Are We Getting Our Money's Worth?

This article was really interesting because it truly makes its reader think about the question, are we really getting our money's worth by attending college? I feel that the answer to that question cannont be answered with a simple "yes" or "no." It is true that those who pay more for college are getting a better education than those who pay less? Are Harvard students receiving a better education that those of us who attend SUNY Cortland? These are all questions that are relevant to this article. I feel that the answer to these questions really depends on the person. It is very possible for someone to receive an equal education at an IVY League school as opposed to a SUNY school. It all depends on how much time, work, and effort the students chooses to put in to their studies.

I feel that most people in America who go to college, do it because they don't really know any other way to succeed. You always hear in high school and from your parents that, "you're not going to go anywhere without a college education." But is this really true. I feel that in most cases, this is true. But there are several people who have made a great living and it wasn't because they attended college. Without a doubt, we are forced to pay way too much to go to college. I don't see why it is fair that we must attend college in order to get a good job, yet for 10 years post-graduation, we are stuck in debt, paying back college loans. College is rather hypcritical if you ask me. I truly don't know whether or not I am getting my money's worth by going to college.

Sure, I am learning a great deal of important information in my classes, but in all honesty, I am learning more outside of the classroom. By living alone, cooking your own meals, choosing whether or not to get up for class, etc...we are slowly but surely becoming adults. Going out, socializing, drinking too much, making mistakes...they are all very important aspects of college. I feel that many of life's lessons are taught and learned during the college years. It certainly is a transitional period. Before I came to college, I literally had no idea what the real world was like. Not that I have a huge understanding of it now (since my parents pay for my car, cell phone, tuition, housing, etc) but I have still learned what it is like to live away from the safety-net called home. The mistakes that I make I must suffer the consequences on my own. My parents of course are always there for me, but college has taught me how to deal with difficult issues on my own, without consulting them all the time on whats right and wrong.

My answer to the initial question that the article brings up is that I feel that most of what's learned in college doesn't cost a dime. In college, you find a sense of self, self-worth, and gratification, not only by getting an A on a paper or a 95% on a test, but by making life-long friends, making mistakes, and picking yourself up when you fall. This isn't to say that classes are worthless, because they most definitely are not. I just feel that we have to pay to learn lessons that go beyond the institution of "school." We are paying for our futures in more ways than one.