While viewing the economy, I believe it is essential to ask about our primary goals surrounding money. While everyone certainly would welcome the idea of being a billionaire, what drives people to have jobs? For me, I am attending college to earn a degree. This has always been a goal of mine. Throughout my process of earning a degree, I have worried about money and my financial future after graduation. While I do not particularly need all the money in the world, it would be nice to be putting myself on a path to early retirement; while also providing for my family. When I think about the future, the one main concern of mine is making enough money to have my ‘American Dream,’ which is different for everyone.

In Tressie McMillian’s introduction, she reminisces on her past involvement with universities at different levels. The Education Gospel brings light to how the education world is more of an economic playground than providing skills to scholars to help enhance their careers. Throughout this piece by McMillian, it was made clear profit is more important for universities so they can continue to fund services provided to students. While having students succeed would be the primary focus for most universities, I would think, Tressie argues that this is not the case.

Throughout this reading, I generally had a thought of being cheated by my academic advisors. While certainly it is not fair to assume my advisors are making me enroll in classes to make profit, looking at the economic advantages to the university opens up my mind to different ways my advisors could sway me solely for money.

For me, it was rather interesting learning that a low job market for a particular profession is beneficial to the university. Scholars will see this high rate of employment for a particular field; meaning a higher turnout for enrollment in a less popular field. Knowing universities may be taking advantage of their students more than I presumably thought prior to this reading makes me feel that it is more important than ever to trust the people around you, in general. Money can create evils in people and organizations, so trusting where you put your money towards is crucial.