Traditionally, going to college is seen as part of our "life script", something we are supposed to do in the middle of other supposed-to-do's like get a job, and settle down and get married. College is supposed to be the great enabler, the thing that allows us to get better jobs and get "further ahead in life". What does that phrase exactly mean? In quantifiable terms, it means it should allow us access to higher paying jobs, and thus make more money, and be able to afford more things. So the reasoning goes - we go to college in the hopes that we will be able to earn more, and thus lead better lives. But, is that all to it? Is that how we should live?
Take a look at Carl, the average college grad. He spends 3 years in kindergarten, so he can get in elementary school. He spends 5 in elementary school, so he can go to middle school. Why? So that he can spend another 4 years in high school to prepare to go to college. Assuming that takes 4 years (if he doesn’t party too much), then bam! That’s 19 years of education, just so he can “get a good job”. So the first 2 decades of our lives are spent preparing to be office slaves. Then we spend 30 years in The Cubicle, sitting at the desk doing the same thing over and over, waiting for the day to end, so we can go back and have a few drinks and escape our painful existence by watching T.V.
Overly pessimistic? Well, tell that to the 55 percent.
In my opinion, the view that going to college will lead to a better life is putting the cart before the horse, and needs to be more closely examined. Too many people graduate without really knowing what they want to do with their lives, and spend their twenties fumbling and searching, without finding any real answers. Instead of being on the safe side and going to college cause everyone's doing it one needs to first ask oneself, what makes a certain kind of life better? Ah, the age old question, "What is the good life?" And then one needs to ask what one needs to do to attain it, AKA "What do I do with my life?" Then you get to decide whether college has a place to play in getting that kind of life you want. Or at least decide it during college; don't merely follow the scripts life has laid out for you.
A long standing assumption is that our aim in life is to be happy, and we should do what needs to be done to achieve it. Well, if our aim is to be happy, doesn't a fool or a mentally disabled person, able to smile to himself and feel happy all day, have it better than us? Don't wild dolphins, assuming they aren't bothered by harm, get to play all day, worry free? As humans, what do we need to do to distinguish ourselves from other species? These are all important questions that, even for those that have gone through college, remain unanswered.
Video clip from Office Space 20th century Fox
You raise a very interesting point considering the current economic state of things. With the cost of higher education soaring, it is becoming an increasing gamble for many to invest in a college education. So what is the solution? Politically, I have found Obama's proposal to expand vocational training in Community Colleges (over classic liberal arts education) to be a very interesting proposal. However, this poses a number of socio-economic questions. Are we going to begin syphoning of off those who will be wealthy and those who will just get by at an earlier stage? By discouraging people from getting a true college degree and pursuing vocational training instead, are we disqualifying people from competing to enter the higher social stratas of American society? Is the practicality worth these ethical problems? In my opinion, I still think people should be encouraged to attend college for career prospects, but most importantly, personal enlightenment. I think vocational training should be available at an affordable rate but should not be encouraged as a first choice over a college education.
ReplyDeleteMy friends and I, who are all experiencing freshman year in college, are divided on this question: Is college academically engaging? I was shocked that some of my friends weren't enjoying their challenges in classes and school work. I certainly sometimes wish for less of a work load but I couldn't imagine not enjoying the academic aspects of this experience. But not all people like to learn. They go to college because it is part of their ingrained path. They also think they will be paid higher wages with a degree. But the value of such a degree has been inflated to the point where it does not put you at a good advantage. An employer might even be more likely to higher an employee who went to a community college because they would seem less threatening and would expect lower wages. With four years extra time on their hands, non college graduates could refine other skills or pursue other passions. Some people are just not smart or curious enough for college, so why should they be encouraged to accumulate debt in order to attend? I don't agree with theory 1.) that college should sort out the best, but I think it could certainly provide a way for people to sort themselves.
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ReplyDeleteI think this is an interesting perspective because it raises the question of what makes life meaningful. I think most people think that for their life to be important or good they need to be successful, and they measure success through their ability to get good jobs. From a young age it is engrained in our heads to "make something of ourselves", but what is the best way to do this? No one really completely understands life, it's a confusing thing, but if you take a step back and think about it, it is quite interesting that the way most people measure the way their life is through their job. There are varying ways to be successful in life, and they don't all have to do with how much money one makes or what kind of job one has.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree that there a lot of people who attend college just because it is expected of them, not because they necessarily want to. But though this may not be the right thing to do, I can understand why they would do it. I'm an undeclared freshman and have no idea what I want to do with my life, but I'm hoping that college will help me figure that out. I also don't think college always leads to working in a cubicle. For a lot of people, it helps them explore different areas and find their passion, which they might not have found without college. So while there are many people who attend college only because it is expected. this could be a good thing.
ReplyDeleteI thought about this problem many times when I was a freshman. At that time I thought the university is only training center for a job. However, As time goes by, I changed my mind. University should teach people general knowledge to be a good citizen. The reason that I changed my mind is that when I worked at some company, actually the knowledge that I learned from business school was not that useful. When I worked at the company, I had to learn from the first. The real job was different from what I learned. My boss said that it is better to get a knowledge about a general thing when I study in undergraduate school. It changes my opinion about the university and now I’m thinking university should teach people about general knowledge.
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