Informative Essay Sample: What is College For?

Informative Essay Sample: What is College For? 

With so many parents today seeing college as an expectation, many students are left wondering why. Why exactly are students expected to shoulder college (and its hefty sticker price), only to collect a sheet of paper that serves as their stamp of approval for career readiness? Not only this, but hundreds of other students are receiving identical degrees. What exactly is college for?

For many American families, paying college tuition is a significant financial burden, begging the question and dilemma of whether a college degree will actually warrant being paid a higher salary and if it is worth the initial investment. Moreover, there is an understanding, particularly amongst college students, that an individual’s grade point average is the indicator of their intelligence. However, college exists to prepare students for the workplace, rather than determine their capacity for intelligence. 

The first colleges were created to train clergymen, preparing them for a career in the church (Valaitis). The young men who did not commit to the path of religion primarily attended college in order to set themselves apart from the others and indicate prestige (Valaitis). We see a similar pattern today. There are various paths one can take in college, but they all prepare students to build their careers. While grades may play a fairly significant role in graduate studies and job searches, they merely exist for motivational purposes and determine a person’s level of understanding. Whether or not you graduate at the top of your class, a college career well spent involves gaining applicable skills and a deeper understanding of your respective craft. As stated in Louis Menand’s “Live and Learn”, “college exposes future citizens to material that enlightens and empowers them, whatever careers they end up choosing.” (74).

People go to college for a variety of reasons. Attending college may have been an expectation in their household or something they simply want to try. However, the primary purpose of college is to provide a space for discovery and prepare young adults for their careers. If an adult is competent in their career due to their college degree, college should be considered a success. Siding with Louis Menand’s second and third theories on the purpose of college, attending university is necessary for students to learn material for their specific vocation as well as broaden their learning into other subjects, though not all students do both.

References

Menand, L. (2011, May 30). Live and learn. The New Yorker. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2011/06/06/live-and-learn-louis-menand.

Valaitis, A. (2020, May 6). What is the true purpose of college? Medium. https://medium.com/modern-college/what-is-the-true-purpose-of-college-41434f47b824.