Unprepared For The "Real World"?

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   The question that always floats around is "will I have a job after college?" In this essay I read about how a recent college graduate struggled with this very question. This particular essay explains the things that many students worry about when they get ready to enter into the college life. This college graduate is from Pennsylvania and she was a hard working student who loved education. She made good grades and because she did she was rewarded by being accepted into the University of Chicago. As a college student I myself worry about if all my work that I will be pursuing in college will be worth it. As I read this essay I realized that I had the same thoughts that she had when she first entered into the college life. When you enter into college you have many choices that you have to make and some of them can change your whole life. The one thing that many people don't realize is when they continue onto college there isn't a promise that you will get a job once you receive your college degree.
      In this essay I learned that when you receive your degree and it is time for you to go and look for jobs you need to find a job that you love and one that makes you happy. Sarah Idzik graduated from college and it was time for her to look for jobs and she went into a job that she didn't like and she has been in the same job for three years. For me this is inspiring me to find a career that will make me happy and not a career that has a good pay. Because of the fact that Sarah was working a job that she didn't like she was sad all the time. Sarah went through a lot of stress and trouble to while at the job that was making her very unhappy so my main lesson  from this portion of the essay was just make sure that you find a job that will make you happy. The author wanted to make sure that she got across the point that the choices you make about your job will make a difference in your life and I agree. This author used her life to connect with college students and warn them that there are many things that you will need to put some thought into when it comes to finding a career.
       I had many questions before reading this essay and after reading this I found all the answers to my questions. I believe that all of the college students and college graduates should read this essay. This is a great lesson for many students, because I am a college student I will keep this in my perspective when I get to the point of choosing a career. I understand that there are many things that educators don't inform students about and I believe that all students should read different essays like this because it will prepare them for the "real world."

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The main factor that people put before their happiness when it comes to careers is money. The one question that many people ask when looking for a career is how much does it pay. The pay is a great factor on a job but it shouldn't be the main factor because you should want to find a job that makes you happy not a job that you dread going to everyday. The pay is something many college graduates think about because they are having to pay back loans and other debts but most of all they just want money. This rising epidemic because there are many students and young people that are finding great jobs with great pay and they aren't happy. College Graduates need to take the time and make sure that they will be getting a job that they will enjoy not one that makes them miserable. If I have learned anything from this essay I learned that money isn't more important than my happiness and that jobs aren't promised to a college graduate just because of your degree. My advice to college students is make sure you are happy and that whatever you want to do will please you and no one else.

Is College Sufficient?

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       Many people question if college is actually good enough. For me I believe that college is good because it prepares you for the life that you will have in the 21st century. Going to college is a great move for the future but you also have to look at the fact that just like anything else college has some negative factors as well. While in school you can absorb new skills to help you in the future but you can also go to school and not receive anything. Gary Gutting says "This lack of academic engagement is real, even among schools with the best students and the best teachers, and it increases dramatically as the quality of the school decreases.  But it results from a basic misunderstanding — by both students and teachers — of what colleges are for." For many children the thought of college is a priority that has been drilled into the plans of kids by their family. When kids go through school most aren't doing it to benefit themselves, but to please their family. In regard to the educators, they will have to find another way to draw the attention of students if they don't then they will continuously lose students. As a student I can attest to the fact that there are some professors that don't take the time to make sure that their students understand the lesson. An educator has a duty to be sure that their kids understand the lesson but that isn't always what happens. According to College In America "30% of College and University students drop out of school before their second year." To read the statistic that 30% of college students will drop is sad and the reason for the drop out is because of the lack of understanding between the teacher and student. I believe that if the teachers found another way to present the information to the students and made sure they understood then the drop out rate would drop. Looking at drop out rates of college students would make young people not want to go to college because they would be afraid that they would be apart of the statistics. The different reports alone run away many students so I believe that the communication with the students is a place where major improvement is needed.

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      In the 21st century you have to know how to behave and you have certain knowledge to get around in this century. I believe that our world would be better if we help our college students. The more help that our college students receive the better off they will be when they enter into the work force. Ramesh says that "40% of kids who enroll in college don't get a degree within six years — may be a sign that we're trying to push too many people who aren't suited for college to enroll. I believe that when you hear or see a statistic such as this you start to wonder what the different colleges aren't doing for the kids. Universities need to change the way that they prepare students if they see an excessive amount of dropouts. Judge Mathis says "We become concerned about the limited career options and decreased earning potential they’ll face without a college degree. Rarely do we think of the cost to the larger society. But we should." I believe that if the universities will work on the teacher student communication then they will prevent a lot of drop outs.

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To help the upcoming college students I believe that all Colleges and Universities should take a very precise test showing whether they are failing their students or preparing their students for the workplace. If the student isnt up to par then it isnt their problem because they are a product of their previous schools. Students are very ill prepared different educators say, "Learning by rote has become the norm, with students often get by simply by learning quotations and regurgitating points they learned from SparkNotes. Although such superficial learning may get students past A-Levels, when it comes to university they often get a rude awakening." I agree with this statement because I know that the school that I graduated from we studied basically from sparknotes and I really wasnt prepared mentally for college while in highschool. Everyone knows why college is good but I want you to ask yourself am I really being prepared for college.