Cost Of College Education And Unemployment Rate

Name: Professor’s Name: Course: Date: Research question: Looking at unemployment rate among graduates as well as the lack of guarantee for return on investment, I am inclined to ask whether the cost of college education is worth it. I am a person who tends to believe in education and while my parents did play a role in my belief in education, I eventually my reasons to firm my belief in education. However, certain encounters can indeed change one’s life and perception about things. A while back as I was having coffee in a restaurant, I overheard a conversation between the waitress who had just served me and a person who seemed to be close to her. One could tell that she was disappointed in something but the guy she was with was trying to make her believe again. When I listened closely, I gathered that the waitress had completed her college education years ago but nothing other than the waitress job had been forthcoming. She had applied for jobs been to numerous interviews but nothing seemed to work out for her. Her life was indeed a testament of a failed system just as she said. A person who had not listened to the conversation for as long as I did would have called the lady difficult or impatient. However, something told me they have had this conversation several times where the guy tries to convince the lady and to instill hope and belief in her. This particular conversation, however, was not like the others because while the guy seemed like he had been able to instill hope in the lady before, his waning belief as well as that of the lady’s was quite evident. From what I gathered, the lady had completed her studies and had already graduated with a college degree. However, I did not gather which course she had done so I also did not get the entire story. After completing her studies, the lady had high hopes of acquiring employment which would have justified her parent’s investment in her education. However, it had been years since her graduation but nothing was forthcoming. Life had become unbearable for her and she had given up on the system. The guy she was talking to seemed to still hold onto a hope that someday the lady would find something that would justify her time and money in school. But she had had enough and was not willing to listen anymore. She kept asking him whether he still believes college education is worth what people are paying for a question which the guy never answered. In a few minutes of listening to the conversation, I found myself deep in thought over the same issue. My friend was also taken aback by the conversation but none of us was ready to discuss it further. We finished our coffee and she came over to thank us and then wished us all the best as we walked away. In her eyes, she had a deep sadness but her words seemed hopeful nonetheless. As I was walking back home, my mind went on one of the most frightening journeys to the future and I saw myself waiting tables for ten consecutive years after I had finished college. These thoughts were indeed scary and I had the same look on my face the lady had. Listening to her speak, one could tell that she was intelligent and that her hope in school and college, in particular, was grounded in something deep. The events of that day made me scared and I dec...