In this project, I want to compare undergraduate and graduate students’ motivation for going to college to obtain a degree. I predict that both group would say that they went to college to get a good job and secure their financial future. However, I think that undergraduate would be more likely to say that they went to college because they were pushed by social expectations. Most probably decided to get a higher degree since their friends and classmates are all going to college. This makes them feel as if they have no choice but to go to college even though they might not be prepared for it. Even though graduate students are also pressured by social expectations, they had a lot of time to reflect on their undergraduate years. They probably have a better understanding of why they are in college as they already went through the process. They had navigated through the challenge of college and figured out what they wanted to do in life. Their decision to go graduate school shows that they think that further college education would be beneficial to their future. They had probably gone back to learn new skills for their job and boost their career resume.
The different reasons why undergraduates and graduate’s decision to go to college is important because society had taught us that the only way to get a good job was to get a college degree. If graduates believe that college will help them get a good job, it means that students aren’t wasting their time and money in college for no reason. The comparison between these two types of student is interesting because they both might have the same reason for going to college in the beginning. Over time, however, graduates might find that their reason for going to college might change. Undergraduates students only got a taste of the college experience and their reason for going to college is not fully understood. With more experience, graduate students can provide more insight as to why college is important and why someone should go to college.
Literature review
The concept of going to college had been so deeply integrated into our society that we don’t really think about it thoroughly before jumping on the bandwagon. Society unanimously agree that a college degree is the only way for someone to have a good life. At this point, it is common knowledge that a college degree would yield someone a good paying job and helped them climb the economic ladder. Many studies have shown that college graduates are less likely to be unemployed compare to someone without a college degree. They are also more likely to live a happier life. With these benefits, many students feel that they have to go to college to have a successful life. This idea influenced many people to pay the high tuition cost of college as they see it as an investment for their future.
Sociologists came up with four theories to explain why so many people decided to go to college. The article A Matter of Degrees, by William Beaver, discussed the human capital model which claimed that students go to college to “acquire knowledge and skills modern societies require” (Beaver 23). College was a way for them to learn these skills and proved that they can efficiently do a particular job. The degree can also help college students in the application process as it signifies to employers that they are a good candidate for the job. The human capital model also has a close tie to the pay gap. Research shows that employees with a college degree are able to earn more money than those without a degree. This idea pushed many students to get a degree so that they can earn more money in the long run. They are willing to invest in themselves in order to get a job that would secure their financial future.
The second theory, credentialing, argued that many students go to college just to get a degree. The belief is that without a college degree, it would be impossible for someone to find a good job. With the increasing amount of degree holders, many reasoned that they have to acquire a degree in order to compete with those who do. Sociologists coined this term as “defensive credentialing.” Defensive credentialing refers to the idea that people want to obtain a degree because they want to have an advantage over those who doesn’t have one. The competitiveness nature of the work force made people assume that a college degree would make them as qualified as other applicants. The article mentioned that “employers use degrees as screening devices” and as a way to “exclude individuals” who doesn’t meet the criteria for the job (Beaver 23). This proves that employers are more likely to choose applicants that have college degrees over who don’t. With this knowledge, college graduates are stuck in the mindset that they need to get a college degree to ensure they have a shot at getting the job that they want.
The third theory, degree by default, introduced the explanation that students go to college because everyone else was going to college. The idea of going to college after graduating high school had become the norm. It was expected for high school graduates to attend a college, no questions asked. The article Degree by Default, by April Yee, indicated that many students put little thought as to why they want to go to college. They just felt like it was something that they “had to do” (Yee 36). Society and culture had implemented the idea that everyone has to go to college. This is called the “college for all” phenomenon. The “college for all” mindset made students believe that they can go to college in order to succeed even though college might not be right for them. This goes back to the idea that students don’t think that they can get a good job without going to college first. They aren’t convinced that employers will find them desirable if they don’t have a degree. As a result, they see college as the only pathway for them to get a good job and be successful.
Lastly, the college experience theory explained that students go to college because the experience of college was appealing to them. At a young age, many probably heard stories from their friends and family about how amazing college was. Many probably want to go in order to experience college themselves. For the first time, they are able to move away from their parents and become independent. It could be the place where they could meet their best friend and significant other. They are able to reinvent themselves as a new person and figure out what they want to do in the future. Some might find hobbies that they are interested based on the different clubs and sports they joined in college. The different aspects of college had pushed many to go to college as they want to be part of the college culture. If they don’t go, they would be missing out on an important milestone of their life.
My hypothesis for this research aligns with the college by default and human capital theory. I predicted that undergraduate students are pushed by social expectations to go to college as they might be pressured by their parents, families, or teachers to attend college. The fact that their friends were going to college also influenced their decision. Many students probably put little thought in to why they want to go to college because they were told that they had to go. They just know that earning a college degree was the only way for them to get a good paying job. They just went along with the flow because it was expected of them to go to college after high school. Undergraduates don’t have a clear idea what they want to do with their life once they enter college as they are still figuring out if college is a good fit for them. As for graduate students, they had already gone through the experience of college. They have a better understanding of the college system and had already figured out what they wanted to do as a career. They probably think that college can provide the skills they need to get a good paying job and become a better worker. This reasoning is correlated with the human capital model. Graduates went back to college for a reason and that reason is to learn new skills and obtain a new credential that would make them more appealing to employers.