It’s that time of year again when “Pomp and Circumstance” is being filtered through the ears of graduates and their proud families. After four long years, sometimes even longer for some in college, the day has come for that diploma to be placed in one’s eager hands to show off. As Etta James belted out, it’s a good feeling. Damn the Rick Santorum’s of the world who would shame you into believing you’re a snob for this moment of glory. You earned the right to revel in this moment of triumph.

It’s a beautiful moment, but one that is no longer translating into good paying jobs to help cover the cost of that degree. It certainly didn’t come free. The pomp is soon gone and circumstances set in.

Parents send their children off to institutions of higher learning so that they can better themselves. However, it’s becoming an all too familiar reality that young adults are graduating college only to move back home and sit on their parents couch for an infinite amount of time. This growing trend has begged the question of whether or not college has become like VHS: irrelevant.

Recent statistics have shown that one in two college students are either jobless or unemployed. The market is at one of its weakest points and the debtors give you only six months to get a job and repay your loans before the non-stop calls begin. One can ask for a deferment, but putting off the inevitable only amplifies the central issue: there are no jobs.

Disillusionment has set in for many college grads who have been unable to get jobs in their chosen fields. They studied, wrote papers and subjected themselves to the whims of internships and it seems to have been in vain. It’s particularly unnerving to see someone who crossed college off the to-do list winning because of a sex tape, acting ratchet on a reality TV show or finding the right pro athlete to get pregnant by. There used to be a time when relying on one’s look, reliable weaves and becoming a stereotype were frowned upon, but it’s the new norm. You no longer necessarily need the right degree, but rather a marketable personality for the masses; dumbing one’s self down may be a blow to the pride, but it has it certain perks these days in comparison to contributing to $1 trillion in loans.

Did college grads really survive on crackers and noodles to make Sallie Mae rich? College is meant to be an investment on the individual’s future, but generation X and Y are shackled to debt before they even walk across the stage. Joe Clark wasn’t wrong. There is a system in place to keep those who can’t afford college without financial assistance  in a permanent underclass. Tuition’s are rising, the debt is ballooning and there doesn’t seem to be much relief in sight.

Unfortunately, until the game is changed, you just need to learn the rules, play and hope for a win. It used to be that you only needed a high school diploma or a G.E.D. to qualify for the most basic job. The bare minimum is now a Bachelor’s degree to get an interview, and those who have a Master’s have the advantage. A person needs two or three degrees for an edge. You need one just to get in the game and make a good impression. So while it might seem like a gamble to see if a degree will actually bring you a job in your field, college degrees aren’t irrelevant. Especially not when you need one a majority of the time just to get your foot in the door.

A college degree is like having sex. Protect yourself.

What do you think?

Stephanie Guerilus is a journalist and author. Follow her @qsteph

salon.com

Can a college degree really increase your chances of getting married? Well, a new study has revealed that women with college educations have more marriage staying power.

According to a new study from sociologists at NYU (conducted on women of all races, thankfully) doctors have found that those with fancy college degrees apparently have less divorce rates. One reason is that educated couples now  feel comfortable financially before walking down the aisle, hence they usually don’t encounter money woes that can lead to divorce..Read full story here…

We’re doing something right in the work place. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, black women are narrowing the gender wage gap faster than any other race.

In 2010, black women earned 94% of black men’s full-time weekly wages. Comparisons among other ethnicities found Hispanic women at 91%, Asians 83%, and Whites at 81%. Hispanic women were previously thought to be the ones to close the gap since they had the smallest disparity in earnings with Hispanic men between 1990 and 2000, but black women have now surpassed them.

One reason for the narrowing gap, according to the Business Insider, is that two-thirds of African Americans earning bachelor’s degrees are women, which coincides with an even larger trend of women earning more diplomas than men overall in the past 10 years. The more women that get into the work place in positions of power, the greater chance we have of completely closing the wage gap for all women.

Do you think black women will really be the ones to close the gender gap first?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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2011 will unfortunately be known to many as the year when “Heauxs Were Winning.”  The public watched Basketball “wives” snag baller after baller and witnessed countless rappers wife up video vixens and booty models.  Comment sections across the world-wide web were stampeded by readers holding their college degrees and dignity high above their heads like swords. In shock and horror, they questioned how these men were overlooking sophisticated, educated women to flaunt big bootied brainless beauty queens on their arms. (Of course we assumed that if a woman’s biggest claim to fame is a KING magazine cover, she automatically has to be an idiot).

What many women failed to question was  A) Were these women as clueless or uncouth as we assumed they were?  B)  Whether or not these men placed as much value on class, sophistication and education as some of their female counterparts and C) Why are so many of us attracted to men whose priorities in a potential mate include fat booty, frying chicken, and freak in the sheets?

This got me thinking that although many women think they know what men want, it’s more likely that we’ve created an idea of what we think men SHOULD want.  Some of the things that we value in relationships and sex simply don’t matter much to some men, and men desire completely different things from a woman based on whether a relationship is solely sexual or soul mate material.  The quicker more women understand this, the sooner they too will be “winning.”

What you are about to read is a written account based on what I as a woman have witnessed from the values expressed by a variety of men. If you are truly interested in what a man values in a woman, try asking one.

1.  A College Degree

In no way am I telling you to trade in your Bachelor’s for some booty shorts, but I am willing to bet that when Drake laid eyes on Maliah, the last thing he was asking himself was if she could recite all the elements on the periodic table from memory.  Most men don’t want a brainless beauty for a wife (and you probably aren’t trying to lock down one who does) but they are visual creatures and what we woman have to understand is that if it’s 1:45 am in the club, that man whose been eye-humping you all night probably isn’t looking for his Mrs. Right as much as he is looking for Mrs. Right Now.  For some reason, many woman like to use their education as a reason why they are more wifey material than the girl dropping it low in so and so’s video.  And hopefully you’re struggling through that Calculus class because you know it will give you a better chance at a successful future and not just the next eligible bachelor.  An education is a valuable asset, but it doesn’t guarantee you a good man over the girl dancing for dollars.

More and more people are earning advanced degrees and returning to school to school these days in lieu of poor job prospects but women seem to be doing so more than men. And while most women currently feel the odds are against them, economists say this strategy will be more beneficial down the line.

In the last two years, the number of women between the ages of 18 to 24 who are in school rose by 130,000, compared with an increase of just 53,000 for  men. Already, studies suggest that women are pickier about their job choices than men, and for a number of reasons including the ability to rely on a spouse, family responsibilities, or low pay. Consequently, women see the economic climate as an opportunity to improve their professional marketability by advancing their studies, while men are more willing to take whatever job they can get, an article in the New York Times found.

“The jobs out there just aren’t very good, and men seem more willing to take them for whatever reason,” said Jonathan L. Willis, an economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City. “The women are looking at those same jobs and saying, ‘I’ll be more productive elsewhere.’ ”

In the long run, women will find that they have acquired a broad skill set of skills that provides a significant advantage over men whose prospects are already limited. Given that fact, Heather Boushey, an economist at the Center for American Progress, said she’s not surprised women are returning to school in droves, but “the real question is: Why aren’t more men doing that too?”

That’s a very legitimate question, and one researchers haven’t quite found the answer to, other than idea that societal norms still tell men they need to support themselves independently and be the breadwinner when it comes to relationships. This makes sense when you think of the stigma placed on men who still live with their parents but work full time. A woman who does the same thing either as a full-time employee or student is often not looked down upon nearly as much or at all.

But, as things currently stand, women are still losing a significantly higher number of jobs than men, forcing them to get creative with their careers. The bottom line is if you’re thinking of going back to school, now is the time to do it.

Are you pursuing more education as a result of the recession?

Brande Victorian is a blogger and culture writer in New York City. Follower her on Twitter at @be_vic.

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There is nothing sexier than a man with confidence. Who doesn’t like a little swagger? However, sometimes that charming confidence can morph into annoying arrogance. You know, when brotherman thinks that you should jump through hoops and thank the baby Jesus that you’re with him.  This dude shouldn’t be dating ANY woman. He is already in the perfect relationship–with himself.  Here are seven types of arrogant men that need to eat some humble pie.