Free Essay About “I Think A College Education Is Important No Matter What You Do In Life.” –phil Mickelson

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Essay Analysis of Caroline Bird’s “College is a Waste of Time and Money”

The above statement reveals what most persons believe about college education. However, Caroline Bird argues that college education is in fact a waste of money for tax payers and the parents of college students. The author believes that college education is, in fact, useless without good luck and a good social background (Bird 4). The author argues against the idea that college education is necessary to become successful in life. Therefore, Bird intends to show that although college education is considered to be valuable by many who desire to expose themselves to provide one with a set of values or belief system, the author, Caroline Bird, argues the college is a waste of money because a college degree is not necessary for on-the-job skills and college education does not guarantee that persons are gainfully employed.
Firstly, the writer explains in her essay that most college students in the seventies were disillusioned by the fact that they were attending colleges. For instance, Bird explains that many college students are overwhelmed by “prevailing sadness” (Bird 1). A survey was conducted that showed that in 1971 74 percent believed that education was “‘very important’” (Bird 2). However, only two years prior to that 80 percent of students believed this (Bird 2). Leon Lefkowitz interviewed 300 college students who were randomly chosen (Bird 2). An overwhelming majority (200) of them believe that the education they were receiving was not worth the effort (Bird 2). Nevertheless, students still go to college because they are told that or feel the impression that they have to go to college.
On the other hand, the author is of a different impression. She believes that a college education that is judged on what other people “think is good for students, but on how it feels to the students” (Bird 3). Bird explains that young people do not enter college based outdoing the Russians in Astronomy, “improve the national defense, increase the GNP, or create a new market for the arts” (Bird 3). The author posits that young persons enter college with the hopes that they would be able to have “‘interesting’ work” (Bird 4). In addition, they would also like to have a job that would allow them “‘to make contribution’” and “‘express themselves’” (Bird 4). Many college students during the seventies, argues Bird, are of the persuasion that college education will help them to find that.
However, the author notes that jobs that provide a feeling of euphoria when one does them or “psychic income” jobs are in high demand (Bird 5). As a result, these jobs can be filled “without offering high salaries” (Bird 5). Despite this fact, colleges fail to warn college students that jobs of this nature are difficult to secure (Bird 5). These jobs are even difficult to secure even for “qualified applicants” (Bird 5). The writer highlights the fact that the psychic income jobs related to psychology are in high demand, for instance. The Department of Labor underscored the fact that there were “4,300 new jobs for psychologists in 1975” while colleges were expected to turn out “58, 430 B.A.’s in psychology” that year (Bird 5). In 1972, of the psychology majors who graduated from Vassar College 5 reported that they had jobs that “they could possibly use their courses in psychology” and two of these persons were employed by Vassar College (Bird 5).
Bird admits that college attracts people who are already expected to earn more money anyway. These people include persons who have high IQs, “better family backgrounds,” and a more “enterprising temperament” (Bird 4). In addition, Bird notes that education accounts for “less than half of the difference in income in the American population” (Bird 4). The writer admits that college fails to “work its income-raising for almost a third” of those who attend (Bird 4). Studies confirm that over half of those people in 1972 who had earnings of $15,000 and above were able to do so “without the benefit of college education” (Bird 4).
In conclusion, Caroline Bird contends that college is a place which attracts the few young people who are interested in an academically rigorous environment. It is not suitable for persons, the author argues, who desire to mature in ways that are not conducive to such an environment. College education is far too expensive, Bird posits, to be used for such purposes.

Reference

Bird, Caroline. “College Is a Waste of Time and Money.” Tarleton.edu. Web. 16 Feb. 2015. <http://www.tarleton.edu/Faculty/anewsome/Bird Article.pdf>.