving higher pay, better work hours, and better benefits, such as insurance plans. A poll was done using college alumni to see if they thought that college paid off, and of the 30,000 that were in the poll a majority of them agreed that it did. Also, the writer includes several other polls conducted to show the life-long impacts of a college education, which includes better career and friendship
In recent years, many have debated whether or not a college education is a necessary requirement to succeed in the field of a persons’ choice and become an outstanding person in society. On one hand, some say college is very important because one must contribute to society. The essay Three Reasons College Still Matters by Andrew Delbanco shows three main reasons that students should receive their bachelor’s degree. On the other hand, many question the point of wasting millions of dollars on four years or maybe more to fight for highly competitive jobs that one might not get. Louis Menand wrote an article based on education titled Re-Imagining Liberal Education. This article challenges the main thought many americans have after receiving a secondary education. Louis Menand better illustrates the reasons why a student should rethink receiving a post secondary education better than Andrew Delbanco’s three reasons to continue a person’s education.
How imperative is it that one pursues a traditional college experience? Although it might appear that Charles Murray and Liz Addison are in agreement that the traditional college experience is not necessary for everyone, Addison provides a more convincing argument that higher education is necessary in some form. This is seen through Addison’s arguments that college is essential to growing up, that education is proportional to the life one lives, and that community college reinvents the traditional college experience. Not only does Addison have her own opinions about college, but Murray does as well.
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.
In "Colleges Prepare People For Life," Freeman Hrabowski counter argues a New York Times picture stating that "college is for suckers" (259). Hrabowski replies by saying "College graduates aren't suckers, they're the winners in a globally competitive economy" (259). He highlights the importance of a college education in a rapidly growing economy. He also includes other values gained from a college experience, including preparation for a career, increased openness to diversity, and a skillset necessary to be successful in all aspects of life (259-260). These values correspond with what some of the graduates who experienced college firsthand stated in the NPR interview titled "The Value of a College Education." Alejandra Gonzalez, a University
In Caroline Bird’s “College is A Waste of Time and Money”, it’s argued that there are many college students who would be better off if they were to begin working after high school graduation. Colleges and universities can no longer ensure that one will go on to get a better job, getting paid more than they would have without a higher education. However, high school seniors still stress about where they will be attending college, how they’re going to pay for it and what they’re going to study for the next four years. Bird points out how college has changed over the past few decades and how, in turn, it has set many young adults up for disappointment, if nothing else.
In Freeman Hrabowskis 2013 article, “College Prepares People for Life” in The Baltimore Sun, he discusses how nowadays college students have a lack of the definition of what it means to be educated and that students need to find a better fit for the school they would like to attend. Hrabowski suggests that colleges redefine education and that they be more transparent with what they offer so that students are fully aware of the available resources that shall set them up for their career goals. Hrabowski suggests that in order to be educated we must “contribute to the public good.” (260) What he means by this is that we must be worldly human beings and take as much experience as we can get. Furthermore, Hrabowski proposes, “call on higher
A typical student on average goes to school starting from kindergarten to high school. After, students decide whether to seek a higher education in college or start working. For most people, the key to education is to equip young adults with the ability to survive and to make a standard living in the future. In this essay, I will not only argue why it is unnecessary for young adults to pursue higher education, such as college and beyond, but also that obtaining a college degree is irrelevant. The first reason why I strongly believe in this, is that even though students earn a college degree, there isn’t a guaranteed position for a set job. Second, some jobs that students are employed at don’t require a college degree. Third, after finishing college, students need to pay off the debt that could follow them for years because interest rates and tuition costs are at an all time high. Finally, attending a four year college doesn’t necessarily mean they will receive higher salaries than a non-graduate.
By attending college, students guarantees themselves a better job that the average Joe. Because the world is changing rapidly, and many jobs rely on new technology, more jobs require education beyond high school. With a college education, an individual will have more jobs from which to choose. In addition to obtaining a better job, people who go to college usually earn more money than those who do not. College furnishes you with proper credentials and documents to land high-level jobs. Figures from an A&E television program on ‘The Working Class’ show that in 2004 the average earnings were $23,895 for a high school graduate and $41,478 for individuals with a bachelor’s degree. Getting a college education is simply a stepping stone in ensuring yourself with a good start in life. Some may agree that college students are open minded and knows exactly how to expre...