The title for this paper is: Is it possible for
people to succeed without a college degree?
The importance of higher education and its influence
on the level of success that can be attained by people has been a subject of
heated debate in recent times (Lorenz, 2009; Epstein, 2011). While most people
agree that a college degree offers the students a number of benefits, divergent
views have emerged on its influence on the level of success attainable.
Proponents of college degree vouch for it based on the view that it enables the
graduates to secure jobs and establish a stable career that ensures their
financial stability in the long run (Winslow, 2011; Solnik, 2007; Lucas, 2007).
However, this view is highly restrictive as it presumes the meaning of success
which in the real sense varies from person to person. A measure of correctness
can be accorded to the contradicting views where on one hand, statistics show
that holders of a college degree tend to suffer lower rates of joblessness in
most economies and tend to earn higher salaries than their colleagues without a
college degree (Lee, 2011; Joeplon, 2009). It is also a proven fact that during
economic downturns, the average number of college graduates retrenched would
average half retrenchment rate for those without a college degree (Koebler,
2011; Donovan, 2011). On the other hand, many success stories have been
recorded about persons without a college degree with some of the top ranking
entrepreneurs worldwide having no college education (Washington, 2011). A good example is the famous owner of
Microsoft, Bill Gates, who is known to be a college drop out (Lorenz, 2009). This
paper seeks to establish the dominant views regarding college education and the
success of individuals. It aims to provide the answer to the question on
whether it is possible for people to succeed without a college degree. In
answering this question, the paper shall provide perspectives on the following
research questions:
- How do different individuals define success?
- How important is a college degree? And how important is it when compared to experience?
- What is the relevance of the degree being pursued to the career choice of the respondents? And do the individuals pursuing a college degree expect to find jobs relevant to their career choices?
- Are degrees absolutely necessary for securing jobs?
- What choice between being an entrepreneur and a job is more preferable?
These research questions help in establishing the
prevailing attitudes in the market. In retrospect, the influence of a college
degree on the level of success achieved by individuals is dependent on two
variables: the idea of success, and their career choice. This paper works on
the assumption that it is possible for individuals to succeed without a college
degree. The examinations shall therefore aimed at proving the correctness or
otherwise of this assertion.
Methods
The study was conducted in Sheffield and a sample
size of 30 respondents was arrived at. These respondents were sought from both
students and employed individuals. The sampling process provided for ten
students with the remaining twenty being arrived at through random selection in
various organizations within the area. The interviews were conducted orally and
were conducted personally. The choice of venue was determined based on the
respondents’ preferences with most interviews being conducted at their places
of work and learning institutions. With the consent of the respondents, the use
of recorders was engaged to ensure sensitive information could be captured and
analyzed at the convenience of the researcher. The dominant philosophy
governing this research was interpretivist owing to the fact that the subject
matter is highly dependent on the perspectives of the persons being
interviewed. The understanding of the
divergent perspectives was instrumental in sampling and interpretation of the
findings of the research. A review of prevailing perspectives was also
conducted and was instrumental in informing the questions that would need to be
included to ensure the study arrived at the desired objectives. The resultant
questionnaire was a combination of open-ended questions and structured
questions that was found necessary for accurate analysis.
Results and Discussion
The results showed that the number of respondents
pursuing a college degree constituted 57% of the total respondents indicating
that a significant proportion of the ones randomly arrived at from the employed
segment comprised individuals pursuing degrees while still employed.
Question: Are you a university student?
Source: Own Design
Of the 13 respondents not currently pursuing a
degree, 8 were graduates while 5 had not accessed a college education.
Out of those pursuing degrees, about 95% were of the
view that the college degrees being pursued were relevant to their careers and
useful for their careers advancement as seen below:
Question: Do you think what you have
learned is useful for your future career? Yes: 16, No: 1
Source: Own Design
These responses are a likely indication that the respondents probably
chose to pursue a college degree out of their belief that a college degree was
crucial to their success in career development.
This question is closely related to the question on whether the students
were expecting to find jobs relevant to their degree courses where an
overwhelming majority (95%) expressed optimism to the affirmative.
The question as to the purpose of the
pursuing a university degree was varied with 69% stating that it was relevant
for getting a good job in future; 30% stating that it enabled them gain
knowledge, and 5% citing ‘other reasons’.
Column1
|
Great Job
|
Gain Knowledge
|
Others
|
11
|
5
|
1
|
|
Percentage
|
65%
|
30%
|
5%
|
Source: Own Design
Of the 17 respondents, 11 were either
already employed or actively engaged in gainful employment.
Further results showed that more of them (60%) laid
greater emphasis on experience as being more important than a college degree. These
are illustrated as below:
Source: Own Design
This was closely tied to the question to agree or
otherwise with the statement that ‘people can’t find jobs without a degree’. To
this, the responses were as follows:
Strongly Agree
|
Partly Agree
|
Partly Disagree
|
Strongly Disagree
|
1
|
6
|
7
|
3
|
15%
|
35%
|
40%
|
10%
|
Source: Own Design
Question: If you have the chance to
start your career now, would you keep on doing your degree?
90% of the respondents stated that they
would continue with their education to its logical conclusion even if they
found a good job opportunity.
This was a clear indication of the
importance that the students attached on a college degree which is normally
awarded after completion of the predefined college curriculum. Many of the
respondents argued that discontinuing their education would be tantamount to a
waste of time and resources already spent since their efforts so far may not be
recognized by market players. According to them, a college degree symbolized a
certain threshold of knowledge and expertise and would help them prove
themselves with relative ease once the degree was awarded to them.
Out of the 13 respondents not currently
pursuing a university education, 8 had been to a university while 5 had not.
Out of the 8, 6 stated that their majors
were in line with their current jobs. The survey on the level of satisfaction
with their jobs also showed that 6 out of eight were satisfied with their jobs.
Interestingly, the ones who showed a level of satisfaction were the ones whose
majors were in line with their job specifications.
All the respondents had less than 10
years experience with over 60% having less than 5 years experience.
On the question on what was found useful
from the university during the working experience, the dominant aspect was the
theoretical and technical knowhow that they had applied to ensure effectiveness
in their jobs.
Out of the 5 respondents that had no
college degree, 60% were optimistic that they could find their dream jobs even
without a college degree. This question is closely related to the one inquiring
into the kind of jobs that these respondents were engaged in. 1 respondent was
under formal employment and 4 of them were self employed with all of the ones
who had expressed optimism on finding their dream jobs being self employed.
Finally, the question on how respondents
understand as a measure for success, the findings were as follows:
Rich
|
Famous
|
Being Powerful
|
Happy family
|
Others
|
10
|
8
|
5
|
4
|
3
|
33%
|
27%
|
17%
|
13%
|
10%
|
Source: Own Design
Source: Own Design
The demographics were as follows:
Male respondents: 18
Female respondents: 12
Respondents pursuing a college degree:
17
Students in gainful employment: 11
Respondents not pursuing a college
degree: 13
Respondents already graduated: 8
Respondents without a college education:
5
The influence of people’s experiences
and perceptions on the responses was clear. This also emphasizes the importance of
individuals’ goals in determining their assessment of the importance of a
college degree. Those already pursuing degrees mostly viewed the college degree
as a crucial tool in enhancing their success with significant proportions
holding the view that it was impossible to become highly successful without a
college degree. On the other hand, those without a college degree tended to
maintain the optimism that they could easily succeed even without the benefit
of a college degree. In what could be seen as an acknowledgement of the
importance of a degree in securing good jobs, a large proportion of those
without degrees were self employed and seemed to have embraced entrepreneurship
as the best way of rising to success where they would put their creativity to
use and possibly succeed without a college degree. Contrary views were held by
those without degrees that were in formal employment who viewed the lack of a
degree as a great impediment to their carrier advancement and success. The
definition of success was also a contributing factor in determining the views
on the influence of a college degree on success. With most people defining
success as acquiring great riches and raising one’s status in the society to
rich status, the commanding view was that, although a college degree could be
instrumental in achieving the defined success, it was very possible to achieve
the success without the degree through creativity, discipline and hard work. A
college degree provides some measure of proof of competence and therefore
lessens the burden of the holders to prove their competence and skills. Those
without such qualifications would normally need to work a lot harder to prove
their competence which in many cases would require superior manifestation of
creativity and diligence before they can be considered competent enough to
execute the duties defined. This may also involve providing proof of relevant
experience, a requirement which degree holders may not be subjected to in many
cases. On the whole, this study found that success can be achieved without a
college degree although such achievement may require a little extra effort.
Conclusion
A college degree is without a doubt a
great factor in ensuring the success of individuals. However, findings from
this study and other previous studies indicate that the hopelessness normally
accompanying lack of college degrees is unfounded. Diligence, creativity and
discipline have been identified as the surest principles of ensuring success in
life (The National Centre for Public Policy and Higher Education, 2004).
Although acquisition of vast knowledge can enhance creativity, it is not
imperative that such knowledge be acquired through the acquisition of a college
degree. As witnessed in the case of Abraham Lincoln, the acquisition of the
knowledge critical for success can be done through determination and personal
discipline and does not necessarily require a college degree. Several other
success stories have been recorded in the business world where many successful
entrepreneurs have either been college drop outs or have had no college
education at all. The arguments for the acquisition of a college degree have
always presumed the definition of success to be mainly the establishment of a
definite career path that eventually yields financial stability and possibly
riches. This thinking is highly restrictive as it does not take into account
the crucial component of determining what people consider to be a symbol of
success. To some, success may simply mean being happy, or simply being
fulfilled in one’s work. As would be seen in this study, success is achievable
even without a college degree.
For more theory and case studies on: http://expertresearchers.blogspot.com/
For more theory and case studies on: http://expertresearchers.blogspot.com/
No comments:
Post a Comment