Unprepared

 In the book, Share or Die, I chose to read the article “Unprepared” by Sarah Idzik. She tells her personal story of being underprepared from the start of high school to her professional days.  She explains how high school does not prepare us for college and also how college does not prepare individuals for the afterlife of graduation. Because of this, we are not ready for the future generation.  

Sarah explains in the beginning of her article that during high school she was a straight A student who was really smart. She was the student who teachers could count on. Sarah was from a small-town public school who she believes did not challenge her enough for college. She had to make a decision whether or not she should attend college near home in Pittsburgh, or accept a scholarship from the University of Chicago. She chose to set her goals high and moved to Chicago where she began to find school a huge struggle. Sarah made some friends and was able to become comfortable. She learned better techniques that made it easier to learn. I can relate to Sarah. I made A’s and B’s in a small-town high school. I had the same challenging transition that she experienced and I have learned thus far that high school did not prepare me for college.      

After the first semester or so, it is common for students to become more comfortable. Following the years of struggling to get a degree, students do not really get warned of the post-college life. In Sarah’s story, she explains her after graduation experience. She struggled for work in her desired major. She mentions in her article, “The word “job” was precious enough; the word “career” seemed outlandish, absurd, almost unseemly. We went from expecting greatness to expecting respectable work and then to hoping for something that paid” which is how the real world of occupations is defined today. Sarah found a job to get by and she was utterly miserable. She continued to keep this job for three years due to the terrifying thought of quitting and not being able to find another job. 

            Hearing experiences like this, makes us question is college worth it? Sarah had to get a job to start to pay back her loans from college. She got a job that had nothing to do with her degree, but was paying back the loans she went to college for to get that degree. The way the economy is, some believe that college is not worth it these days. In the article, When a Degree Isn’t Enough to Get a Job by Anthony Balderrama, he states “Still, with a number in the millions, you are competing with a lot of job seekers who also have the same educational background as you. Relying only on your bachelor's to land a job is not the safest route to employment” which means that there are many other recent graduates who are looking for the same job you are. It has become very challenging to find the ideal job you got a degree for. As you can see in Sarah’s story, she unfortunately did not get the career she hoped for after graduating.

            Sarah decided after three years to take a leap of faith and move to another city and start over. Her goal was to stop feeling like an unknown person to the world.  For those who decide to go to college and get a degree may take the risk in not having the “ideal” career they wish for right away. “We had no idea how to navigate this world, but our education didn’t fail us-it instilled in us dissatisfaction for this kind of life” which are valuable words from Sarah Idzik.  Even though some people are not prepared for this generation, we have to learn the hard way. Remember, Use all your education to your advantage and never give up on your goals.

Is College Enough?

             We have all grown up thinking that college is necessary in our lives. People now are questioning is college enough? Or is college good enough? Will I have a job when I graduate? Will it be a struggle to get the job I want? There are so many things we put in consideration due to the way the economy has changed.    

            The amount of unemployed graduates from 2008 to 2009 stated in College in America. We go to college intending to come out with a degree to guarantee us with perfect job we want. Now, it is so hard to get the job you went to college for. College does prepare us for the professional world but there are no assurances anymore. There are currently more than two million unemployed graduates (College in America). It makes you question is college even enough?

                Some agree that college is not worth all the money and stress you put yourself though. In the article “Is College Worth the Money?” By Amy Phillips she states, “As this generation is starting to figure out, spending money on college is often a huge waste of time and dollars. And now that another generation is growing up and getting ready to head off to college, the question becomes, Is that degree worth the money and time? Too often, if we are honest with ourselves, the answer is a resounding "no."” Everyone has their own opinion and I support Amy’s opinion, but I also believe that college is an experience that shapes you as a person. It helps you grow intellectually as well as maturity. College is also what you personally make of it. 

                If you decide to come to college to get a job in the professional level, you attend school to take the classes that are required for your major and then you graduate. I believe that some of the classes are not necessary. We all took the required academic core classes in high school and I believe it is a waste of time and money to take them again. In some, you learn more in depth in that course, but if it doesn’t have any importance to your major, then I feel that it should not be mandatory. In Nicolas Perez’s post, “Dropping out Was a Good Idea”, he states “My school wasn’t helping me in any of my areas of interest…” He essentially says the classes he was taking were not supporting his desired interest of study. I believe that college should not be such a lengthy process and you should only be required to take the courses necessary for your anticipated major. 

                Every job that you apply for wants you to have some experience. For the recent college graduates, we have no professional experience. Companies these days like to hire employees with experience in the designated field. With them do this, it leaves the newly graduates with a little chance to be hired when they are competing for the job with an individual who has experience. In my opinion, how is college beneficial if companies are more likely to pick an individual with more experience? In the post, “Labor Market for Young Graduates Remain Grim” the authors state “In economic recessions as well as expansions, the unemployment rate for young workers (those under age 25) is typically around twice as high as the overall unemployment rate., Over time, young workers are relatively new to the labor market—often looking for their first or second job—and they may be passed over in hiring decisions due to lack of experience.” Recent graduates spend more time being job seekers their first few years after graduating than having the job they anticipated. 

                Some individuals have different opinions on whether college is enough.  If you are one like me, who is attending college and expecting to graduate, you should not assume a job will be there when you get out of college. It is essential to make yourself stand out from the rest and never give up on your desired profession after graduating. There will come the time where your degree will make an importance in your life.  

  

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