NPR recently looked into the reality of having a high school diploma. As education becomes more about common core and high stakes testing students might be less prepared for college.Someone recently told me that having a bachelors degree was equal to have a high school diploma nowadays. I sincerely hope this isn’t true because I have spent a long time getting my education. Last quarter we talked a lot about social class and how a person can gain upward mobility, isn’t education key to this?! And if it is not, than what is? I am planning on working in higher education with adult students to hopefully inspire adult learners to pursue their career and educational goals. They can never take away our education!
Short NPR auto: What does it mean to graduate from high school?Short NPR Audio: What does it mean to graduate from high school?
LearninLaura@wordpress.com 
Great questions Laura!
I think I’m probably the one who said that to you about a Bachelors being equivalent to a high school diploma. For me, my education has helped only in the sense that I bothered to go to school and achieve something. The way I have moved up or had mobility in life is through who I know. I applied for jobs constantly after college and the only point when I got interest from a company and actually got an interview is when I knew someone who already worked at a place. I knew a manager at my last job and she got me in for the interview. I never got even a hint of interest from any of the other hundreds of applications I sent in despite having a very strong resume.
My other jobs, including the one I have now, I got from walking into a place and telling someone that I should be hired. That face-to-face meeting of someone seems to have the greatest impact.
For me, I have a humanities BA, which does not seemed to matter to anyone, they always tell me I have no profitable skills. If I want to reach a higher level in a career beyond entry level, I HAVE to have something better than a BA. I know this is also the case for many of my friends and it isn’t just me.
Networking is key, and I think that networking in-person is the most important thing for social and career mobility. I think that a Bachelors is equivalent to a high school diploma in the sense that you won’t even be considered for jobs without one. You have to have a degree and a contact in your network to simply have a chance at entry level.
This absolutely is worrisome for students who never make it past high school or don’t have the opportunity to go to college. I don’t know anyone without a degree, but I do wonder if someone who doesn’t have a degree still has a chance at mobility if they have a strong network that is willing to help them.
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Very interesting post. Is it the capacity to stick it out and earn the degree that they are seeking for a skill or are they implying something else? And since only Jane’s classes teach digital skills outside of the major itself, what else are we not prepared for with our Masters?
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