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Sarah Stover Reading Response What a college degree means to employers...

"The Job Market: Is a College Degree Worth Less?", "Should More People Skip College?", "Plan B: Skip College"
Even though both of my parents went to college, not everyone in their generation had to go to college in order to be successful. In our generation, however, I feel like the "norm" is to go to college, and it's rare to find someone who isn't in college or planning to go to college. The recurring idea in each of these articles was that there is an oversupply of college graduates and that a bachelor's degree no longer means very much. Where in our parents generation, a degree was the "ace in the hole," today we need something extra to make ourselves stand out from all of the other college graduates. Employers are looking for people with that extra something - work experience, a master's degree, cognitive skills, and self-direction. They want an employee who can solve problems, make decisions, resolve conflicts, and listen actively. Skills which I think a good employee will have.

Though I did agree that employers now look for much more than a bachelor's degree, there were some things I'm not sure I agree with. It was mentioned throughout the articles that there are weaker students who go to college when "other options might have served them better," and how there is a group of economists and educators who are pushing for no college at all for some students. They say how a vocational school might be better for them. But I don't understand how we draw that line. How do you tell someone, "Hey sorry, you're not quite intelligent enough for college, so good luck getting a job." How do you know that a weaker student might not thrive in a different environment than their home environment. As Peggy Williams said, "if we're telling kids...you shouldn't go to college or university, then we're shortchanging them from experiencing an environment in which they might grow."

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