The most overpriced and overrated product in America today is not the MacBook Air, a Gucci handbag, an H2 Hummer or any other item which you may ogle with envy. But rather, it is a single piece of paper which could cost hundreds of thousands of dollars, yet nine times out of 10, holds very little value in the real world. I am speaking of the Bachelor of Arts degree you and I are working tirelessly toward.

The current post-secondary education system is one where the acquisition of a B.A. represents educational success. We push the youth into spending thousands, regardless of their field of study. We are expected to commit four or five years of the prime of our lives to institutions where the majority of people lack the adequate ability to complete their intended major or goal. After spending years and thousands of dollars, we push the less able to graduate into general studies or liberal arts fields.

Welcome to the most robust and grounded of all business models: The four year university.

Outside of engineering or science majors, the content learned at universities generally does not translate into effective workplace competency. And the statistics, which show that college graduates tend to earn more than high school graduates, are misleading. I assure you that if you locked an Ivy League student into a closet for four years instead of sending him to college, he’d still find better employment due to his inherently motivated personality. The true solution is not getting rid of the college system altogether, but drastically altering it so it works better.

In lieu of traditional degrees, high school graduates should work toward earning certification in their desired field. Imagine going straight into employment out of high school in a field you decide you may enjoy – starting on the bottom of the totem pole, working your way up and learning through hands on experience. When students feel prepared, they take a certification exam, such as the CPA for public accountants. It is good for pre-professionals to attend university, but our journey through higher education shouldn’t be a meandering walk through the park. We have careers and goals in mind.

Technical schools would still exist if we streamlined higher education, but toiling and wasting away at a university where you spend your time studying for material you’ll never use again wouldn’t happen anymore.

Unfortunately, this development isn’t likely. Our mindset toward the university system simply cannot be changed overnight. I implore my fellow Cougars at this point to do something radical. I am asking you to make the most of the goal that you sacrifice so much for.

Never take a class without knowing about the professor beforehand. If your education is your top priority at WSU, then professors are the most important employees at the university. Pick the good ones, not the closest ones to where you live that aren’t too early in the morning. Take time to personally meet every one of the professors teaching your classes.

There is an entire world outside of academia seeking your enthusiasm and skill. Join a registered student organization or two and go beyond merely attending the meetings. Volunteer and participate in activities. It is great to get to make the most of college, but the system forces us to stay until the benefits begin to become hindrances to our development.

We invest a lot into our education and graduation as Cougars. It is undeniably costly in both time and money. We can make the most of it by developing relationships with professors, enriching ourselves academically and taking advantage of opportunities – but all good things must come to an end. We have to take our experience and apply it. The future started yesterday, so let’s get to it.