Why are US College Graduates Doing so Poorly?

The Professor above has a great take on it.

I'd like to add that way too many businesses require a degree to be considered a prospective employee, and as such it's gotten out of hand where everybody feels the need to get a degree, no matter what the degree is for or what college it's from. It's basically encouraging people to get a certificate, rather than learn something.

How many kids in college would still go to college if no degrees were ever awarded? That stupid certificate has become more important than what it's supposed to stand for.

On top of that, the first few years of college are little more than repeating one's 11th and 12th grade studies from high school, but on a different campus with different people. For every class you are allowed to take in the area that you are interested in and excel at, they make you take 4 or 5 more obscure classes to ensure you are "well-rounded"; as if doing well on Jeopardy is the primary goal.

If you study English (or god forbid - Philosophy) at Harvard, does that make you unemployable? An idiot?

If you study computer science at Drunktank U, are you a genius and eminently employable?

The workplace needs lots of people w/ generic skills who can easily teach themselves or be quickly taught new skills. The best way to prepare for this? Learn how to read and write, and also...speak.

Do you need to spend 4yrs learning these soft skills? 2yrs would do.

Do you need to spend 4yrs learning hard skills? Again, 2yrs would do.

There is no more 'liberalism' in liberal arts. You do not need to major in math, but students should take 2 semesters of calculus. You don't need to major in English, but being familiar with some basic works in your native language is a good idea.

Alternatively, there should be a wider range of 2yr programs for, "recent grads without a clue" (which included me). Things like math/stats, networking and operating systems, finance/accounting etc.

If I had it to do over again I would have taken a break after high school to clear my head and be ready to focus.

A slight miscalculation in your reasoning is that you believe that most theater and art history majors ARE serious about it. I very recently finished my last year as an undergraduate, and I can safely tell you that this isn't the case. I double-majored in chemistry and anthropology and I can tell you that only a small percentage of the students majoring in the arts and humanities have a genuine interest in it. The majority of them only choose to major in them because they require the least amount of work, giving them the most time to party and do whatever else. One of my freshman anthropology lectures in fact, had a supposed enrollment count of 210 students, but I only ever counted about 40-50 in class on any given day.

I've done my share of partying and goofing off in college, but I ALWAYS put my academics as my priority. This unfortunately, is not the case with most everyone else. STN was very accurate with his analysis that a huge fraction of college students treat it as a vacation mostly at their parents' expense. They choose the easiest major they can find, rarely attend class, go through the motions, get their degree, graduate, and only then do they realize that perhaps they should've taken those last four years a bit more seriously.

No jobs. or $8 an hour jobs for people with Master's degrees.

Think I'm kidding??

https://www.uakron.edu/hr/job-openings/openings.dot

Colleges and college degrees are a dime a dozen....I should know, I have one.....and I am remarkably unspectacular.

Hell, often children dictate where they go to college even though they aren't paying for it....often.

You add online universities to brick & mortar schools you are going to dilute the value of a degree.

Footnote - Chelsea Clinton got a art history degree from Stanford and is making 6 figures on Wall Street.

Art history - it can lead to great things.

Job Title:

Academic Encourager

Job ID:

8070

Date Opened:

08/22/2013

Location:

Akron Campus

Full/Part Time:

Department:

Part-Time

VP, Strategic Engagement

Regular/Temporary:

Temporary

Responsibilities

Academic Encouragers work closely with students and academic advisors throughout the academic semesters to assist in enhancing student success. Academic Encouragers are responsible for encouraging and mentoring students assigned to them to be successful in their academic courses and out-of-classroom experiences and activities, working with the Academic Advisor and helping to pay attention to their students' class attendance and punctuality, following up and communicating with the academic advisor on their issues and/or needs of their students, and assisting with early warning follow up of their students.

Each Academic Encourager (AE) will be assigned a class of 20 students to encourage for the fall 2013 semester. They will be paired with an Academic Advisor partner on campus and the Academic Advisor will determine the 20 students that need assistance. The position requires spending approximately one hour per week with each student, for no more than 25 hours per week. (20 hours/week of individual student time,four hours/week related to campus activities., i.e., class attendance/punctuality, etc. and an additional hour/week spent discussing issues and concerns.)

The following students have been identified as the target student population for this opportunity:

ACT score between 18-21

High School GPA of 2.5 or above

Required Qualifications

Requires a Bachelor's degree and a minimum of ten years experience in education. Interest in working with college level students and the ability to establish rapport with students and motivate student learning required. Excellent communication skills is required. Ability to establish and maintain harmonious working relationships wiht colleagues required.

Preferred Qualifications

A Master's degree and previous successful high school or college teaching experience is preferred.

Salary/Grade

$8.00 hourly

Application Deadline

Open until filled

Background Check Statement

The University of Akron is committed to providing a safe environment for all students and employees. The university endeavors to protect the health, welfare and safety of all students, employees and visitors on our campus. As such, the university will conduct a pre-employment background check for all applicants selected for employment.

About UA

Here you will find excellence in the breadth and quality of our 300 academic degree programs, for the more than 28,000 students representing 49 U.S. states and 80 foreign countries. They're a culturally diverse group and they come from a broad economic spectrum. Here you will find a metropolitan setting that places you in the heart of a dynamic, regional economy, and in sync with the pulse of business, government and the community.

Most important, here you will discover energy, in the high-tech classrooms of our new academic buildings, in our new Student Union and Student Recreation and Wellness Center, and among the 200 student organizations on campus. Excellence, opportunity and energy. You will find all three at The University of Akron.

Equal Employment Opportunity

The University of Akron is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity and to the principles of affirmative action in accordance with state and federal laws.

STN wrote:

However, there's no denying that the tuition is far too high. I've worked at my current institution for nearly 17 years now, and in that time, I watched the tuition literally skyrocket.

In 2000, the tuition was only $25,000, and even at that time, it was considered high. In only 13 years, it has increased by $20,000, which is outrageous. In the announcement given to the public, the university stated that the increase in tuition was made in order to accommodate a greater need for students' financial needs. I was very surprised by that announcement, because anyone with half a brain can see that it doesn't make sense.

From what I'm aware, the extra funds are likely being channeled towards unnecessary construction projects and who knows what else.

I cannot say how true this is.

During my 4 years as an undergraduate, the tuition spiked up an average of $1500 each year. All the while, the school was building a damn parking garage in front of the aquatic center, adding a new wing to the sports complex, etc.

It's actually ridiculous how much the universities spend on constructing unnecessary things.

codger wrote:

Colleges and college degrees are a dime a dozen....I should know, I have one.....and I am remarkably unspectacular.

Hell, often children dictate where they go to college even though they aren't paying for it....often.

You add online universities to brick & mortar schools you are going to dilute the value of a degree.

Footnote - Chelsea Clinton got a art history degree from Stanford and is making 6 figures on Wall Street.

Art history - it can lead to great things.

Call me crazy, but I swear that Clinton's financial successes could perhaps have something to do with the renown of her parents. I mean, former president and secretary of state and all. On another note, I thought Clinton's degree was in history, not art history. Not that it makes all that much of a difference.

STN wrote:

I've worked at my current institution for nearly 17 years now, and in that time, I watched the tuition literally skyrocket.

How exactly are they getting tuition checks to rocket up into the sky? Does your university have some sort of collaboration with NASA? It seems like that would be really expensive. Not to mention that once you rocket tution into the sky, you probably can't get it back...no wonder they keep having to increase tuition!

codger wrote:

Colleges and college degrees are a dime a dozen....I should know, I have one.....and I am remarkably unspectacular.

Hell, often children dictate where they go to college even though they aren't paying for it....often.

You add online universities to brick & mortar schools you are going to dilute the value of a degree.

Footnote - Chelsea Clinton got a art history degree from Stanford and is making 6 figures on Wall Street.

Art history - it can lead to great things.

Seyta wrote:

Call me crazy, but I swear that Clinton's financial successes could perhaps have something to do with the renown of her parents. I mean, former president and secretary of state and all. On another note, I thought Clinton's degree was in history, not art history. Not that it makes all that much of a difference.

Nice.

Lolz, that poster thinks Chelsea Clinton's cushy Wall Street job has anything to do with Academic Merit? Connections, all about who you know... that's true even for Wharton Finance grads, much less some chick who majored in History or Art History from Stanford. And, of course, Chelsea Clinton is not some random chick who went to Stanford--she has had a lot of opportunities in her life, and I dare say that a lot of the things she has done in her adult life were enabled by her connections.

But that first poster raises a good point--networking is so important to landing a job after college. Networking is often overlooked by a lot of outsiders making opinions and/or criticizing and analyzing prospects of students post-college.

There are a lot of kids at State Schools who were not academically inclined, and some of whom were serious a-holes, who landed decent jobs after college.

I know far too many of them, who run the spectrum from, at the more positive end of things,

1. some who deserve their salaries via competent networking,

and at the lowest extreme,

2. others who represent everything wrong with our generation--selfish immoral, partying, exploitative, fake-a** trifling a-holes who get a stupid generic "Sales" job after finishing school.

A completely arbitrary job, and they probably think there is nothing amiss and they have smoothly joined the professional working world. As someone involved in many Business related disciplines, I personally have a lot of regard for Professional Trust-Based Selling and Professional Sales Management, but this trend of huge, faceless companies hiring douchebags out of college and giving them some pathetic sales training and making robots out of them, is not appealing to me.

STN wrote:

I've worked at my current institution for nearly 17 years now, and in that time, I watched the tuition literally skyrocket.

glad i don't go to your school wrote:

How exactly are they getting tuition checks to rocket up into the sky? Does your university have some sort of collaboration with NASA? It seems like that would be really expensive. Not to mention that once you rocket tution into the sky, you probably can't get it back...no wonder they keep having to increase tuition!

Oh, that tuition will come back. It'll be back, as The Terminator would say. Just ask the proponents of sending garbage into space as a waste management solution. Heheh.

Blame it on the Baby Boomers. Too many people in the work force who wont retire until they're 80.

Haha, and how about those darn increasing Western lifespans due to advances in modern medicine and public health. And all these health nut types just want to make it worse! By advocating their healthy diets and trying to get rid of heart disease, obesity and cancer. I tell ya', it's hell for us college graduates.

Not true!

The economy is not creating the jobs in the economy to sustain itself. Baby boomers are leaving in big numbers.

Also, the type of jobs most "college graduates" would expect are not being created by the tiny, "economic recovery" we have been in.

Economists say that we need about 200,000 jobs / month to replace those leaving the workforce. In the economic recovery of the 1980s we had 600,000 to 1 million net jobs created per month.

The economy today is producing about 180,000 net new jobs per month. But of those 180,000 or so jobs being created monthly over the past 18 months ... guess what? 90% are part time jobs!

With Obamacare over their heads, why should a business want to build its payroll in puny economy & be required to be saddled with gigantic health care costs driven down on them by the Government. Right! ... Doesn't make sense to me either.

Ain't Obama great for college grads? You sure fell for that "old time religion" again!

Somebody once said: "Be careful what you wish for!"

So true.

So jamin, which one are you - superstar or McStar?

Retired Investment Banker wrote:

So jamin, which one are you - superstar or McStar?

McStar.

Really hitting the nail on the head. Reality bites.

Here's the problem, companies can hire two foreign college graduates, pay them less than half of what you want, don't give them any benefits and let them work your job. Most Jamaicans do this as they shutter to think they might have to go back to that country. They will work for less than minimum wage to stay here in the U.S.

Once we solve that situation, then you will get the job you deserve for the price you ask for.

I wasnt serious man. Kipketer got it haha. And Obama sucks in general. I wasnt a fan when he first ran for office. But anyway, I see a lot of places hiring. It's just no one wants to work those jobs because they have a degree and are now "over qualified". I consider myself lucky because, as a recent grad, I got myself into a good job right out of school. I make 50k a year. Now I would love to make more money but I'm happy I'm in the work force right now. I really believe that college students are lazy and are just focused on having a good time and partying. Nothing wrong with that because I did the same thing. However, during my summer and winter breaks I would work an internship. Did it a few times at the same company and... ta-daaaaa I got a job there. The only thing college proves is that you can be educated.