In Tamson Pietsch “How do we value Universities?”, Pietsch points out the significance of how individuals, groups and society itself view higher education and the value which they place upon universities. The ideas Pietsch puts forwards raises the point that how higher education is valued has shifted from focusing on the social and individual value to focusing on the economic value for society and the individual. Pietsch points out that there is an obvious emphasis on the use economic terms in regards to higher education when she looks at Australian universities. Monetary terms, such as premium wage and economic investment, are the focal points used by universities in recruitment drives for students, with little focus given to the knowledge, …show more content…
But these views are shifting the focus of society and the students away from the true value of higher education.
Pietcsh highlights some valid points when it comes to how society and the individual views higher education. As a child making my way through the education system I always aspired to go to university but it was never about money. I longed for the idea further education, even when I was still in primary school, because to me it was a place where intelligent people with their ideas got together and shared. The idea of university was a place to further myself, and my understanding, and money was never the focus when I was a child. As I grew up, it was drilled into my head repeatedly that I needed to do well so I can go to university in order to get a well-paying job. The education system and media constantly portrayed higher education as the only way to be successful and to get a decent job. In order for students and society to reap the rewards of higher education, the focus needs to
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Pietsch shows how the education fees paid are an important part of the economy, emphasising why society values higher education in terms of monetary value. The education fees paid by students wanting to study at higher education level are enormous, and require a significant life changing event. This event is known as the student loan. The student loan is an interest free loan given by the government in order for those who cannot pay for higher education by themselves, a chance to study. The loan repayments are deducted out of the wages of the student after they begin earning over a set threshold. My experience with the student loan is frightening, and was the hardest decision of my life so far. Deciding to study at a university was a conflicting decision for me as I had to consider the long-term effects of the money I would I owe. Currently at this point in my life, my student loan is $35,420.23, and it is going to keep growing. This decision turned out to be easy for me as my desire to study outweighed my fears. And in the end, I just had to hold my breath and dive right in. But to others, who are considering higher education, this is a growing concern and ultimately in the end what convinces people against pursuing higher education is the cost. Society is too busy focusing on the economic benefits of higher education, and ignoring the
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.
College corrupts people, changes people and segregates families. Many people know the risk of pursuing a college education and still decide to move forward with their decision. We must ask ourselves if the cost is worth it.
Not everyone can afford it . Some just don't meet requirements. But now everyone needs to go to college and get a bachelor’s degree or higher . The world is becoming too competitive with everyone seeking a well paying job that even offers health benefits . People can be influenced to go to college because of the money . The world has become of money . Everything is money . We need money to live with no struggle in this Economy . People are also influenced by their dreams , their family , or just fod the experience . Whatever influences a person to go college they need to go
The desire to further education is essential because it expands the mind of a person. College is implemented to attend a school for four plus years and hope to get a job after graduation. Without higher education there would not be any scientist or engineers in the world to continue to make society run smoother. However, it’s actually more than that, it creates long term friendship and builds independence.
The question of the century is whether higher education is worth the price, and everyone feels like they have the winning argument. The article I have chosen to write about that pertains to this subject is by Charles Murray and it’s called “Are Too Many People Going to College?” I chose this article because I feel that the author brings up valid points that resonate with me and my beliefs towards going to college. Charles Murray attacks the specific issue of whether there are too many people going to college. Murray using different viewpoints shows how he believes that too many people are going to college, and I agree with his reasoning.
There was a time in America where college was based solely on merit, higher education and pursuing the American Dream to obtain a career and gain social status to be successful in society. According to the Economist newspaper, rising fees and increase of student debt, shared with dwindling financial and educational returns, are undermining at least the perception that university is a good investment. Now due to high cost of an average good university, students are leaving college owing back over $100,000 and are not getting the job of their original dreams.
Is college a beautiful illusion of that if we go then all our problems in life won’t be so hard or is it actually is a place people go to shape and mold themselves into better people. Andrew Hacker and Claudia Dreifus, in their essay, Are Colleges Worth the price of Admission? Says that whether or not you go to a public or private institution, the cost of attending college has doubled, compared to when our parents and every other generation before us went to college. They went on and made a few good point by saying how schools should engage the students more, also how they should replace tenure with multiyear contracts, but their arguments about postgraduate training and spreading donations around is where they might had begun to lose their audience.
The debt associated with higher education is one of the biggest factors of deterrence for most people who are interested in college, and it is not at all surprising. 71 % of college seniors who graduated last year had student loan debt, and the average debt for a college student with a four-year degree is $29,400.This number has gone up an average of 6 % each year. Keep in mind that this is just the average debt, and there are students who are in debt upwards of $30,000 dollars (projectonstudentdebt.org). Now in order to understand why the debt is so high it is best to break down the different costs of higher education. The first and most important of which is tuition.
As students near the end of the academic year, they are constantly faced with some of the same choices the generations before them have been presented with too. The biggest question a lot of seniors in high school have to answer is if they are going to be attending college or not. There are a lot of legitimate reasons as to why a person might not attend a college, but I personally feel like everybody should have a higher education if they have the opportunity to do so. One of the biggest reasons that people do not have the opportunity to pursue higher levels of school is the fact that they do not have enough money to pay for it. With the staggering amount of debt, the majority of students incur in college, it is becoming a
In “College Is a Waste of Time and Money,” Caroline Bird, a college lecturer makes very good and valid points that college is wasting time and money. She describes how society has pushed students into getting higher education right out of high school. Leaving us with the question, are students getting a higher degree of education to better their future or to keep them busy and paying an institution.
As stated earlier, the cost of college is too high and it needs to be reduced to a more reasonable amount. It is expected that young adults in this day in age would want to go to college or another post-secondary education school to receive higher learning and to somewhat better their lives. While this is true ...
There are so many students who would extremely grateful to attend any four year institution but can’t because of the lack of funds. College life can be very stressful, and the process can is very frustrating to most students the first two years. When the cost of college tuition is compared to the 21 century financial economy the cost does not make sense, because for a middle-class family it is impossible to afford sending their child to any four-year institution. It hard for students to graduate with the stress to pay-off hundreds and thousands of dollars in loans. Going to college is stressful enough without the need to worry about how we’re going to pay for it and what other costs will continue to rise with getting a degree afterwards. With the current increase of unemployment rate and the thought of going to college seems like a farfetched goal. Many people choice not to attend a four year institution, because they did receive a scholarship or enough government funding. Having a college background is very important for professional growth, it will eventually limit career opportunities. My stand point is, you may not leave college doing the same thing you began with but the life experience is endless. College experience not only gives knowledge that builds you into a better person by giving a broader erosion. With the cost of tuition increasing will hurt our generation, by causing physical and mental stress but in the end it will all pay off. Not all colleges are for the blame; some of the blame is our economy and other factors play a big roll. As students we need to be aware of all our resources offered, such as Pell Grants, and government scholarships. For example, the some states will pay for a student’s college if they graduate high school with a GPA of 3.5 or higher. There are many states that are willing to pay for all or some of college tuition only if students are willing to use
Through my research I hope to explore the consequences of education debt on college graduates’ lives, including career choices, consumption pattern and lifestyle choices. Meanwhile, I want to discuss some feasible alternatives to minimize student loan debt. My intended audience will be the American college students and their families. The other audience I want to reach is those education policymakers. The contribution of this research will be to help students better understanding the consequences of indebtedness and making informed and careful decisions on paying for college. Also, it will raise the awareness of education policymakers, prompting them to improve our existing student loan policy. As a college student, how to finance a higher education is closely related to my personal life. Through the research I hope that I can acquire enough information on the pros and cons of student loan, and other options to minimize the student loan debt, so that I can make careful decision on financing my college education.
Those who think a college education is not worth it believe that college can become a setback in life due to the thousands of dollars that college students are spending on tuition and books. Students who attend college will not have the money to purchase a home, spend money on family, vacations, or any other costly items and bills. On the other hand, most college students end up paying for their college loans all of their life or go into debt. They will never have money to rely on since their credit cards will be racking up interest for college loans that need to be paid off. As stated by Paul Taylor in Michelle Adam’s report, the cost of a college education has been at a record level and the cost of tuition and fees has more than tripled which is causing a rise in student debt (58). With rising prices, the economy is making it more difficult for people to afford a college education.
The Benefits of Higher Education states it perfectly, “After spending many years learning, people tend to feel happier and more content as they lead educated lives…Consequently, education promotes fulfilling, fuller lifestyles” (¶ 6). The types of jobs a person will be able to acquire after a college education allow more freedom and security, as well as an improved intellect. The naysayers believe that people do not need a four-year degree to acquire a job, but how many good jobs with comprehensive financial benefits do not require a four-year degree? What quality jobs are in store for an individual when they are nineteen or twenty years old with no working experience? Those kinds of jobs tend to have lower salaries with longer work hours. Higher education not only gives students more opportunities but the skills and understanding that allow them to dig deeper into more difficult situations. “After a trip through the world of higher education, you will hopefully be the person who communicates effectively with others in figuring out solutions to complex problems. You will know to ask questions” (Carter ¶ 14). Receiving a higher education will help anyone narrow down their options and help them succeed with life’s constant challenges. Greater numbers