Is college for everyone?

Class last week was very interesting because we talked about whether or not college is for everyone, in hopes of finding purpose, meaning, and value in life and in one's career. I believe that college is something that everyone should attain because of the diverse set of skills one can develop through its completion. Professionally, college allows for numerous amounts of networking opportunities, where individuals are able to meet different types of people from all walks of life. Having exposure to people with different socioeconomic and ethnic backgrounds, allows for growth in one's interpersonal and communication skills. Educationally, college helps will the development of critical thinking skills and written analytical skills, which is important in corporate America. Financially, higher paying jobs usually have requirements of having a bachelor's degree or some educational certification than lower paying/ hourly wage jobs. It seems that in today's society, attaining your bachelor's degree is equivalent to achieving your high school diploma, and receiving a master's is equivalent to a bachelor's degree. Overall, it appears that higher education can only help with one's credentials in obtaining a career that not only bring financial stability, but

In contrast, there are a lot professions that require little to no education where people can make more money in than professions where more education is needed. A lot of people believe that college isn't worth it because the amount of debt one will be in after completion of the degree. The rising costs in tuition has actually lowered the amount of college enrollment in today's present world. Despite the financial burden that people are faced with when attaining a degree, there are limited amount of alternative routes outside of education that are less risky that can lead to a path of financial stability. I think as future career counselors, developing alternative plans and providing alternative options outside of the option of college for one's career development, will help people feel less limited in when he/she decides else wise. From some of the reflections presented in class, attaining a bachelor's degree appeared to be reinforced in a lot of high school career workshops, and made kids feel pressured to attain one even if he/she didn't aspire to be in school post-graduation.

Overall, the class discussion about how the global economy has raised its bar for obtaining a job or occupation that would help sustain stable life for, is even harder to achieve due to the limited amount of jobs available in today's economy. Jobs that were once easily obtainable are now more difficult than ever. Overtime, there has been accumulation of immigrants that enter U.S. territory legally every year, who seem to be competing for the same jobs that American citizens are applying for (Brown 2012). This poses even more of a threat for obtaining a job, and creating a stable life. 

Brown, D. (2012). Career information, career counseling, and career development (10thed). New York : Pearson Education, Inc.