It seems the popularity of cutting back on expenses is expanding further into the academic realm with the UW Board of Regents’ recent pledge to aid students to graduate in four years time. The goal is to eliminate the tuition cost of additional semesters, as well as to encourage students to start work sooner so “there’s less forgone income,” as UW System president Kevin Reilly puts it.

Although no measure to reduce spending should go unappreciated amid the current economic climate, the Board’s take on the situation elicits a question that deserves some attention: How exactly does one measure the value of a college degree?

One possible option is to take this question literally and determine the value of a college degree purely in monetary terms. According to a study conducted for The College Board, once the cost of tuition, books, and foregone salary during college years is subtracted from the increased salary associated with possessing a college degree, the actual value hovers around $300,000 over the course of 40 years.

If this is the best way to assess the worth of a college education, then it follows that one would want to get through school quicker in order to start earning paychecks in the “real world.” We students have heard much about this rumored “real world.” It is a mythical place where the American Dream comes true: salaries are high, jobs are not only intriguing but personally satisfying and all that hard work we put in during school has finally paved our path to a magnificent and financially secure future.

One problem with this sort of viewpoint is that wielding a diploma upon entry into the “real world” does not necessarily equal financial security or a fulfilling career. I got a brief glimpse of this reality while working in the office of a paper company the past two summers. Although I value the experience, it made me disheartened for a couple of reasons. Not only was the work environment far less hilarious than Dunder Mifflin, I realized that it could potentially be my future. Even with a college degree, I could end up behind a desk a with a job that pays the bills, but doesn’t challenge me intellectually and is not really my chosen career path. Inevitably, some of us will wind up spending 40 or more hours of each week performing mindless tasks which are in no way related to our majors — or worse — many of us may find ourselves unemployed after we graduate. A college degree simply does not guarantee financial gain. Although a college degree can often be a vital asset in securing that dream job, the bearer is in no way entitled to any sort of wealth. To view completion of college as the immediate starting point for earning a paycheck is to make the assumption there is a job waiting out there for everyone.

Additionally, and most importantly, undergraduate education is not merely a means to a money-filled end. Rather, it is a journey that often enlightens and challenges one’s view of the world. It is a time to think critically about anything and everything — whether that means pondering one’s place in our vast universe, or making a commitment to finally prove whether or not beer before liquor actually makes one sicker. College offers us an opportunity not only to discover but to deepen political, religious and social beliefs, and also to learn exactly why and how we have come to hold those views in the first place. Moreover, our education equips us with the tools to be able to defend those beliefs in an articulate manner.

We are offered the freedom to choose a particular area of study that aligns with our interests, whatever they may be. With that freedom comes the responsibility to understand what exactly we are supposed to get out of a degree. Not all majors correlate to one specific career path.

Many of us will have to be creative in marketing ourselves when it comes time to make the leap into the real world. Although a major may seem obscure to a future employer, if he can show how his education has transformed him a into critical thinker and a dedicated individual who is up for a challenge, he is more likely to find success. The true value of a degree is measured in our ability to convey to the world that what we have learned does have value.

If students become too wrapped up in the idea of getting out as quickly as possible, they may neglect to enjoy the unique experience an undergraduate education offers. Although four years may be the proper time frame for a majority of students to garner a quality education, it is important to use the time to think carefully about how the degree will enhance one’s life.

Although it may not necessarily give us an all-access pass to a life of riches, it will certainly afford us a wealth of educational experiences that we simply could not get on our own. It is up to us decide what we do after graduation and hopefully we will be able to reflect upon the amazing academic and social experiences UW Madison has afforded us.

Holly Hartung ([email protected]) is a sophomore intending to major in journalism.