The College Illusion

Formal higher education, particularly in the United States, has long been seen as a necessity for quality job placement. The US News and World Report's college rankings are published yearly, and are annual best-sellers. ACT and SAT prep are billion-dollar industries. The obsession with getting into a good school and graduating with a high GPA is pervasive in America. In reality, college graduation rates dropped from 52.2% in 1983 to 41.9% in 2001. At private institutions, the rate dropped from 59.5% to 55.1%

Why are graduation rates declining? The best that I can figure is the increases in college enrollments over that time. The pressure to earn an undergraduate degree, often needed to compete in today's workforce, has seen more and more unprepared students struggling through their classes. These kids, many of whom struggle through high school, are easy prey for the dehumanizing effects of college life. They are overmatched by the material they study, or perhaps just not responsible enough to manage their time, and are left behind. It happens to more people than you might think, and it is not always the stupid ones.

Alcohol, all-nighters, work, family, friends, classes, tests, papers--these things apply a terrific amount of pressure on still-young psyches. Balancing these things can take everything you have, and more. Don't believe me? Go to Coffman Union on the University of Minnesota's campus. Go around noon, and walk through the building. Count the number of weary-eyed students taking naps in the main rooms, the TV room, and the study rooms.

College, done right, can be an amazing opportunity for growth for some people. For others, it can literally mean their demise. In order to correct this, and to repair a system that is breaking down quickly, an effort has to be put forth to reduce the importance placed on degrees, and GPAs (which sometimes give little-to-no indication about an applicant's ability to do a job). More stress has to be put on experience and personality. A man or woman shouldn't have to run the gamut of emotionally exhausting hurdles, to earn a degree, to have a company hire them for a sales or marketing position. You can learn about someone's ability to sell in a conversation with them, and it certainly wasn't something they learned from their cultural or historical perspectives requirements.

The continued convolution of the college, and high school, and even middle or elementary school, is simply dangerous. Overstressed, emotionally and physically drained graduates and dropouts do not make good employees. America, just drop the shit. College is supposed to be a good time, and a time to direct yourself. Next time you have a chance to talk to a kid, instead of harping him about school or college, just let them enjoy their youth. It doesn't last long.