The Importance Of Higher Education

Across the country many seek a college degree, but why? Todays modern society has chosen the ideal candidate for the American young adult, which is a smart college graduate who will give to society something meaningful such as; technological advancements, medical advancements, and much more. However, the pressure to obtain a college degree has harvested a negative drawback such as; high crime rates. There are several outside options for young adults to pursue other than a college degree, such as learning a trade or working one’s way up a business ladder, but the pressure on young adults to gain a degree has lessened the value of trades like floristry, plumbing, mechanics, etc., which are all essential to the functioning of our country. These …show more content…
From the months of August to September, many recent high school graduates will embark on the journey of higher education without thinking, but what about those who stay and maintain average to low paying jobs? Society, through social media, advertisement and high school college endorsement programs, have created a necessity for young adults to pursue a higher education because that is the status quo. However, the effects of this pressure have not been pursued or put in the spotlight. Many gain the title of useless if they do not obtain a degree from an accredited college or university, which can be daunting to an individual who can’t pursue a degree. There are many young adults who live in poverty and obtaining a degree is not possible, therefore they stay and maintain average to low paying jobs to get by, but many are jumping into the standards our society has created, forcing many to spend unnecessary money(Farrington). However, …show more content…
Many young adults resort to crime related jobs such as drugs, gangs, etc. because that seems to be the only option for them since society has deemed them useless and irrelevant to communities. According to the Bureau of Justice Statistics, there has been an increase in drug related crimes over the years, but the most noticeable fact would be that the time frame in the increase correlates to that of the more pressure for higher education. The pressure subjected by the modern world has created the individuals they had hoped to eliminate with more education. Schools are also releasing students without the necessary skills to succeed due to the “lack of consistent standards” in our school systems(Farrington). This lack of skills generates students who are deemed useless, yet they could not help this label because they were not given the option. Although they could attend a college or university, many have personal reasons for not pursuing a degree. Society is based on the labels it creates, but the labels they give are what generate the labeled behavior. Many juveniles in the court system are labeled delinquents, but this behavior is stemmed from the label society subjects upon them (Mahoney). This labeling by society, as is seen with juveniles, can in turn have