Over the years, college has shifted from a place of learning where individuals go to voluntarily learn more about a field of study that they want to pursue, to a place that young people feel like they are forced to go to land a job or impress their parents. Known author, Caroline Bird, argues that our generation is only attending college for reasons that are “entirely irrelevant to the course of studies for which college is supposedly organized.” Bird concludes that the new generation of college students only enrolls to impress their parents or have a good time away from home. I have come to the conclusion that Bird is correct in assuming that our generation is attending college for all the wrong reasons based on an overwhelming amount of…
In Mark Shiffman’s essay Majoring In Fear, Shiffman addresses the increase in students drive to rack up credentials with hopes of landing their high paying, secure job ten years down the road, instead of focusing on what they are truly interested in. He argues that millennials trade out their passion for ambition out of fear of failure.This leads students to opt for the more “practical” areas of study, like the STEM field, and neglect what they may genuinely care about, like the arts or humanities. Shiffman is surely right about students putting their energy into activities that may build their resume out of uncertainty of the future instead of activities that are meaningful to them. Society should push students to pursue what inspires them instead of what career path offers the most job security. This will not only preserve students’ mental health, but also aid in the reverse of the decline in the studies of humanities. However, while I agree on most points, Shiffman fails to address the importance of STEM; in today’s ever changing society global technological competition is more important than ever on both political and economic levels.…
Throughout almost everyone’s life, there is a focus on the future, more specifically in a future career. As young children, we have the hopes of being doctors, police officers, fairies, and princess. When we grow older we learn about the realities and the limits of our futures. We understand that we cannot be fairies or the Flash. However, the pressure to decide what to do in life is always there. A pressure which is the most prevalent in the first years of college. In “Major Decisions” by James Tunstead Burtchaell he explores the ways that picking a major in college is less of a pathway to a certain career, but more to wider possibilities in the future. The importance in not in the career that can be the final goal but rather the knowledge about…
I look forward to that point in life where I can reflect on my life and be proud of my accomplishments. For years, not having a college degree was the biggest regret I ever had, and now that I will no longer have that, I look forward to what I will do with that. Like with Erikson’s Ego vs Despair, like Kelly, I want to be at that point in my life where I am satisfied with my life. I never felt bad, but there were moments in my work career where I would not be able to advance because I did not have a college degree. Joan Erikson and Gerotransendence, Kelly have hit that point where he is content with where his life is at and the close circle of friends that he has is what helps keep him grounded.…
During the college years of a person’s life, some of the biggest and life changing decisions are made. The decision of choosing a college, picking a major, and then the pursuit of a career affect the rest of an individual’s life. College students often receive a great deal of advice, from many different people, concerning their career. There are many people that give the advice, “Do what you love,” while, in contrast, other people will give the advice, “Do what makes money.” These two pieces of advice are very conflicting and it brings up the argument - should you do what you love or what makes the money? For both sides of the argument, there is support and reasoning that is very valid and persuasive. By looking at the argument subjectively, it is difficult to choose a side; each argument has its pros and cons. I believe that there should be a balance of both. Everyone has passions and if an individual has the opportunity to turn his…
In conclusion, although I may not exactly know what I want to do in my life, I know my skills will get me to a good place. As I get older, I gain new experience, which will be essential later in…
It is a question that I had to ask myself many times. If one were to look on paper and see that a student has had over 10 years of education, it would be easy to assume that student knows exactly what they want to do. Unfortunately, that isn’t always the case. In Derrick Jensen’s Walking on Water, Jensen describes the holes in our education system and explains why it is that many students are not exploring their true potential because of the way our education system is operated. The way our education is set up is designed to fit the needs of corporate society which hinders students from taking a minute and asking tough questions like, “who am I?” Sadly, it is a question that many students are not able to figure out during their educational path. Jensen argues that our education system is set up for students to do exactly what those with authority say and that if they don’t, there will be consequences. Jensen describes school as a place almost as where close-ended questions with fixed answers are set to be the norm, while open-ended questions are looked down upon. Jensen states, “I learned to mimic the opinions of teachers, and on command to vomit facts and interpretations of those facts gleaned from textbook, whether I agreed with the facts or interpretations or not.” This slave like system Jensen describes is exactly why we cannot ask ourselves the…
I often feel as though I should already have my life figured out. A lot of my peers already have plans for their post-high school careers, but I find myself shrugging my shoulders every time somebody asks me, "What are you doing after high school?" Not to mention the fact that I'm constantly bombarded with reminders from the adults in my life to choose a career path now, right now, specifically one that will make me lots of money and set me on a comfortable path for the rest of my life. Sadly, I feel I'm alone in my distress.…
In all reality, few things move faster than a million miles per hour, but, for a student approaching the end of high school, life seems to accelerate even past that. The daunting challenge presented by the “real world” is one that every young person will encounter; in facing it, they make decisions that will shape the rest of their lives whether for better or for worse. Choosing a career or a field that pikes interest is one of the most important facets of a successful and happy future, family and general medical practice and Law are two careers that I have researched and found to be most consistent with my personality and passions, through my research…
I recall being asked by my relatives: “What do you want to be when you grow up?” and instead of an answer I would give them a blank stare. I had no idea how to respond. Not because there was nothing I found appealing, but because I felt passionate about too many things. I loved music, math, design, helping others, working with kids, analyzing situations and solving problems. There were to many career paths that I liked, but it always seemed to me that in order to follow one I would have to give up the rest.…
I had always heard the same thing, “Graduate from a good college and find a decent living, and you’ll be happy and successful.” Hah! What a capitalistic, factory-produced, mind-n(d)umbing fairy tale to tell impressionable children, I thought. Nope, I was smarter than that. I would be the one to take the road less traveled—to go against the grain and live my own life the way I wanted to. After barely graduating high school with a GED (or a GED equivalent actually…), I took off to LA to become a music-producer. I was going to be big. I learned the trade, worked inside multi-million dollar studios, and formed a band. I had it all figured out and I was going to show everybody that school was for fools. As with everything in life, this intoxicating success did not last. I began to feel something was missing. Here I was, living the dream that I had imagined for myself, and yet, I didn't feel much fulfillment.…
When an average high schooler walks into senior year, the students are quickly bombarded by school counselors discussing which four year college they should apply too. At my high school, it was never second guessed whether the student would be attending college but was assumed. Most people have misconceptions that if they do not get a degree, they will unable to obtain a job and have an overall unsuccessful life. In Charles Murray’s, “Are Too Many People Going to College” and Freeman Hrabowski’s “College Prepares People for Life”, the two author both discuss the education system we have in place, however, Charles Murray provides a more convincing argument that college, contrary to popular belief, is just not for everyone.…
Peering into an 8:00 am class full of freshman college students, many observations can be made. There are students with their heads down, (obviously still listening to the professor) students with their pencils racing, students with their minds wondering, and students with their attention to the teacher. As one might note, not all students have their mind focused on what they paid for. Some people go through college as a party or just because it’s become one of societies “norms”; others have a set goal in mind. However, if used to its best ability, college allows one to gain an advantage over high school diploma holders, by attaining the knowledge, skillsets, and tools to achieve or explore their career goals.…
As of today, many college and university students do not know what to do after graduation. Some do not even have a plan for their current life. As new generations are joining the workforce the economy is constantly changing. Employees must have skills in almost every area to progress in their rankings. Career fields have updated and are waiting on its future employees. This idea frightens most students entering the workforce. After graduation, students are in charge and have little to no help, but to advance they must learn to take risks. As students take challenging courses they develop ideas of what they might like to do. Many students work while studying, and only some will find a corresponding job to future career possibilities. College…
While getting older you travel to different stages of life, and for a long time in your life you only dream of things you would like to become. For instance, when I was just a little boy around the age of eight I dreamed about becoming the president of The Netherlands. My teacher would always say wake up! Stop living in this fantasy world be realistic. But I kept on dreaming about becoming something important. I looked up to people with important jobs, how they communicate or give presentations and speeches to enormous crowds. That inspired me. But there comes a time when you are forced to stop dreaming at least when you are awake. And that moment came when I left high school. I began to realize that the time to think about my future profession had arrived. I had to think about a job and make that right choice, and then you realize that it is not that easy as: I want to be a doctor, pilot or even a president. You have to choice different paths, will I become a doctor or an economist and you realize you can’t be both. And you ask yourself the question, what do I want to be when leaving school? And you ask that question over and over again and it becomes more and…