Donnell
Why is the journey of completing a degree so intimidating for alot of individuals who know they need it for the career they eventually want?
I hear potential students complain about why they are not in the career that they want to be in or complain about not making the amount of money they want to make. The main thing that irritates me is that they expect things to be given to them like society owes them. I was always taught that you have work hard and put 100% effort in what you do. Obtaining and furthering your education will a lifelong achievement that can never depreciate. I am a believer in, " you get what you put into".
1 answer
Vernon Turner
Vernon’s Answer
My best friend recently retired as a professor from an elite, private college in California. His "summary" of the students he saw was: "They are the bubble-wrapped generation." What he meant by that was that, since these kids all came from very well-to-do families, they never wanted for anything and few ever did any work for any reason. So, when a kid coming from a pampered environment has to face actual self-involvement for their own responsibility, it is a shock.
Yet, even kids from less wealthy environments face the daunting task of college and the money it takes to get that degree. Their problem begins with having both parents work and having little time for parenting as the kid goes through secondary school. As a former science educator in two states, this problem is most prevalent everywhere. Your sub-comment has an answer that is kind of like the old saw: "If it's not what you want, it's not a bargain."
In the books I've written and the columns I've had published, the economics picture of our country has changed dramatically since I was in college (1960-65; 1971-74). Beginning with the Reagan economic "revolution", good jobs have been allowed to leave the United States so that corporations could hire cheaper, foreign workers to do the same job for much less. After 2001, the momentum to send good jobs overseas became a tidal wave of exodus proportions. So, here we have young people being told that they need to have a college degree to have any chance to make money or a good living, then asked to pay off their loans, sometimes reaching 6-figures for a 4-year degree. Finally, they enter the job market and find no jobs that not only fit their degree, but pay enough for them to live on AND pay off the loans. Starting a family? No way.
Sorry for the lengthy response, but this is the reality for our younger generations of college students and recent graduates. Read my books (Amazon.com & Kindle) for more detailed analysis.