This cartoon brings up a question that I present to my students as a final exam question almost every semester: Is a college education really worth it? (I obviously give them a bit more of a structure to follow and a clear direction for their essay to head in, but essentially this is the question that crops on every essay final)
In all seriousness, I wonder if they ask themselves this when classes become overwhelming or exceedingly more difficult. When they have persistent attendance issues, complain about not being able to pay for overly expensive books (all semester long -- despite having on brand new clothes and shoes or in some cases new hairdos), not having enough time to do their work because of job, family obligations, or emergencies, or flat out say they have other, more important, things to do than attend class, I wonder if some of them really see a college education as worthy of the sacrifices they have to make in order to be successful at it.
I sometimes come to pseudo-conclusions based upon their class performance, but I don't know what they contend with in their personal lives. I only see what they bring to the table in the classroom.
Basically, with the cost of education rising exponentially and the time and energy and effort that is needed to truly be successful in a typical set of classes, many of my students either fall by the wayside of education or else they barely scrap by with lackluster grades and end up feeling like they wasted a lot of time and money. They are not alone in these feelings though.
As I ponder returning to obtain the coveted Doctorate degree (or becoming a FUD as my dad calls it) I find myself wondering if it is even worth it anymore.
1 comment:
With the economy as it is, many people wonder that same thing. But education gives you more choices. It all depends on what you want to do.
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