Why College: Revisement

Everyone wonders why college. I was even wondering during my freshman year of high school. I quickly realized with the economy and how hard it is to get a job, having a college degree is important. With a degree, you often receive better pay and also have a better chance at getting a job or any promotions that come later.

Nurse anesthetist 

Before I could think about college, I had to think about a career. I prayed about what career choice I should make. I felt God was pointing me towards nursing. I am now a nursing major and plan to specialize after four years of school. My plan is to specialize and become a nurse anesthetist. My career requires college.

 I originally decided on Jacksonville State because it was close to home. Jacksonville offered me a better scholarship than any other colleges I was looking into. The BCM is a JSU organization. I could go to the BCM and worship with college students to help me stay strong in God. The BCM was a major deciding factor. I knew being apart of a Christian organization would connect me to people with similar beliefs. I believed an organization would be a fast way to friends. Since I came to the BCM, I have found older friends who can give me advice and mentor me. I’m glad I chose Jacksonville State because I have loved every minute of my experience here.

I mainly came to college to further my education. My career requires college so I didn’t have much of a choice. I am excited to go through college to reach my goal. I also came to college so I could be a part of something. I wasn’t real involved in high school and I wanted to become involved in college. I want to make connections to help me get a job. I want to find my place in a community. College has so many opportunities. Some students get to learn in other countries with a study abroad program. The BCM has mission trips to help others. The BCM has a mission trip coming up to Syracuse, Gulf Shores, and Portugal. If I hadn’t come to college, I wouldn’t have the chance to go to all those places.

My parents played a big role in my decision to attend college. My mom had started college but she got pregnant with me and didn’t finish. My dad didn’t need college for his career. My parents were proud of me wanting to help others. They knew nursing required college so they gave me support. I believe my little sister looks up to me because of my decision to attend college. She wants to better her grades now that she sees how much I like college.

Attending college is a tough decision. I believe people shouldn’t base their decision off of what their high school guidance counselor wants. College is a lot different than high school. College doesn't tolerate people playing games. The professors will fail you if you don’t care about you’re school work. Professors don’t hold a student’s hand and remind them to do their work. College is also expensive so I wouldn't come if I wanted to be a janitor.

I’m only in my first semester of college, but I have already learned a lot. For instance, this blog post has paragraphs and my first one didn’t. I also had numerous different topics in a paragraph. Thanks to college English, I have improved my writing. High school didn’t teach me how to blog. I was clueless on the first day. I’ve learned that high school didn’t teach things well. I learned things in college that my teacher described wrong. The learning experience of college is remarkable. I would encourage anyone to attend if their interested in learning. I wouldn’t advise someone who wanted to party and never study. College costs too much to flunk out. 

Heartbeats and Hashtags

                Heartbeats and hashtags, what could that even mean?  This essay shows the relationships between helping individuals and social networking. I’ve notice that people don’t understand all the benefits to social networking. Presidential candidates use social networks to gain supporters. Doctor’s use it to raise awareness on medical issues. Religious groups even use it to share their beliefs. In this particular essay, social networking is used to raise awareness about poverty in the Bronx and ways the Bronx life center gives help.

              

http://www.gaudette-insurance.com/Blog/?Tag=volunteering

              The history of the life center dates back thirty years. A woman, by the name Sister Margaret, opened a soup kitchen with one bowl of soup and a single roll. Since that day, six organizations have arisen in the Bronx. The only thing missing is a website to let the world know about the life center and the help they give.

               

          That is where Hannah comes in. Hannah was a recent unemployed college graduate. The recession took a toll on her generation and the jobs available to them. “Why College Isn’t Enough” stated that the recession was taking a lot of jobs from students. She decided to start volunteering. She lived in New York, where the price of living is extremely high. When she would tell people she was only a volunteer, they would look at her crazy. She made twenty-five dollars a week. That will not get you a whole lot anywhere, especially in New York. She dedicated a year to volunteering, hoping the economy would pick up.

               

              Hannah volunteered and helped Sister Margaret set up a Facebook page. Sister Margaret wanted people to know about what the life center was doing to help others help themselves. This is where two generations came together. Hannah knew all about social media and how to make people aware in the community. Sister Margaret knew people. She could feel the heartbeat of an unemployed mother trying to feed her kids. She could feel the heartbeat of kids playing after nap-time.  She had been around long enough to where she could see what they felt like. Sister Margaret felt the pain they did and wanted to reach out.

              

              I believe this article really shows the recession and how it hurts everyone. It hurts businesses like Sister Margaret’s. She has had this business for thirty years. The government is cutting her funds, making it almost impossible to stay in business. Hannah, who is a recent college grad, can’t get a job because businesses can’t afford to hire new employees. The businesses also want experience more over a college degree now.

                

              With Hannah volunteering at the Bronx life center, she now has experience with running computers in a business. The experience will make her stand out when she goes to apply for a job. “Why college isn’t good enough” informs us that experience wins every time.  A college degree doesn’t make you stand out anymore and Hannah found that out the hard way. She was smart about it though and decided to keep pushing until jobs in her field were available while also gaining experience.

               

http://i.ytimg.com/vi/tavGqhjOaO0/0.jpg

               Sister Margaret reminded Hannah the real reason for social networking. In the younger generation, we tend to use social media in the wrong way. Instead of posting what we had for supper, we could post about October being breast cancer awareness month. The younger generation acts like they don’t need the older generation, and the older generation acts like the younger generation don’t know too much. In this essay, the younger generation needed the older one to remind them about the important things in life. Likewise, the older generation needed help with technology that they refuse to try a lot of times. Technology can be a great thing to have as long as you’re using it the right way.  Instead of trying to repel jobs by posting pictures of partying, post pictures of volunteering in the community. 

Is College Really Good Enough??

So who are the lucky ones when it comes to college? Everyone expects you to go to college, but is it good enough? This is a very important question when thousands of dollars are involved. People also invest many years into college and they want to get something out of it besides debt. There’s always two sides right? Well the same goes for college. College has pros but it also has cons; I think it depends on the person and their intentions.

http://memerial.net/3659-college-degree-will-provide-a-career

When I was in high school, everyone told you that you had to go to college to be successful. I wouldn't fully agree with them. Some jobs require a degree which makes college worth it. Some jobs don’t require a degree and that can save you four years and thousands of dollars. Not everyone is suited for college. A high school student who never studies and don’t care about school should not go to college. College is a totally different ball game from high school and it’s harder. If a student didn't care in high school, they’re going to find college to be hard. It’s much better for a high school senior to get training for a particular job than go into college and drop out. They could be making money doing something they’re good at instead of wasting money and hating their college experience. Ramesh Ponnuru brought up the question of whether we should help more kids go to college or make it easier for those without a degree to make a living. We need those people without a degree. We need plumbers, constructors  garbage men, and etc. We shouldn't make people think they have to go to college when they can be successful without it.

http://www.collegeloanconsultant.com/value-of-a-college-degree.html 

When our economy was in a good state, a bachelor’s degree did pretty much guarantee a job. Now, our economy is on a downward spiral. The economy is bad and it’s hard to find jobs, even with a college degree. “Why your college degree isn’t enough” points out that obtaining a degree no longer sets you apart from the pack. A bachelor degree is now compared to having a high school diploma. That’s why it’s important to know what you want to do with your life. People need to be informed of their field. Why waste a lot of money and time if it isn't required? 58 percent of recent college students are unemployed. In our economy, finding a job is tough stuff. Jordan Wiseman wrote about the number of graduating college students compared to the number of jobs available. The jobs just aren't there. That’s why I don’t understand why the government pushes everyone to go to college. The government is giving out money that people are going to waste. Many graduating college students will get a job at a place Buffalo Wild Wings or Starbucks. Their degree is useless and they don’t have a good enough job to pay back loans and live off of. 58 percent sure is a scary statistic. What’s even scarier is that most incoming freshman drop out before graduation. That is because college isn't for everyone.

Many employers take experience over a college degree. They want someone who they don’t have to teach. That doesn't have to be a bad side to college. College offers the opportunity for volunteer work. There are many organizations and departments that allow students the chance to get the experience they need in their field. Anthony Balderrama describes how an education is often a perquisite for landing a job interview. If a person can say they have a degree and experience they have much higher chances than those without any experience.  That also comes back to some people don’t need college. If on the job training is all someone needs for a job, why spend four years in college and spend thousands of dollars. There are so many other options besides college. Technical schools and on the job training are available for many jobs. That is the best bet for a lot of people. Colleges see money signs. They lower their requirements for admission so everyone can get in. College is extremely hard to make it through and colleges give the wrong impression by lowering the requirements. When a high school student applies for college, they think since they can get in that they can graduate. That just isn't the case. Some professors make their courses too easy and some give good grades to help their student out. I personally don’t want to spend four years in college and not learn anything. Gary Gutting says,” College and universities have no point if we do not value the knowledge and understanding to which their facilities are dedicated”. Employers want smart, intellectual, and professional people. If someone keeps good grades and learns to their best ability it will show. College can help a person to mature and cope with pressure. College can be very stressful and will teach students how to make it through those hard times. People can learn time management if they follow their schedule in college. I believe people get out of college what they put into it. Some students only put in enough time to get by. Students don’t study like they should or look for opportunities to get experienced in their field. The time people waste could be used to help them get a job later.

Colleges offer a variety of courses, but are they all useful? I don’t believe taking a zumba or scuba diving course will help you get a job if you want to be a lawyer. Many people attend college for the wrong reasons. They enroll in college to take fun courses and party. Partying and making good grades usually don’t happen. Partying is a major reason of why students flunk out of college. When this occurs college isn't worth it. People can party and hold down a job without attending college. College is supposed to be a learning environment. Sure, college is about meeting people but meet people who can help you later. One of the great things about college is you meet people who know people. If you’re a nursing major, you might meet friends who can help you get hired at a hospital. College is great as long as you use it the right way.

In conclusion, I believe College has pros and cons. Everyone is different so it affects others differently. We shouldn't push anyone to do anything. What’s right for us may not be right for them. My dad never went to college. He is a mechanic on eighteen-wheelers and he makes a good bit of money. My boyfriend got his GED and never went to college. He works and builds power lines, which pays great! I’m attending college but what’s right for me wasn't right for them. I think people should make their own decisions about college and careers. Now that having a college degree doesn't guarantee a job, more people should consider the other options that work best for them. Not everyone should go to college. Not everyone can get a job with a college degree but we still need people to go after the jobs that don’t require a college degree. People who build roads don’t have to have a degree but we need them for the surgeons to get to the hospital they work at. I hope this article encourages people to dig deeper and make the decision that’s right for them. College isn't always the best option!

http://www.onewisconsinnow.org/blog/2011/11/how-financing-a-college-education-has-changed-at-the-expense-of-students.html