This article immediately caught my attention because of my interest in the omnipresent debate over higher education. Should you go to a state university and save for graduate school or attend an Ivy League (or the equivalent) and rest on your laurels? The answer varies, depending on many factors - the profession you wish to pursue, the current job market, your personal financial situation - just to name a few. Then there's the fact that time is of the essence. Though you don't necessarily have to put your life on hold to continue your education, the extra schooling does tend to bog down the years. Furthermore, what are you going to do with book knowledge without real experience in your field?
Clearly, it's not a given that you will (or should) go on to grad school, even if you aren't waist-deep in debt at the end of your first four years. However, Ms. Pappano delivers a somewhat lengthy explanation of the pros and cons of (even) higher education, with an acute emphasis on the pros. She tends to quote prominent individuals who believe that the Master's degree is essential in marketing oneself for the job market. Personal anecdotes, such as those of William Klein and Omar Holguin, add flair to the article. At the same time, they bias Ms. Pappano's report: although there seems to be a trend towards an increased number of students who go on to earn their Master's, she presents the observation as fact. Nowhere in her account did she include an example of someone who still believes in the power of the Bachelor's degree.
I was lucky enough to audit a class at the School of Public Health, at which med students and PhD candidates gathered to learn about biostatistics. It was incredible that some of these not-so-young adults had been in school for their whole lives, bouncing from high school to undergrad to Master's and beyond. I thought about the implications of their dedication to educating themselves: "What a noble cause."
The question remains, however: Does more education truly increase your chances in the 'real' world?
(http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/24/education/edlife/edl-24masters-t.html?pagewanted=3&ref=general&src=me)
Clearly, it's not a given that you will (or should) go on to grad school, even if you aren't waist-deep in debt at the end of your first four years. However, Ms. Pappano delivers a somewhat lengthy explanation of the pros and cons of (even) higher education, with an acute emphasis on the pros. She tends to quote prominent individuals who believe that the Master's degree is essential in marketing oneself for the job market. Personal anecdotes, such as those of William Klein and Omar Holguin, add flair to the article. At the same time, they bias Ms. Pappano's report: although there seems to be a trend towards an increased number of students who go on to earn their Master's, she presents the observation as fact. Nowhere in her account did she include an example of someone who still believes in the power of the Bachelor's degree.
I was lucky enough to audit a class at the School of Public Health, at which med students and PhD candidates gathered to learn about biostatistics. It was incredible that some of these not-so-young adults had been in school for their whole lives, bouncing from high school to undergrad to Master's and beyond. I thought about the implications of their dedication to educating themselves: "What a noble cause."
The question remains, however: Does more education truly increase your chances in the 'real' world?
(http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/24/education/edlife/edl-24masters-t.html?pagewanted=3&ref=general&src=me)
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