Introduction
College Is a Waste of Time and Money by Caroline Bird is an article expressing the author’s position on the worth of higher education. Thus, Caroline Bird’s main idea is connected mainly to the belief that a college degree is not guaranteed professional success. Consequently, in support of these words, the author argues that pursuing the coveted diploma is unnecessary and harmful, primarily due to social attitudes and prejudices (Bird 428).
The article was mainly written for participants in the educational process at a higher education institution to persuade people to think carefully about college admission. I agree with Caroline Bird’s opinion and understand that finding a dream job after college is challenging. However, gaining a degree by improving professional knowledge, skills, and abilities remains essential.
Summary
In most cases, a college serves solely as a replacement for a more favorable environment, as some students may experience difficulties and discomfort when faced with the higher education system. In general, college attendance has become an “unnecessary” tradition, often with dangerous economic consequences for students and their families (Bird 433).
A college does not provide special measurable skills or help evaluate innate abilities well, since most knowledge is irrelevant and utterly inapplicable to a particular profession (Bird 430). The very notion of “higher education” has become obsolete. While it used to be essential to impart the maximum amount of knowledge to students, such universality looks outdated given the progress and innovation that have been made (Bird 428-436).
Response
It is usually most difficult for a graduate with no work experience to find a job in their field. Overall, the phenomenon of rapid growth in the humanities is due mainly to an oversupply of candidates for the workplace. In addition, relevant work experience is expected to be vital to many employers in the hiring process (Bird 436). Few college students can combine work and study, and not every organization would hire someone with an incomplete education, even in an associate’s or assistant’s role.
Furthermore, I encountered a case where my friend with a degree from a prestigious college was not hired in his profession for a long time. Years of diligent study and absorbing important information regarding the field of interest did not bring him the needed results. He was disappointed in the modern education system but did not abandon his aspirations. Hence, he started from the “bottom” and then climbed the career ladder, and now he is a highly qualified specialist with experience, trusted by his superiors and colleagues at his current place of work.
Given that most graduates cannot find a job in their profession in the coming weeks, months, or years, getting a degree seems like a wasteful and unnecessary endeavor. Nonetheless, college is essential because it improves a person’s knowledge of future jobs through lectures, on-the-job experiences, and continuous interaction with peers and professors. Therefore, a degree qualifies a person to pursue a particular occupation. For instance, becoming a good teacher or engineer is only possible with a degree, constant practice, and interaction with more experienced people (Bird 434-435). People must constantly improve and learn within an educational institution’s walls and outside to become first-rate specialists in any field.
One of the best examples of how higher education is important and valuable is the situation with my friend who got a job at her alma mater. She was an active student, helping the college board with various tasks, participating in many activities, and getting high academic grades. After receiving the degree, my close friend immediately landed a job as a secretary and had no intention of stopping. She plans to study further, enhance her qualifications and competencies to become a professor, and give knowledge to other students.
Conclusion
College does not guarantee a successful career and a path to a better future since it often wastes time, money, and effort. I agree with the author because higher education is a valuable tool for developing professional competencies and necessary connections. Still, given the stiff competition in the labor market, it does not facilitate the process of finding a job in the specialty. Finally, I advise all applicants to assess their abilities before entering college and clearly define a future field of work. In some cases, it is preferable to focus on gaining work experience rather than spending time in a classroom to benefit parents or teachers.
Work Cited
Bird, Caroline. “College Is a Waste of Time and Money.” The Norton Reader: An Anthology of Nonfiction, edited by Melissa A. Goldthwaite et al., 14th ed., W. W. Norton, 2017, pp. 428-36.