back-to-school

Under Pressure

Getting into their college
of choice can leave
students stressed.

JACKIE HEADAPOHL MANAGING EDITOR

H

ey, juniors and seniors, here’s
some news to use: Where you
go to college is of almost no
importance to your future employment
options. Whether your degree is from
the University of Michigan, Michigan
State University, Wayne State or Grand
Valley matters far less than your aca-
demic performance and the skills you
can show employers once you graduate.
In the book Where You Go Is Not Who
You’ll Be, author Frank Bruni cites a 2014
Gallup poll that asked business leaders
the importance of four different factors
when making hiring decisions. Nearly
85 percent of those surveyed said field-
relevant knowledge was “very impor-
tant” to their hiring decisions. Only 9
percent said where an applicant had
gone to college was very important to
their decision.
And the longer you’re out of col-
lege, the less relevant college is to an
employer. By the time you’re 35 or 40,

it doesn’t matter at all. What does?
“Demonstrated success and a proven
track record.”
Furthermore, according to Bruni’s
book, a 2011 study by economists com-
paring grads of “elite” colleges with
“not-so-elite” colleges showed lifetime
earnings between the two differed very
little or not at all.
Despite these facts, many students
believe if they don’t get into the col-
lege they want, their futures will be less
bright. This puts them under a lot of
pressure.
During the school year, teenag-
ers report higher levels of stress than
grownups, according to the American
Psychological Association. School,
homework, extracurricular activities
and perhaps a part-time job leave 27
percent of teens saying they experience
“extreme stress” during the school year,
40 percent of teens feeling irritable or
angry, and 36 percent feeling nervous or

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August 23 • 2018

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