The Case Against college
Many scholars debate on whether or not education is important to a person’s success. In an article titled, “The Case Against College,” Dale Stevens argues that people don’t need college to be successful in life. He believes that college kills creativity, puts people in debt, and one does not need a college degree to find a job with today’s technology. He states that he believes colleges today are build upon a system that kills the creative thinking in people’s minds. He also explains the problem with student debt after they come out of college and how the debt force students to simply find jobs just to pay off their debt rather than looking for ways to create or develop their dreams for their future. Above all, he emphasizes the fact that with today’s technology, people can find ways to show off their creative talents through outlets, like the Internet, and a formal degree is not needed to find a job. In conclusion, Steven’s belief is that college is not necessary and it can hurt people’s future rather than help it. In my view, Stevens is right about the large percent of students that go into debt after college. However, he is wrong because in society today, many employers look for people with at least a 4-year degree from a college or otherwise, it would be very hard to find a job. Also, if Stevens’ claim about the restrictive structure of the college schooling system were true, than the public schooling system before college would also have to apply. This being the case, those who have already been through the normal schooling would have had their creativity “killed” before they get into college. More specifically, I believe that dropping out of or not going to college is not the answer. Instead, reinventing the system would be more beneficial rather than not being a part of it entirely. Although Stevens might object that college is, in fact, important to someone’s future, I maintain that college is necessary for a large percent of the population to succeed in life. Therefore, I conclude, that college is a vital part in someone’s plan to fulfill their goals in life.
Stevens claims that the structure in which college is based upon is the same structure used during Industrial Revolution. He claims that schools today operate in the same system that was used to train factory workers back in the 18th and 19th century in America. Stevens’ reference to the experiment done by George Land and Beth Jarman explains his idea that schools kill creativity. The school system does, in some way, command a certain type of learning on kids, but Stevens fails to realize that college is not the source of that problem. The experiment was done to kids not in college, which means the effects of the school system start to occur well before any form of higher education. If any change were to be brought, it would involve changing the school system, not rejecting college. Implementing more art and other programs outside the STEM subjects could be an example that would help fix the problem of the creatively challenged school system. If more opportunities for inventive thinking were offered to students at a younger age, creativity can be preserved and college would be an extension to someone’s goals rather than just another step in someone’s life that is forced upon them based on society’s norms. Stevens may not agree that college is not the problem, but he would agree with me that schools need more outlets for students of all ages to satisfy their creative needs. College is meant to give people the tools to succeed in life. Ideas of changing the school system to secure people’s creativity should be applied to schools between kindergarten and high school.
It is a fact that a large number of students in the United States suffer from being in debt after college. Debt can cause financial problems for people in the future if not taken care of. Stevens does not shy away when talking about the financial pressures that college puts on a person who needs student loans to pay for their education. If it is such a big problem paying for college, why not decrease the cost of college? Not going to college is just running away from the problem and doesn’t solve the issue at hand. In 2009, the US government spent around 7 times the amount spent on education on the military. Much of that tax money can be put into education to help students manage their expenses better. With the government’s help, college could be someone people look forward to rather than just another obstacle they have to overcome. The help given by the government can also give native students from American a fighting chance against the increasing number of international students. Higher education in American is seen as one of the world’s best and the large number of international enrollments demonstrates it. If students from all around the world attend one of America’s colleges, why shouldn’t American students? Stevens may believe college is useless, but over 700,000 people in 2010 did not. With the government’s help, students in America can be part of what people across the globe come to America for.
The Internet gives people the ability to connect with virtually anyone and anything in the world. Stevens gives examples of different sites that allow people to show off their talents online and to put their work on display. He suggests that the Internet is sufficient enough for someone to find a job or career. There is no doubt that the Internet can be the beginning of people’s careers and people like Justin Beiber and Colbie Callet are fine examples of this. However, out of the number of those who have succeed by the means of the Internet, what is the number of people who have tried and failed to start their careers up. It is true that the information stream of the Internet gives artists and innovative creators a way to show off their work, but what about those people who inspire to become something that cannot be put on a computer screen? Kids inspire to become doctors or lawyers one day and if there was no college, how would they be able to achieve their dreams? Without the right schooling or degree, it would be impossible in today’s age to get a job as prestigious as a doctor or lawyer. Stevens may not think college is needed to get a job, but in today’s conditions, it is extremely difficult to get jobs, regardless in what field, without some sort of formal schooling or training in the particular field.
What if the situation was the reverse? What if someone wanted proper schooling and wanted to get away from a more creative life-style they are in now? The younger performers in Alegria stated in the documentary called “A Journey to Alegria: A Special,” that they would like to finish school and one day, become a doctor or lawyer. This is an example of how someone who lives in a world of creativity and innovation want to be part of the system that Stevens claims to be so wrong. They desire to go to school to get a degree in a certain profession and are willing to face the financial troubles. It is clear that Stevens believes that school kills creativity and hurts their inventive instincts. What can he say to someone who has lived a life of visionary experiences and wants to live of life with books and teacher authorities within a college institution? Would college still be so wrong if someone knowingly wants to revert their lifestyle from a creative one to a more “boring” one?
College is an institution that gives people the tools to succeed in life. Dale Stevens says that college hurts the chances of people having a fulfilling life because it kills a person’s creativity, puts a person in debt, and there are other ways of succeeding that are better than college. Although many of the general statements are true, Stevens fails to mention alternatives or other problems. First, college itself does not kill creativity, rather that the overall public school system and changes should be made to that rather than neglecting college completely. Second, college does put people in debt but to fix this problem should not be to avoid college. The solution would be having the government give more effort to help students manage college financially, which would benefit both parties in the future. Lastly, although people have found success through the Internet, the practicality of it is in put into serious question. Looking for a job, in today’s economy, without a college degree is very difficult. Trying to become successful without going to college is not impossible, but very unlikely. Skipping out on people from countries all over the world highly value is not the best life move someone can make. College is be a very useful asset to a person and missing the opportunity to gain what millions of people before have used to become successful can be the most damaging to someone’s future.
