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ASSIGNMENT COVER SHEET
STUDENT DETAILS Student name: LeLe Nguyen Hai Uyen Student ID number: 21000565 UNIT AND TUTORIAL DETAILS Unit name: Academic English Unit number: AEn-T321WSB- Tutorial/Lecture: Lecture Class day and time: Tuesday, 12:00 - 15: Lecturer or Tutor name: Anna Loseva ASSIGNMENT DETAILS Title: How significant is higher education to the development of individuals? Critically evaluate and illustrate with references. Length: 1548 Due date: 10/12/2021 Date submitted: 10/12/ DECLARATION I hold a copy of this assignment if the original is lost or damaged. I hereby certify that no part of this assignment or product has been copied from any other student’s work or from any other source except where due acknowledgement is made in the assignment. I hereby certify that no part of this assignment or product has been submitted by me in another (previous or current) assessment, except where appropriately referenced, and with prior permission from the Lecturer / Tutor / Unit Coordinator for this unit. No part of the assignment/product has been written/ produced for me by any other person except where collaboration has been authorised by the Lecturer / Tutor /Unit Coordinator concerned. I am aware that this work may be reproduced and submitted to plagiarism detection software programs for the purpose of detecting possible plagiarism (which may retain a copy on its database for future plagiarism checking). Student’s signature: Le Nguyen Hai Uyen Note: An examiner or lecturer / tutor has the right to not mark this assignment if the above declaration has not been signed.
Topic question: How significant is higher education to the development of individuals? Critically evaluate and illustrate with references. With the rapid advancement and ceaseless proliferation in the current modern era, the need for higher education has increased considerably. In the last two decades, the enrolment rate in higher education globally has doubled, rising from 19% to 38% between 2000 and 2018 (UNESCO, 2020). The role of obtaining higher education in order to optimize the integration process as well as achieve personal goals and ambitions, therefore, is of crucial significance. According to Becker (1964), no investment yields as great a return as an investment in education. Thus, the importance of education is paramount, and an intimate correlation can be established between education and individual development. The pivotal role of higher education in individual self-improvement would be discussed in this essay by demonstrating a number of benefits it engenders, along with highlighting some potential challenges associated with pursuing tertiary education, and proposing solutions to mitigate these problematic aspects. Higher education is perceived to be greatly beneficial to individual development in several aspects. The first remarkable benefit is increased employability. As education levels improve, the employment rate rises and the unemployment rate reduces (OECD, 2011). Today’s complex job market has witnessed a rigorous surge in the demand for undergraduate degrees (Morrison,N., 2019). Academic qualifications are even prerequisites for occupations like doctors, teachers or lawyers, and employees with a tertiary degree are more likely to meet the intellectual demands of modern life. According to College Board (2019), the unemployment rate for college graduates has constantly been half that of high school graduates.The job market has been exponentially competitive these days as an enormous number of contenders might apply for one position at one job simultaneously, and according to Fajaryati et al.( 2020), employers are looking for workers with extensive education and soft skills. Howard et al. (1999) pointed out that higher education can help foster the acquisition of soft skills such as communication, collaboration, critical thinking, or problem-solving. These essential skills, combined with academic accomplishments, provide tertiary graduates significant benefits to stand out, thus resulting in better chances of approval. To conclude, higher education plays a crucial role in stimulating job opportunities by increasing the competitive advantage and reducing the risk of unemployment.
education are more likely to perceive the essence of expert recommendations and to address health risks more effectively. As numerous studies have demonstrated, it is evident that higher education exerts a positive influence on one's health habits and behaviors, contributing to the adoption of a healthy lifestyle that has long term benefits and helps prevent health problems. In addition, higher education also fosters better social and political engagement. These are outstanding benefits provided by higher education, as political and social engagement are two of the exemplary characteristics of a global citizen that many people aspire to be. The highly-educated reported having a greater sense of social support (Ross & Van Willigen, 1997). Tertiary education offers a framework packed with high-impact extracurricular activities like volunteering work and community service, all of which enhance dedication to helping the society. Kuh (2008) stated that these high-impact experiences in universities positively affect social engagement. Likewise, tertiary graduates participate more in volunteering and organized activities (Smith, 1995). Moreover, higher education also provides active mentoring in understanding and applying knowledge regarding political concerns, thereby reinforcing students’ political consciousness. Higher education has constantly been found to be a crucial key to political participation (Hillygus, 2005). Individuals with a tertiary education often demonstrate a more concerned attitude toward politics. For example, in the 2016 presidential election, 73% of Americans aged 25 to 44 with a bachelor’s degree voted, compared to only 41% of high school graduates in the same age range (College Board, 2019). Hence, it can be concluded that social engagement and political participation of an individual can be fostered via the embrace of higher education. On the other hand, despite several benefits offered, there still remains potential challenges individuals may encounter in higher education journeys. The first concern commonly associated with tertiary education is financial hardship. Students are struggling to afford their education due to increased tuition costs worldwide. Researchers also discovered that most students face financial difficulties while in college (Daud et al., 2018). This phenomenon may result in unfavorable consequences. For example, financial concerns could lead to the deterioration of students’ academic performance since they are unable to fully concentrate on their studies. Those experiencing severe financial issues may even drop out of school (Joo et al., 2008). Additionally, years of higher education could also negatively impact students’ mental health.
Many researches indicated tertiary students' mental health difficulties (Kelk et al., 2009). This undesirable situation is sometimes caused by the aforementioned issue, which is related to finance. Furthermore, undergraduates may also suffer from mental health problems because of a hefty amount of knowledge and homework they must undertake, which may lead to burnout. Landstedt et al. (2016) claim tertiary students reported more mental health concerns than non-student peers. It can be clearly noticed from these above examples that the postsecondary learning process still provokes undesirable impacts such as financial burden or declining mental health among students. A viable approach would suggest a concerted effort from the government and educational institutions to thoroughly address these challenges. Concerning the financial problem, it is vital for governments and institutions to implement more merit-based policies in order to increase scholarships and financial aid programs. Cornwell et al. (2006) defined merit-based programs as enhancing college enrolment and completion rates. These plans would considerably assist the coverage of tuition fees and living expenses, thus easing financial burdens and assisting students in overcoming financial difficulties. Additionally, schools play a pivotal role in developing a healthier and more nourishing environment for students' mental health. Some proposed initiatives involve providing mental health support-counselling services on campus and promoting peer support. McBeath et al. (2017) found peer support can assist students develop a sense of belonging, reduce depression (Cruwys et al., 2014) and increase life satisfaction (Sani et al., 2012). These actions help students to feel more relieved and minimize detrimental experiences like emotional distress and burnout, thus making the studying environment healthier and less stressful. Combining those aforementioned factors, an idealistic resolution calls for joint endeavours from both the government and schools to alleviate the negative effects of higher education on undergraduates. In conclusion, higher education is a critical criterion to the establishment of a solid academic foundation for further professional self-perfection for each individual, a spirited process that aims to ensure learners' intellectual and social development, simultaneously with offering ample opportunity for career advancement. While there are some negative implications of postsecondary education, a greater focus should be laid upon the majority of its advantageous aspects. From the long term perspective, governmental and institutional factors play a
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