Blog Post #6 - Revised Blog Post 3 - What is College Good For?

http://smbohne.blogspot.com/2012/09/blog-post-3-what-is-college-good-for.html

What is College Good For?

When deciding whether or not to go to college, one may ask “what is college good for?”  College is a huge decision in life and I think there are only pros for attending college.  People may only think of a few reasons of why college is good, but I am going to list a many more answers.

College benefits you by receiving an education.  Not many people like going to school every day, but in the long run, you learn so much information.  When going into college, one usually chooses a specific major.  In the article, Don't Miss the College Forest for the Career Trees, Bobby Fong says that 60% of people graduate with a different major than the one they decided when they came into college.  I personally feel that even if you do change your major, you walk away by gaining knowledge in another area of study as well.  Later in life, if you do decide to change your job, you have another option to choose from.  NPR Staff, Mike Rose, one of the authors listed on Professor: Value of College Extends Beyond Paycheck, feels that learning things doesn't just make a living, but it lets us do things with our life.

Another reason why college is good for you is because it makes you grow as a person.  In high school, many teachers let you turn things in late, make up work, and remind you about certain tasks.  Once you reach college, no one is there to “baby” you!  You have to take full responsibility on your own.  I think this is completely fair because once we graduate college, we are in the real world where we have to do things on our own.  There is not going to be that “friendly reminder” or turning in your work late.  No, you get fired from your job if that happens.  People don’t take these things lightly in life because if you graduated from college, you should have grown up.  As stated in the article, Live and Learn, by Louis Menand, society wants to find intelligent people early on so they can put them in the careers they should be in.  They will be able to show all the talents they are capable of and be of great use to that program.

In today’s society, money is a huge factor for everything.  If you don’t have a job, or were lucky enough to inherit a family member’s money, you will probably have a rough time with life.  After reading, Why is College Good, the anonymous author stated that college can help you obtain the career of your choice. People must understand that most jobs in today’s world require receiving an education, also known as going to college.  Some may feel that college is a waste of time, but if you want to work in life, you most likely need an education higher than high school.  So if you think it is just another pointless, four years of school, remember, college does help you in the long run. 

But when applying for a job, one of the main things people are looking for is “experience.”  Many college graduates don’t have any experience with the job they want to fulfill in life.  So what happens?  They lose a job position over someone who may have some experience.  In the article, Employees looking for Experience Over Education, author Bill…. states that education takes a backseat to professional experience.  This means that people who are going to college are coming second to those who have experience over no degree. 

 

So what are you supposed to do?  Work for a college degree or work at having experience?  The answer is doing what you want to do.  The Department of Labor states in the article, Experience or Education: Which One Lands You The Job, that over the past few decades, employees with a college degree earn roughly 77% more than those with only a high school diploma.

People may have a bit of financial difficulty while attending college, but afterwards, we learn the importance of balancing our money.  Living in the real world is something many of us do not know yet.  There are so many things we have to pay for: a house, mortgage, insurance, food, clothes, and so much more.  Patience also is very important.  In the article, College Grad's Guide To Managing Money,  Anna Vander Broek says that if you save only a few dollars a week, you'll soon be miles ahead of friends who save nothing.  One of the most important things is to position yourself so you control your finances not the other way around.  We really learn how precious every penny really is. 

So really think about the job you want to have, the salary you want to be making, or the discipline you have later in life.  College prepares you for all of these.  Experience is important, but college really gives you that extra shove in life.