Dear Future Student, Times are certainly changing and the world is ever evolving from day to day. More and more each day the barriers of our great seas are diminishing and world unification is growing greater every second. Not long ago it was hard to imagine traveling across seas to China, but now with our sophisticated transportation systems traveling is easier than ever. Now our airport systems are integrated so that you can travel from the United States to China on the same airline. Communication barriers are also being broken down. It is very common for people to know more than one language.
With a language in common, it is easier to travel to another country because more than likely you can find someone there who speaks your native language. The key to globalization has been the internet. The internet has changed the world in ways only one can imagine.
With tools such as facebook, you can interact with people thousands of miles away. You can read about their views, see pictures, and communicate with a touch of a button. The internet has also changed the trading system dramatically. Now if you would like to purchase items from overseas, you can just find the company’s website online and order whatever you please.The internet has eased the fears of purchasing items from overseas and provided assurance that the items will be delivered. The internet has also helped to change the music industry. Many American artists are able to share their music with the world and are sometimes more popular in other countries than the United States. Not only has the world become more unified, but the quality of life has also changed dramatically.
With the advances in medical technologies, people are able to live much longer than they did 100 years ago. Also, most people do not have to engage in hard labor in order to put food on the table.Years ago, most people had their own farms and provided their own food. Now grocery stores are on every corner, and bad harvest seasons no longer prevent families from getting a nutritional meal. Public assistance programs have also helped the quality of life. Now people who are not fortunate to receive high paying jobs can qualify for unemployment and food benefits. The average family of 3 can receive up to $200 to help with the cost of food. With these programs, less Americans are going to sleep without a meal.
Also with public education, not only are children educated for free, but those that qualify can receive free meals at schools.It is so much easier to live the American dream. Now one can start at the bottom and work themselves to the top with a proper education. As long as a person has an education, the possibilities are endless. In the 1940’s it was all too common for children to drop out of grade school to help their parents on the farm. Now the high school graduation rates are on the rise.
The drop out rate from high school dropped from 14% in 1980 to merely 8% by 2009. http://nces. ed. gov/programs/coe/indicator_scr. asp. However to make a decent living in today’s society, college degrees have become a necessity.About two thirds of all jobs in the United States require some type of college degree. http://www9.
georgetown. edu/grad/gppi/hpi/cew/pdfs/fullreport. pdf. Since education does play such an important role, the United State’s Government has also created programs to help fund college educations for the less fortunate. Now underprivileged students do not have to worry about financing their education. With Pell grants and other financial assistance an education is possible for anyone. With more quality jobs, the work life is less stressful on the body and Americans are able to live longer and more enjoyable lives.However the increased life spans of American citizens have created problems such as urban sprawl.
With the populations in U. S cities growing so rapidly, farms lands and forest are being bulldozed down to meet residential and commercial needs. More strip malls and cookie cutter neighborhoods are being built to keep up with the ever growing population. This is also creating an uncontrollable debt. Even though property taxes have increased, there still are not enough funds to keep public systems afloat. Urban sprawl has also increased the need for more roadways and congested streets.Of course with the current gas prices, this has become a very expensive dilemma.
Just a few years ago, gas was under $2 a gallon. Now gas is upwards of $3. 50 a gallon. This price jump is due to the increasing demand for gasoline. The need for gasoline rose quicker than manufacturer’s ability to produce causing higher prices. Summer family vacations are on the downfall because it is so expensive to fuel up. Most Americans have to think twice before making cross country trips.
In more metropolitan areas, public transportation has become more popular. In larger cities most citizens rely on public trains and buses o get to work instead of driving. In Atlanta, a one day pass for public transportation can cost up to $8 a day, but most people are willing to pay this fee to avoid the rising cost of fuel. http://www.
itsmarta. com/fares-passes. aspx. Most employers in larger Metro areas offer bus or train passes to their employees as apart of benefit packages. Unfortunately with the current job market, most citizens are not afforded this opportunity.
In the last eleven years, our economy has suffered greatly, and we are still trying to dig ourselves out of this whole we created.In just 2000, the unemployment rate was at an all time low of 3. 4%, but this year our unemployment rate has jumped to 9. 2%. http://www. google. com/publicdata/explore? ds=z1ebjpgk2654c1_&met_y=unemployment_rate&tdim=true&dl=en&hl=en&q=unemployment+rate. Many college graduates coming out of school with the hopes of landing a great job are left with nothing but debt.
On the other hand, with the recent advances of technology, many citizens are able to create their own businesses online and work from home. Despite the ever decreasing job market, internet jobs are on the rise.This also prevents people from uprooting their homes and moving to different locations in hopes of finding a job. Technology has really changed our way of living. In just years cell phones have gone from being a rare commodity to a necessity. The same can be said for computers also.
Features like skpe on most computers help people put a face with the voice they are hearing. Email is also becoming rapidly popular. Long gone are the days of handwriting a letter and waiting days for your loved one to receive the letter in the mail. With the internet and email, a letter can be sent over cyberspace in a matter of seconds.