Hong Xiuquan
suffered a nervous breakdown when at the age of 15 he failed a life changing
test. He couldn't afford a tutor or to bribe examiners; in a sense he felt his
fate was sealed. Like Hong, many students today who fall short on important
exams like the ACT can fall into a pit of despair. Unable to get scholarships
many are forced to take out so many loans and end up deep in debt. Or, they
just give up completely and never go to college. I would hate to think about the
idea of my never attending college much less not ever graduating. I can only
imagine the place I could end up. Most people who don't finish college end up
with a blue collar job or no job at all. They have to rely on help from the
government and then a vicious cycle begins and affects generations to come.
Our society
makes it extremely hard to make college affordable, especially for the middle
class families. The rich can afford to pay for their children's college
educations and the poor are eligible to apply for need based financial aid. In
contrast, the middle class is between them. Those families are the ones that
are hit the hardest by the rising costs of education. They are wealthy enough
not to qualify financial aid but do not have enough income to pay for college.
This is normally a result of both parents working and therefore making
"too much money." The members of this group are the ones who end up
the most in debt after finally graduating from a college or professional
school. They can't ever seem to get ahead, and just like Hong and the other
students long ago striving for an education, they are faced with ever-rising
higher tuition costs.
In this day
and time, as well as years ago, students are being forced to become credentialed.
To receive jobs and even scholarships, they are required to have certain
credentials to even qualify. Economic success is based on accomplishments and
experience. For example, when students apply to college, schools want to know
what activities they were involved in, what honors they received, and what
community service they completed during their high school years. Today,
education and credentials are necessary and expected everywhere.
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