Introduction
‘The author argues that college is beneficial for the individual. However, Caplan claims that on a macro-level college degrees are not beneficial to society. This is because academia has been diluted with credential inflation over the pursuit of higher education (Caplan 2). The author is correct, to secure a job in the adult world requires a different type of education that a university has to offer; illustrated by Caplan’s “philosophy major” example. The objectives of the student rarely align with the objectives of academia. The system in Canada seems to align with the author’s thesis – there is a separation between an academic degree and a diploma. So what is college good for? Firstly, in the Canadian market and the context of this paper, post-secondary education can be divided into university and college. “College” in the Canadian context focuses on career-specific training while supplementing with intangibles such as: social skills through networking, the ability to meet deadlines and the opportunity to work with other individuals that share the same goals. Therefore, this paper will argue that there is no other place than college that gives you the right mix of networking and structured learning environment that could present the opportunity for a higher paying job.
Caplan's Argument
Caplan depicts college education systems as failed systems that do very little to help the students in coping up with life upon graduation (Caplan 2). He argues that the college curriculum fails to put enough emphasis on the skills that a student would put into direct application in the workplace. The article goes further to say that teachers are not adequately equipped to prepare their student for employment in the vast job market as they do not have the first-hand experience with the types of employment they prepare their students for. However true this is, colleges organize workshops and other forums where the students interact with professionals in their areas of specialization. Through these forums, students receive professional advice which, if well incorporated into the school curriculum, prepares them for the job market.
Diversity and Inclusivity in College
Colleges offer students with an opportunity to interact and learn from people who come from different social, cultural and political backgrounds. Through these interactions, college students learn to embrace diversity and inclusivity (Caplan 2). The students also learn to be accommodative of other people’s opinions, even when they do not align with their own. The knowledge of proper interaction with people goes beyond College to the respective student’s workplaces. This knowledge assists them too properly interact and communicate with their colleagues and other people that they may come across in the workplace.
Advantages of College Education
Even the article’s author concurs with the fact that a college certificate is a mandatory requirement for any meaningful employment (Ding 8). Even before technical skills and a person's experience are tested, job applicants are first prequalified on the basis of their academic qualifications. Therefore, being in possession of a college certificate give an applicant give an applicant an upper hand in the recruitment process (Asoni and Tion 4). Statistics also indicate that college graduates receive higher salaries that people who did not go beyond high school. Academic qualifications are also put into consideration when considering people for promotion. Therefore, a collage graduate students stand better chances that a high school graduate.
Investment in Academic Resources
With the high amounts of fees that students pay, colleges can invest in quality and adequate academic resources. Many modern colleges have invested heavily in libraries, laboratory and other facilities that encourage and assist in research and innovation. These facilities not only help the students in conducing of practical activities but also offer them with a chance to carry out research on their areas of interest. As the world continues to embrace innovation and modern technology, people who possess adequate research and innovation skills stand very high chances of securing well-paying employment opportunities. Having said that, it is clear that colleges play a significant role in preparing students to succeed in the highly competitive job market (Ding 8).
Co-Curricular Activities and Career Opportunities
Besides academics, colleges also encourage the participation of their students in co-curricular activities. This provides the students with a chance to identify their passion and grow their talent. Some of the common co-curricular activities include; sports, athletics, drama, music etcetera (Asoni and Tion 6). If undertaken professionally, some of these activities may turn into very successful careers. For instance, some of the richest people in the world are sportspersons. This goes further to prove that college experience provides the students with a new world of auspicious opportunities.
Diversity of Career Choice
In contrary to Caplan’s argument that most of the subjects offered in college are useless, other people would want to argue that the subjects offer students with a diversity of career choice. Caplan’s argument is partly based on the fact that some students may be taught a course that does not directly relate to their program (Ding 8). For instance, a student pursuing a computer program may find themselves undertaking business courses, like project management. Although this might not make sense at the moment, the computer students may find themselves applying the concept they learn from the course in the workplace. Therefore, this equips students with skills which may be of great importance in the future, especially in the workplace.
Conclusion
From the information provided in this paper, it is clear enough that Caplan’s perception on college education can be challenged with verifiable facts. His article depicts college education as a mere stage in life with minimal impact on an individual’s life. On the contrary, the paper has proven that college education is a critical stage in every person’s education. It also plays a significant role in molding students for successful careers. By all means, colleges not only provide the students with academic knowledge but also the ability to relate with the people and to come up with solutions to various problems that the society may come across (Asoni and Tion 7). College years can also be considered as a self-discovering period where young adults get to discover what it is they want to do in life. In conclusion, no one should be denied the chance to go to college on the basis of a misguided notion that college does not add value to an individual.
References
Dong, Ying "Value of college education mediating the predictive effects of causal attributions on academic success." Social Psychology of Education 18.3 (2015): 531-546.
Asoni, Andrea, and Tino Sanandaji. "Identifying the effect of college education on business and employment survival." Small Business Economics 46.2 (2016): 311-324.
Caplan, Bryan. “The World Might Be Better Off Without College for Everyone.” The Atlantic, 2018, www.theatlantic.com/magazine/archive/2018/01/whats-college-good-for/546590/.
