Why Do People Attend College?

You probably believe that most people attend college. There is a good chance that you think that it is natural to be educated. It seems to be true that a college degree has replaced a high school education for most job/career purposes today. Therefore, you may be surprised to know the answers to the following questions. First, what percent of the U.S. population has a college degree today? Second, we live in an increasingly global world, so what percent of the world population has a college degree today? Only one out of four (25%) of the U.S. population and less than 1% of the world population has a college degree. Upon completion of your degree, you will be in a minority group with respect to education in the U.S. and in the world. Many college
You may be the first in your family with a college degree. You may have borrowed money and now have loans to repay. You might have worked and/or were raising a family while attending college. Some of you probably had some type of disability to surmount to complete your degree. I find it interesting to note, as a faculty member who interacts with a wide range of students, that many new college graduates believe that they worked hard in college, and now, they are ‘owed’ something. It is likely that you hold the belief that you deserve a job, respect, and happiness (whatever.) On the contrary, educated people owe everyone else. It does not matter how you hard it was to earn a degree. You have become one of the educated minorities. It is now your responsibility to help others in some way. With that comes an ominous responsibility to the rest of society. And, remember, much of your success is due to what was given to you – the part you did not earn. How well will you do with the part you did earn? Be the best at what you are. Be honest. Others should be able to count on your knowledge and integrity. Do not ever take advantage of others. You will be
The good news is that you can choose how to repay society for allowing you to be educated. Your method of giving back depends on your degree area, your age, and your talents and interests. Each one of you can select ways to actively give back. A passive, but very positive, way to repay society is to ensure that you never use your education to purposefully harm others. But, this is not enough. Be active - give of yourself and your time if you don’t have money, and continue to do so even when you do have money. You can make a difference – it can be small or huge. Many of you are here due to some relationship with an organization that recognizes excellence. As a student who has already been acknowledged as excellent, you may have even more responsibility to be cognizant of societal responsibility than other