Because a bachelor’s degree does not ensure a stable income anymore, this debt can be crippling and make a person even worse off than someone who did not attend college or someone who pursued an alternative form of higher education. After all, in the article “Plan B: Skip College”, Jacques Steinberg states that “of the 30 jobs projected to grow at the fastest rate over the next decade in the United States, only seven typically require a bachelor’s degree” (1). The quote illustrates the point that few people actually need to go to college to be successful, and only few areas actually require that level of expertise. This leads to the assumption that the only jobs that require a degree and are worth spending a great deal of money on, are the …show more content…
In fact, alternative education might be the best option for current high school graduates, as it costs significantly less than a four-year college education and looks more attractive to prospective employers. Overall, it is important to consider whether the debt can be paid off after graduating and if getting a good job is a realistic expectation. That being said, even with the enormous tuition rates, more people than ever are going to college. Since a bachelor’s degree has become a cultural expectation, some people are forced to choose between getting a degree or being looked down upon for the rest of their lives. This forces people who possess a different skillset than the one colleges are looking for to pursue bachelor’s degrees, even though they would be a better fit for some different higher education institution, like a professional school. A great example of this was in the article “Are Too Many People Going to College”, where a man could choose to become either a mediocre business executive or an outstanding electrician (Murray 3). Common sense would dictate that he’d become an electrician; however, due to cultural norms, he will most likely try to pursue a business degree, as most people these days choose to do. The oversaturation of students like him, ones who are …show more content…
However, because of the ever increasing cost of tuition, unstable job market, the large number of students who have degrees, and the amount of time spent pursuing a bachelor’s, going to college should become more of an option than a requirement. People need to consider getting a specialized education that fits their skills better, rather than trying to fit in and get a bachelor’s degree just because it is what’s expected of them. And while college is well worth the money for doctors or lawyers, there is a limited amount of people that can pursue those professions successfully, therefore, alternative forms of education seem to be more and more valuable and will hopefully take over in the
In his article, “Are Too Many People Going to College?” Charles Murray argues that too many people are going to college universities when they should be focusing on other lifestyle options. In his opinion, whether or not to attend college is a personal decision that should be thoroughly thought through. When weighed with the unrealistic prerequisites, the financial expenses, and the time needed to obtain a degree, many people will find that attending college will not be beneficial to them. Speaking of this Murray attests, “The question here is not whether the traditional four-year residential college is fun or valuable as a place to grow up, but when it makes sense as a place to learn how to make a living.
For many people, college is just another transition in life to pursue the career of their dreams; for others, it is a far-fetched concept. Determining which person someone is in this situation is based almost entirely off of socioeconomic standings. Consequently, only about 70% of total Americans older than twenty-five earned a Bachelor's degree (Fielder). This is primarily due to the fact that the price for college tuition does not align with the amount of money financial providers are capable of making annually. The thought of paying for college out-of-pocket burdens families in the lower-to-middle class range both mentally and financially.
Being that America is still in an economical downward spiral, college has gone from being the place where one can reach their their dreams to a place that you will be paying for most of your adult life. There are many people that believe it is a waste of time to go to college because majority of the time you are not going to use your degree and you will still have to pay thousands of dollars over the course of your adult life. Many people believe that it is better to go to a trade school because it is somewhat guarantee that you will have a job working in your field of choice.
In recent years, the economy and job outlook has become super competitive throughout the States. With so many people seeking and applying for the same job, employers can only afford to hire a very small amount of people. As a result, they choose the best qualified applicant, which most likely means the applicant with the highest education. With competition increasing exponentially, it is becoming more and more difficult to find, let alone keep a job. That is why college is a necessity in today’s society.
The general argument made by author Charles Murray in his article, “Are too many people go to college,” is that the college is not necessary for everyone. More specifically, the Murray argues that students who went to school should have learned the core knowledge they will learn in the college. He writes, “ K-8 are the right years to teach the core knowledge, and the effort should get off to a running start in elementary school” (236). In this passage, Murray is suggesting that start teaching the core knowledge in elementary school until high school is better than to spend money and more time to the college. It is not important to go to college.
In his Essay “Are too many people going to college,” first published in a 2008 issue of AEI, Charles Murray explores many insights onto the topic of furthering education as well as exploring various other options to pursue after high school. Who exactly would think that too many people are going to college? Well with more and more students flooding campuses at the end of every school year and less and less going into trade schools, a shift in the job market is just beginning to be seen on the horizon. Charles Murray’s essay “Are too many people going to college” shows that not only are there other avenues to pursue a potential life long career, but that much of the time pursuing these avenues may offer better results for some wanting to go to college.
College Isn’t for Everyone "By telling all young people that they should go to college no matter what, we are actually doing some of them a disservice" (Owen). This quote from “Brookings Paper: Is College a Good Investment” goes into detail about how college isn’t for everyone. By educators, parents, and authority figures telling graduating high school seniors that college is necessary, they are limiting the potential of that student’s true skills. College isn’t right for everyone and not everyone wants to go to college.
In “Are Too Many People Going to College?” Charles Murray offers his opinion on the number of students that pursue a B.A. He believes that two year or four year colleges are not needed for a majority of students who could instead pursue other life paths. He discusses the ability for the general knowledge needed to be learned in primary and secondary school, and for a lessened need for a “brick-and-mortar” institution the problems with the current secondary and higher educational issues including the lessened need to acquire a B.A. All members of society need certain skills in order to be productive members of society. They need to know general facts about the country they live in, general history, and general geography.
But, with tuition prices spiking in the last decade, college is not a choice for most students graduating high school. Not going to college is an opportunity missed within itself but colleges that vacuum all your life savings in one year also take away the opportunities of getting a great education, stable lifestyle, and job. Post-high school education is becoming harder and harder to reach and without the governments help there is really nothing we can do about it. School funds need to increase from the government so that the students of America can take the opportunity of going to a well-priced
Is College Worth the Cost? Life’s success is achieved in different ways. (Director, n.d.) A lot of television programs and magazines instills the idea in us that being successful means; having a fulfilling career, having a lot of money and being powerful. Most religious and spiritual organizations, in contrast, claim that success means being at peace with God and finding spiritual happiness.
Even though people may be earning more with a college degree, they still suffer the burden of paying off extraordinarily high debts. This means less money is being saved for themselves. Another negative is that people may not have chosen the correct major. In Source F, only, “55%,” of people believed that their major helped them. This concludes that a high percentage of people did not believe their major was useful.
If a person’s parent or guardian drilled the idea of college into your head, or if they told you ‘do what you want’ or ‘I don 't care’, or ‘You’re not going’. While college is great, there are other means of education. The value of college is a low because there are people who do not qualify for a college education, and also because there are other ways of post-secondary education other than college. College is not valuable because many people will not make it into a 2 or 4-year college, much less graduate from one. To support this, in the article Why College Isn 't For Everyone, it says, “As a general rule, I would use graduates in the top quarter of their class at a high-quality high school should go on to a four-year degree program, while those in the bottom quarter of their classes at a high school with a mediocre educational reputation should not.”
After high school, most people in America don’t have the financial means to go to college and earn a bachelors degree. While there are means to pay for school, such as scholarships, grants, and financial aid, this may not be the best route to go. While being eligible for some form of financial aid will pay for school, it also leaves the student with the debt to be paid afterwards. As difficult as the job market has been in recent years, being in debt up
College costs three times as much as it did 30 years ago (“Making Headlines Since the ‘70’s: Is College Worth it?”). Along with student debt, college degree-requiring jobs pay less than jobs that don’t require a degree. A college graduate featured in the news broadcast Weekend All Things Considered stated “I work at a call center and I make $10 an hour. And I feel like a loser.”
However, the cost, value, and impact of the educational system have become increasingly scrutinized, leaving many to question if modern-day education is still able to fulfill the promise of the American Dream. Pamela Aronson, a writer in the International Journal of Psychology, found that “compared to previous generations, young people have lower lifetime earnings and savings, higher tuition costs and debt, higher levels of anxiety and depression, and difficulty paying back student loan debt,” (3). This surprising reality deters many young Americans from seeking a college education, yet does not prevent them fully. A large number would rather go straight into the workforce rather than be several thousand dollars in debt just after graduation, however, this seems impossible to them. The majority of college students feel that you must have a degree to be successful, “a first-generation white woman said: “I like learning new things, and nowadays you... can’t do anything without [a degree].