For many high school seniors today, going to college is the automatic next step in their educations, but should one really spend that much money just because everyone is doing it? There are many other options that many high school students are not even aware of.
Perhaps they or their families assume that college is the only option for success. Or, their guidance counselor does not even present another option besides trying to land a job straight out of high school.
Students who waste time and money at a university before dropping out might have done better at short-term vocational, or career training, or in apprenticeships. They could also intern or volunteer in local businesses or charities before starting in a field to avoid getting a worthless degree.
As I looked for a summer job, I realized that none of my essay writing and calculus problem solving skills could be put on a resume. Instead employers were looking for experience with excel, and other computer programs, or doing data entry, or whatever other applicable skill.
Learning these and other skills in high school would prepare students to get good jobs out of high school instead of being pushed into an expensive college education when one is not needed or even wanted. On the job training and vocational programs would help young adults secure jobs without huge amounts of student debt.
However, at the moment, many employers look for a bachelor’s degree when one is not needed to do the job successfully and thus acerbate the societal pressure to go to college. In order to change this, there must be more, better alternatives to college and society, of which both young adults and employers, must be made better aware.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteI am one of those students who went to college because it was the "next step."
ReplyDeleteI still am unsure of what my future career will be, but I do know one thing: I am going to get a college education. I have heard arguments like this before: Steve Jobs, Bill Gates and Mark Zuckerberg all dropped out of college, and look at where they ended up. While I do agree that there are other options out there, I'm not sure if it is right to infer that a college education is not useful. I would bet that statistics show that, even with it's high prices, the payoff of a degree is still worth it.
For me personally, I feel much more comfortable knowing that I'm going to get a degree which will bring me more options for a better income, rather than just trying to get my bearings in the real world with no formal education at all.
I think the readers of this article should be able to see the average earnings of an adult with a high school education compared to a college graduate, just to see if there are other options for them out there, or if they are really just selling themselves short.
I agree that Steve Jobs and others who dropped out of college and then became extremely successful are rare. On average people with a bachelor's degree make $15,000 more per year than someone with only a high school diploma. However, The average person who attends some college, but does not get a degree, makes only slightly more than they would have with only a high school diploma and most likely has to deal with debt from student loans. This is a huge group of people. Only 59 % of full-time students who started a four year program in 2005 completed that program in six years. This is the problem that I think can be solved with vocational schools and programs.
DeleteSources: http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=77, http://nces.ed.gov/fastfacts/display.asp?id=40
I totally agree with you that college seems to be the default course for so many students, even though it might not actually be the best choice for them. I think the first time I ever even heard about vocational schools was my sophomore year of high school. I also remember once in high school, after having a conversation about future careers with my friends, that I told my parents I was thinking about possibly not going to graduate school if my career would not benefit from it that much. To which they responded “That’s a nice thought, but no. You ARE going to grad school.” I can’t even imagine how they would have reacted if I had told them I didn’t even want to go to college at all, but for some kids, college just isn’t the best option. I never even considered those other options when I was younger, and I fear it’s too late to change my mind now… I also totally relate to the job application point you made. It was really discouraging trying to put together a resume this summer and realizing that, because I had spent so much time studying and preparing to go to college, I had nothing to list that would be appealing to an employer.
ReplyDeleteThis is exactly what I am talking about: going to college (or in this case grad school) for the prestige instead of for the educational opportunities. You decided that, "if [your] career would not benefit . . . .much," there was no reason to go to grad school, However, your parents insisted. I don't know your parents so I don't know why, but I would guess that it has to do with the pedestal that our society sometimes puts higher education on.
DeleteI think one thing that needs to be emphasized more in high school is that the future is an investment. Often times like you mentioned, students go directly to college after high school because it’s the “next step,” or because it is said to bring them a better future. I know I was this way. But how beneficial would it be for high school students to spend some time exploring alternative routes? This could be done by shadowing local businesses, talking with people in various vocational careers, or spending some time developing a valuable skill outside of the classroom. After all, if we are going to invest our valuable time and money into our future, shouldn’t we make sure we ourselves are truly invested in what we are doing at a personal level? As a current college student who doesn’t really have a concrete plan for the future that I am truly excited about, I am certain this would have been helpful to me. How do you think this idea could be incorporated into the school system?
ReplyDeleteI'm not sure exactly how the school system should be changed to improve this problem. However, I have a few ideas. High school counselors (at least the ones at my high school) could do a lot more to understand the alternatives to college in their area and communicate them to their students. A focus on future careers would also be helpful.
DeleteIt would also be important to make sure students have some of the skills that they will need. For example, how to write a persuasive piece that is not as overly formal and academic as a lot of high school writing is or how to write a resume when you have no real experience.
I agree that the post-high school alternatives to college are not favorably advertised by parents, teachers, and counselors. What is it about a college education that makes it so desirable? I found this question especially relevant in the context of your observation that "many employers look for a bachelor’s degree when one is not needed to do the job successfully and thus acerbate the societal pressure to go to college." A college education is so much more than a paper diploma to hang on the wall.
ReplyDeleteIt is a signal of your ability to withstand adversity, to rise to the challenge of bigger and better things and new opportunities to push your understanding. Education is a process of changing yourself, altering the way you think and make decisions to expand your horizons and spread your influence to your peers. Ultimately, education is eternal progression. College is not for everyone, but I believe they need to decide that for themselves.
Yes, a college education is a wonderful thing. The problem is all the people who start out to get a degree and never succeed. They waste time and money with very little to show for it. Either they need more support to finish college or they need to realize that college is not a requirement to being an adult and good citizen.
Delete