With tuition (especially in America) on the rise and the over saturation
of bachelor's degree recipients decreasing the value of a 4-year
college education, it's becoming much harder to compete for higher
paying and higher value jobs out there. Simply graduating from college
doesn't prove anything anymore. It's become the new standard.
I remember an essay I had to write when applying for a scholarship that asked why I thought college was necessary. It didn't ask whether I questioned the effectiveness of college, but why it was necessary. I felt like whoever read these essays used the arguments presented in them to further perpetuate the idea that everyone needs to go to college in order to "become successful". Having experienced the university life and graduating with a nice piece of paper in a fancy frame, I can honestly say that I don't think it is necessary to have nor is the experience something that will benefit everyone.
I don't regret having gone to college. Living away from home helped me become more independent and my university provided me with lots of opportunities to grow and meet like-minded people. I was able to connect with people who helped me learn and figure out where I wanted to go with my life. I came out with skills I hadn't had before. I've become much better at identifying my strengths and weaknesses and have developed a good sense on how to approach problems that require critical thinking. I've learned valuable life skills that if applied, can take me very far. I grew as a person and I'm better as a result.
But I didn't need college for any of that.
If your goal is to gain the necessary skills and knowledge for a desired career, there are many alternatives to college: trade-school, self-study, serving as an intern, finding a mentor, working your way up in a company starting at the entry-level, and streaming online to name a few. With the exception of trade-schools, none of these require any prior schooling, just good work ethic and the ability to adapt and survive. And honestly, that's how people did things before college was available to the masses.
I feel like the focus on standardization made college much more appealing for people especially since so many people (myself included) weren't sure what career they want to pursue once they enter the workforce. Many are stuck in that moratorium and college provides extra time to figure it out while also providing people some insight into what possibilities are out there. Of course, many job offers post a requirement for having a degree, however, just having the education is often no longer enough. A quick Indeed job-search listed jobs that also "highly preferred" or required candidates with at least a year of experience in the related field, and most businesses prefer hiring people with actual experience to those with just a degree.
Thinking from a business standpoint, who would you rather hire? Someone with experience in the field or someone who has only studied about it? That simple question is making a lot of generalizations as to the capabilities of each candidate, however, I'd wager that when you have hundreds of people applying for a position, the person with the experience would look more appealing and would generally be the safer bet than the graduate who has none.
This is a topic that is very broad and requires a lot of breaking down. Overall, I think no, college isn't necessary for everyone. I think it depends on what your goals are and what it will take to get to where you need to go. Not every career requires institutionalized education and most things can be self-taught or taught through a mentor-disciple relationship.
I'd like to expand more on the topic. Let me know what you think.
Peace
P.S - I think for the sake of focusing on quality over quantity (and changes to my daily schedule), it's best that I limit myself to one post per week for the time being. This will give me more time to sort out my thoughts and be more consistent with my art (which I've been struggling with on the creative department).
I remember an essay I had to write when applying for a scholarship that asked why I thought college was necessary. It didn't ask whether I questioned the effectiveness of college, but why it was necessary. I felt like whoever read these essays used the arguments presented in them to further perpetuate the idea that everyone needs to go to college in order to "become successful". Having experienced the university life and graduating with a nice piece of paper in a fancy frame, I can honestly say that I don't think it is necessary to have nor is the experience something that will benefit everyone.
I don't regret having gone to college. Living away from home helped me become more independent and my university provided me with lots of opportunities to grow and meet like-minded people. I was able to connect with people who helped me learn and figure out where I wanted to go with my life. I came out with skills I hadn't had before. I've become much better at identifying my strengths and weaknesses and have developed a good sense on how to approach problems that require critical thinking. I've learned valuable life skills that if applied, can take me very far. I grew as a person and I'm better as a result.
But I didn't need college for any of that.
If your goal is to gain the necessary skills and knowledge for a desired career, there are many alternatives to college: trade-school, self-study, serving as an intern, finding a mentor, working your way up in a company starting at the entry-level, and streaming online to name a few. With the exception of trade-schools, none of these require any prior schooling, just good work ethic and the ability to adapt and survive. And honestly, that's how people did things before college was available to the masses.
I feel like the focus on standardization made college much more appealing for people especially since so many people (myself included) weren't sure what career they want to pursue once they enter the workforce. Many are stuck in that moratorium and college provides extra time to figure it out while also providing people some insight into what possibilities are out there. Of course, many job offers post a requirement for having a degree, however, just having the education is often no longer enough. A quick Indeed job-search listed jobs that also "highly preferred" or required candidates with at least a year of experience in the related field, and most businesses prefer hiring people with actual experience to those with just a degree.
Thinking from a business standpoint, who would you rather hire? Someone with experience in the field or someone who has only studied about it? That simple question is making a lot of generalizations as to the capabilities of each candidate, however, I'd wager that when you have hundreds of people applying for a position, the person with the experience would look more appealing and would generally be the safer bet than the graduate who has none.
This is a topic that is very broad and requires a lot of breaking down. Overall, I think no, college isn't necessary for everyone. I think it depends on what your goals are and what it will take to get to where you need to go. Not every career requires institutionalized education and most things can be self-taught or taught through a mentor-disciple relationship.
I'd like to expand more on the topic. Let me know what you think.
Peace
 | |||
| We all don't need to walk the same path to reach the same goal. We are all unique and should find our own way. |
P.S - I think for the sake of focusing on quality over quantity (and changes to my daily schedule), it's best that I limit myself to one post per week for the time being. This will give me more time to sort out my thoughts and be more consistent with my art (which I've been struggling with on the creative department).
What do you think? Is college necessary for everyone?
ReplyDelete