Is College Necessary Anymore?

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   Daniella Lopezposted 11 years ago

   With the rising cost of tuition, increased debt amongst young adults, and the low job rate, is college even necessary anymore? Too many college graduates are unable to find jobs and have a large chunk of school debt they have to begin paying off. Is it really worth it?

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      Brenda Durhamposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Someone asked a similar question some months back, and I believe I said it wasn't necessary.
      But I was wrong.   At least, college is necessary for some people,  although not all people.    A person can't become a doctor or an astronaut or some other very necessary things without having a "higher education".    And we most certainly will always need doctors!   So I do hope everyone doesn't stop going to college!  LOL.
      
      But yeah I understand the issue as you put it, about jobs etc...

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         Kathryn L Hillposted 11 years agoin reply to this

         It is a matter of what one wants in life. One needs to follow one's passions, if possible. Some can mentor with business people/sales people, learn quickbooks, accounting and learn to make that money.  Make the money, then go to school and get whatever degrees will help you with your choice of career. Business is the best way to go, as a start in todays world. Mentor for free or arrange for on the job training. Get out there in the real world right away, if you do not want debt.

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      LucyJeanposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I understand what you're saying; however, my Father-In-Law had a theory and I believe he's at least partly correct.  A person tends to mature only to the level of their education.  Their sense of humor, sense of responsibility, sense of what they want and wish for life stops at the level their schooling stops.  And I must say that I have seen a lot of evidence for what he was saying.  A college education does more than provide a person with a job it also expands that persons outlook on life in all areas.  A persons life is not so limited in more than just the job area.  I went to college, paid to put myself through and I must say it has not made it any easier for me to get a job but it kept me from having such a narrow outlook and scope of life.    It broadens horizons not only career wise but in all areas of life.

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      Rock_njposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      I think so.  Many people regret not having a college degree later in life because it limits their abilities to move up in certain job sectors.  Better to have one, then to not have one.  Some fields I've worked in have gone from taking non-college grads to only hiring people with college degrees to avoid lawsuits and liability issues, and to bolster the firm's reputation.  The lawsuit and liability issues pertain to situations in which a firm is sued.  In a trial or settlement proceedings, it's better to show that you have standards when you hire, which often includes a college degree.  I'm not saying that this necessarily demonstrates that good and qualified people are hired, but it is a legal fallback.
      
      The one exception is if you start your own company and are independently successful.  That does happen, but not enough for most people to skip college.  College graduates have fared much better than non-college graduates over the past five years, through the deep recession and the slow recovery, so this talk that it is not worth it is hard for me to understand.
      
      Of course, college is not for everyone, and there are many well paying skilled trades that do not require a college degree, but if you're looking to enter a field that requires college degrees, not having one is a huge handicap.

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      Kevin Peterposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      According to me, college is very necessary. Although higher education can be conducted even without colleges, it is very essential since its a great experience of learning directly from teachers rather than learning from books or through some other source.Teachers have a lot of knowledge and any of our doubts could be cleared easily in their presence.

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   Zelkiiroposted 11 years ago

   You kiddin'? If I can't get a job even with a degree, what chance does an uneducated schmuck have?

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      kateperezposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Although I do agree with the point of having trouble finding a job with a degree... I also find that there are many "schmucks" out there that are doing quite well in their vocations.
      
      Captains of boats, train engineers, bus drivers, pilots, government employees do not need to have a college degree--just skills.   But then, there are skills that need to be learned--so even though it is not a degree, it is additional education.

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      Beth37posted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Oooh, you might want to rephrase that. There are a lot of ppl without degrees who are still educated, and who would take offense at being called a schmuck.

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      Healthy Pursuitsposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      Maybe the problem is not with your education level, but with your attitude. I know a lot of "schmucks" who are very literate and well-rounded people. And they have solid careers - many times owning their own businesses.

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   psycheskinnerposted 11 years ago

   College was never "necessary".  But not having a degree limits the number of professions you can enter considerably--including many of the most profitable ones.

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   Uninvited Writerposted 11 years ago

   I have experience as an administrative assistant and can't get a new job in that line because they want a college degree in business. So, yes, college is necessary for most people. I have a college diploma but not in that subject.
   
   But, personally, higher education was necessary for me. Not just for a job but for my own personal love of learning.

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   Stacie Lposted 11 years ago

   College isn't necessary for many highly paid, highly needed vocations today. Plumbers, electricians, auto mechanics and carpenters to name a few, make very good money without it.
   Many business owners don't have degrees as well; they have accountant to help with their finances.
   I'm not saying college isn't necessary altogether, but it isn't suited for many in today's market.

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   psycheskinnerposted 11 years ago

   Most master tradesmen still have what I would call higher education via apprenticeship and trade certification. I think it is worth remembering there are other avenues to advanced training.

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      wildernessposted 11 years agoin reply to this

      That is correct.  I have both a university degree as well as "higher education" from the trade school section of another university.  That latter one required 4 years of night classes as well as 8,000 hours of on the job experience - something that no high school could provide.
      
      There are indeed other avenues that academic college to obtain advanced training, and that training is often necessary to advance beyond a menial labor job.  It can lead to a job that is equal to that of most bachelors degrees in income, and surpass many of them.  There is a glut of bachelors degrees on the market today, but skilled tradesmen are often in demand even in the recession.

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   ftclickposted 11 years ago

   I agree you need to have specialized skills versus a degree. Although a degree helps but not as much as it used to. Although, you feel slighted when a 24 yr old grad shows you they are making $150k/yr right out of college asking about home prices in your neighborhood. SO, it still works for a few. I could only guess they were a software engineer or finished their residency to become a doctor.

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   abrodechposted 11 years ago

   College a culturally sanctioned step into adulthood and even though most of what we end up learning in college does not easily translate into practical application in real life, it still expands your horizons and increases one's level of intellectual reasoning. College is a great place for becoming more cultured and informed about the finer things in life. Even though there a lot of "fluff" classes like Greek Mythology or Creative Writing, they should be considered as improving one's personal development as an educated and intellectual person. Unfortunately, most bachelor's degrees do not provide one with necessary job skills that are applicable outside of one's field. For example, science degrees (e.g. Biology, Chemistry, Physics) are not particularly useful for working in a setting outside of a research laboratory, etc. It is for this reason that everyone should make a careful note to at least take some classes that would help them in the real world if they are planning to pursue a career unrelated to or outside of their field.

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   J3 16posted 11 years ago

   I would still be making $13.00 an hour if it wasn't for my degree so I can't complain at all.  Between the grants, CLEP tests, educational tax credits, and the pay back options. I had my loam paid off in 2 years.  I went to Hodges, great school !

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