Herren, Kyle: Credentialing

                  In “Death by Degrees,” the editors paint a strong picture. Their picture makes the degree a pivotal point in life. Without the degree in today’s society, one cannot compete with others.  Yang Guang established a system of education similar to today’s system. If you could pass the first step then you are able to increase your place in society, which led to the increase of people wanting to become relevant in society. Eventually there were many people who were eligible to become bureaucrats.

                  In modern society, one can see a change in the same way. To even be considered for most jobs, you must have a college degree. If you lack the college degree you would be turned away at the door. Some jobs even require a masters or a doctorate degree before being considered. Former president Bill Clinton said to this generation, “In my day you didn’t have to have a college degree to make a living. Today that has changed. I believe that you must have a college degree to succeed in today’s society.” Literally, he is saying that if you do not have a college education, then you indeed my die, literally death by not obtaining a degree.

                  This leads into the next point, that I am being forced to become credentialed. To make any living in society you must have a degree, from anywhere. My initial choices for college were Louisiana State University, Louisiana Tech, Ouachita Baptist with Southern Arkansas University being a backup if I couldn’t get into those schools. I ended up being accepted to all four colleges and had to make a decision.  I soon discovered that LSU wouldn’t waive out-of-state tuition, OBU was a private school that cost the most to attend, and Louisiana Tech was just barely out of reach financially. Therefore I made the most important decision of my life up to this point; I chose to attend Southern Arkansas University. In choosing SAU, I will leave college debt free and with a little money in my pocket. With the country just now recovering from a recession, my decision could give me a jump on my life in the real world. Although SAU isn’t Yale or Harvard, it is still a very good college that can give me a degree where I can survive and not die.