My parents immigrated to America in the 80's from China, and they simply thought that a college degree was the gateway to social mobility. They never thought that the skills learned in college would matter that much. Most parents in my community thought the same way. Most parents didn't speak English, so my generation was further isolated from the job market demands. Going to college, my friends and I had little idea of what we wanted to, not because we were indecisive but because we simply didn't know what jobs we could do. I saw many friends study history, music and foreign languages, and they struggled after graduating because they realized that their degrees aren't guarantees for good jobs.<p>The struggles weren't due to lack of desires or efforts. In my opinion, it's the disconnect between the perceived value in education and the actual skills needed for the work place. Raising awareness, such as vocational classes in high school and required internships as a prerequisite for college graduation, would have been tremendous for my generation. At the very least, it would have helped us realize that there's this gap between what we're learning in school versus what's actually needed in the work force.