For many young adults in the United States, the decision of whether or not to attend college is a very simple one. With out giving much thought for or against it, youth go to college because society expects it of them. On the other hand, on occasion, there comes along an individual with the gift to think for themselves. Individuals that make decisions based on their own personal beliefs and not on societies expectations. In Caroline Bird's article "College is a Waste of Time and Money," she makes her point very clear that college is not for everyone. It was the fact that this article was a direct contradiction to the never ending current of pro-college propaganda flooding American society, that I found this article so appealing. It inspired me to think "outside the box" and rekindled my desire to shake off the chains of societal expectations which I have felt holding me down in numerous occasions in my life. As a direct result from many of the issues brought forth in this article, the decision to go to college was not an easy one for me. I agree with Caroline Bird in that most of today's college students are not in attendance to be enlightened and gain a higher education, but more because it has become the thing to do, and this in itself gives reason for serious consideration to several issues. .
Before we get into some of the major details of "Why college is a Waste of Time and Money," it is important to know a few details about the author. Caroline Bird is a college graduate; she received her master's from the University of Wisconsin in 1939. So not only does she have her own personal experience of college to judge from but has also watched the evolution of major universities take place for a good portion of the 20th century. This in many ways gives her a much broader platform to base her arguments on. .
Bird starts off the article by addressing the fact that universities have become an enormous industry.