The BA is in the Eye of the Beholder

When May 15th finally rolls around and Wittenberg's seniors look back on their four (or more) years at this fine university, one common question will loom on everyone's minds: was it worth it?
The answer to this question might not yet be available for many grads-to-be, most of whom are still in the searching and applying stage of the career process. When it comes down to the competitive job market and pursuit of a salary, we're all crossing our fingers in hopes that that single piece of paper serving as proof of a bachelor's degree will be the golden ticket to our dream job.
However, statistics are telling us that this may not be the case.
In today's society where nearly 70 percent of high school graduates continue their education at a college level, the value of a basic degree isn't nearly as high as it used to be – and students know it. In 2008, 42 percent of college students said they planned on getting a master's degree, compared to only 31 percent of students asked in 1972. In light of the country's current economic state, graduating seniors are aware of the benefits of getting a degree at a higher level in order to stand out in a sea of bachelor's degrees.
As an English major, the average salary I will earn with a BA in English will be around $40,000. A stint in grad school could land me a job that pays about $20,000 more per year. Based on this information, many people could agree that I'd be stupid not to continue my education.
But unlike many of my fellow Witt seniors, I didn't take the GRE this year. I didn't apply to any graduate schools. In fact, I didn't even really look twice at the numerous postcards and e-mails I received concerning Masters programs for English majors.
And I'm not worried about it.
The truth of the matter is that I'm tired of being in school for the past 16 years of my life. I'm looking forward to getting paid for my work, rather than paying in order to do work. Grad school at this point would tack on thousands more for me in student loans and merely postpone the supposed impending doom when it comes to the job search.
It's not that I don't see the appeal of pursuing a higher degree – in all honesty, I'll probably end up back in classes at some point in my future. And with the unemployment rate currently sitting at a record high percentage of 10.6, perhaps that time will come sooner rather than later.
Someone recently said to me that "grad school is the snooze button on the alarm clock of life," and from where I'm standing here at the end of undergrad life as I know it, I fully agree. As sad as I am to see my fantastic college years come to a close, my wide open classroom-free future is the exciting end result of thousands of dollars spent and borrowed in loans for a four-year liberal arts education.
Is a bachelor's degree really the most worthwhile thing one should be expected of accomplishing in life? The answer is infinitely debatable. The real value of a college degree can only be determined by the person who has earned it.







Gretchen Dellner
April 12, 2010
Journalism
Column