Currently, there seems to be quite a hubbub over the worth of the college degree. One Silicon Valley investor is paying bright youth to skip college altogether and start entrepreneurial ventures, and The Economist did a piece on the exorbitant cost of tuition arguing, "The cost of tuition cannot forever rise faster than students’ ability to pay. Industries that cease to offer value for money sooner or later get shaken up." Lastly, it seems I can’t go a day without being reminded about the saturation of education in the job market, “a bachelor’s degree is the new high school diploma,” as if they were speaking of the “it” fashion color of the season.
As someone who is sucking the marrow of life out of the college experience and gladly taking on the debt associated with it, I feel I need to add my two cents to the debate.
In my mind, college is not dead. It is glorified in the media as a constant party, as well as expected by many employers for entry-level jobs, but I argue that it is a lot more than that. College is a four (sometimes five) year transitional experience where you try new things, expand your mind, and learn about yourself; all while not taking in an income and spending a lot of money. The college experience has a lot to offer to ones development: it is the first time for many to live away from home, experience a different culture or way of life, be responsible for money, learn about different professional disciplines and figuring out how they connect, and learn to independently manage a work-life balance. While other parts of the world have alternative solutions for this such as a gap year, an apprenticeship, or compulsory military service, here in America we swarm to college campuses in the masses fresh out our prom attire.
The problem is, we as millennials were taught to see it as something it has recently proven not to be- our golden ticket to success. During the beginning of our senior year of high school we are asked to choose our major, then when we step foot on campus we are required to take a list of specific classes, all the while promised a long and happy career in our desired profession, surely making more than our parents.
It isn’t until graduation that we receive the painful reality check to our instant gratification and entitled ways. I cannot tell you how many students I know who have moved back home taking on minimum wage jobs after graduation. This is surely not the post-grad opportunity our grandparents graduated into.
What’s more is the schools are just now admitting that the system doesn’t work. Colleges in recent years have scrambled to create an Exploratory Studies program to accommodate the large percentage of students that change their major. My talks with my school’s administration have allowed me to learn that this is the fastest growing group of students on campus. They joke about a new Exploratory College, not program.
It is no wonder why schools have to take such measures; we are working in an antiquated educational system. The world environment has changed. The students are different; we millenials come with a host of unique traits (some better than others). Also, it is crucial to note that the job environment is different; globalization and technology have run a muck much to the dismay of our “Super Power” ego.
To combat this, education needs to think big. The world is an increasing volatile place, and as a species of educated peoples, we need to be flexible enough to adapt. Gone are the times when we will graduate to a job lined up and dedicatedly serve the company for 30 plus years. The sooner we stop promising that to our youth, the better. It is much more likely that we will hop from position to position, much like we have our college majors. We need to be heartier, and more resilient than ever as we seek to redefine and expand our definition of “success”.
In this paradigm shift, we can no longer expect our undergraduate degree to perfectly match up to our dream job. That is why colleges need to be more flexible with their programs. Through my experience as a student, it matters less what students study, but what really defines who they are and how they will contribute to society in the future are the experiences they accumulate while they get the degree.
One of the tenets that I believe is key to this success is the need to bring American entrepreneurialism into the college system. In many cultures around the world the mantra is to work more or work harder, but in America the key to our success has been to work different. We are a young country and have the luxury to make things up and try new approaches. American students need to capitalize on this and instead of working harder or longer, work different. Take risks, be different, and be new. While this is easier said than done in a harsh economy where there are few chances for slip-ups, it is imperative to remember the importance of taking risks (see previous post).
For example, I created my own degree studying “Design Strategy.” While I learned many skills that I hope employers will value, my real college education extends far beyond the confines of the classroom. During my first year I completely divorced many of my habits from my high school days as I adapted to my new college environment (See post “Sponge”). It is from this expansion of my horizons and seeing what is out there that I am best able to envision where I want to go. Through my college experience, I have simply learned and bolstered the American values of creativity, independence, and entrepreneurialism. While it has been expensive, it has been a very meaningful way to push myself out of my comfort zone, get to know myself, and figure out a way to package my strengths to the world.
So while I believe the college experience has the foundation to create the qualified, contributing members of society that it seeks to produce, the real task is figuring out a way to minimize the economic risk so that people are free to take time to explore the world and themselves without detriment to their survival. If you have any brilliant ideas, please let me know!
Your CV,
Lauren
