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I don't disagree with the general thrust of the article and I certainly don't disagree that we have way too many people with degrees, but I do think a lot of the college grads are working these non-degree jobs simply because they want to. Sometimes a college grad tending bar is just a college grad who wants to tend bar, not a victim of a horrible economy or a higher education crisis. Or think of it this way: if every college grad started his own business, then 100 percent of college grads would be working in jobs that didn't "require" a degree, right?
No, college grads tend bar or wait tables because nothing else will TAKE them. Or go to Alaska and work in a fish canning factory, again, because nothing else will TAKE them. When you have a college degree the first thing employers demand is WORK references. On purpose. Just to weed you out. So you have to go to Top of the World, Alaska, where hopefully no one else wants to LIVE and hope beyond all hope that that places you first in the running for a **** fish-cannery job. No, wait, those are in Nome.
I didn't go to college to get a job, I went to get an education. I think if you look at only the monetary value of a degree you over looking the real purpose higher education.
but by that logic couldn't you have just gotten a library card and learn, essentially, the same thing?
I've been to college, these classes are nothing special and most are, "textbook" classes (ie. the teacher doesn't actually teach, rather just makes you read the textbook and administers tests).
College grads always like to say that too many people are going to college, but if you ask them if their OWN kids are going to college, they'll always give you the same answer.
College grads always like to say that too many people are going to college, but if you ask them if their OWN kids are going to college, they'll always give you the same answer.
I didn't go to college to get a job, I went to get an education. I think if you look at only the monetary value of a degree you over looking the real purpose higher education.
Tell that the millions of people who were told to believe otherwise.
Didn't have time to read the entire article but here's my 2 cents:
I think we have way too many people who didn't finish high school to be considered an "overeducated" society. I'd rather the government take care of that first before working on boosting college enrollment.
Communications majors get no love on here. Probably the most maligned field of study out there (along with "English" majors).
Well, let's face it, Communications is a pretty meaningless degree; it's some strange offshoot of English, and something that people in Journalism might have some interest in, but it's pretty much a phony degree.
Well, let's face it, Communications is a pretty meaningless degree; it's some strange offshoot of English, and something that people in Journalism might have some interest in, but it's pretty much a phony degree.
"Communications" or "Public Relations" are rather vague and not very deep degree.
Public Diplomacy
International Communication
Information and Communication Technology
Cross-Cultural Communication
Media Studies
etc
are rigorous and marketable though.
Admittedly, even at the graduate level, you still find people banking on "communication" which is insane (in terms of marketability).
There's a difference between "communication" and the more specific areas of expertise that I highlighted.
The problem with articles like this one, or any for that fact, is their percentages is based solely on the sample pool. If you ask a group of X people (pick a number, it doesn't matter) then you will get X results. They never account for ALL the people that either weren't asked or didn't participate. Ask the next group of X people and you will likely get entirely different results.
Sure, many college grads have crappy jobs or aren't working, but I tend to believe some of that is by choice. The other part is likely their inability to take what was learned and APPLY to a useful function for themselves. Having trained/mentored numerous new college grads, I can tell you there is a wide variety in the intelligence field and self motivation from people with the same degree.
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