The Importance of Choosing a Career for College Students to Stay Out of Debt and Maintain a Healthy Lifestyle

What can the economy do to lower the percentage rates of unemployment that are affecting college graduates in the liberal arts and architecture majors? The economy has suffered many years of unemployment, especially for college graduates. Now a days, college graduates can’t not get a job in certain fields they want to major in. There have been many statistics on unemployment rates that have shown majors that have low rates compared to other majors that have higher rates and make more money.

Since the percentage rates of unemployment are high in the majors of Philosophy, Fine Arts, and Architecture, college graduates are not majoring in those fields. Although, they are not majoring in those fields, graduates could see that the majors they are choosing, are going to have an effect on their lifestyle and which will later on in the future have an effect on them paying back paying back their loans. How have the percentage rates affected college graduates in the majors of Philosophy, Fine Arts, and Architecture? The percentages rates have increased in these majors heuristically between the years of 2009 through 2011.

Get quality help now

Bella Hamilton

Verified writer

Proficient in: Health

5 (234)

“ Very organized ,I enjoyed and Loved every bit of our professional interaction ”

+84 relevant experts are online

Hire writer

They also have the highest percentages rates of unemployment for a good amount of years. In the In 2009, the unemployment rate for graduates majoring in the Architecture field was at 13.9 percent of the population( Carnevale 4).

This reason was because there was collapse of the home business industry and construction during the recession (Carnevale 4). But in 2011, Architecture majors still had a high percentage rates. The rate was 12.8 percent of the population.

It might of had been a little lower but it is still high. This can conclude that the risk of unemployment can be greater for college graduates when trying to get employed elsewhere in the economy and as well as a recession. The second, highest of unemployment rates is Liberal Arts, which in includes Philosophy and Fine Arts. The Fine Arts major had a percentage of 11.1 percent out of the population in 2009. But in 2011, it went to down to 9.8 percent of the population (Carnvale 7). The Philosophy major or as some may call it a Liberal Arts majors has a percentage of 10.8 percent out of the population in the year of 2009. In the year of 2011, Carnvale states that the percentage of philosophy has decreased to 9.5 percent of the population (13).

After all these percentages it can be concluded that they have all increased no matter the year, but then in this case the question still has not been answered. How has it affected the college graduates? Well, college graduates cannot find jobs because of the majors they are picking is an obvious answer. Seen that the liberal arts majors, and Architecture major have high unemployment rates as regular graduates. Let just take that question and ask it like this “Would getting a graduate degree and having experience towards your major be more beneficial to lowering the unemployment rates for a college graduate in the economy?” In this case Carnevale would say yes because “Sometimes, when unemployment is high the best strategy to increase the future employability is to go to graduate school” (Carnevale 5). Which indeed is smart to do because if a graduate cannot find a job and knowing that the unemployment rate is at its highest, while your in college you have the opportunity to change that and gain more experience in the field by going to graduate school. For instance, “The unemployment rate for people with graduate degrees is 3 percent compared with a 5 percent unemployment rate for those with a Bachelors degree in recent college graduates and experienced workers holding a Bachelor’s degree.

With the exception of majors in the arts and Architecture, unemployment rates for people with graduate degrees range between 1.9 percent and 4.0 percent. Graduate degrees tend to outperform Bachelor’s on employment in part because advanced degrees represent higher levels of human capital development and because those degrees are more closely aligned with career pathways in particular occupations and industries. “(Carnevale 5) In other words, it is better off to go to graduate it school so in the future they are more employment opportunities and have an advanced degree. Carnevale would say that choosing a major in the healthcare field and would be a very good choice because it will lower your unemployment rates, as well as having experience in that field in which will make you even better then if just have a graduate it degree. (5) Overall, this has showed the affects and percentages rates of unemployment in Liberal Arts, and Architecture majors.

Do student loans affect the unemployment rates of college graduates? The Schillinger family would say yes. In a newspaper called “When Life Gets in the Way of Paying for College”, Beckie Supaino the author interviews this family that comes from a wealthy background. The mother is a Registered Nurse with an Associates degree and the father is a painting contractor and a handyman that has a High School diploma. They both have five children. In 2009, the mother loses her job as a Registered Nurse and had trouble finding money to pay for her youngest daughter’s freshmen year of college So, her daughter eventually finds a loan for $18,000 so that she could pay for college. Their mom always wanted them to get a college education. But as well as her two sons, they had gone to college and graduated and still cant find job as engineers but both them borrowed $150,000 each to pay for college. Later on, they realized they were in so much in debt. Ms. Schillinger states “I never realized how much debt— I’m thinking 20, 30 thousand —- I never realized how much college cost until Dan; her Son graduated’ ” (Supaino 4).

In other words, she was in so much debt she could not believe it. Everything became worst after this. Since the father needed surgery, he lost his job and the mother’s breast cancer came back. They started to struggle and the younger daughter started to save money, so she could go to the school she wanted too. It was very difficult for her to pay for college. But the biggest thing that she worried about was her family she thought she was going to lose them because she had no money to support them. Also, she was afraid that since she had to pay so many loans to pay off. She would not be able to finish school or support her family. (Supaino 4)

After that scarcity, she was able to apply for more loans and go accepted and got a decent amount of money and was able to support some of her family. She and her family finally go back to normal her father got the job back the mother is getting a new registered nurse job and is going back to a bachelor’s and her daughter is finishing school as she wanted to. Over all, Taking out loans will not make a college graduate any better it will just make it worst for you to pay it off. To stay off students loans college graduates should try to apply for financial aid programs, as well as apply for scholarships. Which will help them as a student overall. As of this year, the Schillinger family is half a million dollars in debt. But as of the year of 2014 the youngest daughter is at $18,757 in debt. As you can see, students loans do affect a college graduates in their majors as well as the lifestyle they live. Do the lifestyle of college graduates have an affect healthy life style they are living in? Justin Doubleday an author from the newspaper article called “Earnings Gap narrows, but College Education Still Pays” states “Many Healthy Behaviors can be attributed to education” (6). Even though statistics have shown that that 8 percent of people with at least a Bachelor’s degree smoked in 2012. (Doubleday 6)

They have also found out that an increase of education could decrease the amount of smoking. Moreover, Nearly two-thirds of graduates of four- ear colleges of 2013 met the minimum guidelines for weekly physical activities. (Doubleday 6). On the other hand, we can see college graduates are not living a good healthy life because they are probably stressed out from college or other events that are happening in their lives. On which most people would agree. Some statistics show that most college graduates do have time to exercise or do other activities because they are too focused in their Schoolwork. (Doubleday 7) Which is not a bad thing, but at the same time it is because college graduates need to maintain a healthy diet so that they do not end up with any illnesses. All in all, college graduates should become more aware about the healthy life style they are in.so that in the future it does not affect they physically of mentally.

In conclusion, it is important for college graduates to pick a major that will keep them out of debt, and keep them living a healthy life style. College graduates should also keep in mind that choosing a major is one thing, but having experience on that major is another important thing. Having further experience in your major affects the employment or unemployment rates for the future. So, going to graduate school could lower the rates of the unemployment for the Liberal Arts (Philosophy and Fine Arts) and Architecture majors, which have high percentages on unemployment. For the economy to help lower the unemployment rates, college graduates should take graduate school in to consideration. So, they will not have to worry about unemployment in future and maybe this will show future generations of college graduates that going to graduate school will be a great decision for them to make so that they do not end up in debt and become employed just like the mother in the Schillinger family did. She was a Registered Nurse but since she only had Associates degree she lost her job. This as it self shows that you need advanced education to be able to keep a job and not become unemployed. Once again, this is what you can see that graduate school could come in to play. Over all, you can see that Liberal Arts and Architecture are two of most high unemployment rates of the years od 2009-2011and to lower there rates college graduate need to go to graduate it school or major in a major that gives them employment in the future. All in all, the unemployment rates have affected many graduates due to the major they have been picking and have had them debt with an unhealthy life style.