McKenzie Gard
English 100-01
Rob McElmurrey
25 July 2016
College Education Is Worth It
In today’s economy it can be a rough experience trying to find a job because of the recent economic struggles in America. Luckily, when you go to college you become more likely to find a job and earn more income than someone who does not go to college. That is not the only positive of going to college in today’s society. The tuition costs have risen a lot over the years and are continuing to rise but, having a college degree is extremely useful. Not only does a college degree help you earn a job but, there are many other ways it can help you be successful. Although college tuition cost has increased over the years it is still worth it because of professional, financial, and personal benefits.
Since World War II inflation has been a big issue in the economy. Inflation caused the scholars of education, legislators, and popular commentators to advocate for the raise of tuition. Colleges began charging a higher tuition because they did not want people who were not of the quality they were looking for. College acceptance has become more competitive so, they start making requirements people must meet in order to go to the college. The number of college applicants has doubled since the 1970’s (“How Does Your College Compare”). The change in our economy and influenced more people to consider going to college and getting a degree. The supply and demand for education will never end but, if the cost of tuition is to high no one can afford to get an education. College tuition has increased 1,200 percent since 1978 ("How Tuition Increases”), which is beating the rate of inflation. As tuition increases it changes people’s mindset on going to college. Every time college tuition goes up by one hundred dollars’ colleges enrollment rate goes down by .25 percent (ibid). Our country promotes education and going to college but, the costs make it impossible for some people to even go to college. The raise in college tuition has also affected the dropout rate for some colleges (ibid). With underprivileged people not being able to go to college and have a chance to do something for America it makes our government more of an aristocracy than a democracy. President Truman made a very good point by stating “If the ladder of educational opportunity rises high at the doors of some youth and scarcely rises at the doors of others, while at the same time formal education is made a prerequisite to occupational and social advance, then education may become the means, not of eliminating race and class distinctions, but of deepening and solidifying them.” He was saying that a college degree has become something you need to have or a “prerequisite” for economic and self-success. The rich are able to get a degree but, it’s not that easy for the poor. Luckily, in modern day now we have loans and scholarships for people of need but, sometimes that does not cover enough of the expenses.
The recession brought on some skepticism about spending the money to get a degree, it made people start looking more at their high priced purchases and the actual need and value of them. Our now cost conscious society looks at college tuition and thinks maybe the degree is not worth it. Student loan debt is now over 1 trillion dollars and is still rising ("The Case against Going to College") and that frightens people. One of the issues is the loans college students have to take out are not getting paid fully off until people’s mid-thirties and sometimes even later than that depending on certain factors (ibid). 2015 graduates will not break-even with their investment in their degrees until they are approximately 31(ibid). Although, diplomas help you get jobs and earn better salaries you can’t predict if you’re going to get back what you invested in college. If eventually you do get back what you invested, you are not able to calculate when that will be. Although, some degrees are more sought after by employers more than others, a degree does not guarantee you a high paying job in your area of study. Not only is a college degree considered overpriced some people argue that you also don’t get the skills you need to succeed. People wonder if college is even worth it anymore because, some careers do not require a college degree. Companies and other employers are starting to consider hiring people who just do on the job cite training or certain tests online instead of a college education. Today’s number of college graduates is at record high but, the issue is finding skilled workers coming straight from college ("Benefits of Earning a College Degree”). It is also argued that college graduates do not even acquire the skills they need to have in order to succeed in the workforce of their field of study.
College does not only give you the skills to obtain a job in today’s rough economy but, after earning a job the professional benefits you get are extremely useful. The connections you make in college can help you throughout your whole life. Evan Bloom a graduate from University of California, Berkeley got his degree in architecture. Upon graduation Bloom worked in construction management but, he did not enjoy his job. Bloom decided to do something that had nothing to do with his degree but, had a huge passion for. Cooking was something he thoroughly enjoyed doing and he was looking for something he would enjoy more. He was involved in a lot of stuff during his time at Berkeley. His connections he made during his time there helped him in the long-run because he was able to earn an internship from alumnus in his fraternity (“Chronicle of Higher Education”). Although, he did not use his credentials for a career he did use the connections he made in college College gives you more skills than just the common core education you get with your degree; it teaches you certain life-lessons that you won’t earn as well somewhere else (“College Values Goes Deeper Than the Degree”). Time-management is huge in college. College teaches you to manage your time wisely and stay on task. There is so much going on around you and you have to learn to get your work done in a timely manner. When you enter the work-force college is supposed to have prepared you for the tough tasks you will handle in short amounts of time. Along with time-management is multi-tasking, it is another big component of getting things done in college. When your multi-tasking you get multiple things done in less amount of time so, you have time to do more. Multi-tasking is useful for when you’re trying to do many things in your career and you’re trying to balance it. There are many other skills you gain in college that are useful but, being professional is an extremely important one. There’s always room for advancement after getting your degree you can get your masters or even doctorate. Your job is usually secure depending on your major the more schooling you have the more secure your job tends to be. During the economic recession college graduates were less prone to layoffs and firings ("Benefits of Earning a College Degree").
College does not only give you the skills to be professional but, when you get a job and earn a higher salary than a non-college graduate you benefit financially. Students are consumers and inputs, they must consume and input where they go to school. Better students are better consumers and inputs because they want to be there and are trying their hardest to consume information and knowledge. After graduating you output the knowledge and skills you learned in college in to your career. That helps you benefit financially because if you are extremely skilled and know what you are doing then, you are going to succeed more and possibly earn more money. The studies show that college graduates make more money than people with only a high school education. An average high school graduate makes up to 30,000 a year while a person who got a bachelor’s degree earn about 70,000 a year (“Benefits of Earning a College Degree”). Going to college opens the doors to your life long career. College opens up many opportunities for you to get a job especially in today’s economy so, you can continue to be financially stable. Your job is usually secure depending on your major the more schooling you have the more secure your job tends to be. During the economic recession college graduates were less prone to layoffs and firings. Employers want well trained professionals with the proper amount of education and that will help you obtain a higher paying job. College is basically investing in yourself and your future, it will help you achieve the goals you have set in your life.
College does not only give you the skills to be financially stable for the remainder of your life but, college helps you out in many personal ways. College prepares you intellectually and socially for your future (ibid). Another benefit would be being a positive influence to your children and encouraging them to go to college because you did. Going to college opens the doors to your life long career. In a survey conducted by Pew Research Center they asked college graduates what the “main purpose” of college was and 47% “to teach knowledge and skills that can be used in the work place”, 39% said “to help an individual grow personally and intellectually” leaving 12% answering “both equally” (“Chronicle of Higher Education”. The survey shows that most graduates are happy with not only the degree they earned but, the skills and knowledge they earned.