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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