Dear college: please don’t let me down

What would be the worst possible outcome from my college experience?

I fear spending all this money and time on a degree then not being able to find a career in my field of study.

What I expect from college, nay, what I pray and hope for from college is that this piece of paper I spent years studying for pays me back with a career.

My generation sees college as a social contract. We see it as a trade; I put in this time and money, and in exchange I receive a better job and life than I could hope for without this piece of paper.

College is a means to an end for me; I can’t get the job I want without college.

If I spend years searching for a job in media, then settle for a position in another field, college would be a waste for me.

Even though my degree will still help me on any job application, it feels hollow to talk about my journalism degree in an interview for a hotel management position.

That would be a complete disaster in my eyes, a failure.

I expect college to help me get where I need to be in life.

What I expect from college is a fun experience, where I learn about things that might not have to do with my major.

Blame those “Choose Your Adventure” commercials.

My generation expects the ability to learn about music, drama, woodworking, skills we would consider hobbies or interests but not career paths.

If I want to learn about the financial side of entrepreneurship, I can take a class on that.

If I want to learn about world religions DMACC has a class for that.

Do you like detective fiction? There’s a class for that.

What my generation expects from college is broadening our horizons beyond what was available in high school.

According to an article in the Chicago Tribune, one-third of 2014 college graduates started their careers in jobs that didn’t require their degree. If that happens to me, I hope to receive a position that reflects my college experience, or else what is the degree worth?

What my generation expects from college is a life that is likely unattainable without a college degree. We also expect fun, we expect professors who push us to explore ourselves, create memories, and grow into the people we will become: Adults with careers within their field of study.

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