A recent study found the cost of attending college — with inflation factored in — has risen 439 percent between 1982 and 2007. Sounds like some promising news in a newly confirmed recession, right? While our nation’s universities keep cranking out graduates and raking in tuition dollars, its graduates are forced into a limited-job economy with a mountain of debt gnawing at their heels. You would think the student would be the one to benefit in college, but it seems more like the university and banks pushing loans are the real winners.

A high school graduate generally faces two options after graduation. It’s like the game of Life, but instead of the career or family choice, it’s the crappy job or debt-filled college choice. Make your choice wisely because both routes may not get you anywhere in today’s economy.

A high school diploma 50 years ago could secure a profession lucrative enough to support an entire family. Today, a high school diploma can get you a dead-end spot in the service economy. The amount of higher education available has simultaneously raised the bar for job requirements and increased young people’s debt. A bachelor’s degree has essentially become the new high school diploma and every semester college graduates are confronting that reality in the job market.

Years ago, a college degree was more than enough to stand out in a crowd of applicants. College was a privilege and a rarity. In today’s job market a college degree is assumed, and God forbid you don’t have one, your options get significantly slim.

Educating America’s youth is definitely not the problem though. Education has always been important in our society, but never before has such a manipulative system infiltrated that process and contradicted the purpose.

Kids opting for the college route and seeking more opportunity and higher pay must enroll in college and borrow large sums of money to later become competitive in the job market. Universities benefit from a higher demand for education, banks benefit from passing out loans like cookies to first graders, and students become toys in the claw machine just waiting to get picked. The student has essentially become an investor in universities and banks, while he has put permanent red numbers in his checkbook.

Part of this problem will never be corrected. The notion high school graduates would, for some reason, boycott college is absurd. Everyone makes personal moves to advance themselves as much and as wisely as possible. The choice to avoid education is obviously more stupid and ridiculous than taking on debt; however, college can no longer be four-plus years of trying to figure out what the hell you want to do with yourself.

Either universities are going to drastically lower tuition rates (which will never happen) or students need to enter college with a career choice already made. The only way to stand out in a pool of applicants is to be the person wearing all the medals. College can no longer be a place of experimentation and discovery; it now has to be a job in and of itself if our generation is to position itself to succeed without years of loans to pay off.

As a senior, my hindsight is 20/20; I wish my foresight had been the same. But, for those still with years of education ahead of them, the time to put down the bottle and pick up a book is now.

Ben Patterson ([email protected]) is a senior majoring in political science.