The college experience is not what freshman Jacob McCallister thought it would be.
Between changing his major two times and constantly being bogged down with projects and papers, McCallister's time at Ball State University has been "far from ideal."
Also, he'll have to pay more than $35,000 in debt from student loans after graduation. Regardless, he has never questioned why he came here.
"It's about jobs -- we all want to get them and college is the only way to get a good one," he said.
McCallister's pain is felt by many students who pursue a higher education.
On one side, there's the career. On the other, there's the massive debt that has racked up after their college stint, leaving some students questioning if the experience is worth a financial burden they may never pay back.
November 15-21 marks American Education Week, seven days dedicated to "[spotlighting] the importance of providing every child in America with a quality public education from kindergarten through college, and the need for everyone to do his or her part in making public schools great," according to the National Education Association Web site.
With jobs scarce in most professions, people are going to college in record numbers.
A record 11.5 million Americans age 18 to 24 -- about 40 percent of the demographic -- attended college in October 2008, according to numbers released Oct. 29 by the Pew Research Center. Most of the increase came at two-year schools, incentivise by a cheaper price tag and hopes that credits would transfer to a larger institution, according to the study.
The in-state tuition at public four-year universities averages $7,020, a 6.5 percent rise from last year, according to The College Board. Ball State's tuition is close to the average at $7,228 a year for in-state students, according to its Web site.
That price is still daunting for many families, experts say. Senior elementary education major Jessica Dishon said problems such as college affordability should be brought up during American Education Week.
"I think celebrating American education, in a way, also helps to raise awareness to the problems and issues that you find in the educational system," Dishon said. "People will be able to see the areas that we as a nation excel in and areas where we need to work a little harder."
John Jacobson, dean of the Teacher's College, said Ball State is trying to educate their future teachers through classroom experience to be aware of those problems.
That's something Dishon didn't think would happen when she came to Ball State.
"I didn't expect to be doing so much hands on work for my classes and having all the experience in classrooms that I have had," she said. "That makes it better because I am learning and practicing many things I would not of thought would be included in my courses. There are also many things I've done that my friends that are in teaching programs in other universities have not done."
Jacobson said recognizing American education is essential to build an educated citizenry and raise the quality of life for everyone.
"It takes everyone to give everyone an opportunity," Jacobson said.
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