I came across this article today on CNN.com. In gist, a recently graduated student is suing her alma mater for tuition costs – $70,000 as well as $2,000 for stress related reasons. She claims her school’s career office did not try their best in finding her a job and gave preferential treatment to those students with more stellar grades. Her GPA was a 2.7 although she had a solid attendance record.
I can see how she would be upset. Working your butt off in college (I am going to give her the benefit of the doubt on this), believing in the education system, and then to have it all culminate in an exciting career of selling discounted shoes at the local Payless. I am not saying I agree with her actions, but this is an exaggerated case of what new grads feel when they first enter the real world. So, why does this happen? And who is to blame (if anyone)?
One argument as to why new grads are unable to find work after graduation and float around career-less, at times jobless, for the next couple of years is that the school’s do not aim for their students to get jobs. In fact, the school is yet another money-making institution which wants its students to re-enroll in grad school. This is a more cynical view.
Another argument is that it is the student’s job to make the most of their own education. A college provides a wealth of resources: professors, advisors, libraries, and peers. If you pose the question, there is bound to be someone who can knowledgably answer it. At the same time, being able to utilize resources and being able to see viable solutions to your problems is often related to the circumstances you were raised. It also comes down to the role models you had and the “pictures” you were shown of attitudes on life. Should a school be responsible in filling this gap?
What are your opinions on this article? And how much responsibility, if any, should the school take? Why do you think that new grads face such difficulties in entering the real world?