Importance Of The Education - Essay Example

Education The following discussion aims at establishing value of education because that leads to success in life. Education is also a determinant ofan individual’s future prospects. This discussion uses three essays to elaborate this concept. The first relates to “What’s a Liberal Arts Education Good for?” by Michael Roth, and it highlights the importance of gaining a liberal education. It also reflects on the application of such education to the harsh conditions that graduates face after graduating from college (Roth 1). The second essay, “Behind the Boom in Chinese Student’s in U.S. Colleges,” by Naomi Rovnick enlightens us on the ever-increasing numbers of Chinese students who seek American education, leading to the acquisition of a strong cultural orientation (Rovnick 1). The final essay, “More Chinese Student’s Want a US Education, but Fewer Stay for a Job,” by Hassan Siddiq, explores Chinese students who enroll in United States’ universities, though the students prefer to go back home in search of an employment (Siddiq 2). Different aspects draw these students to prefer American education as will be highlighted in the consequent discussion. The common question in these essays asks the question; does education possess the ability to strengthen one’s chances of success after college? The essay by Michael Roth helps to identify a type of education that can boost an individual’s success, while Rovnick’s essay supports the need for a universal education. More to these, Hassan indicates the potential that student’s with a better education possess in gaining better employment opportunities as highlighted in the following discussion. In “What’s a Liberal Arts Education Good for,” Michael Roth argues that a “liberal education” is important because it equips an individual for success after college. According to him, this type of education allows a person to acquire the different skills that play a critical role in life. Consequent to this, the individual becomes ‘well-rounded’, hence improving his or her capacity to deal with diverse issues in life. “The development of the capacities for critical inquiry associated with liberal learning can be enormously practical because they become resources on which to draw for continual learning, for making decisions in one’s life, and for making the difference in the world” (Roth 1). Therefore, liberal learning exposes learners to diverse skills that play a critical role in the employment industry. In addition, the system of education does not rely on equipping the students with one type of skill. The liberal system offers the learners various capacities, thus making them competitive in the labor market. Such diversity also allows the mind of the learner to achieve the creativity required to solve unique problems in their daily lives. Consequently, they adapt easily to their environment, hence promoting their success. Further, the liberal education grants the learners the ability to get involved in more than a single field. This follows the different skills acquired that help the students to change their careers whenever viable opportunities arise. Liberal studies also give individuals opportunities to pursue their passions in life. Involvement in one’s passion increases the motivation of the individual. Therefore, an individual strives to give the best, which contributes to success in life. Given the continued advancements in technology, students get equipped with skills that apply widely, instead of specific skills that may get outdated with time. As a result, the individuals remain relevant to the society as they draw on the universal skills to cope with the changing times in the society. In “Behind the Boom in Chinese Students at U.S. Colleges,” Naomi Rovnick argues that Chinese students who acquire an American education have a better chance of being employed by western companies in China, because they acquire ‘a broader cultural perspective’, which makes it easier for them to get integrated into such companies. The fact that “multinationals tend to prefer hiring sea turtles because they come with better inter-cultural skills” explains this (Rovnick 1). Then they go to study, the students get to learn how to relate with people from different cultures, thus enlarging the perspectives they hold in life. In addition to these, they acquire greater English proficiency, thus making communication easier for them in the companies, which largely use English for communication. The English skills enable them to communicate fluently, whether orally or in written form. The English oral skills boost their speech and presentation ability, thus compelling multinationals to “look for U.S.-educated Chinese staff to take senior positions or join the management track” (Rovnick 1). On the other hand, written skills enable the students to communicate with other people in the companies in circumstances where face-to-face communication may not apply, thus increasing their chances of success. This includes situations that require the issuance of memos, and other company documents that have to be circulated in written form. Additionally, these skills allow them to relate with strangers in a better way. This promotes their capacity in professions that require them to relate constantly with customers, fellow employees, as well as other business stakeholders. In the article “More Chinese Students Want a U.S. Education, but Fewer Stay for a Job,” Hassan Siddiq argues that many Chinese students choose to go back home after they graduate from American colleges, because the American education system helps them gain greater job opportunities in China, and the fact that America employs “stringent caps on work visas” (Siddiq 2). According to Siddiq, the number of Chinese students pursuing an education in the U.S. has grown exponentially since the year 2000. This follows the fact that “Chinese students also prefer the US because the universities offer more academic choices” as opposed to the Chinese system (Siddiq 1). This difference draws the students to America as they seek to acquire skills that the companies in China require them to have, to acquire employment. On acquiring the respective skills from America, and given that “The US attracts huge numbers of foreign students, but with stringent caps on work visas, does not take advantage of these trained individuals in the workplace,” most of these students return home, where plenty of employment opportunities await their recruitment (Siddiq 2). They take up the opportunities as they stand better chances, and therefore increase their adaptability in the highly competitive market. The English skills, for example, offer them the potential to occupy lucrative positions in western companies. Other skills include being culturally diverse, which enables them cope well in the multi-cultural companies, thus boosting their success in life. Siddiq also highlights statistics that indicate that “more than 272,000 Chinese” students returned home in 2012 (Siddiq 2). This was a 46 percent increase from the previous year, which shows that more students are looking for work in their native country as “Chinese students no longer yearn to work in the US” (Siddiq 2), following the barriers that keep them from gaining relevant employment in the US. In conclusion, does an education have the ability to strengthen one’s chances of success after college? In my opinion, education is valuable, because it strengthens one’s success in life. It also provides an individual with many opportunities that a person without an education cannot access. However, the type of education that an individual acquires determines their ability to succeed in the future. An education that trains an individual in one skill only may fail to boost the potential of the candidate’s success. On the contrary, a liberal education, which exposes one to a diverse number of skills, promotes the potential of an individual to scale the heights of success in an easy manner. Consequently, students should seek education opportunities that improve their ability to beat the odds of life. Works Cited Roth, Michael. “What’s a Liberal Arts Education Good for?” Huffington Post. December 1, 2011. Web. July 11, 2014. < http://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-roth/whats-a-liberal-arts-educ_b_147584.html>. Rovnick, Naomi. “Behind the Boom in Chinese Students at U.S. Colleges.” National Journal. November 13, 2012. Web. July 11, 2014. < http://www.nationaljournal.com/thenextamerica/education/behind-the-boom-in-chinese-students-at-u-s-colleges-20121113>. Siddiq, Hassan. “More Chinese Students Want a U.S. Education, but Fewer Stay for a Job.” South China Morning Post. November 18, 2013. Web. 22 June 2014. < http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1356828/more-chinese-students-want-us-education-fewer-stay-job>. Read More