THE ORIGIN
It is important to understand the original purpose of college and modern purpose to truly determine whether college is worth the investment, both financially and time. The beginning of college was in 1636, the founding of Harvard University in Massachusetts. For those that were not pursuing religious roles, college primarily served as a mechanism for signaling prestige more than anything else. Harvard and other early colleges such as Oxford focused on teaching students the behaviors and soft skills needed to land important public roles. However, the modern purpose of college has seemed to shift from its original purpose. When you ask the question ‘what is the purpose of college today?’ the first answer you will find is ‘A college education gives a person the opportunity to be successful in life, either financially or morally dependent on the goals that they set for their life.’ The difference between the original purpose and modern purpose is simple. In 1636 they viewed it as an opportunity for connections, and prestige. While there are many prestigious schools that still hold this purpose many universities and colleges now are purely for a financial benefit in the future.
THE QUESTION
Is college worth the investment?
To fully understand and answer this question you have to break the question down. First, it is crucial to recognize the investments that college requires. The obvious one is financial, is college worth all the money it costs? Additionally, is it worth the number of years invested in education? In order to answer both of these essential questions, one must fully understand the purpose of attending college. Whether it be to expand their general education or to get a specific degree or even to learn a trade. Now that we understand the question we can begin to work on the solutions and options.
THE ISSUES
Experience vs. Education
College can be an amazing experience for many people. However, there are a few key issues that cause the college to hinder the future growth of its students. The biggest and most well-known issue is how much money it costs to attend. To many this a simple problem with a simple solution, student loans. Although, many do not fully understand the implications that student loans can have on their future financial potential and growth. Once, you graduate college, you get a job and begin to pay off your loans, whether you are paying your minimum payments or not, this is a period in which money is short. Lacking seniority and experience it is highly likely that many graduates aren’t going to be making a lot of money. This can make the first few years of students’ new careers difficult to balance. The second issue is connected to the first, experience, and seniority in the workplace. While many careers do require a college education or highly recommend one. There are also plenty of careers that do not require one, that still have a degree that relates to the field. A fantastic example of this is computer programming, it does not require a degree, however, it has a degree associated with it. This brings up the issue of whether the four years of college and receiving a degree are worth more than four years of experience in the workplace.
THE BENEFITS
There are many benefits to college, the most know being higher pay and a better job. While this is a great benefit of college there are many more that often go overlooked. One of these is benefits for not only yourself but for family, college graduates tend to receive better benefits from employers for themselves and family, such as health care. Another big benefit is job security, education is a very valued attribute in our society, and employers recognize this. College is also a great opportunity to find what you love to do, you can change your major or even your degree to meet your calling in life. There are many other benefits that are much more degree, and the college or university you choose.
