“What is the purpose of college education?”

            The purpose of a college education, or the reasoning behind why an individual should acquire one, has changed greatly over the past thirty years. The most significant purpose as to why someone should have a college education is because it shows a background of knowledge in the field that which the said person is trying to obtain a job/career in. This is in comparison to what it was like even thirty years ago. Back then, the argument was experience or higher education; meaning would an employer hire a man who had five years of experience at something over someone who had a degree in the same field. It was more likely than not (depending on the field) that the employer would chose an employee with experience rather than the degree. This is one of the reasons why the purpose of college education was in question. The other reason, which still applies to even today’s times, is the cost of that same education against the likelihood of obtaining a job after graduation. The main question is, “Is the risk of spending this large amount of money worth the possibility of being in debt and unemployed?” 53% of recent college graduates (Source: The Atlantic) would argue that it was not worth it, because the same 53% are either jobless or underemployed.

            What it comes to down, about what the “purpose of a college education” might be is whether or not an individual wants to put themselves out there and learn that even paying for a higher education is a huge risk. The purpose, is learning to become an adult, and being able to deal with the cards that are dealt to you. Not to say that “life is a game” but rather you can make life easier for you with a college education, by taking the risk, and by taking even more risks and exploring what that education has to offer. The purpose, is becoming independent, and being able to look for experience, while obtaining an education, so that one can become employed after graduation, and not be a part of the “53%”.