College worth the cost
Wednesday, August 17, 2011 at 11:34AM By Connor de Bruler
Connor de Bruler - Opinion EditorSociety has never been more skeptical of a college education due to the high cost in this down economy.
I submit that most of the articles and headlines out there asking whether or not a college education is really worth it are complete nonsense.
A college education is the best decision a young person can ever make.
Sure it’s getting harder to find jobs, and it’s true that the cost of college is getting overwhelming. But think about this: the U.S. unemployment rate is around 9 percent now. Only 4.5 percent of that is made of college graduates. Any public or government resource will give you these figures, and I have not cited exactly where I got these numbers to challenge readers to look up these statistics several times. The numbers are not manipulated.
The truth is that college students are still able to find good jobs.
College is also more than just a four-year job hunt. People grow intellectually in a college setting more than they would otherwise. It saddens me to think that, perhaps, our culture places less and less emphases on intellectualism.
It doesn’t matter where you go to college and it doesn’t matter when you go to college. It isn’t for everyone, and others aren’t ready to go to college directly after high-school. We are different in these respects.
A higher education, however, is a great tool to not only grow as a human being away from the parents, or to learn things one would never had pursued otherwise but also to discover a passion and avert a life of oppressive, exploitative work at the dregs of our ruthless capitalist system.
Those of you who have decided to come to the Winthrop University to pursue a higher education, I applaud you. I applaud you for having the courage to come here despite the financial burden, despite the disapproval of some, despite your own fear and despite the pressure from the media and culture that you might be coming for nothing.
No one comes here and leaves with nothing. I can promise you that.
You are a student of this school now and it has never been a more difficult time to be a college student.
We must rise up and say no to mediocrity. We must say no to greedy politicians. We must say no to a culture that wants to keep us docile.
This is not the professor’s school. This is not the administration’s school. This is our school. Without us it is nothing.
The Baby Boomer generation has failed this country and this earth with their idiocy and theocracy. Our generation must take it back and right these wrongs. It all must start at the epicenter of intellectualism: the university.
Welcome to Winthrop.
Also, if you’re going to drink, be smart about it. Don’t drive under the influence and don’t drink more than you can handle. Also, be aware that most of my articles are my opinion alone and I am not responsible for any armed uprising or revolution-even if I instigate it.
