Is College Really Worth It - Great Things Come With Patience

Yolanda Melville, author of Is College Really Worth It? (2013), explains that a college education will help you succeed with patience and work. She explains that you should get the most out of your education being active in school organizations and don't expect to start at the top when entering your new career. Start at the bottom and work your way up. Melville's purpose is to bring awareness in order to raise the hopes of a better result. Yolanda Melville is speaking out to students using her own life experience after graduating.

In some aspects I agree with Melville that a college degree will lead to success with patience. Obtaining a college degree broadens the knowledge of our minds as well as setting us apart from someone that doesn't. There are careers that can only be held by someone with a college education, in completing your degree will provide you with better odds. On the other hand, with the economy in the condition that it is in, we as students can't afford the financial burden after graduation while we wait for that big break. Starting our new career at the bottom will barely pay the bills but there is the addition of student loans too.  After high school, college is the first step into adult life and becoming independent. But once you graduate some have to go back and depend on their parents or family again. That being said, I feel if you play your cards right everything will work out.

Spoken by our President B. Obama "college isn't just one of the best investments you can make in your future it is the best investment America can make in our future". Although America as a country is in a financial crisis that is affecting all aspects of our lives, we still need education and educated individuals to help keep this country and its business running. College can help in different ways in your career; teaches you the skills you will need and a way to sell yourself. Melville argues “Twenty years from now, your history classmate could work in the human resources department and your resume might come across his desk”; befriending him during school could help you get the job knowing who you are and how you work. Socializing at school you will meet a lot of different people; you never know they may be that link to a great opportunity in your future. Yolanda Melville also argues not to expect to walk into your new career making big money and where you want to be. “Your first job may not offer $100,000 staring salary, but consider the position you might be in without your education”. Life is not about free handouts. You have to work your way through college to get what you want; the degree stating that you have graduated and succeed in learning the skills you need. Now you find the job that you can gain experience and that can get you to the top if you work hard. Don’t give up on your dreams. It may be a rough road to get there, but when you are there it will all be worth it.

Is College Worth It- Questions of Success

Author Michelle Adam of Is College Worth It? (2013) explores the different views on the value of higher education. Adam evaluates surveys taken by school presidents, students and parents on the quality of  education and tuition affecting their lives after graduation. Her purpose is to inform us that the outcome of a higher education is different in order to prepare individuals that success is not always the end reward. Adam appears to be reaching out to all attending or interested in attending college individuals.

As a student returning to college after 8 years, the question "Is college worth it" has crossed my mind a hundred times. I came from a state that tuition and books for full time was half the amount of the tuition for the two classes I am taking now. Moving to the south had put a screeching halt on my education because the economy is in a slump and education costs are too high. Putting myself in such debt did not seem to make much sense and part of me now still believes that this is a mistake. I fear that it's going to hurt me later financially and disrupt the life I have established for myself as well as failing to find a better career that will help pay back the student loans. As far as quality of education the years of school I have acquired seems to be the same. Some of the presidents argue that higher education is to focus on preparing you to work and the others argue that it's to provide intellectual growth. In some sense I believe these are both true. We attend college to seek and obtain information on our desired career. In doing so, we are growing as a person from that knowledge and the interaction of the college life. In answer to "Is college worth it?" Yes! I believe that in making a good decision on what degree or field of study will lead to a successful life and career.

Michelle Adam uses published surveys from "Is College Worth It?" to explain that education may not be worth the price we pay. According to one survey, taken by phone and online, "...(the) majority of the public felt it was not getting a good value for its money and presidents at large were dissatisfied with the direction of higher education". If the presidents are not happy with the direction their education system is going, how can we the public pay all that money to attend and expect good results. Adam further explains that "...those with degrees are paying back loans that impact their quality of life". A student loan is a hardship on some and their families. Others the degree had no impact on the career they seek. So before signing the bottom line, ask yourself "Is this what's best for me at this time?" "Will this help advance me in life?" "Is College Worth It?"

Mirror, Mirror on my Facebook Wall

 

In Amy L. Gonzales’ and Jeffery T. Hancock’s article “Mirror, Mirror on my Facebook Wall:  Effects of Exposure to Facebook on Self-Esteem” (2008), the authors claim that Facebook has major effects on people’s self-esteem.  Depending on if you have positive or negative self-esteem, social media can effect your self-esteem, either positively or negatively.  This is a study that can be argued, agreed, and disagreed upon in many ways.  I agree that Facebook has a positive effect on both types of people, those with low and high self-esteem, because of one factor.  That one factor is selective self-presentation.

Selective self-presentation allows the author to select what information is shared on Facebook.  Some people do not give an accurate account of their personal information that is shared on Facebook, while others do.  In most cases, we only portray the positive things that are going on in our lives to only show how ‘good’ things are going in our lives.  Some people also only share what they think that others will view as positive information.

The studies that were completed showed that the effects on self-esteem were negative were inconclusive, while it showed that the effects of self-esteem were positive.   It was concluded that Facebook has a positive effect because of their ability to selectively self-present themselves.  Of course, most people that can control that variable will only allow certain posts, pictures and information to be shown to thousands and sometimes millions of viewers of their profile.

Facebook is not the only social media that we see people using selective self-presentation, but we do know that in the past few years, it has been used in every capacity possible.  While it is supposed to be a connection of friends and networking with others, it has evolved into many other things.  All things posted can be used for the positive and negative effects on society, but for those simple users like me, that only want to show my distant friends and families what I'm doing, it normally boosts my self-esteem when they make nice comments or "LIKE" my pictures and posts. 

We are all guilty of using selective self-presentation.  We use this as our defense mechanism from the world and to ensure that we are judged positively as much as possible.