Race to the top
Race to the Top
By Amanda Abramson
The question of why one attends college today is complex, and not easily answered. There are many reasons why so many people choose to gain a higher education. In 2004 alone 84% of people ages 25 or older completed at least high school and over a quarter of that population has achieved their bachelor’s degrees (Bergman 2005). Walking around Keene State College and asking students why they felt the need to attend college was extremely interesting and the statistics were quite intriguing. Using the quota sampling system one hundred students were chosen. They ranged anywhere from freshman to graduates and everywhere in between. The responses ranged anywhere from expanding ones mind to getting a good job where money could be made. It is not news to any citizen of the United States that this country is driven by a need for money and most citizens will go to many lengths to be the one who has the most. It is said to be a “dog eat dog” society where everyone is attempting to climb up that economic ladder and will pull those down above if given the chance. With this in mind, some of the responses from students followed suit and others were a bit less money driven.
Of the one hundred students interviewed over half, 56% said that they were attending college because of personal reasons. Some of those personal reasons consisted of getting away from home, getting a better education therefore getting a better job, some was merely to get more money, one commented that it was an honor being only the second person in the family to attend, over all the majority wanted to attend college to expand their mind and attain a better education. In getting this better education it seemed that most felt it would lead to a better job and better pay. They are not wrong in thinking that better money will be had with a better education. The US Census Bureau released information in 2004 that explained, “College Nearly Doubles Annual Earnings” (Bergman 2005). It is no wonder that since the cost of living is going up that people wanted to have a successful life are choosing to have a bachelors degree at least.
This race to the top can be exhausting and some are doing it against their own will. At a staggering 33% most people were in college because they felt like society pressured them into doing so. They are not in college to better themselves only because they feel like it is just something you do, a social norm. Whether it is for personal reasons or societal pressures the numbers of college graduates or attendees has risen in significant ways in the last decade. In 2003 Nirmala Kannankutty published some statistics in the National Science Foundation that explained, “The total number of college graduates in the Unites States rose from 40,621,000 in 2003 an increase of 40% in the decade between 1993 and 2003”. College just seems to be the thing to do whether one enjoys it or not.
The last group of people that only reached 11% were the students who explained that they were only in college to please their parents. Parental pressure is huge and no kids really want to let their parents down. It seems as if the classic saying, “make me proud son” is in the minds of students all across the United States. One student I interviewed said they would never have gone to college if it were up to them and that they were absolutely 100% at this establishment to please her parents. Another student, a foreign exchange student from England explained that if he did not attend college his parents would never be able to go out to another dinner party because he would have disgraced and embarrassed them too badly. Attaining a higher education for a few of the students interviewed wasn’t even something they thought about it just happened. It seems that the logical next step after college for the majority of students is college and after that getting a well paying job.
Maybe in our fast pace globalized world, today’s education is a necessity and the reason one attends is of no importance. How sad?
References
Bergman, Mike. 2005. “College Degree Nearly doubles Annual Earnngs, Census Bureau Report” US. Bureau News. Retreieved March 23, 2008. www.ansus.gov/press-release/www/releases/archives/educatio/004214.html
Kannankutty, Nirmala. 2005. “2003 College Graduates in the US workforce: a profile” National Science Foundation. Retrieved March 23, 2008. www.nsf.gove/statistics/infbrief/nsf06304.html
mwalsh @ April 10, 2008
Very nice. This article is a huge eye opener for many college students. As a sociology student, this certainly opens my eyes to the moral challenges many young people feel in this fast paced global society. The foreign exchange student you interviewed was definetely shocking. College is great opporunity for anymore, but it’s not for everyone.
I think it is so cool how you took the time to talk to 100 people about what their motivation for college is. it does not surprise me that 33% said they are here cause they gotta be. I think life and the process of human development should be much more about free will than abiding to norms and traditions. It is rather unfortunate that a college degree gives you more credibility and prestige in the work field, it is my feeling that experience, both life and work, should be the bigger dictators of what kind of person you are and what capabilites you have. Nice work,