College is an investment. Think about how much money each of has to spend, to have the privilege of waking up for those eight am classes each morning. I know, I know, getting up for class that early is pretty awful, but in reality, we have it great. Think about how many kids our age, aren't getting up for class but rather getting up to work the morning shift at McDonald's or 7-11. To these kids, to our fellow American peers, this isn't just a job that they need to help pay for tuition , but for many a fact of life. It's what they're going to be subjected to for the rest of their lives! Sadly, the idea of higher education was never a reality for many Americans. They either didn't have the motivation or were deterred by the cost of a college education.Even with various scholarships and loans, it still isn't enough. It isn't even the poor people in this country that have trouble paying for an education, it's the majority of American students. Frankly, a college education costs way to much, it's almost embarrassing that schools think that's it's appropriate to charge what they do. The fact is, Universities are businesses, they provide Americans with an education, but for a very hefty price, they have to make a profit after all. It shouldn't be this way though. Education is something that every citizen deserves to have, needs to have to succeed in this world. The job market place is becoming more competitive, not only do Americans looking for work have to compete with one another, but with people from across the globe as well. Sadly, Americans are starting to fall behind in this regard and it's time to do something about it! Shouldn't we as Americans, feel more inclined to use our resources to help all Americans invest in a brighter future, our own future, than spending tax payer dollars on things that the majority of Americans don't even agree with!?!
Karry, make sure you have a focus on this topic. It's a fantastic topic and it particularly this home for me because I have many discussions with educators who are advocates for free online courseware that can be shared with current students but also accessed by the general public and students who may not have the means to pay for an education. Sharing educational resources would also help cut down the costs of having to reinvent the wheel in every institution. For example, if UMD has an Oral Communication class, and i were to post all of the resources I use for this class online so that another professor can recycle it, adapt it, and offer the course at his school or... better yet... if I could open my current class to students NOT at UMD by having them attend via Skype, then it would cut the cost of offering the same course uniquely at every university.
ReplyDeleteThat is something I would talk about when talking about the possibiltiy for free education, as an example. So make sure you find your angle and expand on it.
This was a really good topic because it was easily relatable to everyone.
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