Preview

Value of Higher Education

Satisfactory Essays
Open Document
Open Document
281 Words
Grammar
Grammar
Plagiarism
Plagiarism
Writing
Writing
Score
Score
Value of Higher Education
Abstract

This paper shall argue that despite the costs of a higher education, a college or university education is of great value to every individual. Higher education prepares an individual for the working world through the imparting of specialized knowledge. A Higher education allows individuals to earn more at the end of their degrees, making up for the cost incurred during the pursuit of the degree. College education helps to provide students with critical thinking and communication skills that lasts a lifetime. A higher education helps an individual grow as a person, by exposing them to a wealth of knowledge and resources. College education helps students establish interpersonal networks, which include peers as well as professionals. Higher education teaches students about discipline and hard work, as well as about success and challenges. This paper shall conclude by noting a number of things students can do to get more value from their college or university education and by outlining some of the ways I as a student wish to further my career in accounting by graduating from the University of Phoenix.

The Value of a Higher Education

Higher education requires a considerable investment of time and money, as wall as a considerable lifestyle change. Those entering college or a university must not only be willing to pay tuition cost and school fees, and study for many years to get a degree, they must also arrange the rest of their lives around classes, exams, semesters, and summer breaks. Given the gargantuan effort it requires to secure a higher education, some may reasonably question the value of a college degree. It is well known that many successful and affluent people in our

You May Also Find These Documents Helpful

  • Good Essays

    When it comes to the topic of attending college, most of us will readily agree that obtaining a higher education is important. Where this agreement usually ends, however, is on the question of paying for it. Whereas some are convinced that tuition is too high, others maintain that it is important no matter the cost. Andrew Hacker and Claudia Dreifus address just such an issue in their essay “Are Colleges Worth the Price of Admission”. Hacker and Dreifus discuss the issue of college tuition fees versus the quality of teaching they offer, but also point out that “colleges are taking on too many roles and doing none of them well” (180). They offer solutions and several proposals on how to improve the college experience. The main point they make, however is that colleges “have lost track of their basic mission to challenge the minds of young people” (180). At first glance, college students might say that attending to their dream college is their high priority. But on closer inspection, are students receiving a fair value for their investment? What are they gaining from higher education? “Graduating with six figures’ worth of debt is becoming increasingly common”, Hacker and Dreifus say. If Hacker and Dreifus are right that higher education industry is in need of a reform, as I think they are, then we need to reassess the popular assumption that attending to your dream college should be your priority no matter the cost of tuition.…

    • 976 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Annotated Bibliography

    • 1915 Words
    • 8 Pages

    Scott Carlson, a talented writer studied English Literature in college and then went on to win first prize for beat reporting from the National Education Writers Association. Not long after in 1999, he joined the Chronicle of Higher Education. While here he wrote a scholarly journal article, “Is College Worth It? 2 New Reports Say Yes (Mostly)” where he discusses the cost and value of a college degree.…

    • 1915 Words
    • 8 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Room and board, books, parking, and tuition may overwhelm any perspective college student and their families framing a common question in their minds, “Is it really worth it to send my child to college?” Many students find themselves in a financial burden throughout the milestones of obtaining a college education but it perceives to become quite evident that a college degree is extremely beneficial. Many things can come in the way between a student and success, but college is often a fundamental gateway into the real world.…

    • 1089 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    “It’s just extremely disappointing and aggravating to have paid all that money and have nothing to show for it other than debt.” proclaimed Michelle Polyakov, an English graduate from Drake University. Polyakov obviously feels that college is not worth the cost and that all someone has to show for the education is debt. College has been deemed, by some, that it is not worth the cost because of the financial loss, the future job security, and the need for “blue collar” jobs. Finances, job security, and the need for manual laborers are all major factors in the debate of college and its cost. The reason being is because not all people are meant to go to college, or their situation just isn’t ideal. College is a privilege, and not every job requires you to have a higher form of learning, but most do. By viewing the debt of a student after graduation, the job security of graduates, and the need for manual laborers, one can infer that college is not worth the cost.…

    • 955 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    essay 2

    • 1125 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Today’s society has put a confusing spin on the need for higher education. Are we, as students, looking to simply walk out of the doors of a university and into a guaranteed job opportunity, or are we forgetting what the value of an education means? It seems to me that the lines between the definition of getting a degree and getting an education are very blurry. Another factor affecting our views on education is that society has changed; the downturn of today’s economy has affected many people’s choices, especially when it comes to choosing what path they choose for their future. Employers today are changing what they value: job experience or an education. Both of these choices will contribute differently to society. Also, the high cost of going to college will have you asking yourself, is the amount of money worth it, or a better question, am I worth it? We need to ask ourselves, what are you working for? Are you working for a degree to gain employment, or are you working for an education that gives you the many tools to becoming a vital citizen? All of these factors: the loose definition of what education means, our ever-changing society, and the rising cost of tuition, has forced students to re-think their futures as possible graduates. I would argue, to better our struggling economy, we need to be working to better ourselves in the larger sense of our education.…

    • 1125 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In society today, a college degree and education is no longer considered an option for further education, but rather a necessity for a supposedly a superior job. College is investment of funds and time. College causes student loan debt and many college graduates become employed in professions that do not require a degree. In the 1980’s, bachelor’s degrees earnings and the earnings of high school graduates were nearly equivalent, likely causing the pressure families put on their children to go to college. According to the statistics of Business Insider, the financial return of college graduates is higher than the earnings made with a bachelor’s degree.…

    • 408 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    College Tuition

    • 795 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In today’s society, college has become less of an option and more of a necessity. College is required for many various professions, and the cost of tuition seems to have a lasting effect on many Americans. Although having a college education will help someone receive higher pay and become more successful, the stress of college debt is taking a toll on graduates. Most college graduates will be paying for college loans for many years after they graduate. The continuing rise of college tuition is also hindering many people to have the desire to attend college. Like anything, education has its cost and it doesn’t come cheap. The average college student graduates with a minimum of 30,000 dollars in debt ("College Costs:…

    • 795 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Input Controls

    • 936 Words
    • 4 Pages

    In the first few years of high school, just like me, students begin to question, what’s the importance of a college education? Why is so important, what will I gain there that I can’t gain on my own without? The thought of many young kids, just like me, about to graduate, is to immediately generate some sort of income. We must choose and think openly about the correct path because the importance of a college education has become quite evident in the terms of earning potential within today’s economy. Although a higher education may become one of the largest expenses you may ever have, it may just as well be the smartest investment to make. We all think of our lives after high school and how we plan to live with high hopes and expectations. A nice home, a car, two kids, a dog and a big yard, although most of the time we don’t think of the time and…

    • 936 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    In today’s day and age, there are more people attending college. Students range from a variety of ages and races. Although this may be the generation of partygoers, social media, and procrastination, today’s college students are serious-minded when it comes to their academics. In this economy, one cannot afford to waste money in furthering their education if they do not plan on attending. Many college students are actually furthering their educations because they believe that they will live better lives with a college degree. Some believe that by achieving a higher level degree one is set up for a better job with benefits and a better pay. This generation of college students majorly prioritizes their lives accordingly so that they have time to focus on their academics.…

    • 726 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Academic Honesty

    • 1001 Words
    • 5 Pages

    Society has communicated the concept that students need to acquire a degree for future employment, financial security, and personal reasons (Choi, 2009; Cohen & Brawer, 2003; McCabe, Butterfield, & Trevino, 2006). And students often believe they will receive higher salaries from future employers if they have…

    • 1001 Words
    • 5 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    When students attend college, they are left in severe debt after they graduate. This can sometimes be discouraging to students. This also makes you wonder, “What is the value of going to college or attending a postsecondary institution?” Has going to college become more expensive than what it’s worth?…

    • 881 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    Hispanic parents and African-American parents stress the importance of higher education in even higher numbers than white parents, or the population at large…

    • 776 Words
    • 4 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Good Essays

    A college education is known to be one of the most important aspects of a person’s life. Finishing college with a degree with help a person tremendously in the future. It can help someone get a job, work at a faster pace and manage their time and money.…

    • 459 Words
    • 2 Pages
    Good Essays
  • Satisfactory Essays

    All eyes are on America and an adept workforce has never been in higher demand. If more Americans had a college education on their check list we’d see our workforce become more pragmatic and ambitious. The benefit of an adept workforce would overflow into our communities increasing the members of society who will become actively engaged on an intellectual level.…

    • 363 Words
    • 1 Page
    Satisfactory Essays
  • Good Essays

    Value of Education

    • 745 Words
    • 3 Pages

    Girls and boys who learn to read, write and count will provide a better future for their families and countries. With improved education, so many other areas are positively affected. In short, education has the power to make the world a better place.…

    • 745 Words
    • 3 Pages
    Good Essays