Wallace, Brandon: Credentialing

    Definitions of success vary greatly from person to person. Talk to people who have just graduated law school and they will say that they have earned an accomplishment worth referring to. However, talk to those who just got promoted to shift leader at McDonald’s and they also will say that they, too, have earned a great accomplishment. The idea that a college degree makes someone exponentially “smarter” or “more prepared” simply does not describe the world we live in.

    College is a strange idea to some. A large portion of the population decide to end their education the night they accept their high school diplomas. So, is it right to force these people to attend a university just because someone might see potential in them? Coming from a family of college graduates, there was never a question whether I would be going to college. To those who already have families or those that are supporting themselves, it is a completely different story. Their priorities are different and some of these people make a choice not to attend college because of their respective situations. Is it fair to reject a person for a job interview simply because they do not have a college degree?

    A college education seems to be a growing “necessity” in today’s world. With advances in technology and science, the only way to keep up is to be thoroughly educated. This mindset is hardly true though. If a poll was taken on how successful Bill Gates has become most would say he has done quite well for himself. However, Gates began his career by dropping out of Harvard, one of the nation’s most accredited universities. Why would he do such a thing? Someone with such talent and potential is expected to receive a degree, there is simply no other result. This is where the “degree necessity” theory goes down the drain. People today are driven by more then just a need to be educated; they may a long to achieve all that they can, or to provide for themselves and there families as best they can.

    Without a set credential system, though, how can it be determined if a person is right for the task at hand? A simple record of achievements could plenty suffice for this. If a people have striven to succeed, used ingenuity to thrive, and battled through hardships, then, just like Gates, they are the ones who could potentially change the world.  Sadly, many possessing these hidden talents have been rejected due to their lack of education.

    To move forward in a world that is constantly becoming more demanding, it must harness the power of our education systems, but it should also promote the drive of those who carry distinct talents that allow them to unleash the kind of higher level thoughts that lead to astounding discoveries. It must never snuff the flame that is within those that don’t attend college. Whether it be that they simply make a living a McDonald’s, or perhaps go on to make a scientific breakthrough, each person in society helps to build it.

Shaw, Ehvan: Credentialing

Though I did not fully understand it, in the article of Death by Degrees, the editors point out the fact that college level degrees are necessary to be able to hold a well paying, high ranking jobs here in the United States. They begin the article with the history of where our elitist educational system originated. When the idea of creating an elite class of people was being born in China by emperor Yang Guang, anyone who took the time to learn the Chinese alphabet could become a part of the country's upper class politicians. But as the years progressed, it became more and more difficult for just anyone to make it due to the cost of preparing for such strenuous exams; this stipulation blocked many potential candidates.

For the type of profession that I plan on entering into, having at least a master’s degree is essential to gaining a high level of success. Going to graduate school and medical school is a must. If I avoid these steps becoming a doctor is practically impossible. Hospitals want doctors with outstanding credentials and experience. But the cost to become such a doctor is extremely expensive. Many do not ever get to become to great doctor or dentist that they have the potential to be due to the cost of professional schooling. Graduating from high profile undergraduate schools increases the chances of a person being selected to study in a professional school versus those who graduate from low profile schools. It is unfair to think that the best future doctors and lawyers come from what are considered the top colleges and universities. There plenty of excellent doctors who graduated from small or unrecognized schools. Being credentialed has become an important and nearly necessary factor in how graduate and professional schools pick out their students.

Raigama, Thurisha: Credentialing

            People say credit cards are scams. However, Going to college or university is the biggest scam in the United States.  Higher education is an integral part of everyone’s dream. We all led to believe that it is going to lead us to a better future. But instead, it leads to a future of pain and misery.

            Today, more and more college or university students increasingly must finance their higher education through student loans. Sadly, the number of students who are already or will have to deal with debt collection on their student loans isn’t insignificant.

            While federal loan debt may stay crucial to students in recent years, one of the most troubling segments of student lending is the private student loan sector. These loans often carry high and variable interest rates. Therefore, many students end up paying much more than what has been lent. Often, private lenders do not offer the generous payment options or the lower rates federal lenders do. Also, student debt cannot be discharged in bankruptcy regardless of the lending body. It remains as long unless it is completely paid off, especially so as the U.S government has taken increasingly aggressive measures to get borrowers to pay up their debts.

            Many factors have contributed to the dramatic increase in student debts including the global economic recessions. The recent economic downturn led to significant cuts in state higher education funding that led to a rise in tuition fees. Indeed, because of the overwhelming debts, many graduates are not being able to wait for higher paying jobs and are forced to take lower paying jobs in order to stop the payments and interests from ballooning. 

            Despite of these issues, higher education remains critical for millions of students and their families. In fact, the impact often extends beyond the students, burdening their families for decades.

Ochs, Addison: Credentialing

            In today’s society, more and more people are becoming credentialed. This is causing the devaluing of the credential (1). Now that the job market is flooded with credentialed applicants, people feel forced to become credentialed in order to compete for jobs. However, there are alternatives to achieving a master’s or a doctorate. Although applicants are competing with the rest of the world for their niche in the job market, those with more experience and success in a particular field of study can prove to be a more desirable applicant and triumph over an applicant with credentials. Granted that without the applicant’s experience or success, the credentialed applicant is the obvious choice for the job. Specializing is an outstanding way to bypass the stressful and expensive process of becoming credentialed. Doctors themselves specialize in order to break away from the competition. For example, patients who need to have spinal surgery have a choice to either receive treatment from their local doctor, who operates on about four spines a year, or the patient can receive treatment from a surgeon that specializes in spinal neurosurgery and performs about 200 spinal surgeries per year. Specializing without credentialing can also be advantageous in that the money a student would normally spend getting a higher degree can now be put towards programs and internships to gain the experience needed to outcompete the credentialed for jobs.  Also the time spent enrolled in a university is greatly reduced, allowing them to begin their careers earlier in life.

             Currently attending SAU, I am attempting to spend my summers gaining experience in marine biology through Dauphin Island programs as well as the programs offered by the Gulf Coast Research Lab in southern Mississippi. This extra experience will drastically improve my chances of being accepted into internship programs as well as in securing jobs further down the line.

Mills, Taylor: Credentialing

Death by Degrees touched on Jean Baudrillard’s thought about one of Karl Marx’s theories. He believed that exchange value exists. By definition, exchange value is the quantitative aspect of value of a commodity. I believe that exchange value of a commodity exists. Academic institutions are common goods that are valued and useful. Students pay thousands of dollars for this commodity. In exchange, they expect the use-value to be equivalent to what they pay for. Karl Marx had a contrasting belief that only use-value existed. I believe in that idea too. The use-value describes a good’s qualitative aspects—does it meet the needs of the consumer? Referring back to academic institutions, they too have a use-value. The institutions provide many services to their students as well as their communities. Although Baudrillard did not believe in the idea of use-value, I digress by restating that use-value does exist if the consumer takes advantage of what the commodity has to offer.

The article goes on to insist that higher education in the United States is a system of stratification. It shows that there is separation among people based on income, race, sex, and in some cases the intelligence quotient (IQ) of a person. Although an unfortunate circumstance, it is a reality that some of us seem to abide by. Why do we seem to abide by it? There’s this concept called Equality of Opportunity. Taken from Dalton Conley’s, You May Ask Yourself, the idea expresses that although there is inequality it is accepted because every person should or will start with at least one equal opportunity. It is a concept that is difficult to digest considering the history of how this country has had oppressed individuals lacking opportunities from their suppressors. My thoughts on a system of stratification is that it exploits the fact that there are only a select few that can ride their way to the top of the social hierarchy while there are those who will never meet the ideal requirements of an elitist.

Therefore, I am asked whether or not I am being forced to have credentials? It is not a direct forcing considering the fact that this is the path that I chose by my own free will. But I will conclude by saying that the forcing is indirect because of the expectations set by those who claim they know what is best for me and for others.

Matney, Shelby: Credentialing

            Becoming credentialed is ultimately a matter of choice.  However, today’s actual situation almost eliminates the option, especially for those students who do well academically throughout their secondary education.  “Over the last thirty years, the university has replaced the labor union as the most important institution, after the corporation, in American political and economic life.” (Editors).  Students are not expected to go into the workforce upon receiving a high school diploma and when they do others are often skeptical and quick to assume that entering the workforce is not by choice, but that the student lacks the means to afford higher education.

            In past generations, men and women provided well for families solely through hard work.  Our society has become extremely focused on improving credentials. This has come to mean higher education that is more common, jobs have become more specialized, and, ultimately, higher earnings accrue to those who possess higher degrees.  Those desiring a career that requires vocational schooling, such as cosmetology and mechanics, are often placed in a lower social class although these are necessary services in our society.  The vocational school education is deemed less valuable and the careers they enable are generally viewed as lesser or risky options.

            Operating under the expectation of college to be my future after high school, I stressfully searched for options I could afford as well as a major that might interest me.  There are few other career options that have been appealing to me.  Thus, the only choice is to go to college and hope that something will attract my attention and ambition.  This is the only safe choice because our society now teaches and preaches that any other route, such as working for an hourly wage, is far too risky and degrading for an individual with any potential.  I would not argue that I am being forced to go to college by expectations of family or friends. However, the expectation of my peers is overwhelmingly.

            Many operate under this same feeling of obligation to go to college to ensure their own self-worth.  In turn, more and more people are earning undergraduate degrees, “…the bachelor’s degree becomes democratized, the master’s degree becomes mandatory for advancement.” (Editors).  Even the simplest jobs are now employing degree holders only and positions once respected are now viewed as mediocre. 

            Very simply, far too much value has been placed on holding a degree.  So much value has been bestowed upon these achievements that people are becoming indifferent to it.  Degrees have become what are expected and therefore less difficult to obtain.

Levin, Amanda: Credentialing

Many years ago it wasn’t necessary to hold a college diploma to make a decent living, and labor unions were more prominent than the universities. But over the past 30 years, universities have replaced labor unions as the main employment institution and without at least a bachelor’s degree the chances of finding jobs with steady incomes are slim. Student debt in the United States now exceeds $1 trillion and universities are continuing to raise the tuitions! As long as a bachelor’s degree is required to find a career, students will pay as much as necessary. If I decided not go to college and not obtain a bachelor’s degree, I would struggle to make ends meet for the rest of my life. A majority of job openings require bachelor degrees and years of experience! But, in the same sense if I wanted to be a successful doctor or one day become a Supreme Court justice it is almost essential to graduate from an Ivy League school! When Elena Kagan joined the Supreme Court, it marked the first time in history that every single justice had attended Harvard or Yale. The prices for these schools are hefty and not many people are wealthy enough to go. Even back in the year 605 in China they were having the same struggles as we are today. In order to get the highest salary students had to score the highest on exams, but in order to learn all the necessary information students had to have a very expensive tutor or have the money to bribe the examiners. For a poor countryman, making it past the second round was impossible. Much later as a result of all the stress and anger, a failed student formed an army and rebelled against the Chinese system. It became the bloodiest conflict of the 19th century, 20 million people died. Do we want that to happen today? The rising prices of tuition and the low number of jobs are stressing this generation out and really making them angry. Why is higher education so expensive if it is so necessary? Do medical students really need to go through a $1 million education in order to become certified? Why do students now need master’s degrees to advance? Our education system is just a system of stratification and barely a system for relaying knowledge; and that needs to change.