Questioning the concept of whether or not to attend college is an unspoken argument in the 21st century. Within the last 25 years, it has been engrained in our society that college is a must. Teachers have emphasized that in order to compete with surrounding peers, it is essential to obtain no less than four years of higher education. However, intellectual people without a secondary education have found stable employment, and have created successful careers. It is to be noted that while college is seen as an ideal choice, it is not mandatory in all cases. In today’s society, attending college is a social standard however, students may not reap its benefits or can be just as successful without a higher education. Concluding whether or …show more content…
Common sense suggests that to become brilliant, one must go through years of education. To refute this assumption however, the chapter “Blue-Collar Brilliance” notes that a man named Joe Meraglio was capable of moving from his initial job on the assembly line, to becoming a supervisor without requiring any form of higher education. With only having the education of a ninth grader, Meraglio’s thirty-three year experience at General Motors allowed him to gain knowledge on the spot that would have costed him a considerable amount of time and money if he pursued college. Meraglio was able to work efficiently, and “although he lacked formal knowledge of how the machines under his supervision worked, he had direct experience with them, hands-on knowledge, and was savvy about their quirks and operational capabilities” (Rose 277). Meraglio’s common sense of the work equipment permitted him to succeed, and later try to make new developments within the company. Through numerous promotions, Meraglio “not only solved problems but also began to find problems to solve: Joe initiated the redesign of the nozzle on a paint sprayer, thereby eliminating costly and unhealthy overspray” (Rose 277). The accomplishments Meraglio achieved in his time working at the General Motors allowed him to obtain a higher position in his place of employment, and most importantly, not need a college