I see many people graduating from college every year. With the number of people attending college at an all-time high, one would expect that the overall wages earned would be high as well. There are a number of possible explanations as to why college grads aren't making more money however I believe there are three big ones that must be addressed:
1. College students/grads want to "enjoy life" too much.
I personally know far too many people that opt to "chill" or "take a load off" during their college summers. Everyone wants a break, however not working and not saving money during your college years is a horrible habit. By saving money you can ease the inevitable pressure of paying off those student loans 6 months after graduation; especially if you don't have employment lined up directly following graduation.
Working a job or participating in an internship of some kind should be something that all college students engage in every summer that they are in school; there are no three-month "vacations" in the real world. Remember if you're parents provide a certain life for you, it will become necessary to work just as hard if not harder than they did to provide the same for yourself. It's all fun and games till the rent is due or you can't afford to eat.
2. Less Excuses, More Solutions.
Many college students have used the excuse of stating that their ancestors were able to get better jobs with fewer skills and graduated with far less debt. While those statements are true, students must find a way to make things work for themselves and stop giving themselves so many excuses.
No one will feel sorry for you and you'll be at your own pity party if you continue to complain about how hard you have it. So long as you intern somewhere or do well on that summer job consistently, you should be able to build a career of some kind, even if it's not in the field you studied right away. Be the change you want to see and be open to unconventional methods of chasing your dreams. 2+2=4 and 1+3=4, moral of the story is that there's always another way to get to the solution.
3. Stop feeling entitled.
Personally I think this generation overall feels far too entitled to jobs, opportunities, and outlandish salaries right out the gate. I constantly hear people with little experience and a bachelor's degree preaching about the idea that they deserve 50k plus. There are veterinarians that make 50k a year and they went to medical school so what makes you think you deserve that same pay with little experience and only four years of schooling? If you graduate from college and can pull in 35-40k a year you should be grateful and look to work your way up just as people have done in the past.
Nothing is owed to you just because you held a high GPA and are now $100,000 in debt. With millions of dollars being unused in scholarship money annually, some people need to put in more effort and apply to more scholarships even if that means taking more time out of your "busy day" to do so. Debt to some degree is a choice when it comes to college tuition. The day some people stop feeling entitled is the same day they'll start to get all that they've ever wanted; they'll realize that they have to work for it.
Again there are other factors that play a role in the lack of compensation, however, that's another article for another time. If you fall into any of these categories of people don't get mad, get focused. Share this with a friend and go be great!
