Psychology Essay: University Degree, Skills, and Learning

This essay delves into the ongoing debate regarding the primary purpose of a university degree, examining whether it is primarily intended to equip students with job-specific skills or to foster broader learning and skill development. The essay presents arguments from both perspectives, exploring the views of individuals who believe a degree is crucial for securing employment and a comfortable lifestyle, as well as those who emphasize the importance of a degree in enhancing overall skills and learning capacity. The discussion highlights the role of university education in providing financial security and career advancement, as well as the significance of developing analytical thinking and other essential skills. The essay considers the importance of skills in a competitive job market, emphasizing that while a degree can provide initial advantages, the ability to learn and adapt is crucial for long-term success. It concludes that while a degree focused on job skills may offer short-term benefits, a degree that emphasizes skills and learning will prove more advantageous in the long run, as it equips individuals with the adaptability and knowledge needed to thrive in a dynamic professional landscape.

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“Some people believe that main purpose of gaining a degree at university is to
gain skills for a job while others believe that it is to improve skills and learn how
to learn”
It is true that some people believe that the main aim of gaining a degree at the university is to
gain skills for the job but on the other hand there are some individuals who also believe that the
degree can improve skill and also boost the learning capacity. It can be said that the degree
offered to individuals assist in maintaining financial security and also prosperous career.
Therefore, in this paper, the discussion will be made on the statement by considering the
arguments of both sides.
In today scenario, there are many Americans who seek the importance of college education and
its main role in offering good job opportunities and a comfortable lifestyle. Approximately, there
are 84% of the Americans who claim that higher education is an essential aspect that should help
to get the life ahead. The people emphasize on gaining the degree so that it could be easy for
them to get a good job. It can be argued that studies done on the university level help to gain the
skills for the job. At the time of pursuing the degree course, the individuals develop a broad
knowledge of the business activities and also gain targeted skills in a particular field (Cohen,
2015). There are many different degree courses which are done by the people in some specific
field such as in the field of communication, IT and Finance. The university study helps graduates
in achieving better jobs. The institutions focus on creating the curriculum, program and tutorial
sessions that help the people to gain skills that are required at the workplace. Besides that, there
are different highly paid jobs that require the candidate to be highly educated or they should have
a university degree. Without a university degree, it would be not possible for the individual to
opt for highly paid jobs. But on the other hand skill is known as the ability that helps to carry the
task with the set outcome and the people learn the skills sets from their universities or from their
parents (Sekaran and Bougie, 2016).
For instance: To be an external auditor in the largest international accounting firms such as Price
Water House Coopers, the candidates should have a certified degree in the field of accounting
and should also achieve public accountant certificate. In the present era, most of the people have
their future goals and aims, for which they work hard. To get an admission in a good college is a
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tough job but people work hard as it could help them to get better jobs. It can be observed that
jobs are considered as one of the necessities for the individuals as it assists in maintaining the
living standards in the society. Without jobs, people will not be able to earn their living. Also, it
can be analyzed that there some skills sets that are important for the candidate at the time of
joining the jobs (Vick, Furlong, and Lurie, 2016).
It is analyzed that the competition level among the individuals is tough in the market that
sometimes the individuals who have higher qualification fails to get a good job. So, in this case,
the skills are considered as the essential factor that should be present in the individual so that it
could be easy to compete in the tough competition which exists among the individuals. It is
argued that there are a majority of the people who opt for the degree course so that it could be
easy for them to enter into the large MNC's. Nowadays, the worth of the individual can only be
determined if they have skills. There are different aspects which are evaluated of the individuals
at the time of giving an interview and at that time the recruiters emphasize on the skills
possessed by the individuals. It is also analyzed that after their schooling studies they emphasize
on giving competitions so that they can get top colleges (Boh, De-Haan and Strom, 2016).
Yes, it can be said that degree has an important role to boost the skills of the individuals as there
are many different aspects that are learned when people pursue the degree course. It is important
to have some skills possessed in the individuals as it will positively impact the working pattern
of the people. To be a high school graduate doesn't open the doors to the different opportunities
that exist in society. But the degree courses not only assist in boosting the skills in the specified
field but it helps to train the individuals to think analytically. The analytical mindset is important
for the people to manage the activities at their workplace and analytical skills are one of the
essential skills that can only be learned if the individual pursues the degree course (Premand et
al., 2016).
Furthermore, the university also emphasizes on boosting the graduate's skills that helps to match
with their future job. It can be said that knowledge is accomplished with the set skills that help to
perform better action in the workplace. There are many universities that support their students
with various skills in a different manner. For example: the graph states that nearly half (49%) of
the students believe that the degree itself will help them to get good jobs.
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(Source: Strang, 2019).
Such as university internship is offered to the students so that they can boost their skill set
towards the work. A dentist student cannot be a good dentist if he is only given knowledge about
dental issues. But they require the skills to identify and recover the dental problem which can
only be learned through an internship offered by the universities (Nunley et al., 2016). By
examining the graph, it can be said that most of the students attend college to improve their
chances of attaining a fulfilling career that will help them to pay their bills. According to the
survey, there are approximately 80% of students who believe that their college achievement will
lead to high paying jobs.
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(Source: Strang, 2019).
But the other side of the argument states that gaining a degree at the university level will help to
improve the skills and will also help to learn. Yes, it can be argued that universities focus on
offering the basic knowledge of the entire subject and also help the students to boost their skills.
But in the highly competitive market, universities have an essential role in bring improvisation in
the skill set of the individuals. Nowadays there are many training programs that are offered to the
students that help them to improve their skills and also it offers a vast knowledge of the different
areas. But according to my opinion, there are some people who focus on boosting their skills
rather than emphasizing on the degree course only for a good job. But by observing the different
aspects, it can be said that people are more engaged or pursuing the degree course so that they
can get a good job as earning is one of the essential aspects in the individual life (Granovetter,
2018).
There are individuals in the society who pursue the degree course not with the motive of doing
the job but with the motive of bringing improvisation in the skills. The students have the opinion,
that the university level is only the platform that will help to bring improvisation in their skills. It
is a platform that offers a vast knowledge of the different aspects which are essential to sustain in
the highly competitive market (Lucas and Murry, 2016).
They think that on the university level, the focus should be on gaining the new skill sets so that it
could be easy to give tough competition to the other individuals. The education given on the
university level helps the individual to gain advanced knowledge of the subjects of the interest
and also it offers a broad range of experiences in the other subjects. By having in-depth
knowledge of the different aspects can helps the students to maintain the ability of critical
thinking and also abstract thinking. These skills are essential for individuals both on and off the
side of the jobs. When an individual earns a degree, they accomplish a big step. The individuals
can gain knowledge, skills and can also experience the different aspects that are important for the
career and also in their routine life. There are students who pursue the degree course so that it
could be easy to improve the skills as it will help to boost the confidence of the individuals
(Cottrell, 2017).
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Therefore, it can be said that it is important for individuals to have skills so that it could be easy
for them to survive in the competitive market. In the tough competition that exists in the market,
it is important for the students to improve their skills as it is a chance of opening vast
opportunities for future growth. If a student only pursues the degree course to gain the skills for
jobs then they will be able to achieve success for the long term but if they focus on improving
their skills and learn how to learn then they can attain success and growth. According to the
recent cases that exist in the workplace, it has been observed that the candidate should have the
vast knowledge in the specified field and by having the vast knowledge it could be easy for them
to get a good job. Therefore, it can be said that the gaining a degree to gain skills for the job can
give positive outcome for short term but if students gain a degree to improve their skills then it
will be beneficial for them for long term (Wilson, 2017).
It is observed that the companies offer different training programs to the candidates so that they
can gain the skills for the job and can give their best towards the assigned work. Also, the
recruiter at the time of appointing the candidates evaluates the knowledge and skills and
according to that, they access that the candidate will be eligible for the job or not. Therefore, it
can be stated that the candidates should create a mindset of gaining a degree to improve their
skills and to learn about the different aspects as it will be beneficial for them to attain growth
(Sawyer et al., 2017).
If they have the mindset of boosting the skills only for the job then the opportunity will be
opened for the short term but the improvisation in the knowledge and also in the skills possessed
by the individuals can positively impact the activities and can assist in attaining success for the
long term. The companies demand the candidates who have vast knowledge and also good skills
as in the competitive market, the jobs are not designed for the specific work but the individual
has to work in different fields also at some point of time. So, in this case, they should have
knowledge in different fields (Howe and Lisi, 2018).
Therefore, according to my opinions, the candidates should emphasize on attaining the degree by
bringing improvisation in their skills and also by learning new aspects. The job opportunities will
be opened for them who have vast knowledge in the different aspects. In the present era, the
companies also demand the candidates who have some specified skill set and have in-depth
knowledge of the work. The person who believes that they will gain the degree to get a job, then
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they will be successful in a particular field but on the other hand of the person believes that main
aim of gaining the degree at the university is to bringing improvisation in the skills will achieve
growth and success in the highly competitive market. As they have the opportunities opened in a
different field that will help them to explore better ideas that exist in the market.
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