BOOK REVIEW: Is college worth it?

The idea of going to college is so deeply enmeshed into the American dream, it would seem silly to ask if college is worth the overall investment.

But things have changed, and it has become an important question to ask.

Former Secretary of Education, William Bennett, and co-writer David Wilezol ask, and attempt to answer, this question in their new book, “Is College Worth It?” (published by Thomas Nelson).

The answer is maybe … and maybe not. It depends on a variety of factors, and the authors do a compelling job of presenting their readers with a myriad of facts to educate them that going to college isn’t the simple decision it used to be.

Some of the issues people need to consider before sending their kids off to college, or returning to the classroom themselves, include the staggering cost and enormous debt a college education today often creates. Many students are finding themselves with a degree that cost them the equivalent of a mortgage, but doesn’t come with the same old “guarantee” that they’ll get a good job if they just graduate college. Many aren’t getting those good jobs when they do get the degrees, and many others aren’t getting the degrees because they can’t stay in long enough to graduate.

Others aren’t graduating because a failed K-12 education system did not adequately prepare them to go to college, and find themselves unequipped for higher education. Others are dropping out because they are discovering the quality of higher education has plummeted dramatically.

Still others are finding themselves holding a degree without having learned much because they bought into the party attitude prevalent on many campuses. Many young people find their lives spiraling downward into binge drinking and sexual promiscuity as they explore their new freedom away from parents.

Others are hesitant to go to college because many professors preach (not just teach) a politically liberal ideology which they expect their students to accept.

There are also many who fail at college because they should have never gone in the first place. They are not students and do not thrive in an academic setting. Other opportunities such as trade schools, internships, apprenticeships, or possibly
online education or community college would be more beneficial for them.

There’s much more to the question of whether college is “worth it,” and the writers do a concise job of laying out all the different factors of considering whether going to college today is still a good idea.

If you thought you would send your kids to college, or have been considering going back yourself, then “Is College Worth It?” is simply a “must read” for you.

Scotty

I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of
their BookSneeze.com book review bloggers program. I was not
required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed
are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal
Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use
of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”