Why Focusing Too Narrowly In College Could Backfire

More often than not, young students are taught to believe that they must go to a prestigious university to obtain a Bachelor’s degree or higher in order to have a fulfilling and satisfying career. This may hold true for some people, but others do not need to follow this same path. For students who choose a career that isn’t considered conventional or isn’t high in pay, they tend to be looked down upon which pressures them into choosing career paths that they do not have a passion for, or the skill set to actually accomplish which makes college a waste of time and money. While everyone should be encouraged to get an education beyond high school, people should be encouraged to get the education that is relevant and proper for them to make sure they are getting their money’s worth.

The article “Why Focusing Too Narrowly in College Could Backfire,” by Peter Capelli, outlines how college bound students should proceed towards their education. Capelli argues that the path towards college success is ever changing. He stresses that when looking at a school you should look at their graduation rates, job placement rates, and other information on the outcomes of their graduates. Graduation rates are crucial as he states that “only about 60% of Division 1 university students graduate in 6 years.” For many the most profitable path seems obvious, be practical and study fields where the job market is hot right now.

Everyone who decides to enroll in college must, at some point, think about what area they want to major in. There are many things that students consider when choosing a major. Some make their decision based on what they think can make them the most money once they begin their lives in the work force. However, many students believe that if you choose a major that interests you and challenges you then you can use those skills that can help you in any career. (R. Landrum & S. Davis, 2014) Let’s face it. Employers know that when they hire someone straight out of college they are not immediately going to know

In the article The Most Powerful Career Advice That Every College Student Needs To Know, Amber Stanley gives several quotes with advice for students during their college years. She quotes well known figures like Albert Einstein, Eleanor Roosevelt, and Winston Churchill; while also giving new names and points of view. Stanley provides insight on what life in college might be from her own personal experience in college. She choose to write this article because she noticed that a lot of people go out of college and agree to the first job they are offered. Stanley noticed that people were forgetting their career goals and instead focusing on just surviving and getting money.

How are students supposed to enjoy their senior year when there is a dark cloud called the future hovering over them at all times? Accordingly, during the college decision process, it is essential to take one step at a time. Students that are not set on what career they want to pursue can focus on what they are confident about instead: their talents. The journey in finding the right college can be stressful. In the College Preparation English IV class, there have been several discussions on the pressure that comes with choosing a higher education program and have looked at many different texts on the subject of uncertainty.

College students have the hardest time paying off their student loans, but why? Well, most students usually pick their major based on their talents and their interests.(Source, Time) This idea sounds like a smart move, but in fact it is putting students in a very difficult situation. Since most majors end up making considerably less money in their first year out of college, it is becoming more and more difficult for majors in the humanities and arts to pay off their student loans.

“College is a balancing act” I have personally heard this quote numerous times; however, it did not forecast its complete meaning until I began college myself. High School counselors prepare you academically and allow the paperwork process to run smoothly when entering college as a freshman. Although most of these counselors work hard to help High School senior’s transition into college, I believe no amount of paperwork or aid prepares you for such change. According to this survey, career uncertainty leads to anxiety – I couldn’t agree more with the findings of this study and to me it is no surprise. It is evident that the change of majors and anxiety created by the pressure of future satisfaction of jobs remains evident present day. Personally,

For my MSE #1 essay, I am going to focus on chapter 12 of the WRAC. In my critique essay I chose "Why Focusing Too Narrowly in College Could Backfire" by Peter Cappelli. I found this article very interesting and I would like to continue my research into this topic as well as the rest of the chapter "The Changing Landscape of Work in the Twenty-First Century". Overall I look forward to reading the entire chapter and exploring other articles such as "They're Watching you at work: The Job Interview" and "Do what You Love?#@&** That!". I am sure that just these articles will not provide enough information so I will have to look and research for some outside sources.

Most students in high school are likely to be determined which area of a study he/she is interested about. However, some absurd ideas make come up on the surface. In such cases, I strongly believe that at young age some students need help to make the decision about their majors from their relatives and/or professors. Needless to say that any college education entails a substantial amount of money, as well as they would have to live with that choice for a long time if not for the entire life. beside that a student being attracted to some area may lose interest shortly after. In order to prevent crucial mistakes on choosing a career path, some high schoolers rather take a piece of advice from a mature person who they

Thousands of students graduate from high school each year in the United States. As they enter college a new world of decisions opens up to them. The main one being; how should one choose a major, based on potential financial gain or based on enjoyment? For the purposes of this paper when speaking of potential financial gain I am referring to majors that will have some type of base salary of at least 40k and enjoyment as majors that are in the fine arts. With so many different options at so many different schools this is undoubtedly one of the most difficult decisions to make due to the fact that a person’s entire future will essentially be on the line. Nonetheless, when choosing a major, the most rational thing for someone to do is to choose a major with potential financial gain

I agree with the statement that the schools should encourage students to choose the majors that would prepare students for lucrative careers. First, students will benefit from this policy because they will be more likely to pay off their student loan when they choose the majors that can prepare them for the lucrative career; Moreover, schools will also benefit by cultivating more successful alumni. While some people may argue that this policy overlook the students’ individual interest. However, actively advising students to choose certain fields of study does not necessarily equal to depriving students’ personal choices.

“Students must be aware of their own development and adjust previous goals and decisions to accommodate personal growth.” (Pitcher, 2012, par. 5) Many students fail to be successful in school because they simply choose the wrong major. Family and friends have a large influence on what we want to do or it may be because a student really does not know what they want to do. Another option is that you really think you want to be in a particular career, but once you start taking the classes you realize that it is not the right educational/career choice for you.

As the researcher was looking through data about her topic she found that most college kids pick their majors according to what their family or peers have an interest in. But when they get into the program find they don’t end up liking it. Sometimes switching two or three times before figuring out what they enjoy. “Ms. Collier says that is important to find a major that makes you intellectually engaged, that expands your brain and deepens your understanding of the world.” So what the researcher found while doing her study is that she is not alone and it’s ok to switch her major until she finds something that she is passionate about.

College is usually a critical time for students to learn the different aspects of professional and personal self-perceptions, competencies, attitudes, interests, and values of future careers. In fact, most college students list well after college career opportunities as one of the

“Too many students aren’t sure what job they could get after four, five, or even six years of studying a certain major and racking up education loans”(255). Singletary is given the fact that numerous students are confused on their own majors even though they have studied for years. And parts of the students even start realizing their majors might be in a hopeless employment situation after they graduate from that particular field. Therefore, before choosing a field of study, it is necessarily worthwhile for students and parents to check out the majors whether in the highest or the lowest unemployment. According to new statistics on unemployment for recent college graduates by The Huffington Post this June, majoring in social science and creative fields, such as anthropology, film, fine art, etc. have earned the top three of the unemployment rate. In contrast, engineering technologies, math, and computer science remain at the top of the employment chart. Alex Tabarrok mentions the harsh unemployment rate in his article, “…More than half of all humanities graduates end up in jobs that don’t require college degrees…”(250). The society has never shown mercy to students who are unlikely to be employed with the majors they have. Graduating without employment must be one of the biggest nightmares for most students; however, selecting an in demand major can surely decrease the chances of being