Walking onto a college campus as a young freshman, I joined the throngs of young women who planned to stay in college until they married. Marriage would lead to a family and blissfully being a homemaker for the next several decades of life. This idea took more years then I planned for it to take. There have been speed bumps and rough gravel on this journey and in hindsight I see why my plan should have included finishing my college degree. Once a woman has achieved the status of stay-at-home mom, there are many arguments for not pursuing a college degree. The loudest argument I have heard is, “It’s a waste of time and money if you aren’t going to do anything with it.” The goal of being a stay-at-home mom is ideal, but it doesn’t eliminate the need or benefits of a college degree.
Recently, a former fifth grade teacher counseled a young woman who was returning home from her mission. The advice the teacher gave was unsolicited but impactful. She told her to graduate from college because the mother having a college degree is the single greatest indicator of whether the children will be college educated or not. Research agrees with this counsel. It shows that, “A mother’s educational level has a profound influence on the educational choices of her [children]” (Madsen) It further shows that, “children of college-educated parents are healthier, perform better academically, and are more likely to attend college themselves than children of those with lower educational
High school graduation marks the start of young adults’ lives, a time where they are expected to decide what they want to do for the rest of their lives. Many young adults are pressured into attending college, whether they have determined their goal or not, but is it necessary? “The Case Against College,” an article written by Linda Lee, a mother who has questioned the former belief that college equals success, claims that “not everyone needs a higher education.” College, though beneficial to many, is not for everyone and should not determine an individual’s life.
When it comes to the topic of attaining a college degree, most will readily agree that it is essential to securing a successful career post-graduation. Whereas some are convinced that a college degree does not guarantee entry into a career in one 's field of study nor does it determine success in one 's career, others maintain that a higher education is, in fact, the way to job security and financial success. What comes into question is whether the investment in a college education is truly worth it or not in order to accomplish a student 's goals of success. I think it could be said for most prospective college students that the reason for going to college is to gain the credentials required for most jobs today. What many of those potential students may not realize is the substantial percentage of graduates who do not acquire a job related to their majors, how much debt they will incur, and just how many students don 't graduate at all for reasons such as an overwhelming workload and a poor work/ life balance.
Most people only consider the direct impact of a college degree on their own lives-but a college degree has a tremendous impact on the well-being of our own families as well, especially our children. Not only are children of parents with a college degree education better off socially and economically, but studies have shown that children in households where one or both parents have a college degree are themselves more likely to earn a college degree. “According to an estimate in 2028 there will be 19 million more jobs for educated population that there are qualified people to fill them”.
The first determinant of one’s fate is their family’s background. Almost none of the children from low-income families made it through college. With the expenses of college today, I’m actually not surprised by that statistic. Of the children from low-income families, only 4 percent had a college degree at age 28, compared to 45 percent of the children from higher-income backgrounds. "That 's a shocking tenfold
In recent discussions of “Is College Worth It?” By John Green, a controversial issue has been whether, people should attend college or get a job after they finish high school. On the one hand, some argue that people can get a monthly income better than if they have a degree. From this perspective, some people they do not want to attend college. On the other hand, however, others insist that people should attend college after they finish high school. In the words of John Green, one of this view’s proponents, “after graduating from college, I actually made $1 per hour less when I started working as an assistant at Booklist Magazine, but the job was better in every way” (video). According to this view, he was working at Stake and Shake and he was getting better salary than what he got after graduate by 1$ less but money is not everything in life. Then he proved to the audiences through his experience that he was more comfortable with working as assistant at Booklist Magazine even he is making less money. Because he got a better job, got the knowledge, and work on something that he like. In sum, then, the issue is whether to attend college or work without a degree. My own view is that attending college is worth it even if it will cost some sacrifices of things that we can get it in the future. After, all, I have chosen to identify as a college student at Winona State University. Though I concede that choosing the university and working to
With the growing importance of higher education, more people than ever are attending college. According to a middle-class parent, “[Higher education] seen as a means of developing a career and getting secure employment.” (30, Higher Education, social class and social mobility) Moreover, “parents believe that their children need a university education to get on in life… over the past decades (parents) fearful that without a degree their children will be in danger of downward social mobility. (32, Higher
Today, college is an option in some homes because many work places will not hire you if you do not have some type of college education. When applying to college it can be very stressful on one, especially when one start to think about how much money it is going to cost someone each year that they are trying to earn your degree. Most of your college students go to school not because they want to spend money, but because they must earn their education to make it somewhere with a career. According to Jacques Steinberg in a New York’s Time article, he says that when someone goes to college school
In recent discussions of Is College Worth It? By John Green, a controversial issue has been whether, people should attend college or get a job after they finish high school. On the one hand, some argue that people can get a monthly income better than if they have a degree. From this perspective, some people they do not want to attend college. On the other hand, however, others insist that people should attend college after they finish high school. In the words of John Green, one of this view’s proponents, “after graduating from college, I actually made $1 per hour less when I started working as an assistant at Booklist Magazine, but the job was better in every way” (video). According to this view, he was working at Stake and Shake and he was getting better salary than what he got after graduate by 1$ less but money is not everything in life. Then he proved to the audiences through his experience that he was more comfortable with working as assistant at Booklist Magazine even he is making less money. Because he got a better job, got the knowledge, and work on something that he like. In sum, then, the issue is whether to attend college or work without a degree. My own view is that attending college is worth it even if it will cost some sacrifices of things that we can get it in the future. After, all, I have chosen to identify as a college student at Winona State University. Though I concede that choosing the university and working to enroll and pay the
In Devorah Lieberman’s article, she argues the importance of a college degree and the many opportunities it has to offer. A main point that is mentioned in her article is that people with a college education are twice as likely to be employed. She notes “The logical claim is that education is an investment that pays off ” (Lieberman). Lieberman is explaining that going to college is not a waste of money, but an investment that can lead to a bright and successful future. Lieberman encourages young adults to pursue their passions and careers by saying that “I would recommend that academic advisers, coach students to select majors and minors and possibly minors that offer the student the opportunity to pursue both passions and careers.” By this she clearly means that if a student needs the time
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the unemployment rate is projected to be highest for those without a diploma or GED. However, those that have a master’s degree will have the lowest unemployment rates. Also, the 2018 estimated median weekly income for people with a diploma or college degrees are as followed: less than a high school diploma, $471; high school diploma, $652; some college but no degree, $727; associate degree, $785; bachelor’s degree, $1,066; master’s degree, $1,300; doctoral degree, $1,624; and professional degree, $1,735. There is a big difference between those without a diploma and those who have earned a bachelor’s degree is very noticeable. For someone to graduate high school and earn a degree in a career that one enjoys can almost immediately change their lifestyle and enjoyment of life. I, myself would enjoy my job more if I made a weekly income of $785, I do not want to work 40+ hours and barely get by. Many youthful people already know what they would enjoy being and by going to college not only will they have a job promised because of the degree in hand but they income will remind them of all of their hard-work. There are a few jobs that require higher education that does not pay as much as it should, but the one that come to mind first are teachers. Four years should earn someone an income of $50,000+ and yet after all of the hard work put into their career, the under-pay, and appreciation they still put their heart into their classes. A positive attitude about one’s job will create a much better work place and one worth being part
“According to the U.S Department of education, if you graduated in the bottom 40% of your high school class and went to college, 76 of 100 won’t earn a diploma, even if given 8 ½ years.” Marty Nemko believes that going to college isn’t for everyone and that it’s turned into a business depending on which university you attend. Nemko also gives some good examples, such as Morris, who completed his bachelor's degree from University of California, Berkeley and works as a truck driver to support his family. (ADD THESIS PART TWO) Nemko mentions that “ colleges are businesses, and students are a cost item while research is a profit center. (33)
Students from all over the United States are told all through their life that they need to attend college if they ever want to be successful, however, this is far from the truth. Often schools are culprits for driving students to attend money driven colleges, in other cases it is family. While schools all too often make the push on students to continue their schooling, parents can cause the same situation, as they may not have a degree and be working a low-paying factory job. Now kids already don’t want to be like their parents when they get older, so seeing them suffer in poverty or barely above the poverty line can cause some dissatisfaction, further seeking a degree to live a life that they never got. What many
Beginning at an early age, children who are encouraged academically by their parents, educators, and coaches will grow up with the realization that a thorough education will provide for them—financially and professionally—in the future. One of the first things that we are taught is that if we graduate with a degree from college, then we will have a better job and more opportunities in the future. There are many instances where this rings true. According to Brookings Institution publication “an individual with a college degree is nearly nine times more likely to make over $100,000 than someone with only a high school diploma and 13 times more likely to make more
It seems in the society we live in today, having a college degree is a necessity. Years ago it was the norm for people to just go right into a full time job after high school, if they even finished high school; they did this to support their families. In today’s society a person has a difficult time getting a decent job without a college degree. During an adults working life, bachelor degree graduates will earn about $2.1 million and a high school graduate can expect to earn an average of $1.2 million (Day and Newburger, 2002). This is quite a difference and it puts a college education in
Most expect that by attending college and graduating they will be able to find a good paying career with benefits in a field that will interest them. It seems that from high school it is drilled into our heads that we must attend college to be successful in life and contribute to our society. However, college graduates often find themselves working in a field that is unrelated to their degree. This could be due to how many people are also trying to apply for jobs in that specific field, or it could be that that job does not provide them with enough money to live off. The most important thing that students really need to ask themselves before they attend college is, “is a college degree really enough in today’s world to get a good career