The debate of whether a college degree matters or not is quite old but still relevant. The cynics say that education is not knowledge and a college degree is not necessary to survive in this world. But I think otherwise
Yes, a college degree does matter and where you get the degree from is equally important! In today’s competitive world it is very important to possess a college degree.
Many research reports suggest that a bachelor’s degree pays off six times more than a high school diploma and it’s the credential is all that matters and not where it’s from! But when you see the unemployment rates and reports suggesting 85% of graduates are unemployable, one will start to wonder if the degree is even relevant or if the colleges where you get these degrees actually matter. Degrees and certifications provide a good platform for students and job aspirants to enter the right colleges or professions.
One might wonder looking at the data,
“if I finish a certification program or a diploma and not a degree and get a job in a year or two early, with the gap between the salaries of degree students and non-degree students reducing, won’t I earn more as I am entering workplace earlier?”
For the sake of argument, let’s say you land a job on the basis of your skills and abilities, right after high school. You are pretty good at it and enjoy doing it. But eventually, as time passes the technology changes and without proper education which gives a firm grounding on basics, it might make it difficult to adapt to newer technologies. In a software job, it’s not about knowing the syntax of the language, it’s about knowing to program. One might get a job with the right skills but climbing the ladder in the corporate world requires a college degree.
Colleges should not be measured only by the employability index or the by the earnings of their graduates as it obscures the broader benefits of education. Education cannot be time-bound. We live in times that are unpredictable; hence students need to be prepared to brace for it. They cannot plan for a future that is solely dependent on the present and does not let them exploit the disruptions, as they are caught in the time wrap. To prepare students for a future where we don’t even know what skills are required, we need to work on their foundation, knowledge base, and life skills which will help them adapt to the need of the hour.
A degree program elevates the students from being able to be capable. A degree program helps the students to adapt to changes if any as it focuses not just on skills but on gaining mastery of knowledge. But remember your degree, regardless of its title or stature sometimes is merely a prerequisite to getting you a job. Your experience is eventually going to be what people notice and how you upskill yourself with the right set of skills and keep up to date in the field you have chosen. Soft skills and networking skills blended with knowledge in the field will help you excel.
We need to nurture students to help them reach the next level, we need a system which is has a good mix of linearity and organic irrespective of how flat the world looks. Linearity puts the discipline and structure, while organic puts the flexibility in the framework required to adjust or change the model to cater to the fast-changing world. Linearity without proper evaluations & assessments will be difficult to sustain. Any degree program puts this discipline in a student.
Apart from preparing for the future, it also serves as the filtering mechanism to filter the supply available despite the huge demand. Colleges/companies fall back to the old proven way of expecting the candidates to have degrees and certificates. And these degrees from an Ivy League will surely give you an edge.
Just calculating the return of investment, where you go to school does matter. You can’t be spending 10s of lakhs of rupees and then decide not to pursue a career in that line! You have limited time and resources to identify your strengths, understand your weakness, recognize what you would love to do, and work in that direction following your passion. This way the journey and the destination will be fulfilling. Don’t forget to be a smart consumer of education!
Good schools prepare students not for just college, they prepare them for life. This has been the underlying philosophy of the Aurinko Academy (https://www.aurinkoacademy.com) We are not happy with just our kids getting into the Ivy League colleges; we are interested in them being successful both academically and in life. We want to equip them with the skills and knowledge which will help them achieve success in the most efficient way and learn to enjoy along the way. We want to give them the required toolkit for life.
So how does our school work with our students, and what do we equip our students with to tackle the world? What is that magical dust we sprinkle on our students? Watch out for my next blog for this.
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