Rethinking College Education: Charles Murray's Perspective

In “Are Too Many People Going to College?” Charles Murray argues that too many people go to college, for a wrongful reason. Charles Murray believes those who are determined to achieve a career from their college education should attend. In his essay, Murray refers to core knowledge. Most importantly, “Hirsch’s Core Knowledge Foundation”. Hirsch's Core Knowledge Foundation is an independent non-profit organization. The foundation encourages factual content for grades through kindergarten to eighth grade. Due to this foundation, Charles Murray believes that this core knowledge should not be taught in colleges and most importantly, students should not attend college to take any of these types of courses.

Also in the article, Charles Murray states that most college campuses are outdated. He includes that most information learned in college classes can be found online for free or with a little fee. Some colleges even have online forums for classes. Murray informs us the most college libraries are also outdated, and won’t benefit those who use them.

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A huge argument Charles Murray informs us about is the value of a BA. Due to how common it is to have a BA, he believes there is no real value for it. When you receive a BA, it doesn’t matter what you studied. You could’ve studied in psychology, but get a job as a banker. Employers wouldn’t care about what you focused on in college, they would only care if you have a BA and that’s it. They wouldn’t check for the subject, they would hire you on the spot if you had a BA.

Overall a BA may prove intellectual ability, but it doesn’t prepare you for a job.

Charles Murray states that some great jobs do not require a college education. An individual will make more money if they are strong at the career, whether it is a white-collar job or a technical job. The one major thing he brings up on this topic is an intrinsic reward. An intrinsic reward is an award that comes within. Charles Murray tells us that if you are good at something, but want to achieve a higher education on a topic that isn't your strongest, you should obviously go with what you're good at. The better you are at what you do, the more fun and enjoyment you’ll have with the career. Charles Murray informs us that alongside that, some individuals don’t use college as an intrinsic reward, instead they go just for the experience. He tells us that those who go to college for the experience also go to just make them look good and say they went to college. They want to show that they have tried and can work at a higher level. But usually, in the end, they will drop out and find a technical career for them to pursue. Murray informs us that there is nothing wrong with a technical career, in some instincts hey gets higher pay. But most importantly Charles Murray informs us that you should do what you love, not what you’re told when it comes to a college education.