College in the United States is rapidly changing: more students are attending college, many are doing so online and at community colleges, which is making people question the cost of a traditional college education. It is my belief, along with three-fourths of entering freshman, that those students who are attending a traditional college are viewing college as an economic investment and that the reason to attend college is to get a good job (Bok 281). Part of that economic investment is meant for students to develop themselves. In my case I attended a tradition four year college to grow as a person and to give myself the best chance of getting a good job right out of college. A college education should provide a balance of personal exploration and job preparation because generally people are going to college to grow as a person and become prepared for the professional world.
College is a critical stage for many young adults. When a student goes to a tradition college they are leaving the comforts of home and venturing out into a world that they have not yet been revealed to. This is where much discovery of self occurs; you have to learn how to fend for yourself. If a student were to stay at a community college or take online classes they typically would not be leaving their home. This will not allow them to gain the experience of that the traditional college student gets by being by themself. I have only been at traditional college for one semester now, but the knowledge that I have gain outside of my classes is something I would have never been able to match if I had went to a community or online college. College has taught me how I need to live my life; I am balancing full time schooling while living my life and making connect...
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...le and you are networking between friends, professors or even people that the college introduces you to, such as alumni. A traditional colleges gives you the camaraderie of being in a university setting and a traditional collegiate experience that you just won’t find at a community college. The benefits of going to a traditional college make it no wonder why more and more people keep coming to four – year universities.
Works Cited
Bok, Derek. Our Underachieving Colleges: A Candid Look at How Much Students Learn and Why They Should be Learning More. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2006. Print.
Brooks, David. “The Practical University.” The New York Times 4 April 2013. Web.
Levey, Tania. “The Effect of Level of College Entry on Midcareer Occupational Attainments.” Community College Review 38.1 (2010): 3-30. Academic Search Complete. Web. 12 Dec. 2013.
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