In the essay “College Is a Waste of Time and Money,” Caroline Bird argues that college is a complete waste of time and money for people. She argues that most students are unhappy and unsatisfied with attending college. She believes that they go to college because it has become the thing to do or because of getting pressure from their parents or societies. Furthermore, she thinks that college is not a good financial investment because career financial success depends on other factors. She believes that people gain true knowledge and skill while working in real jobs and not in college. Bird believes that college has to be judged not by what other people think is good for the students, but how good it feels to the students themselves. To some college may be a reason to avoid adult responsibilities, gain independence or avoid intolerable home situations, but to others college is an institution offering higher levels of educational purpose that will help them succeed in their careers later on with multiple benefits.
College can be financially expensive. Since it is very costly, many believe it is better to just get a job straight out of high school, not take any student loans, and start to save for your retirement right away. Though colleges have gotten more expensive, not all college graduates find high paying jobs. According to the article “College Costs Up, Little Debt Help For Occupy Wall Streeters,” it states that “colleges and universities continue to raise tuition far faster than inflation and churn out ever more indebted graduates, two reports released by The College Board today show. With states struggling to balance their budgets, the sharpest tuition increases this year were at public colleges; at four year state schools in-state tuition… and despite the college expenses, college graduates aren’t able to find a good paying job”(Forbes). Finding a well paying job right after graduation may be hard during these tough circumstances,
Cited: Novack, Janet. "College Costs Up, Little Debt Help For Occupy Wall Streeters." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 26 Oct. 2011. Web. 15 July 2012. . Novack, Janet. "College Cost Crunch." Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 28 Oct. 2010. Web. 14 July 2012. . "Is College Worth It?" Pewresearch.org. Pew Research Center, 15 May 2011. Web. 14 July 2012. . Caroline Bird. “College is a Waste of Time and Money.” The Norton Reader.1975