Aaron Swartz
Abstract
This
paper explores five published particles that report on results from research
conducted online (internet) and offline (non-internet) that explain the
differences between traditional and non-traditional colleges and the
differences between the students that go to these colleges. These articles are
very similar in the idea that for-profit colleges have become a company and not
a place for learning. They authors have they same ideas about how for-profit colleges
could be useful if they weren’t just looking for money and made it more of an experience.
Traditional vs. Non-Traditional Colleges
Why Traditional Colleges are Better than
Non-Traditional Colleges
What is the difference between traditional
and non-traditional colleges? Why do people fall for their silly schemes and
their easy degrees from these for-profit colleges? Why is the Government
funding this more and more every year when they degrees are virtually
worthless? Research shows that “University of Phoenix alone is on pace to reap
$1billion from Pell grants this year and $4 billion from federal loans (Carey
2010) Clearly there is some confusion on where all this money is going and
people are still having to make crazy amount of loans to go their when they
could go to a school like FSU for half the price and get a degree that will
make it so much farther. The literature shows us that they don’t care about the
experience or the fun but the money. If people are willing to pay so much for
something they should get the full thing and not a half-wit degree with debt
that they will never pay back.
Difference
Between Traditional and Non-Traditional Students
The
difference between the students mainly lies beneath the experience and the background
of the students. “Many surveys show that the non-traditional students present a
higher risk of dropping out (2007: Provasnik & Planty). So these colleges
know the difficulty these students have with school or time and take advantage
of it. Making night classes and online classes. To these students their not
looking for they experience, their just looking for the fastest way to get a
diploma like shown on the commercials. Most of these people usually are age 23
to 25 years old at the time of enrollment ( Metzner & Bean, 1987). Unlike
the traditional students who usually start right after high school at the ages
of 18 or 19. Since most of these students are older they most likely have a family
and under-paid 40 hour job and have very limited time.
The difference with the traditional
students is that their looking for more of they experience. They enjoyment of
living in a dorm, working little if any amount of hours a week and focusing on
the career they want to pursue. They want to make life long friends and enjoy
them selves with no regrets. The For-Profit colleges don’t want that because
it’ll cost to much money and causing them to be a college not a company.
Difference
Between Traditional and Non-Traditional Colleges
People are blinded when it comes to
looking for a college or a for-profit college. These for-profit colleges have
so much money willingly given to them by the government that they are able to
make commercials talking about how good they are with paid actors and pictures.
But this is just all part of the ploy to make you think that its worth it when
its truly not. If you earn a degree from
a non-accredited school, your credentials may be doubted (Ashanti, 2012). The
biggest fear is that a college can say they are accredited but most are
questioned and doubted to not have legitimate credits.
With a traditional college you never
really question it. They certify their creditability. Traditional colleges show
more effort in enjoyment and give back to the students. Yes of course education
is priority #1 but they always want it to be an experience not a hell. They
find out the price and make it reasonable and work with what they have. With
they other schools students very rarely see any of the grants that the
government gives them. In 2010, for
instance, the for-profit colleges in the study employed 35,000 recruiters,
compared to just 3,500 career service staff and 12,500 support staff (Harkin,
2012) That’s where it goes to try and convince more desperate people that
42,000 a year is a good thing. For traditional colleges this would be they
complete opposite and focus more on career service and support staff.
My
experiences with Traditional and Non Traditional Colleges
I have not experienced going to for
profit colleges my self but my dad has. He went to a school called blue hills
for 2 years to get his associates degree. This
is how he felt when he went and they promised him that he would be equal with
everyone else.
There
are two realities that those with and without jobs must face. One, is the there
are just too many applicants for the jobs currently available, which means
competition is fierce. If you do not have a degree, then you are at a
disadvantage. (Ashanti 2012)
But
when he went it wasn’t as expensive. From what he tells me it was completely
worthless. The things he went to that school for did nothing for what he’s
doing today. Yes he uses it in his personal life because he went for auto
mechanics but nothing to help him with a career. He told me that one of the
biggest things he regrets is not going to s real college because there was no
interaction with students nothing you just went to class and left, you didn’t
live there you just went to the small one building and listened and went back
home. From what my father and the authors say I agree with them. They are
taking away the true meaning and reputation of college. They’re making it seem
so easy to do and still have a life when it is really a time to grow up, learn
and experience your life before you have to go out into the real world.
Conclusion
In
conclusion this is just to show that we should stop funding these for profits and
focus more on the debt of college students that go to real colleges and get
those for profit students to go to a real school that will give them what there
money is worth with a secure accreditation. College should be a place to learn,
live and love and not a company that is using students as a product a bank. If
we get these colleges to get priorities straight then they could be very
productive but when it is all blinded by money there is no getting to that.
References
Ashanti,
2012,Money Crashers: What is a For-Profit
School- Pros & Cons
http://www.moneycrashers.com/for-profit-online-colleges/
Carey, (2010), They say, I
say: Why Do You Think they’re Called
For-Profit Colleges? Page #215
Harkin,
(2012), They Say, I Say: Pressure Rising
on For-Profit Colleges, Page #2
Metzner
& Bean, (1987), University Life of
Non-Traditional Students
Provasnik
& Planty (2007), University Life of
Non-Traditional Students Pg. 1
http://muse.jhu.edu/journals/journal_of_higher_education/v082/82.1.gilardi.html
I chose this essay because this is the essay that i felt strongest about. My father got stuck in a for-profit college and i just want to prepare people for what they are getting themselves into.
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