As we discussed college acceptance in class and the competitive nature of education, I noticed myself subconsciously droning out the murmur of college talk. Frankly, I’m sick of it. It is the expectations of our society: college, job, and family (and in that order!) But it’s not that easy. As the recession puts up an impressive battle,more and more recent college graduates find themselves unemployed and thousands in debt. I have a pretty typical high school job: cashier at a pizza joint. And most of my colleagues are, you guessed it, college graduates. Many are from the area, recently graduated, and have resorted to moving back home and working minimum wage.
Similarly, my sister graduated college last year with a degree in social work, while many of her friends graduated with degrees in considerably notable majors. She is a nanny. Majority of her friends are unemployed or work in retail. These are intelligent and motivated former New Trier students! They could be unemployed or working these jobs without college degrees, and have saved themselves the $80,000 or so debt they’re in. ABC News reports that 80.3% of the kids that graduate college this year will graduate without a job. Yet the unemployment rate is twice as high for people with no college diploma than for college graduates. So, economically speaking, is college really worth it?
Valerie-
ReplyDeleteGreat post! It is shocking that even the most educated people struggle with those far less trained for jobs. If we think, though, that college is not worth the trouble, then the unemployment trends will persist even longer. When all the current doctors, lawyers, social workers, etc. retire, qualified college graduates must take their place. I believe that like other economic downturns in American history, this too shall pass. Let's hope for the best!
Want to drop out with me? I'm the next Pauly D.
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