What is the purpose of a college degree? To many, the completion of a degree is a key to open the door to a world of possibilities. Many years ago a college degree was something held in high esteem; it served as documentation of a commitment to higher learning. It served as a badge of honor for those who had persevered through rigorous academia in their pursuit of individual enlightenment. For many during this time, the college degree was a novelty; many would fulfill their lives without a college degree. The fundamental purpose of a college degree was reserved for doctors, lawyers, and other higher calling professions. Today the college degree signifies something different, something somehow lessened. While at its’ surface a degree shows a commitment to higher education it has become watered down. Too many individuals, lured by promises of higher pay and better jobs, a slogan for many for-profit higher learning institutions, seek out a degree. It is only assumed that a graduating high school senior is planning to move into a post-secondary level of education. Sadly, the majority of graduating seniors are either not prepared or not suited for college life. The pressure of family and society are often great so they comply and enter into college, unsure, unaware of what they really want to do. My …show more content…
I had developed no commitment to a degree; it was not something I needed. I was employed and making decent wages, completing a college degree was the furthest thing from my mind. Fast-forward 12 years; Today, I work at a job that has no real future. It pays the bills, for the most part, and can be enjoyable at times. However, I have been blatantly told that without a college degree I may go no farther. A twinge in my ego and my wallet occurred simultaneously. A gigantic hurdle has now been laid in my path, either stay in a dead-end position, change fields, or go back to
The article, The Value of Higher Education Made Literal by scholar Stanley Fish focuses on sharing his opinion of higher education and what it has become in recent years. Mr. Fish’s argument is essentially over the “logic of privatization” where students are pictured as “investors” or “consumers” in courses of study that maximize successful employment outcomes. He also believes arts, humanities, and social sciences are overlooked while study courses in science, technology, and clinical medicine are prioritized. Fish also strongly believes the value of higher education has changed due to the desires of students over time, desires of becoming extremely financially secure enough to buy more than needed to justify years of money and hard work applied when in school.
Based on Three Reasons College Still Matters, there are three main reasons why a college education is so important. From an economical standpoint, an education is most of the time needed to earn enough money to live comfortably. Attending and completing college provides a possibility for future economic stability. Within a highly competitive workforce a college degree can put a foot in the door to a job of a person’s choice. Statistics show that people who obtain a bachelor’s degree or higher get paid more than those who do not obtain one. Many question the worth of a college degree because of how expensive it is, though some say that the money spent is an investment on a person’s future. One can say that the worth of a college education is within the eye of the beholder. Many q...
College is the place where people go to retain the necessary training for a job that requires specific skills, which results in earning a higher pay check. In today’s world, employers are scouting out for individuals with the proper dexterities to fill the shoes for that specific job. Blanche D. Blank, the author of “A Question of Degree," argues that possessing a degree of higher education isn’t the only way to have a very successful life. This statement is highly argumentative, due to the fact that college graduates still out-earn people without degrees. Obtaining a college degree is one of the best things someone can do for themselves, when it comes to looking for a stable job. There is also so much more to college than just receiving a
For those who wish to have children in the future, imagine putting ten dollars a week aside from now until they turned eighteen. That money would hardly accumulate up to even a portion of the costs for just a single year of higher education. In the article, “America’s Most Overrated Product: The Bachelor’s Degree”, an essay from the Chronicle of Higher Education in 2008, author Marty Nemko discusses all aspects that should be considered before pursuing a serious interest in educational institutions. Being a current student at a four-year institution it concerns me for not only myself but also fellow peers if we are making the right decision. The costs of higher education are increasing drastically along with the amount of Americans in debt from student loans. The value of a bachelor degree is declining and students are faced with the question, do the benefits of a collegiate education out weigh the costs?
Studying a university degree is one of the biggest achievements of many individuals around the world. But, according to Mark Edmunson, a diploma in America does not mean necessarily studying and working hard. Getting a diploma in the United States implies managing with external factors that go in the opposite direction with the real purpose of education. The welcome speech that most of us listen to when we started college, is the initial prank used by the author to state the American education system is not converging in a well-shaped society. Relating events in a sarcastic way is the tone that the author uses to explain many of his arguments. Mark Edmunson uses emotional appeals to deliver an essay to the people that have attended College any time in their life or those who have been involved with the American education system.
“Many institutions have begun to use hard-sell, Madison-Avenue techniques to attract students. They sell college like soap, promoting features they think students want” (Bird 372). This is a strong statement to use because it seems like some kind of item of need in everyday life for young adults. Colleges have gotten to the point where they have become so much like a business that they feel the need to satisfy the customer on what they are selling so they include all sorts of programs and curricular activities that could please the new students. Not only does it seem as if they are being pressured into attending college by their high school counselors and parents but also by their own classmates as most of them are going so many don’t want to feel out of place and they attend anyways. Due to society make it seem as if college is a necessity people feel the need to attend but also as if it is just a way to “temporarily get them out of the way…” (Bird 374) Today even some sociologist believe that college has become an institution so people just accept it without question. That’s wrong because people make it seem as if you won’t get far in life if you don’t have or get a college degree. But that shouldn’t be the case because in the past many jobs were done by people
In 2012, the rate of graduation stays low as the rate of attendance goes up at community colleges. People say that they go to college to get a better education and to have more opportunities, but we all know in the long run it’s so they can make more money. In order to learn you must be willing to work hard, Confucius once said, “You cannot open a book without learning.” I believe that this is true because at some point you have to read something about what you are working on. In 2014 of 2.9 million high school students who graduated, 2.0 million of them went on to college to get a higher level of education. In addition to the promise of a higher salary, college offers a myriad of benefits to students who participate in the academia experience.
Many Americans today tend to believe that a college education is valuable financially, yet some others strongly oppose this, since they look at the college education as being both time and money consuming. A person who successfully completes a college education may obtain one or all of the following; an associate’s degree after two years, a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or a PhD. The institutions that provide the college education can be public or private. Whereas a college education might be seen as being very expensive, it actually increases people’s chances of getting higher paying jobs, instills knowledge into them, and raises their enjoyment levels.
Having a college degree in today’s world is very important because more companies and businesses are requiring that anyone they hire has at least a two-year college degree, which is also known as an Associate 's degree. High school graduates and other people who have had thoughts about going to college should do so because it is getting harder for just a high school graduate to get a job, this is a result of hiring companies and businesses don’t want anyone without a college degree. Having a college degree will open more opportunities for the future. By doing so they further their lives and create a future that they want.
Colleges and Universities, in a way, are businesses selling financial stable futures. There are many futures to buy, some a little more expensive than others, but in all, with a college degree, individuals have the chance and opportunity to achieve certain success.
To begin with college used to be known as a sacred place where knowledge was sought out and pursued. Now it has become the norm. Therefore one may think, what’s wrong college becoming the norm? Isn’t that a good thing? However, what most people are blind being that the quality of education has changed dramatically. Author Caroline bird mentions in her narrative
Is a four-year degree all it 's cracked up to be? Are colleges still a relevant cornerstone of our society? Are vocational schools the future of education? In his college hit-piece "Are Too Many People Going to College?", author Charles Murray attempts to persuade the reader that in fact the current educational system is outdated and becoming obsolete, that colleges are becoming irrelevant to society, and that vocational schools offer a better value for most students. In his examples, Murray overlooks the great variants of interests held by individuals, and diminishes the benefits colleges have to offer students. Murray 's lack of consideration for the human experience aspect of higher education calls into question the validity of his assertions.
“Is College Worth it? Clearly, New Data Says” by David Leonhardt, “The Value of a College Degree” by Emily Hanford, “New study shows the value of a college education” by Hope Yen, and “Is College Worth It Anymore” by Kristen Sturt, all primarily discuss the advantages of a college education and its true value. In the United States, the student debt is over $1.2 trillion dollars. It is the second largest cause of debt following mortgage debt. When the media spends so much time talking about the limitations of a college education, they are discouraging some students from attending college. Regardless of all the debt, attending college and attaining a higher education is the best decision a student pursuing a bright future, could make today.
Why is it important to achieve a college degree, certificate or diploma? Generally speaking, what is the importance of having a college education? This is a question that I have been debating and fighting with myself for the past five years. Is it because with a college education a person can get a better job, earn more money and ensure himself of a better life? Or is the whole concept of college a fraud and a scam to manipulate individuals in feeling inferior without it? In this paper, I am going to enlighten you of the pros and cons of having a valid college education and what it means to me.
College education essentially is the key to success in the future. It opens many doors of opportunity and allows us to explore every option available. College education can provide a student with new exciting opportunities that they would never had if they drop out of at high school. I would like to share some of the benefits that furthering your education can provide, and as well as the joy it can bring to each and every one of us.