MovieChat Forums > Ivory Tower (2015) Discussion > A university can't guarantee every stude...

A university can't guarantee every student to have a well paying job

posted 9 years ago by alonzo9772
5 replies | jump to latest

I don't like how the overall message of this movie came off as, "We demand the university to get us a job after we graduate." It is the burden on the individual to build up their résumé and to apply for their desired job. A degree nor a university can do that.

I understand that it's unfair to work as a janitor in a fast food restaurant after getting a bachelor's degree, but happiness and an easy life are not guaranteed. Sometimes we have to suffer with doing things that we don't like in order to survive.

[–] Trackmaster 9 years ago

It also depends on how practical your degrees are. You might have a blast majoring in Comparative Aztec Interpretive Dance, but there may not be much of a path for employment for it.

[–] BrionyTallis 9 years ago

THANK YOU!!! This was the one aspect I wanted the documentary to address and it didn't. How practical are the majors that these kids are graduating with, and perhaps that's part of the reason they can't find a job after graduation.

[–] robbystoner 9 years ago

There are two separate discussions that are taking place and they vary based on your perspective.

On the one hand you can view a university and an education as business transaction. You give the university $30,000 and they give you an education and an degree and with that you go and make your money back. Quite simple and basic.

The other discussion is, is higher education a public societal good? 100 years ago elementary education was the norm and few people finished high school and high school as a special achievement. Government provided it to its citizens because it was a societal good. Later on, high school became the new "normal" level of expected education for entry level jobs and it was not a special achievement. Government provided it to its citizens because its a societal good.

Now a university undergraduate education is the new "normal" level of education and is not considered a special achievement. The difference is, you did not ever aquire debt to finish elementary or high school education in the past. It was provided to you by the government as a "societal good". The discussion now is, you have to aquire a large debt in order to finish a normal level of education because universities are run like a big business. Hope that makes some sense.

"Oh, Mama, can this really be the end, to be stuck inside of mobile
with the memphis blues again"

[–] Trackmaster 9 years ago

Essentially K-12 in this country is state run and free for everybody (and its required by that law children at least give it a try, they don't have to graduate though). If the parents want a premium education or one that suits their needs more, they have to pay taxes for public school and pay for private on top of that on their own.

These days, people are still on their own for undergrad and upwards essentially, but the government now tries to make it accessible to people as it can by throwing money at it, but still giving the universities and colleges a lot of autonomy. Maybe they should think about fixing the K-12 curriculum where children get an adequate enough education that they can get basic entry level jobs by the time they graduate high school, and only need to go to college for specialized programs that gear them for a specific career, like engineer, doctor, or lawyer (as opposed to trying to teach them Algebra and how to read and write).

[–] robbystoner 9 years ago

Up in my part of the country they have that. Its in high school and includes things like machine shop, basic use of various tools and so on. Even if the curiculum included things like basic computer programming young people would still have to face the big challenge in the real world when they are looking for a job. They will be competing for jobs with people that have a university or college education.
"Oh, Mama, can this really be the end, to be stuck inside of mobile
with the memphis blues again"