Episode: 327

Episode Title: What College Students Really Think

How do students see their college experience in relation to their future careers? Well, it’s not a rosy picture. Find out more, next on The Perna Syndicate.

Ep 327 show:

This is The Perna Syndicate—welcome! Yesterday we talked about the alarming numbers of young people who attempt college but aren’t able to complete their degree. While each case is unique, I believe a big part of the problem is the lack of purpose. Many young people go to college without a clear goal at the end of that journey. They get burned out, they get behind, and then—they drop out. 

It’s not a pretty picture. And students aren’t dumb; they can see it for themselves. The Strada-Gallup Education Network polled 32,000 students and found that only 34% believed that they would graduate with the skills and knowledge to be successful in the job market and workplace. That means a full two-thirds of the nation’s college students are not seeing a long-term career value in their higher education. 

Additionally, only half of those 32,000 students thought that their major would eventually lead them to a good job. You have to ask: what is the other half doing there? Why are they at college if it’s not going to serve them in the future?

I’m afraid many young people are there because their parents, with the best of intentions, pressured them to go. That’s their primary reason for going, and it sets the stage for them to flounder and ultimately fail in what they set out to do. 

Tomorrow and the rest of this week, I want to talk about the power that parents have when it comes to influencing their kids’ education and career choices. We’ll talk about a new study that reveals some key data on this topic. And we’ll look ahead to a future when all parents can speak to the career conversation with the knowledge they need to best guide their kids. 

Thanks for listening today! We’ll see you back here tomorrow on The Perna Syndicate.