For over a century higher education guaranteed its holders good position in the society and corresponding income. However, the economy, the society and even the higher education have been changing. Is higher education the only option as it was before? Is there any alternative to it? Do graduates really benefit from all this years of study? Thus, it is obvious why in the last two decades the researches started arguing about the expediency of higher education.
After first harsh words this discuss seems to come to more effective and rational course. However, authors still disagree whether or not the higher education is a must or “an economical imperative” as it was cold by President Obama.
In 2013 Hrabowski III gave an example of how the college education helped the Walter Sondheim to become a leader in Maryland. In this case, the education has shown a young man the perfect may to realize himself as an active member of society. In this story, the education was just a milestone. Thus, the authors’ supportive viewpoint is clear. He as well as many ones before sees it as chance for better life. For him one of the reasons for unsuccessful attempts is lack of counseling, as “students need strong counseling to identify the best possible options”. This is a good point, but may be one-sided. As not all of us are capable or eager to go through the whole college way, but still everyone wants to achieve self-fulfillment. Some workers are happy to be who they are if respected and given a chance to show their inelegance. The history presents us with so many persons of natural gift and grace. May be they could do even more in collage, but it is not guaranteed.
The position presented a half year before by Owen and Sawhill is not so unambiguous. “By telling all young people that they should go to college no matter what, we are actually doing some of them a disservice.” They have analyzed and tried to summarize the results of the rate of return evaluations. They also raised a very important question about innumerable factors like social effect, which could not be that easy evaluated. These authors also discussed the differences coming from the original situation and the students’ predisposition. It can that happen huge investments especially financial ends in low feedback.
Two years past and in 2015 and Gongloff looking on to two charts claimed: “The answer is not to tell kids to skip college -- the answer is to make college more accessible to everybody.” He showed that in the time of Great Recession collage education worth it. The published charts are the perfect for agitation. Male college graduates make twice as much as high school grads and female – 2.25. The greatest result and the best reason to start writing an application. However, the loss in case of drop out is likely to be much higher than for any other educated group. This fact is shown, but still is in shadow. He never explained which boundaries prevent young people from collage that are to be eliminated. Finances, attitude, lack of information? What? This article left more questions than answers.
Ozimek was skeptical and declared: “ what we see is that examples of decent jobs without a college degree exist, and on the other side of the ledger there are also examples of college degrees that really are a huge waste of money.” Here is the point, that depending on where your hart lays the college education could be a golden mine or waste of money. He is reasonable saying, that “we probably want more kids to go to college, but given the current jobs and colleges out there today, all of them going would almost certainly be a bad deal for many.” The college education is not a panacea, it should be possibility of growth and development. Studding should be fun and obsession, not a forced decision whatever good intentions lay behind. Students should not be only money oriented, because otherwise, the poor people has a little but no good reason to find their way to higher education and the older graduates would be fill uneasy if they have not achieved the “high income standards”. To develop society needs educated members
I see the main problem with higher education is much broader than a simple be or not to be decision, it is more important especially in long-term outlook to make it profitable for everyone including applicants from families with low income. Now the focus is on earnings premium, but though important, the money is still only one of the reasons supporting the high education. Students and graduates often face frustration and failed expectations. As the dreams of what it would be to go to a collage and to work after graduation are far from reality.
The Obama initiatives have increased transparency in collage assessments, but still it seems like people cannot benefit from it, as they place accents wrongly. The explanatory guidance among prospective students and their parents is time-consuming and looks really misused in the majority of high schools, still it is essential for all parties. It should be focused on applicants and their potential, first, to enrol, second, to graduate and, third, gain profit. Colleges could help young people set their goals and define expectations on the solid facts and not myths and prejudices.
The statistics showed that college education leads to the increased income and a stable state during Recessions, but only for graduates. This particular fact should be underlined on the first place as well as the debt and drop out levels by the end year. Future students must get the most realistic picture of costs and profits, risks. Here is the work for psychologists and marketing leaders, who are to develop the appropriate manner to deliver this information without scaring and bluffing. The high schools will benefit from enrolment of more talented and ambiguous students focused on studies. For the rest supervisor can offer organised summer, vocational or professional course to satisfyy all needs. However, general steps are needed to enhance the prestige of workers and show that personal growth is possible whether you have a college degree. High school should become one of the possible options to choose after careful consideration of the predisposition, the situation and on own accord. If that is the case, the society and economy will flourish.
The main problem here is that the authors tend to answer all questions like “Does people benefit from going to college and taking loans, hardworking for payouts?” in general while it obviously depends on the social class the future student belongs to, the preferred major and even personal identity. A lot of poor people do want to enter any collage, usually they look through the bottom of the list considering that their chances are higher. The real talents can stuck in the bottom and never see the chance to evolve into something bigger. Thus, may be it would be better to stop arguing and start taking real steps to help student to find answers to all questions from financial aid to work prospective, to stimulate distant learning, so the people, who have chosen to skip collage, would not be left behind. Ideally, the prospective student would come to a collage admission centre to speak to assistants or to volunteers who would gently explain the possible risk, without painting horrifying sights, but still giving a realistic picture and making the point about the worth of different majors. If the major is not that profitable the student would probably choose something different or if remained unconvinced be prepared to even harder work and lower benefits. The expectation in such case are more likely to meet the real outcome. It would ease the social tension as poor people would not blame the middle class or reach ones, if their dreams of better life would shatter.
Works cited
Gongloff, Mark. Why You Should Really Go To College, In 2 Charts. Huffpost Buisness, 20 Feb. 2015. Web. 3 Feb. 2016 <http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/02/20/college-income-premium_n_6720902.html>
Hrabowski III, Freeman A.. College prepares people for life. The Baltimore Sun, 22 Dec. 2013. Web. 3 Feb. 2016. < http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/opinion/oped/bs-ed-hrabowski-20131221-story.html>
Owen, Stephanie and Isabel Sawhill. Should everyone go to college? Brookings, 8May 2013. Web. 3 Feb. 2016. <http://www.brookings.edu/research/papers/2013/05/08-should-everyone-go-to-college-owen-sawhill>
Ozimek, Adam. Should Everyone Go To College? Forbs Business, 29 May 2014. 3 Feb. 2016. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/modeledbehavior/2014/05/29/should-everyone-go-to-college/#67bd7f0a2ead>
