The Value of a College Education
Natalie Ruiz
February 22, 2013
Eng 300
The Real Value of a College Education In today’s society, nearly every senior high school student is expected to continue their education by going to college. Campuses are admitting the highest number of freshmen than ever before while at the same time cutting down on the amount of class offered. Therefore, it is no surprise that the value of a college education has declined in the last couple years in respect to gaining academia knowledge; however, I believe it still holds great value in other aspects. A college education is not just beneficial for landing that great paying job; I believe it is also beneficial for personal growth, character, social interactions, and networking. Going to college and receiving a degree is empowering, but in order to increase the value of a college education, the problem within the system must first be addressed.
In “Academically Adrift,” written by Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa, the two authors discuss the reasons for a decline in higher learning. One of the first reasons mentioned is the lack of effort and desire students have to go to college or stay enrolled in college. They state that many high school students and young adults are practically “expected” to go to college regardless of their effort put in high school or their grade point average. This has an alarming affect on the students’ academic performance their first year in college. Arum and Roksa write, “Although growing proportions of high school graduates are entering higher education, many are not prepared for college-level work and many others have no clear plan for the future.” In a study done by James Rosenbaum, 46 percent of the sample, consisting of more than two thousand high school seniors, agreed with the statement: “Even if I do not work hard in high school, I can still make my future plans come true.” However, in another study summarizing the experiences of most freshmen, the majority agreed with: “I just wasn’t
February 22, 2013
Eng 300
The Real Value of a College Education In today’s society, nearly every senior high school student is expected to continue their education by going to college. Campuses are admitting the highest number of freshmen than ever before while at the same time cutting down on the amount of class offered. Therefore, it is no surprise that the value of a college education has declined in the last couple years in respect to gaining academia knowledge; however, I believe it still holds great value in other aspects. A college education is not just beneficial for landing that great paying job; I believe it is also beneficial for personal growth, character, social interactions, and networking. Going to college and receiving a degree is empowering, but in order to increase the value of a college education, the problem within the system must first be addressed.
In “Academically Adrift,” written by Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa, the two authors discuss the reasons for a decline in higher learning. One of the first reasons mentioned is the lack of effort and desire students have to go to college or stay enrolled in college. They state that many high school students and young adults are practically “expected” to go to college regardless of their effort put in high school or their grade point average. This has an alarming affect on the students’ academic performance their first year in college. Arum and Roksa write, “Although growing proportions of high school graduates are entering higher education, many are not prepared for college-level work and many others have no clear plan for the future.” In a study done by James Rosenbaum, 46 percent of the sample, consisting of more than two thousand high school seniors, agreed with the statement: “Even if I do not work hard in high school, I can still make my future plans come true.” However, in another study summarizing the experiences of most freshmen, the majority agreed with: “I just wasn’t