Nowadays, the idea of education being the fundamental requirement for everyone to succeed in the world is a controversial topic. College graduation is the first step towards facing the real-life world, entering the job market, and surviving in a competing environment. It is assumed that schools form a particular individuality of the children into adulthood, while colleges are the terminal stage to confront reality. Considering the fact that academic institutions consume most of the children’s time and energy, they should be considerate of the content and quality of provided knowledge. Thus, colleges are expected to prepare students for actual situations and circumstances adults deal with on a regular basis. The following essay will present points in favor of higher institutions’ inadequate education methods with respect to practical experience.
It is undeniable that communication, a critical part of personal as well as working life, is one of the aspects colleges skip to train. Closing a business deal does not include writing a structured essay or solving an algebraic equation but involves oration skills. Colleges fail to teach students the art of negotiation, which appears to be vital in establishing connections and reputation among colleagues. For illustration, writing email letters for professional purposes on the subject of deadline extension or special occasion matter is not taught in classrooms. Colleges prescribe thousand-dollar bills of theoretical knowledge, missing an effective tool of communication. Moreover, young individuals are frequently fooled by taking lower salaries or underestimating their specialist skills. Dialogue to obtain lower prices or better quality goods may turn into an adverse direction if the negotiator lacks corporate conversation abilities. Colleges help in understanding the practice in a closed environment where nobody rejects or challenges students’ ideas because they are told to “chart your own course, march to the beat of your own drummer, follow your dreams and find yourself” (Brooks, 2011, p. 1). Such representation might mislead them and pass on patience, persistency, and character resistance. Therefore, negotiation instruments are one of the first omissions of the college education system.
The ability of critical thinking, another area of a skill gap between higher institutions and the outside world, is missed to be taught realistically. One could argue that teachers assign tasks to real situations happening in the workplace. An analysis of a company such as Nike or Apple with the provision of recommendations for further growth is a classic example of critical review. However, by giving a specific setting and evaluating according to a standardized system, teachers do not encourage their students to apply a different or unusual approach. Students experience stress after graduation because they are aware of a lack of guidance and knowledge on the part of a college. According to Sheehan (2005), students prefer to take a break from school before embarking on a new pathway to “recharge their batteries” (p. 1). Writing an exam in a quiet auditorium is a stark contrast to working in a noisy office with no teacher to mute a room. Students can take their time to pass an assignment as deadlines are provided. However, in the workplace, it is uncertain and hasty to make a decision. Thereby, the critical perspective is an understated ability, which colleges tend to skip.
Financial education, in this context, refers to the management and manipulation of personal finances, while institutions tend to prioritize the industrial approach. As long as students are monitored and controlled, colleges are satisfied with their preparedness for the outside world (Brooks, 2011). However, the majority study on a student loan, and once graduated from college, students deal with repaying this debt. Institutions do not consult them on further money operations so that students will not struggle. Moreover, business courses are focused on corporate finance and accounting, whereas the actual budgetary administration comes to daily expenses and salaries. Once employed, people spend a hundred percent of their wages on needless things, saving no funds for emergencies. Teaching the significance of choosing beneficial insurance plans will shape the future and ensure financial safety. Paying taxes is an important aspect of a working individual. Selecting the wrong salary slab and saving scheme can cost a substantial amount of money. Thus, there is an absence of knowledge of the tax system and methods of reducing bills to a minimum. Thereupon, money administration, a crucial aspect of adult life, securing financial prosperity, is not taught in college classrooms.
In conclusion, it is agreed that higher institutions provide an unrealistic outlook on life perspectives regarding a close-minded approach in preparing students for the outside world. Colleges must reconsider their current practices of purely theoretical methods in order to challenge their students with circumstances similar to those in reality. In particular, students should be offered courses on communication and negotiation skills, teaching them basic rules with a compulsory component of real conversations with business representatives outside the campus. What is more, it is recommended to educate financial management with respect to budgeting personal finances and saving plans so as to form their understanding of monetary operations. Filling in tax declarations, knowithe ng differences between schemes, and choosing the right insurance package can serve as an additional element of the course. Lastly, the power of taking a mindful and considerate decision is vital in making personal and business choices, which colleges need to promote as a course of critical thinking, encouraging students to envisage the world from various angles.
References
Brooks, D. (2011). It’s not about you. New York Times, New York. Web.
Sheehan, C. (2005). Graduation: Now what?; Experience, inc. finds that college students need a time out after graduation. Business Wire, New York. Web.