Perfect Will not be Good Enough in a Few Years

          We were asked to read several articles describing unbelievable lengths students will go to in order to gain slots in elite universities, the realization that bachelor's degrees do not get a person very far anymore, and the pressure we are facing in competing for jobs against not only man, but machine as well.  I was shocked to learn the expectations from companies on recent college graduates looking for job placement.  The fact that many now hold the view that a bachelor's degree is not enough to set apart a candidate is saddening to me.  I have barely been able to afford getting through a bachelor's degree, and there is no way I have the means to attend graduate school any time soon.  The fact that many companies now expect a master's degree as a minimum is unrealistic, because most college students have amassed so much debt just to get their undergraduate degree.  Asking students to postpone full-time jobs and accrue more financial debt is, in my opinion, asking far too much of students.

            Laura Georgianna states that master's degrees, "Says this person is committed," but I have to wonder why earning a bachelor's degree does not indicate the same dedication to companies.  It is not easy to earn a degree of any kind in today's times because the pressure to do well is high.  I would also argue that to stay in school and continue to fight for an education in a recession speaks volumes of the kind of dedication we students have had to put forth in order to achieve higher education.  We have become so obsessed with being perfect at everything and out competing everyone, that we have created unrealistic expectations on ourselves that only super-heroes can achieve.  I am all for working hard and pushing myself to see what I can achieve, but I think there comes a point when we become counterproductive in our pursuits to become the best.

           These articles really distressed me, because I have such high hopes when I graduate next month.   Learning that we not only have to compete with freakish super people, but now robots and software-guided machines, left me feeling disheartened and scared.  I just hope that my future employer, where ever they may be, will be satisfied with me, and not some robotic cheaper version of myself.