Many
students confirm that they feel compelled to go to college because of pressure from parents and teachers and stay there because it seems to be an alternative to a
far worse fate. They quiver at the thought of the army or a dead-end job, and almost
anything is better than staying at home. Potential college graduates say that they don't
want to work "solely for the money"and that they want to do work that matters
Their motive is to help people and save the world, but the numbers are stacked against
them. Not only are there not sufficient jobs in the world-saving fields, but in the
current slowdown it has become evident that there never are enough promising jobs.
presumably never will be, that require a higher education
Let's acknowledge the facts. The New York Times reports close to 80 percent of new
jobs can be performed by someone without a college degree. The US Department of
Education estimates that only 62 percent of those enrolled in four-year institutions
had earned a bachelors degree six years later! This dilemma means that 38 percent
have likely wasted time and accumulated debt! In addition, in the US, the cost of
college has risen tenfold over the last 30 years, a ratio that is three times as much as
general inflation over the same time period. It is clear, from an objective point of view,
any more students should be attending technical schools or two-year colleges to
