Having College Education from Socioeconomic Perspective

Introduction

Most people, when asked about their goals for the future or where they see themselves in 5-10 years, will most likely say something along the lines of success in a job that they enjoy doing. My question for those people is what steps does one need to get there, and is there more than one way to do it? Some will say that no matter what path in life you are taking or think you might take, college is a necessary evil to be successful in America. Others will say college is a scam that gives you a degree; however, you’re buried in debt, which places you lower on the ladder to success. This essay provides various viewpoints to offer a clearer picture of these concepts. When examining college through a socioeconomic lens and focusing on the success aspect, we can conclude that the two most common options after graduating high school are college or joining the workforce right away. Both choices have positive and negative factors that can sway an individual one way or another; this being the case, it doesn’t mean that one option is unquestionably the right or wrong choice.

Having College Education from a Socioeconomic Perspective

Most people agree that to have any sort of career, you need some type of basic learning skills as well as people skills, determination, and resilience. Vijay K. Sharma (Sharma, n.d.) takes this idea a couple of steps further by writing a speech on the importance of college education and how attending college is the key to gaining/excelling at all of those skills. He discusses in his essay that there are five important ideas that help prove, in his eyes, that college is necessary for a successful career. They are as follows: "More job opportunities for college graduates, improvement in confidence and awareness, sense of responsibility in college, knowledge about various aspects of career and life, [and] improvement communication skills" (Sharma, n.d.).

Sharma goes more in-depth regarding the idea that there are more job opportunities for college graduates because our government won’t allow you to work in certain fields (involving the government) without a particular level of education that is only obtainable through a college education. He goes on to say that while a degree will make that person eligible for the job position, it will not guarantee that person the position; other factors are in play. He argues that college aids in helping elevate college students' confidence levels simply because of the amount of freedom that is given to you once you get there. He also states that in high school, you had to do certain things in order to pass the class. The keyword is had; in college, you're held responsible for your own work because teachers won't chase you down to get you to do your work anymore.

Sharma further asserts that being in college helps increase your desire to be taught and to compete with numerous people who are all trying to figure out what they want to do. He emphasizes that this will be vital in the future when looking for work because of how easy it is to make connections in college. He concludes that college is beneficial not only education-wise but also that simply being in that physical environment is extremely helpful as well for current reasons and for others further down the road. According to Vijay, "education is the most important thing in our life" (Sharma, n.d.), frankly because of how much time we’ve already spent inside of it. We do spend a good portion of our lives being taught, whether that be inside or outside a substantial educational building; nonetheless, does this make education after high school crucial in assuring success after college?

Alternative Views on Success Without College

Other people believe that college isn’t necessary to be successful but that an education of some sort is imperative for some type of success; Ryan Guina (Guina, n.d.) is one of these people. He insists that "As you try to chart your career path, it makes sense to stop and think about whether or not you are developing skills that others will pay for. Instead of just going to college because you 'should,' consider what you’re accomplishing. In some cases, developing a skill set that others are willing to pay for doesn’t require a college degree" (Guina, n.d.).

After reading this, several professions popped up in my head, such as mechanics of any sort, as well as some government jobs, for instance, immigration/customs investigators. Guina emphasizes that the ratio for degrees that are high-paying and for degrees that are low-paying is off. There are many majors/minors in the college world for which there are candidly not any jobs, which are mostly fine arts. The article goes on to say that it’s getting to be less and less about what level of education you have but more about who you know and how good you are at selling yourself and networking/making connections. It’s about going after what you want and not making excuses for yourself; making your own path.

Guina further points out that some colleges tend to create people who are so overly confident that they are a touch arrogant; which, down the road, when those people are out of college, they come to the harsh realization that the real world is going to put them in their place rather quickly. He wraps it up by acknowledging a contradiction in his argument, saying that even though he personally wouldn’t and didn’t belong to a higher level of education, most interviewers won’t give your résumé a second glance if they see you didn’t attend a college.

Personal Reflections

Personally, I have seen and heard many people who didn’t go to college bash, for lack of a better term, the people who decided to attend a secondary school. Their main reason was that the people who did, in fact, decide to go to college were spending too much time and money learning; when they could just not go to college and make money at a steady job right out of high school and not be stuck in debt. Currently being in college, I understand both points and can empathize with each party and their beliefs. In truth, some days, college can seem pointless in a way because of how many people I know who don’t like what they’re doing but are stuck because that’s what they majored in, and that’s just life.

On the contrary, there are times when I believe that I am on the right path and college is exceedingly helpful in making me who I want to be, in the career I want to be in. The way that this specific economic issue is set up almost feels impossible to solve; however, it is not as bad as it used to be, and it is getting better as every day passes. New educational models and flexible learning paths are being introduced to accommodate different learning styles and career goals, which might bridge the gap between traditional and alternative career paths. This ongoing evolution in education is crucial for adapting to the dynamic demands of the modern workforce.