Free Essay

What's so Good About a College Education?

In:

Submitted By picklessuck
Words 280
Pages 2
College will play a huge part in my life just next year. And, of course, I believe I know it’s worth and that the valuable education I will receive will only further my chances of getting my dream career and lifestyle. If someone were to ask me about college, I wouldn’t respond with the typical “Can Opener” answer. It’s much more than just getting money. I also agree that comparing college to a can opener is almost idiotic, especially if you were to dig deeper and see that there’s more to a college education than meets the eye, which cannot be said about a can opener. While a college education helps in getting a job, it also goes beyond and above in furthering our experience and knowledge of the world around us.

I wholly agree with the author of the article, clearly stating that college does not only affect our working lives, but every single aspect of our life, as we gain the skills to appreciate the little things more. We see things that other people can’t. That is truly invaluable to me, having the knowledge to look past the surface meaning and understand the hidden messages threaded throughout stories and movies.

A college education is not a can opener. A college education is the stepping-stone through a variety of opportunities, like our author had stated multiple times. With college there’s obvious advances in science and technology, and basically even the future of our country. Employers trust us more as the college experience builds our character and outlook on certain things. I find this article magnificent, as it justifies my wants to pursue a college education even more.

Similar Documents

Premium Essay

Is College Necessary or Not

...Go To College? The big question for a high school senior today is should I go to college or not? In today’s world they say you have to go to college to be successful in life. Is this true or false? There are many big questions that taunt a senior. Am I ready for college academically? Am I financially prepared for the cost of college? Do I want to be forty thousand dollars in debt right after college? Do I really know what profession I want to pursue? These are all overwhelming questions that a high school senior has to answer. Among them are the pressures that everyone should go to college that our society dictates today. Charles Murray in “What’s Wrong with Vocational School?” makes a strong case that America needs to look at higher education in a different way. The second article “On Real Education” by Robert T. Perry states that America needs more college graduates. Both articles make good points, but Murray makes the point that not all are made for college. In the article “What’s Wrong with Vocational School” by Charles Murray he believes that college is not necessary for some people. Murray takes a look at the IQ test and how it could determine if students are academically capable or ready for college. An IQ test could possibly measure if you are college material or is there another path that would be better. Any score below 115 would mean that college is going to be difficult and hard. According to Murray the top 15% to 25% of the population should go to college for...

Words: 1272 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

Reasons Why People Attend College

...Reasons why people attend college Reasons for attending college vary from person to person. In “Articles and Advice”, Jeff McGuire points out that three of the most important reasons are more career opportunities, growth and development, and the opportunity to gain valuable career resources during a person’s time attending college. In recent years the state of the economy has been down, which is leading to job losses and the high increase of unemployment in our country. Making the choice to attend college can give one the opportunity to fulfill his or her dreams and benefit from learning skills one will need in their desired field of study. The first reason to attend college is for more career opportunities. Attending college and receiving your degree will open doors that may have never been opened if not enrolled. Better careers can also lead to higher wages. If one has a family, this can be important. One may also have all the appropriate skills and knowledge for jobs but may get overlooked without having a college degree. “The U.S. has been transformed from a manufacturing-based economy to an economy based on the knowledge, and the importance of a college education today can be compared to that of a high school education forty years ago,” writes Jeff McGuire. The second reason people attend college is for growth and development. Interacting with classmates, reading, and writing are all ways to help one grow his or her mind and to develop different techniques to be useful...

Words: 543 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Sarah Santiago Research Paper

...magic formula for choosing a college, and I think Sarah Santiago has figured that out. Sarah Santiago and her family moved from El Salvador to the United States and she is the oldest of five. The family of seven have lived in a 3 bedroom apartment. While saving for a down payment on a house. Sarah has been a big help when it comes to the family's income, all while maintaining a 3.8 GPA. With the academic year coming up she has to figure out which college to attend, with her outstanding grades she could attend a great 4 year university with a scholarship or she can go to a nearby 8 month vocational school. Both of these options have their positives and their negatives. Although the vocational school is cheaper to attend and it is closer to home, it is not as nearly as good as the university....

Words: 1357 - Pages: 6

Premium Essay

Argumentative Essay: Should Community College Be Free?

...Right now, there’s a big debate whether or not community college should be free. Some say it should under certain requirements, some say it shouldn't no matter what. It's believed that if college is free, it can help give people a boost on striving for a degree. It's hoped that more people enroll to college to increase the amount of people with degrees. I think the whole situation is pretty interesting, therefore I believe that community college shouldn’t be free because there's already a way in which someone doesn't have to pay for tuition, the pell grants basically covers your tuition and more, and there’s going to be a lot of competition because students varying from low income to upper & middle class. Making college free sounds like a good idea, who wouldn't want to go to college and pay nothing? The idea can benefit a lot of people, but there's no need for it to be free because according to Felipe Bezerra, a student at Rio Hondo College, “about half of the state's community college students qualify for those waivers.” It wouldn't really make a difference to many students because a lot of them are going to have their tuition covered by fee waivers. They're going to realize that they went through some hassle to not pay for tuition, when at the end, it ended up being...

Words: 606 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Chronicle of Higher Education

...Chronicle of Higher Education Pondering Higher-Education Accountability July 2, 2009, 5:59 pm By Kevin Carey Let’s say you’re a governor or a legislator or a member of Congress or you run a large charitable foundation or you’re just generally interested in American higher education, and you have some kind of agenda or goal you want to pursue. Maybe you’re concerned about access for low-income students. Maybe you want graduation rates to be higher. Maybe you wish more people were getting degrees in math and science. Or something else entirely. Whatever it is, you wish things were different, that colleges and universities would collectively be more focused and diligent and effective at pursuing whatever goal you care about most. What should you do? You could write a manifesto or letter to the editor generally exhorting the higher education sector to improve. “This is important!” you would say. “Our future depends on it!” But I think you’d be disappointed. Things are the way they are for a reason. Simple appeals to the better angels of our nature flatter the appealer, but they tend not to change the world all by themselves. Alternatively, you could be heavy-handed and pursue an aggressive regulatory strategy. If colleges aren’t doing something you want them to do, or are doing something you don’t want them to do, work the political process and pass a law to make them change, whether they like it or not. This path will also disappoint, I think. First because it’s hard to accomplish...

Words: 709 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Analysis: Should College Athletes Be Paid

...Should College Athletes Be Paid a Salary? Being a college athlete is not only stressful but it is also a tiring job to maintain. Being an athlete comes with a huge amount of responsibilities, and with having responsibilities they tend to get in the way of having time to do anything else. On top of that it is harder for college athletes to maintain a job outside of school . Since most college athletes are busy maintaining their studies such as what they are majoring in and their sports, it makes it harder for them to fulfill their goals when they are student athletes. The only student athletes that have that support are students who come from a wealthy family which provide them with money to spend, however most athletes are not that fortunate, which is why colleges should pay their student athletes. College athletes should be paid not only because they are filled with dedication and determination towards school...

Words: 1681 - Pages: 7

Premium Essay

Education

...Is Education that Important? There was a time in my life where I use to think that education was about going to school and getting good grades, but it was not till later on that I realized how important education truly was and how it could be received in many ways. As I started to understand all these diverse forms of education there were many obstacles I faced which included the support of family and friends, ability to manage my time, and being able to go to work. Education is any type of knowledge that you gain from as simple as playing a game to going to school. Education is not only things you learn in school, but everything you have ever been influenced by from someone else. Making a mistake and then learning from that mistake is also a form of education. Education plays a big role in society. I believe that class differences in society are mostly based on education. Looking at society today, anyone can make a perception that the uneducated are either part of the lower or middle class. The higher a level of education a person receives today makes them more capable of getting a better job and making a better living. This may not be true for 100% of the people out there but facts and statistics show education affects the majority of people out there. Education can be received in many ways such as school, work, literature, and daily life activities and many other ways. Work for example is in my opinion the most important part of education. School just teaches you the knowledge...

Words: 1069 - Pages: 5

Premium Essay

Personal Responsibility

...success will be defined by the author in relation to the author’s experience. The relationship between personal responsibility and dream of success will be briefly explained. The authors will show how personal responsibility in his life with school, families and social. The authors will tell you about his dream of success. Personal Responsibility and Dream of Success Today the dream has all but disappeared. Is it? I know I have a dream when I graduated from high school. I had set my goal that I will go to college to get BA degree in business. I set a goal when I graduated from college, and looking for a job, and get my own place. I had planned to move out of my parent’s home. That was when I set my personal responsibility, and I had a dream of success. Being personal responsibility, I set out a plan when I was a teenage; I believed that I could do it as well as other people. I always have a dream about being successful, and about getting my master degree someday, and getting my own business. That was my dream, hasn’t disappeared yet. I will always follow my dream and proof my family that I’ve completed my master degree in the future. That was my dream of success. What’s personal responsibility mean to you? I am sole responsibility for the decision in my life. I am responsible for what I choose to feel or think in my life. I am choosing the direction for your life. I cannot blame your parents for the choices I have made. I have to think hard and to tear...

Words: 2306 - Pages: 10

Premium Essay

Is College Worth The Cost?

...never went to college or made it out of middle school, but he is the smartest man I know. He always tells me that I could save more money and not go to college, because I can go to a technical school for the job I want. He talks about college with me a lot, he does not recommend me to go to college, but he wants me to do what makes me happy. I feel like sometimes college is not where I want to go; my grandpa tells me it is better to have a higher education to get a better job, than to be working at a fast food restaurant my whole life. He always reassures me that I can do absolutely anything I set my mind to do. Although my parents/grandparents were not successful, college is worth the cost because people can get a higher education and better jobs. College is worth the cost because people get financial aid, have more education, and we can do our dream job....

Words: 692 - Pages: 3

Free Essay

My Life

...Why a College Education is Important to Me I am a forty year old mother of two, who has always felt that there was something missing in my life. I tried many different things like learn how to knit or exercise, but still there was something missing. Until one day I felt unhappy about my job I felt that I can do but of course I wanted to get paid. About five years ago I decided that I wanted to further my education so that I can make more money and be able to live comfortably instead of check by check. But for some reason every time I tried to enroll something came up. This past weekend I decided I’d go for it without giving it a second thought and here I am. I spoke to my family about it after I enrolled and was amazed at the response I received my husband said “Go for it babe” my children said (at the same time) “Go mom”. I felt good about my decision. With a college education I know I will reach my goal. I currently work at a Children’s Rehabilitation Center I am the Senior Front Desk Manager there but I am more than positive that I can make this place run much better than how it is now. I realized that every time I mention an idea to my boss she makes the changes and she’s glorified for it. I learned to keep my ideas to myself get my education and take her job. My goal is to be able to make positive changes in my life in its totality with a college education I can make more money and be able to live comfortably. I would like to one day own a home and a vehicle, I would...

Words: 738 - Pages: 3

Premium Essay

Liberal Education

...THE IMPORTANCE OF TEACHING HUMANITIES IN HIGHER EDUCATION INSTITUTIONS: IN DEFENSE OF LIBERAL ARTS EDUCATION A Thesis Presented by Victoria Pleshakova to The Faculty of the Graduate College of The University of Vermont In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Education Specializing in Interdisciplinary Studies May, 2009 Accepted by the Faculty of the Graduate College, The University of Vermont, in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of niIaster of Education, specializing in Interdisciplinary Studies. Thesis Examination Committee: . 2 M d Johnson, 111, D.P.A. ,G!krMb. %.&I;-; Patricia A. Stokowski, Ph. D Interim Dean, Graduate College Date: March 4,2009 ABSTRACT The humanities have always been under attack in the higher education of the United States of America. Corporate culture of the university requires the most money distributed towards research and specialization, while making employability of the graduates the main goal of education. With two thirds of all majors being in business and finance, humanities don’t seem to play a big role in higher education overall. This work makes an attempt in defense of liberal arts education to our students, and the importance of teaching the subjects like English, Literature and Philosophy independent of a student’s major concentration. Even in our age of specialized and corporatized education, these courses are of great importance. These subjects can help...

Words: 17805 - Pages: 72

Premium Essay

Community College Tuition-Free Study

...President Obama proposes making community college tuition-free for responsible students, in order to let more students receive the bachelor’s degree and earn skills that meet employer needs. The proposal is a good starting point because more students can have the opportunities to get higher education, especially for students who are from low income families. On contrast, the government has not enough funds to pay off the tuition fees and free tuition might bring some negative impacts to student, such as a decline in the quality of teaching, and student will care less about their study, so I consider it is...

Words: 851 - Pages: 4

Free Essay

Personal Responsibility Essay

...Personal Responsibility Essay Gen/200 Due Sunday November 4, 2012 Mrs. Susan Ward Taking action of personal responsibilities, can simplify college success. I. Learning to maintain personal responsibilities, simplifies college success. Once a student takes control of his personal responsibilities, he can learn to maintain them and make college successful. To define personal responsibility is accepting the result of your actions instead of blaming others for them. In other words personal responsibility is comparable to accountability. Which is defined as “the quality or state of being accountable; especially: an obligation or willingness to accept responsibility or to account for one's actions”. (http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/accountability). Chances are most of the students are already on track for success. Personal Responsibilities are the decisions students make, to live up to their own ideas and expectations. They are thoughts and perceptions of how the world should be. These responsibilities add morals and values throughout life. As students discover new information these ideas and expectations will change. They can either help the student grow by making his thoughts and perceptions stronger. Or have the opposite effect and make him change his mind completely. They are the reasons for students’ success or failure. This information will help strengthen his thoughts and perceptions. He must take action to become successful. This can be something as...

Words: 1330 - Pages: 6

Free Essay

The Effect of Higher Education on the Risk of Unemployment

...in higher education jobs. Higher education growth has been steady, stable and greater than overall U.S. jobs. The market share of higher education jobs compared to all U.S. jobs continued to increase and a trend has persisted for several years. Individuals who complete educational programs possess the qualities employers are seeking. These strong qualities include the willingness to learn, initiative, and organizational abilities. By pursuing a high level of education that is consistent with the interests and abilities, the career goals are likely to be reached. Statement of the problem Can having a higher education offer you more job opportunities? Is higher education a promise to less risk of unemployment? Are there clear indications that there’s a relationship between higher education and lower unemployment rates? Objectives 1. The underlying question to be answered is to determine if higher education promises less risk of unemployment? Hypothesis Null Hypothesis- The risk of unemployment is not affected by higher education Alternative Hypothesis- Higher education affects the risk of unemployment Methods We are planning to test correlation on SPSS to find if there is a relationship between higher education and unemployment rates. Our methodologies for the research project will hinge on the quantitative approach with our anticipated data from the United States Department of Labor. To achieve our objectives relating to the impact on higher education and its impact...

Words: 3088 - Pages: 13

Premium Essay

Higher Education

...Essay 1 Draft 2 The artifact I chose to write about is Montclair State University’s Business Administration Major; with the focus in Sports, Events and Tourism marketing. This major helps student expands their knowledge and social skills revolving around sports, events and tourism. In this essay you will see comparisons and direct quotes from Mark Edmundson, Michael S. Roth, and James Baldwin. I want to show the connection of how important it is to find what you love and how money should be a factor in your undergrad study but not the only factor because you’ll be doing whatever you major in for the rest of your life. The business school’s mission statement for the program; “The Sports, Events, and Tourism Marketing program provides students the knowledge and skill sets to be successful in the growing workforce of the sports, events, and tourism sector. This program incorporates marketing concepts along with management skills to provide students with a diversified and competitive edge.” I was able to talk to a student who was studying my artifact. I asked him, “ are you in your study for the money or because you actually love what you’re going to do for the rest of your life?” he replied, “ I do like what I’m going to do, but I know there is a lot of money involved.” After talking to a student who was enrolled in this major, left me with the question, “ Is college about finding what you love or making a lot of money?” In class we had discussed the characterization of students...

Words: 1447 - Pages: 6