Posted on 05/04/2005 8:15:16 AM PDT by qam1
As I watch my classmates graduate it seems many of them are less sure of their purpose then when they began college. College used to be where young adults went to find themselves and then pursue their passion. It was a luxury for the crem de la crem of society. It wasn't long ago that most children knew their place in society by adolescence and were resigned to that fate.
Now with the plethora of choice, instead of college opening amazing new opportunities and fulfilling our wildest dreams, it has left us unprepared for the real world and paralyzed by the paradox of too much choice. Four years of college and are we really any better off for it?
There is no denying it; the pressure looms from all corners. At most suburban high schools the guidance counselors aren't asking if you are going to college, they are asking where. Parents aren't wondering if they are going to help pay your ever-increasing college tuition, they are wondering how.
So, teenagers are shuffled off to college by overbearing pressures and then languish in an academic environment that they don't really desire or feel passionate about. Sometimes they make it through the four years, sometime they don't. Many of those who do, find themselves degree in hand with no more of an idea of what to do with their life then four years earlier.
Perhaps we should stop and consider that a four-year college right out of high school isn't the right choice for everyone. Perhaps college isn't the place to "find yourself", especially to the tune of over 15 grand a year.
A third of college students do not qualify for a degree in six years and just because you don't graduate, doesn't mean you don't have to pay back student loans.
Since when is a college degree all that counts in the job market? The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics' estimates of the fastest-growing occupations between 2002 and 2012 show that six of the top 10 don't require bachelor's degrees.
On the job training, vocational and technical degrees can lead to successful careers. Let's face it, for many occupations, a year of on the job training would prepare you much better then wading through philosophy, ethnic studies, astronomy and all those other gen eds that bog down students and stretch out our education to four years and beyond.
Admittedly, much of the college education process is a product of our societal conceptions of what determines success and job preparedness. It is also a great ploy by the universities to reel in those middle class baby boomer dollars by convincing mom and dad that a pricey degree is the only thing separating their baby from comfy suburban bliss and destitution.
True, some jobs require a four year degree before they will even look at your application, regardless of your other skills, talents and life experiences. However, often hard work, ingenuity, charisma, tenacity and a lot of character qualities that aren't exclusive to a degree are what really translate to a good employee.
As college tuition skyrockets, perhaps this college model needs reevaluated and transformed into a more efficient and effective system that actually teaches people usable skills. There are signs that this shift may already be under way. Community and technical college enrollments are rising. States, like Ohio, are recognizing this and shifting funding in that direction.
Sure college can be a great community and social environment, but if you spend more hours at the bars then in class you probably aren't going to come out of here with much more then a beer belly. Paying this kind of tuition money to have friends and a social life is like joining an expensive country club without the free golf.
Even if you do make it to and possibly enjoy class remember; a lecture and a textbook isn't the only way to learn by the way. You would be amazed what a library card and a passport can offer.
Let's face it, the college environment is a sandbox compared to the beach we face when we get out of here. The vast shores are intimidating and unexplored, but the possibilities really are endless. I'm just not so sure playing for four years in the sandbox gets us ready for the adventure.
Don't be too sad, Amanda will be back in the fall. In the meantime you can e-mail her at ahooper@bgnet.bgsu.edu
Disagree, where I work I had to delve back into college books to make sure I was using proper coding structures and practices. Got ripped a new one a couple times because I ignored practices I learned in college work but not in my own toy projects. One big problem is that when grading assignments they worry more about if it works than how good the actual coding is however.
English is a hard major and one of the most well rounded actually. Lots of people think it's easy and end up dropping out of it.
Somebody must be getting something out of it. Many employers require it for their better jobs.
Yes, English isn't as easy as people think. I recieved my English degree in 2002, and now it's 2005 and I'm working on a nursing degree.
But I'm razor sharp clever at a party, and all of my nursing papers are very well written. :-)
I got a traditional 4-year degree, and feel whole-heartedly that it was right for me. But it was equally clear that it wasn't right for everyone.
The first step, already being pursued, is that we need to do a better job of teaching the basics by the end of 10th, or at least 11th grade -- then have a broader variety of options for students in the last year or two of high school.
These options should extend beyond the traditional "trade school" subjects, which would help erase that stigma and make it more appealing to students and their parents. For example, programs for medical technicians and computer programmers.
Or allow high school students to take the applicable classes at local community colleges. This is already an option in many places, but teachers and guidance counselors tend to steer students away. Part of the challenge is to get rid of the "two-track" attitude, where one is assumed to lead to a white-collar future and the other blue-collar, and replace it with a multi-track approach that's easier to tailor to individual students.
I heard one story on the radio the other day about the rising popularity of courses in construction management -- they start with construction basics, then move on to management and construction financing. That's a perfect example of where these hich/school/cc programs could dovetail, and there's a shortage of qualified construction managers.
I'd also like to see more apprenticeship and mentorship programs to help kids get some real-world experience, preferably early on, so if they don't want like working in the field they can learn that before they've put in 2 or 3 years.
I'd also like to see more low-or no-cost, no-credit evening classes on things like English, history and philosophy, sponsored by local universities, libraries and museums. That way, students wouldn't feel that they're giving up on those things by foregoing a traditional degree, and adults could learn more about subjects they might want to go back to school to pursue.
Bummer dude.
***A third of college students do not qualify for a degree in six years and just because you don't graduate, doesn't mean you don't have to pay back student loans.
quote "If real life means cheating, binge drinking and sleeping around...then college grads are perfectly qualified"
hey, it worked for Ted Kennedy and Bill Clinton !
This woman is SOOOOOOOOOOO correct. A few things:
1) The whole college industry is a sham and should be investigated by Congress for being a monopoly and price gouging (will never happen). There is no way it should cost an average of $20K to attend college. And these stupid federal loans just subsidize colleges, thus allowing them to raise tuition! Subsidies artificially raise prices!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
2) College should be no more than (2) years, except for perhaps engineers or serious science students. No more gay studies, no more minority / women's oppression classes, etc. And get rid of the professors who teach this junk.
Some kids are ready for college at 18. Many are not.
I recommend that high school seniors consider enlisting in one of our military branches. They'll get some time to grow up, and get some great college benefits when they're done.
I dropped out of college in my sophomore year (1965), then joined the USAF. Four years later, I was actually ready to return to school. I did quite well, and the experience has served me well through the years.
Beyond that, it would help ease any enlistment shortages in the military.
It's my advice to young folks who don't have a clear idea of what they want to do.
Good advice and it worked that way for me.
Exactly. I have found that some people who have not been to college lack in problem solving skills. I also learned patience and my social skills were broadened with all of my collegiate activities.
60% of all students are on some form of "assistance" or student aid.
There is still a premium in lifetime pay for a college grad over a high school degree, but it has declined steadily in the last 10 years. On the other hand, the premium for an advanced degree has increased slightly.
The biggest premium is on a high school degree over no high school degree. While it is not true that you "can't make it" without a college degree, it is very nearly accurate to say you can't make it without a high school degree. For someone who goes to work right out of high school, the lifetime earnings compared with a college grad's aren't that different.
That said, SINCE WHEN ARE UNIVERSITIES TO "TRAIN" YOU FOR LIFE? The purpose of a university was to train the mind and to expand knowledge, not to teach you to be a plumber or journalist or computer programmer. We have increasingly gotten to having a university education be focused on a job. If that's the only purpose, on-line universities do as good a job as a 4-year college.
Well, Amanda, for starters, the phrase is creme de la creme. And college isn't supposed to prepare you for life; it's supposed to prepare you to make a living. Life is the only thing that prepares you for life. And by time you get it right, you're dead.
I met an engineer a few years ago from a german company that made very sophisticated types of vacuum pumps. He said that a problem his company had in trying to expand in the US was that we had no "skilled workers". Apparently the trades are pursued at a much higher level in Germany.
Two years is for studying your major. The other two are General Education classes to make you a well rounded human being. If someone doesn't want to take those classes they can always go to trade school...
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