Is College Still Worth It?

anon94785555
Thu, 22 Jul 2010 19:57:57 +0000

Some meanderings-

Why go to college? If only for job skills/to make money it may not be worth a student’s time or money. But for the intangible worth of becoming well educated there is no substitute. Regardless of what you do later in life no one can take away your experiences and the knowledge gained or intellectual stimulation college gives. A thirst for ideas, thinking…, not a ticket to a well paying job. There is a reason students choose different colleges/universities- you can get good teacher training at many different schools in Wisconsin and end up with the same job and pay, but the benefits to the student as a person can be radically different.

Interesting bringing up careers versus jobs- it is a matter of self invested in the field- plumbing can be a career if the person chooses, and teaching can merely be a job- a matter of attitude/mindset (also plumbers can earn a lot more money than many teachers do). It is nice when work leads to being happy-when long hours are enjoyed and not seen as needed to “get ahead” or make money.

Our society sometimes seems to have lost sight of the meaning of a college EDUCATION, equating it with getting job skills. A person can become an RN with a 2, 3 or 4 year degree program- the nursing skills can be well taught in any of them. But the critical thinking skills and willingness to go beyond what was learned in school are most likely found with the 4 year degree (due to the type of student who opts for the additional work or the benefits of the extra work?). Job advancement to higher levels now usually requires a BSN, generating diploma mills. Likewise in the business world a college degree has replaced being smart and experienced in getting higher level positions- generating those diploma mills. Both forms of getting the “piece of paper” required for a job work, but the personal benefits are not equal. In the same vein- getting a “C” in a course may satisfy a requirement, but the knowledge gained is not equivalent to an “A”.