A high school graduation is a significant milestone in many lives, and it often coincides with a young person beginning the final transition into adulthood. In the past, what that meant differed for many people. Today, however, the predominant path involves immediate entrance into college. Many high school students spend their senior years in a chaotic rush of college and scholarship applications, after all. Despite the growing real cost of studying in a university, attendance rates continue to increase. The explanation often goes that earning a degree ostensibly makes one more valuable as an employee, so the tuition, fees, and other associated costs are a justifiable expense.
[Read more…]The value of an Education
A discussion of various topics relating to the value of an education. We look at both sides, the costs and the benefits to arrive at the final value.
Is the Cost of College Too High?
Check in with a high school senior early in the school year, and you’ll find many of them doing two things: fretting about college decisions, and worrying over scholarship applications. Many students receive heavy encouragement to apply for as many scholarships as possible — why is that? The reality is that rising tuition and material costs associated with college continue to increase the financial hurdles facing students. The conventional wisdom, though, is that a college degree is worth the effort and the cash. Is that true? Do the end results justify the current price tags, or is the cost of college too high when compared with its potential benefits? A careful look at the facts shows that circumstances profoundly influence the answer.
What Is the Opportunity Cost of Attending College?
Understanding even basic economic principles can be tricky, and understanding opportunity cost is no different. Most of the explanations found online aren’t that helpful because they are often overly complicated. And if you’re like most people, you need a clear understanding of your options and how they stack up against each other – and you don’t have a ton of time to spend grappling with what should be a relatively simple concept.
[Read more…]How Much Does Four Years of College Cost?
Over the years, college has evolved from a choice made by some to an expectation for nearly everyone. At high school graduations, schools will even read off information about the colleges that students are planning to attend. Going to college has become the societal norm, to the point where it is almost strange, unwise, and often even unacceptable to decide against higher education.
[Read more…]The common sense debate – life experience versus college
A recent article from Yahoo News has been fairly damning of American University students when it comes to “common sense” and in particular their knowledge of politics. Now, it is quite possible that those who do not attend college are equally as lapse in their political awareness but the problem is we expect a little more from those who attended higher education. And this has been a long held debate when it comes to academia in general.
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