Will College Soon Become Obsolete For The Social Media Generation?
College. Everyone is talking about it. Everyone is debating the merits of it. Everyone has differing opinions on what it means to go to college, whether or not a college education truly helps you, or whether or not college is just a hundred thousand dollar scam. The differing opinions come from different places, but they are all asking similar questions because everyone recognizes something needs to be done about the current system of higher education. But the thing is, no one really knows where to start.
Over the past decade, there has been a significant push for students and young adults to go to college. College has been promoted as a place where one can find themselves, develop lifelong friendships, and gain a fruitful career. The culture around college and advanced education can be seen everywhere. Students in various elementary schools are asked repeatedly what they want to be when they grow up and what college they want to attend. High school students are taught to envision what it would be like to be on a college campus. No one really talks about the financial investment that has to be made in order to attend a top-tier university. Until recently, for most people, student loans seemed like an afterthought. Historically, college has been inaccessible for lower-income students, so student loans were seen more as an investment in one’s future. You took them out because you would get that return by being in a promising and high-paying career. You made it work because the long-term investment was worth it. But now the investment feels shaky.
For some, the college gamble didn’t exactly pay off. Plenty of students left with high-interest debt and without a career. Some were able to stumble into a career, but it took years to find one. The student loans that they took out could be paused during their first year after graduating (and during the pandemic), but they still had to be paid back. Because many didn’t know how to navigate the financial aspect of college, some ended up taking out student loans that amounted to the size of a home mortgage. There was very little to no recourse in dealing with this. Forbearance has not always been a guarantee for many individuals, and we have yet to see if student loan forgiveness programs will truly work for those who decided to go into public service in exchange for debt repayment . Because of this, college has left a sour taste for some adults, even for those who benefited from it in the long run.
Though more people of various backgrounds are getting accepted into college, higher education still feels like a pathway only open to a select few. It still feels like the only ones who really benefit from going to university, especially a selective or liberal arts university, are people who were born into money or had enough money to pay tuition to afford to go there. To make matters even more complicated, college tuition has steadily risen over the past decade, while enrollment numbers for colleges have dropped. Even state universities have been feeling the crunch. The average cost of a state university a decade ago could be around twenty or thirty thousand for the whole four years; now it can be twenty thousand for one year at university. This sometimes happens even when you include grants, student loans, and scholarships.
But the real question that keeps popping up again and again is: What really is the purpose of college? In the age of AI, this question is even more relevant.
The debate about the purpose of college can seem never-ending. Some say that the purpose of college is to educate you, to expand you, and to give you knowledge. Others say the purpose of college is solely to prepare you for the workforce. Some pundits argue that college is only for networking purposes and to give you a general leg up in the world. Some say that the only majors that people should consider are science, math, business, and engineering. Some argue that a humanities degree will not set you up for a high-paying field. Others beg to differ, and plenty of people have succeeded even with an arts or humanities degree.
This, of course, has come during a time of great change. College is not only being questioned because of the massive amount of debt that some students leave with, but also because of how much the institution itself has changed. Learning and living on a college campus, which has universally been the centerpiece of the quintessential college experience, is not the only way to get a college education in today’s world. Now, people can take the majority, if not all, of their college courses online. Students can get an entire education for the fraction of a traditional collegiate experience without ever leaving home. Sometimes this is done in their pajamas.
For those who want a little bit more interaction, community college has become an increasingly promising option. Many are forgoing the high college price tag and high tuition costs of traditional colleges by attending their first two years at a community college or going to a community college for a terminal degree or certificate program. Community colleges, which have been a staple in the education world for some time, are now becoming an increasingly viable option and have become a contender in daily conversations about higher education.
It is an attractive option for those who want to still have an in-person community but may have busy lives outside of the classroom environment. Going to a community college also exposes people to a more diverse student population and different networking opportunities with professors who tend to be older or more established. It is also a good deal for lower-income students who may not have the cash flow or have gotten a scholarship to a four-year institution but still want to have a robust education.
The internet has opened up unlimited possibilities when it comes to getting an education. But what does that mean for the average, everyday individual?
The conversation about college has to also contend with the fact that it has never been easier to learn online or to learn away from the college campus. With new innovations constantly popping up, such as Chat GPT and AI, people are beginning to wonder where college would fit in, especially if you could access the same learning material, the same outlines, and the same coursework for a fraction of the price. Essentially, because of the internet, students can (and do) self-teach themselves the course material that they need to know. Why sit in a classroom and listen to an outdated professor drone on and on when you could self-teach yourself in a matter of minutes? Plus, with the invention of Chat GPT, it makes us all wonder if cheating will become rampant. The answer to many quizzes, examinations, and more is already found online; with new technology, it just makes it even more accessible.
The heart of the question is not just about the classroom or course material; it also lends itself to questioning the role of the professor. A quality professor can make or break a student’s education. Professors, in general, are supposed to be the beacons of education. They are supposed to guide students in their learning journey and help cultivate knowledge in a way that is understandable and fruitful for their classroom. However, that is not always the case. Everyone has a story about a professor who barely shows up for class or a professor who just reads off of pre-made slides without allowing room for questions or answers. The need for deep discussions in the classroom is rarely found, and there is a hesitation that it will be found when students are more reliant on technology to seek out answers. The role of the professor and the classroom may diminish even further if new tools like ChatGPT become more mainstream and more entrenched in the classroom.
And if there is no need for a professor or a classroom for that school, then again, what are our students paying for when they sign up to go to college?
Furthermore, if college is about securing money or funds, we have to contend with the fact that the landscape of work has fundamentally changed. People can make money without going to college, and good money at that. Social media and the tech world in general have opened up avenues and industries where you do not need to have a formal college degree. You can make good money from attending a tech bootcamp in software development, web design, or UX design. You can complete a tech bootcamp within six months without ever stepping foot on a college campus.
Additionally, one can get started with a business online with a social media account, a freelance account, a side hustle turned main job, and more. People are more open to self-employment, creative side hustles, and other avenues to make money than ever before. With that comes the question of whether it is worth sitting in a classroom for four years until you get a chance to start your career or dropping out and starting right away. For some, waiting for a college degree will take too long for them and some may even start to lose motivation if they have to wait that long to achieve their main goal of being stable, or having a career. This is something that is becoming more and more prevalent with the younger generation, who do not want to sit and wait for life to happen to them. Many are getting started in their career and taking before being told to.
And there is also growing interest in attending trade school. More and more adults are recommending learning a trade such as carpentry, plumbing, construction, and more as an alternative to going to university. Trades are becoming more and more popular as they take less time to complete a certificate program than going to a four-year program. Plus, there are plenty of cities, particularly in America, that allow you to get paid for doing an official apprenticeship when completing a trade program. This means you can essentially learn on the job and learn both the technical and business sides of things. And it can be appealing to younger individuals wanting alternatives. There are plenty of tradespeople who do very well for themselves, including those who end up starting a business with a partner when they are tired of doing the grunt work notoriously associated with being out in the field. Those who do follow this route can routinely make six figures, and some even aim to retire early.
Though trade programs do take a lot of stamina, energy, time, and resources, they can be very rewarding for those who are out-of-box learners or those who do not necessarily thrive in a traditional classroom setting. Some colleges have been getting ahead of the curve and have been integrating trades programs into their degree programs. In various cities across America, one can get a degree in medical trades like medical technician and lab work. That means you can get the best of both worlds—a formal classroom education paired with on-the-ground experience.
Still, it is worth noting that it might not be a good idea for everyone. For women, it is notoriously hard to get into trades (though that is changing) and they may find it difficult to get started or find a mentor. Also, some may find it not suitable for their skill set if they lack the physical stamina needed for many of the jobs or find it easier to work on a computer or a regular desk job instead.
If there are so many alternatives to college in today’s modern age, then why go at all? Why college?
But really, what gets missing in these conversations is that there is no real correct answer. For some, college is an immeasurable and worthwhile experience. For those who enjoy their college experience, they tend to cite community, network, professors, clubs, and other intangibles that cannot just be measured in a classroom. They would gladly do it over again, even if that meant they had to pay the same sticker price out of pocket. Furthermore, for many being eighteen years-old and just starting out, can be a nerve-wracking experience. College allows these individuals to have a safe space—a bubble if you will—to practice being an adult with no pressure. Essentially, it is a place for those to learn adulthood skills while still having advisors in place to guide them, plus a walk-able campus, and peers who are on the same page and cohort as them.
Now the real question is: Does all of this equal a hundred thousand-dollar price tag? The answer for most people is no, but the heart of the matter is more complex than it needs to be. The reason we have to ask and answer this question is because the price of college has gotten out of control and is not slowing down. We all know that education shouldn’t cost this much but we also wonder what can we realistically do about it. The real truth is that the cost of college is probably not coming down anytime soon—or at least not for the name-brand colleges that have a constant flow of people who will apply to them. The real truth is that people will always fork over money, whether through trust funds, loans, or other means, to attend those selective universities.
The other interesting truth is that people learn from each other, and so do industries. The college industry is in the business of making money, unfortunately, sometimes at the expense of education of the youth. Colleges want to look good to both students, their parents, their staff, and other colleges. Because of that, colleges are all trying to Keep Up With The Joneses. That means they are building a state-of-the-art science lab, the new dorm, the new library wing, and they are paying more for famous visiting professors to come on campuses. It's not just the top ten schools that are doing it; it’s small schools, liberal arts schools, and state schools too. And that has a price tag, which means they have to raise money or charge others in order be able to afford these changes. This means charging the average student more money in tuition, room and board, and fees even if the standard of education or quality hasn't changed in a decade.
Colleges also have to contend with the fact that we now live in a post-affirmative action society. Some colleges might try to skirt over this by looking at other qualifications that can be measured, but being in this new reality will still have its implications and impact. This means many students might be shut out of applying to the most prestigious universities, and some might be shut out of applying to college just in general due to cost, lack of scholarship funds, or other personal reasons. Colleges also have to contend with the fact that, depending on what state they are located in, people might not want to go there due to state laws and a political climate that may make people, in particular minorities and women, who may feel unsafe about attending certain schools in certain states. This is part of the new reality as well, which can make navigating the college landscape tricky.
Ultimately, what young adults need in the conversation are options for their post-secondary education. And college, even with all its faults and flaws, will always be a part of the conversation. Yes, even with new ways to make money, even with online education booming, and even with trades programs rising up as an alternative, there will still be a sizeable contingent of people who will go to college and who will enjoy their college experience.
Because of this colleges should make it easier for students to enroll and for students to succeed. Colleges should put students’ needs first including their academic, emotional, and financial ones into consideration. Colleges should be encouraging and making it possible for students to take as little debt as they can to get a holistic education that they can feel proud to partake in. Colleges will need to embrace advancement in technology. Colleges will need to keep up with the latest job trends and career trends plus make the necessary changes that enable their student population to succeed after graduation. Colleges will have to put forth the effort to make the best experience possible for those who choose to attend.
The colleges that can really nurture and grow their student population in ways that address professional and personal growth while providing the utmost value will be the ones who come out of this change in culture unscathed. The rest, we will wait to see.