College is a Great Option, but Not for All the Students
There are many debates regarding college education because some people view it as the best learning option and a tool to get the best skills and experience possible. At the same time, others regard college education as a waste of money that does not prepare them for the future career and that provides very little practical skills. The debates lead to a conclusion that college is a good opportunity for those who have a desire and capacities to study, but it should not be regarded as a must for those who do not want to get and use it in the future. Thus, college education is the best option only for the people who recognize its worth and apply its results on practice. Therefore, it should not be pursued by the people who lack this understanding. The current problem is that college education has become an irreplaceable status thing that puts serious pressure on the individuals who are still in doubt; therefore, the tendency has to change while people get the opportunity to decide on the education and the skills they want to strengthen for the jobs they want to pursue.
College Education Should not Be for Everyone
Currently, college system possesses many flows that create the tension and the doubts regarding the necessity of having this type of education. People feel that they invest their money into the degrees that will not help them in the future, and they feel that college education is outdated and it does not meet the time requirements. Therefore, there are many doubts and questions in regards to the quality of the education people receive. More to say, in modern society, college education has lost its exclusiveness because people feel like that they have to get it because the majority does it (Murray 234). They do not think about applying the education later on in their lives, but they go to college out of social pressure and expectations. As a result, the students do not understand the reason for studying at all, as they feel they are forced into going to college.
Another argument that shows that college education should not be for everyone is the fact that not all of people possess the same intellectual capacities and skills. While some are skilled and smart enough to go to school, and they possess the determination, others lack all of the mentioned qualities. Still, there are many people without skills or talents who get the college education because there are some schools that are easier to get into, and there are more possibilities for the students who come from richer families and can afford having a college degree. As a result, the colleges often have many students who do not deserve or seek getting the skills and knowledge and who waste many years without setting a goal for themselves. At the same time, some people cheat throughout college or use deceit in order to get good grades. However, they still get a degree, which puts them in the same position as the people who worked hard for the diplomas and who actually know much more. Therefore, a very unfair situation emerges because the talented graduates have to compete with the people who have done much less during their studies. The whole concept of cheating that happens very often throughout college education shows that there have to be some changes in the system, and not everybody should apply for college.
However, there is another perspective that shows that college can be very beneficial for some people as they are able to get the knowledge they want, which would be an asset in their future lives. For instance, some researchers speak about the fact that people tend to overlook the benefits of liberal art education (Ungar 192). Many individuals have doubts about it because they think that engineering or specialized degrees would be more beneficial for them, and they underestimate theoretical knowledge. Nevertheless, liberal arts education can provide the leaders with valuable knowledge they would be able to apply in their professional life. With the focus on liberal arts, the students will learn to structure their thoughts and organize the educational process, which would also expand their general knowledge on the important topics. With these capacities being strengthened, the people will develop a skill of learning independently, and thus, they would be an important asset for any company. Henceforth, the liberal arts education helps people to develop critical thinking skills and apply them in practice, and that is the reason that shows that the college education can benefit the learners substantially.
Returning to the main issue, one should stress that college does provide people with many skills and capacities they want to have. It is especially true with the motivated students who look for the opportunities and consider classes as the tools to gain the necessary information. They regard college experience as a preparation for their further careers because they learn a lot about themselves, improve their professional capacities, and they have time to determine what they want to do in life. From this perspective, college education serves as the tool it is intended to serve. It organizes young people, gives them the assets they can use in the future, and helps them to move further with their careers. This is exactly the reason why the institutions should be interested in accepting only motivated students who are truly interested in studying and who see this process not as an opportunity to waste four years, but as a tool for self-improvement and professional growth. In other words, colleges have to be more demanding and pay a lot of attention to the motivation of an individual in order to select only those who are eager to study.
Thus, the current tendency with college being a status thing has to change. Nowadays, many people feel like without college education, they cannot get a good job or have good lives. They also feel that they are deprived of the opportunity to choose for themselves because they feel obliged to study even if they do not want to. There is also a fear of losing good life opportunities because of the lack of degree. Therefore, it is essential to draw a clear division line between the jobs that require specialized skills and have be studied before, and the jobs that do not need that sort of education. Another important thing is the necessity to clarify the job requirements and expectations the employers have for the potential employees. Currently, the employees feel like the employers care about the status of the college they went to, but there is little check of the skills and capacities of the candidate. As a result, the most suited workers do not always get the job. This situation can be changed in case the employers evaluate the workers based on their knowledge and pay less attention to the college experience unless it is not necessary. In addition, college education should be centered more on practical skills that are valuable for the people seeking work. Now, many people feel that they lack introduction into their profession, and this situation can change in case the companies decide to cooperate with schools directly. This way, they will be able to involve the talented students directly while evaluating their skills; and it will also be possible to select the best candidates.
Thus, it is safe to say that college education provides the people with the intellectual benefits, but only if they want to get them. In other situations, it would not be an effective tool for the people, and they will not be able to use the capacities and knowledge that the colleges can offer. Modern society should to understand that college education is not for everybody, so it is pointless to demand everyone to study and learn in order to get the degree. Quite the opposite, college education should be an option for the extremely talented individuals who will be able to use their skills further in their life and apply the provided knowledge for the social benefits.
