More Than Education

What is the purpose and value of college? It is a question that has been debated for many years by many people.

Some think it is strictly to help you get a job and earn money. Others believe it is meant to help you grow as a person. Most haven’t even thought of the question, like myself, until recently.

The majority of society goes with the first one. You must go so you will be successful financially and career-wise. And that, in many ways, is how higher education is designed. But like anything, it has its issues.

Firstly, many people that go down this route aren’t fulfilled with their life now. I know several people, one who hates their job, and one who went into debt in college for a degree they don’t even use now.

They figured out they were passionate about until later in life, and one who switched interests right in the middle of school and has to begin again. And then there are the ones who go back to school. What does this mean?

This says that “The skills they are teaching are being packaged and sold as skills necessary for equipping students to be economically competitive citizens rather than independent, engaged thinkers” (Bradbury), being many colleges, especially universities, are like factories, trying to be as efficient as possible to pump people into the workforce, but that isn’t right.