Why A College Degree Still Matters

By Julian Wilson
Staff Writter

College education is expensive, and sometimes students find themselves struggling with subject matter, workloads, and continuing to read stories about college students having trouble finding jobs after graduation in the current job market. So, in 2014, is college education still worth the cost?

An article titled, “Is College Worth It?” published by the Gallup Business Journal on Aug. 27, 2013, analyzes the question, while providing examples as to why going to college might be worth the time and vise versa. “Higher education faces daunting challenges: soaring costs, access and completion issues, rapidly changing technology, and accountability pressures from state and federal officials,” wrote Brandon Busteed, the author of the article.

Busteed uses the current condition of the economy to provide substance for his claim. “As a result of the recent economic downturn, many graduates are not finding well-paying jobs. Meanwhile, over the past two decades, average tuition at American colleges and universities has jumped 248 percent. As a percentage of household income, tuition has risen from 23 percent in 2001 to 38 percent today.”

Some LIU Post students agree that, despite the cost, there are benefits to their college education, but changes are needed, like perhaps more integration with social media, and more interaction with students.

Joe Voce, a senior Electronic Media major, thinks that education as a whole, including earning a college degree, has some deficiencies. “I think education for modern-times like today needs to step up its game. We are slowly drifting as a country into stupidity, and it’s a proven fact. Maybe we take too many tests. Not a lot of people are good at taking tests, and our education is based around nothing but tests.” Yet, Voce is still uncertain of whether college is completely worth it or not. “I’m going to say yes and no. College is worth it — the experience, the education, and the independence. A degree is important. [It] looks good on resumes, and some employers may be impressed by it. But in that sense, college is being forced on by most parents, which makes having a college degree not that special.”

Deandre Wilson, a junior Broadcasting major, thinks that a college degree is still worthwhile. “We can learn at a higher level because we’re not limited to anything since it’s so easy to get information.” Wilson thinks that his professors are doing a good job. “I think teachers are more effective in teaching material to students because they have so many options of showing material to their students. Teachers can use videos, audio, newspapers, books, and more, as compared to the simpler devices used by teachers in the past.” However, Wilson still thinks there could be improvements made to the education system, such as making lessons more interactive.

Trish Torrales, a junior Broadcasting major, thinks that a college degree is absolutely necessary. She claims that education is one of the biggest necessities you need to succeed. “I think education is an essential thing in this day and age. Nowadays, you need a degree to get the majority of jobs out there, so it’s really important to finish school.” Torrales agrees that teachers are doing well in the education field. “I think it depends on the school and the teacher, but generally, I think teachers have gotten more effective at teaching students materials over the years.”

Angelique Vito, a sophomore Management major, believes that earning a college degree is more than important. “Education plays a big role in society today. I feel the students nowadays are more obligated to get an education because it is what is expected. Especially with today’s economy, it is very hard to get a job. The competition for jobs has also increased over the years, which I think has led to students staying in school for a longer period of time, just to qualify for a job.”