In response to my last post (on the lack of jobs available for students after graduation) and to a question my roommate asked, I did some research on job prospects and what majors have the most success securing a job.

First I found a Yahoo article with a list of the six degrees that rank highest in terms of employment post-graduation:

1. Health Care Degree- Best job for security, recession proof.

2. Business Administration Degree- Most popular Bachelor’s degree in US.

3. Computer Science Degree

4. Accounting Degree- Improves when the economy improves.

5. Engineering Degree- According to a survey by the National Association of Colleges and Employers, eight of the top 10 best-paid majors are in engineering.

 6.Marketing Degree

Fox Business says that the ten jobs of the future are as follows:

1. Cyber Security Specialist

2. Genetic Counselor

3. Organic Food Farmer

4. Medical Records Administrator

5. Mobile Applications Developer

6. Robotics Technician

7. Stimulation Engineer

8. Social Media Manager

9. Stem Cell Researcher

10.Sustainability Officer 

The Last list I found to be interesting was MSN Careers on 10 careers that didn’t exist 10 years ago:

1. Bloggers

2. Community managers

3. Green funeral directors (Incorporate environmentally friendly options for a ‘green’ funeral service)

4. Interior redesigners

5. Patients advocates

6. Senior move management

7. Social media strategist

8. User experience analyst

9. Video journalist

10. Virtual business service providers

Hope that answers her question, and if there is anything any reader is wondering that pertains to politics, degrees, students, let me know and I will do some research for you!

Yikes! High Loans and No Jobs?

As a student who is one year away from graduating college, naturally I am wondering what in the hell I am going to do after! But even for students who know what they plan to do post-graduation, I have read article after article reporting that the first six months after graduation is a surprise to them. With the economy as it is there is a high percentage of unemployment, under-employment, and student loans to top it off. While I was reading I found many reporters using descriptions like: low paying jobs, jobs unrelated to degree, less successful than past generation, etc. It’s very scary as a student nearing graduation to hear that there will be few options after devoting so much effort to a good job in the future.

According to new surveys done by Yahoo news, many younger voters will either vote GOP in the election or not vote at all. An informal survey done by Maddalone Global Strategies, 100 students ranked education, economics, and health care as topic issues to them. Many gave the GOP credit for “business-friendly environment”.

It’s easy to agree with Mitt Romney, a likely 2012 presidential candidate, when he says,

Another stimulus is not the answer: like putting a cup of gasoline on a fire, it produces heat only for a very short time. A stimulus doesn't lead entrepreneurs and businesses to make the long-term investments in people and capital that will help the unemployed get the good jobs they deserve.

Our high unemployment is a tragedy for millions, and it is a tragedy for America. If our society fails to offer a significant segment of its population the opportunity to participate in economic life, the broader social and moral fabric will fray.

Some Romney ideas to create good, lasting jobs are as follows:

•A tax policy that rewards savings, investment, entrepreneurial risk-taking and exports.

•Free, open and fair access to foreign markets, with a focus on constructive trade reform with China.

•Elimination of the federal bureaucratic and regulatory stranglehold on business.

•A market-driven energy policy that encourages investment in America and reduces our dependence on foreign oil.

•A commitment to fiscal responsibility through budget restraints and entitlement reform.

Fight For the Right!

Our ability to vote is a significant part of being an American and for standing up for what we believe in. Young voter participation has been on the rise and many believe, myself included, that we should be encouraging our youth to be involved. The Washington Post reports that laws are being pushed in a number of states that could hinder students’ ability to vote.

Our right to vote is now a privilege thanks to Gov. Rick Scott. He recently signed a bill that made it more difficult for college students to vote. The bill has caused much commotion among the youth in that it requires students to have permanent residency in their college town in order to vote there, as well as forbid the ability to register on Election Day. Many feel that the bill is meant to target college students. By requiring them to register in advance and request an absentee ballot ahead of time decreases the amount of students who will actually vote.

According to the Orlando Sentinel, the Governor’s office received 15,443 emails about the bill, most arguing to veto the bill. The youth are fighting back! According to a recent article from the Huffington Post “How the War on Young Voters Is Deteriorating Our Democracy” Heather Smith reports that college students are speaking up,

In New Hampshire, College Democrats and College Republicans at Dartmouth have joined forces to fight against House Bill 176, which would redefine "domicile" residence for students as the state in which they lived prior to moving to campus and forcing them to vote absentee in states where they no longer reside. As Dartmouth student leaders Sy Mukherjee and Rich Sunderland noted in a recent Rock the Vote blog, New Hampshire State House Speaker William O'Brien has actually said that college students vote, "too liberal," "with their emotions," and that they lack sufficient "life experience" to vote in the state.

She also noted other people from different states across the US are fighting legislation, but they shouldn’t even be in that position. The problem is that some don’t want a lot of people voting, and others want to encourage voting.

As I read articles on encouraging the voting process I found a few solutions that states could use to serve the next generation’s voting process:

-Expand the early voting process

-Allow same day registration to voters

-Allow pre-registration for 16 to 17-year olds

-Online registration

Some people, like New Hampshire’s Speaker of the House, may think of the youth and college voters as “foolish” and lacking experience; but maybe their time as representatives would be better spent listening to us as citizens?   

College Tuition Discounting High; College Grants Barely Survive Budget Cuts: Summary and Comparison

In his article “Tuition Discounting Hits Record High,” Daniel de Vise, from the Washington Post, highlights that the tuition discount rates for college tuition is at a high of 42.4 percent. He suggests that as a result, students and families disregard the price of higher cost schools.

“The president and his advisors have identified education as a place where they plan to “win the future,” and they’re highlighting their fiscal year 2012 spending plan as proof,” claims reporter Julianne Hing. The administration is asking for $77.4 billion altogether in educational funding. Hing argues that Pell grants are in need by students of color; 46 percent of African American undergrads receive them. Because of the recession in the last year the number of students in need of Pell grants has increased $20 billion since 2008. Under Obama’s budget, students with low-income families can receive up to $5,550 for school. Obama has also proposed a ‘year-round Pell grant benefit’ to encourage students to graduate sooner.

Daniel de Vice reminds us that a rising tuition rate for a college is a bad sign because of decreasing revenue. But a recent survey found that, after grant aid, tuition revenue is up 3 percent from 2010.

“This is an indication of the stability of our higher education system,” said John Walda, NACUBO president, in a release.

Articles:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/college-inc/post/tuition-discounting-hits-record-high/2011/05/23/AFtIGm9G_blog.html

http://colorlines.com/archives/2011/02/in_obamas_2012_budget_pell_grants_hang_on_barely.html

The issue: Educational Funds $$

 There are obviously many agreeing and opposing views in America’s political system today; why are some people rich and some poor? Is laziness and lack of motivation to blame for poor education and health? Are the situations for the rich and poor unfair? These are questions for Americans who often ponder our society. My first goal is to present an issue that is opposed by both parties and then consider which could be ‘right’ and which could be ‘wrong’ for society.

One example of opposing views deals with the educational system. You must ask ‘is education a right or a privilege?’ According to the 2010-11 Funding for Florida School Districts Statistical Report, the Florida Education Finance Program (FEFP) established a policy on equalized funding to guarantee each student in public education the services appropriate to his/her educational needs that are equal to those available to any similar student notwithstanding geographic differences and economic factors. In addition to this the state established the Educational Enhancement Trust Fund, which includes giving money to school from proceeds of the Florida Lottery and tax from slot machine (Rupani). Funds like this allow schools to reduce class sizes and meet needs for state programs. According to the Republican Party Platform, the Republican Party has many strong opinions when it comes to education and schools; they promote home-schooling and school choice to protect family rights and the privacy of education, they support voluntary prayer in school, they want to limit the role of federal government in schools to return to parents, teachers, and school boards, and lastly, to increase higher education with savings accounts. Rep Ron Paul believes that education and medical care are not rights but rather things that are to be earned. When asked about government loans for tuition he says, “No one has a right to anyone's wealth, I don't have a right to come to you and say my poor kid needs 500 dollars for an education, an education is not a right, medical care is not a right." He also replied that kids today are encouraged to work, but still don’t have enough money, and because of loans after college kids owe $20,000.

The Legislative Fiscal Bureau recently announced that 636 million additional dollars will be available in the two-year budget and many officials want to put it toward education. Democratic State Representative Gordon Hintz believes that by reinvesting in public education, the money benefits parents, children, and taxpayers. The Save Our Schools organization wants money to go to public schools and technical colleges. With this said, the Republican lawmakers believe the $636 million should be used towards state debts and other priorities (Krumholz).

So questions about where founding should be used, education, debts, programs, etc are debated everyday. Maybe we should consider that there is not a perfect way to fund schools, but rather think what is the best way? Schools do need money, tuition is on the rise, and debts do need to be paid. There are many ideas aside from money from the government and grants to provide for schools, fundraising via clubs, organizations, the web, PTA, etc.

Sources:

Rupani, Meena. "Rep. Ron Paul: "Education is Not a Right" (Video)." TPM (2011): n. pag. Web. 24 May                              2011.

Florida Department of Education. 2010-11 FUNDING FOR FLORIDA SCHOOL DISTRICTS. , 2010. Web. 24           May 2011.

Krumholz, Ben. "Extra public education funding debated." FOX 11 (2011): n. pag. Web. 24 May 2011.

Why is it Important to Us? Because We Are the Future.

There are many significant issues and obstacles arising in the US that we as young adults are facing and will be facing in the very near future. I believe it to be imperative for everyone to exercise their right to voice opinions and vote for what they believe is best. Many of these issues are debated vigorously by politicians’ everyday, but how are they portrayed to us? How do these issues affect us as students? And what can be done to solve them? Some of the issues that I, as a college student find to be important in my life, in the future and present day, include education, health care, illegal immigration, job security, and environmental issues. These are all issues that both parties speak on often, and can sway the ‘student vote’ easily. According to a poll done by CIRCLE, a research center at Trufts University, between 22 and 24 million young adults between the ages of 18-29 voted in the last presidential election, with Obama receiving the most votes in this age range. Without the votes of these young adults, the election could have very well been a different outcome.

Political parties create a line of diversity in the US today. People feel very passionate about their beliefs, views, opinions, and strategies and voting can a way to stand up for those things. The Democratic-Republican Party was founded in 1792 and split in 1912. The Democratic Party tends to focus on social issues, such as social freedoms, poverty, and progressive taxes. The Republican Party, GOP, believes in small government and has conservative social views. Another option is to be Independent, or side with no party and can vote depending on the party or specific issues. Many people choose this option when registering to vote because no party appeals to them.

It is important as the youth of America that we pay attention to these issues and cast a vote depending on what we believe is the best for the future. With my blog I hope to inform young people of current issues so that they can develop a personal opinion and cast well-informed votes. So lets get out there and voice our opinions!