The System of High Education in the USA - Case Study Example

Higher Education The United s (US) is a great nation and is the home to world’s several best educational s. Students from all over the globe get enrolled in these institutions with the goal of attaining top-quality learning and experience. The degrees earned by the students help them become successful and have a fulfilling professional-career in future. The students who get enrolled in the education institutions of US could be divided into various categories. The first category comprises of 10% of students who are determined and will pass because they do not believe in failure as an option. Their attitude and motivation makes them succeed. The second category is another ten percent of the students who fail due to lack of motivation and lack in the necessary drive to attain their personal, educational goals. Finally, there is the category of eighty percent of the student’s population. These students have brilliant minds and fortunately or, unfortunately, they can lean towards either failure or success. Usually, improvements and changes in education significantly impact this population. This group is differentiated in the manner they respond to the question, “Is higher education is still worth it?” Some individuals fail to attend higher education because of the price attached to it. For instance, in the U.S, tuition charges in colleges (public and private) have doubled, or more than doubled, compared to how it was a generation ago. Among many Americans, educating their children will be a very large financial-outlay that will be next to a home mortgage that they can ever make. In case parents do not pay, their children find themselves struggling to pay back the loan. Students are nowadays graduating with debt of a 6-digit figure which is quite a burden. The idea of paying the loans is not appealing to many, especially because job prospects are also poor. For students who already have young families or who have not acquired post-secondary studies, they prefer taking a job with their high school education so as to earn some income. These students start feeling that college education is not valuable. The answer to this question can be understandable even two to three years after a person has graduated. However, to evaluate how much education is worth, it would be necessary to look at its value in the long term. People who have earned a college degree will usually earn more than those who do not have a degree. The educational value of a college graduate is not based on the first salary that an individual receives. Three years are not enough to gauge the worth of college education. Usually, five or even more years can give a more accurate picture of the benefit of college education that accompanies a person’s level of education. The recession that hit the economy in the 2008/ 2009 period is a good example to show the differences that are brought about in the lives of citizens when they acquire higher education. During the recession, the country experienced high rates of unemployment. What people overlook is that unemployment among people who do not have higher education is higher than that of those who have acquired high education. Unemployment during this period was more than 9%, but among graduates, it was approximately 4%. These figures speak loads by telling the power of personal growth that is brought about by higher education during harsh economic times. It may not be easy to quantify the benefits but the truth is that for degree holders and their families, the benefits of higher education are long term. Education is worth the investment, time, and cost because it determines the economic destiny of an individual. This takes one to the increasing community colleges in the US that are becoming very popular. Community colleges are of great importance to Americans. These colleges are attended for two years rather than four years that other colleges specify. These community colleges offer learners with educational networks, further giving them an affordable future, hope that is accessible and an achievable dream. Community colleges are appropriate for students who come from low-income backgrounds. Though uncommon, it would be great if students considered those instead of disregarding college education in totality. Having college education is important because it gives skills that are well-refined and expands opportunities when it comes to job-search and career development. Education helps to break the vicious cycle of poverty. Education has a great impact and cannot be compared to any other program, hand-out or gift that impacts others. Through education, a person understands what he/ she can do to change his life. Educated people bring change in their lives and are people who can bring about significant impact in the society. One can be getting money even without the higher education, but it makes more sense when an individual has skills, competencies, and principles that accompany education. The value of education is that it makes a lasting impact on the lives of those who get it changes the stories that people have. Education does not change, and it does not have an ending. Education is a major catalyst for change in the society and people should be committed to obtaining it. They should also be committed to assisting others obtain and access it. Quality education is vital because it leads to sustainable professional and personal growth. Education could be referred as the pilot of democracy in US and in any other country. The rising differences between the children of wealthy and poor of the society could only be addressed with the tool of education. According to the American economist and professor at Harvard University Lawrence H. Summers, the social difference in US is due to the “manifest inadequacy of higher education’s current contribution to equality of opportunity in America” (Pichler, Kurzweil, Tobin and Bowen 296). The above statement by Summers is significant in the US context as there is a need to understand that education is the only path to avoid ignorance and enrich the culture of the society. This would help in bridging the gap of equality among the masses of the society. In blue-collar jobs, education is also vital. For one to be intelligent, formal education is important. Cognitive ability is also dependent on the level of education. The western culture demands that a person has enough knowledge to participate in the culture. Liberal education is good, and this can be at university or college level. When parents and students argue that education is the key to success, they are partly right and partly wrong. For instance, physicians, lawyers, and engineers need to have competencies in skills and knowledge for them to earn what they earn. However, for some other jobs, the case is different. Some employers will not even look at the academic papers for one to enter the job market. Some employers will not even interview a person as the work they will be doing has less to do with the academic qualification that they have. It is important to have the education, though because it gives one an added advantage. However, job satisfaction is important, and it is through education that one can get the job that he/ she always wanted to have; thus, job satisfaction. Parents, students, and educators need to understand the meaning of higher education and ensure that it serves its purpose. It is through higher education that the society will experience positive change. Works Cited Pichler, Susanne., Martin, Kurzweil., Eugene, Tobin. and William, Bowen. Equity and Excellence in American Higher Education. University of Virginia Press, 2005. Print. Read More