The beliefs, knowledge, and understanding that adolescents have regarding the function, purpose, and benefits of pursuing an undergraduate degree have always been shaped by the historical, social, political, economic, and even geographical context in which they live. Unfortunately, these constructs do not evolve quickly enough to keep pace with each rapidly changing environment, resulting in a disconnect between their understanding of the subject and their current reality in the workplace, society, and professions. This situation has led to a misconception, both socially and especially among adolescents, that the benefits will arise almost spontaneously or by decree. The truth, in this case, is an amorphous, complex, hidden, and even painful dimension for many adolescents who lack the necessary skills to understand it and act accordingly. Instead of success, this often leads to partial or total failure in their studies and training, ultimately resulting in underemployment or unemployment.

In the context of formal education degrees, these are considered socially, educationally, academically, and politically as programs undertaken at higher education institutions with the aim of training certified professionals through a degree to work in a specific disciplinary field. It is an initial stage within higher education, paving the way for further training and development thanks to the solid foundation of specific knowledge acquired. Therefore, it is socially believed that pursuing a degree is fundamental because it hypothetically increases job opportunities significantly, allowing access to better salaries, greater economic stability, and solid professional and personal development. This is due to the specific and specialized knowledge provided, which simultaneously enables advancement within a professional environment and strengthens personal development, critical thinking, and ensures social, professional, and economic success.

University degrees awarded by these institutions can facilitate or do facilitate access to higher-paying jobs and a better quality of life compared to those with only primary or secondary education. Through these degrees, key competencies are developed that allow for critical thinking and the ability to solve problems, achieve discipline and teamwork; specifically, it is believed that pursuing a bachelor's degree is a long-term investment that not only improves one's personal and professional profile, but also provides tools to contribute to the growth and development of society and achieve personal goals. Furthermore, a degree is considered synonymous with standing out in highly competitive markets, and although educational level is not the only factor influencing career paths, having professional training increases opportunities to access formal jobs that offer benefits such as retirement savings funds and pensions. This reduces the risk of depending exclusively on informal jobs that often lack these benefits and can hinder long-term financial planning. It also represents a gateway to higher education if the adolescent enjoys research; a bachelor's degree will represent the first step towards continuing a long career encompassing higher levels of study that they wish to achieve (Rosiles López, L., Macías Teran, CE, Pérez Alcala, S., León Prieto, JC, 2016).

This correlation can positively influence health and contribute to a longer lifespan due to factors such as access to better nutrition, greater resources for worry-free rest, improved medical care, and working conditions that are typically associated with higher levels of education. The higher the level of education pursued or completed, the better the personal development and growth achieved. Earning a bachelor's degree benefits many aspects related to future employment, including access to opportunities and short-term promotions. It also facilitates travel, allowing students to learn about and become more familiar with the culture and language of other countries. This is further enhanced by the increased likelihood of obtaining a visa to study abroad through academic and cultural exchanges, thereby expanding one's network of friends, contacts, experiences, and diverse perspectives on the culture of each country or region. Furthermore, some countries offer the option of obtaining a work permit upon completion of studies and graduation.

It is speculated that independence and personal autonomy within family, social, and economic contexts are also benefits that can be achieved with a bachelor's degree. Pursuing one provides students with the necessary tools to gain more advantages in their work, such as becoming a freelancer . A freelancer is simply an independent professional who offers services to multiple clients or companies on a project or task basis, without a fixed employment contract or exclusivity. They act as their own boss, managing their time and workspace, and are responsible for their own accounting, taxes, and social security. This professional autonomy translates into the ability to work from anywhere, on projects, and with better salaries. In short, both socially and individually, obtaining a bachelor's degree is synonymous with differentiation and the ability to stand out from the crowd. Finally, in reference to just one of the multiple benefits that can be achieved, the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), based on data from 15 countries, found in the correlation between educational level and life expectancy that many 30-year-old men with university studies showed a higher average life expectancy compared to those who did not complete basic schooling, the same in women, in whom a similar trend was found ( Gumá , J., Blanes, A., 2018).

This is the general ideological, philosophical, educational, social, and political view. Furthermore, and as a complement to achieving the aforementioned benefits, countless paradigms or models have been proposed and implemented regarding the ideal profile that teachers, students, educational authorities, and even families should possess, have, or achieve in relation to the attitudes, behaviors, values, and level of knowledge that should form the cultural background of these individuals in order to attain this benefit.

Ideal Profile of Teachers, Students, Educational Authorities and Family Members to Pursuit an Undergraduate Degree

Due to the increasingly large and diverse student populations across numerous degree programs, the ideal teaching profile for ensuring graduates achieve the aforementioned benefits during their studies and upon graduation has had to be analyzed. This analysis has led to the need to propose and require a new teaching model for hiring, one with a profile more suited to the present times. Emotional and intellectual capacity, academic preparation, motivation, values, expectations for continuing education, perspective on the transformations of university students who also work, and the diversification of ages, among many other variables, have justifiably led to a rethinking and demand for new teaching competencies and their application not only vertically but also transversally. This new model emphasizes pedagogical reasoning and action to understand the environment and what needs to be taught, transforming, preparing, representing, selecting, and adapting it to educate, evaluate, reflect upon, and foster new ideas in students.

As a complement to this, it has been considered necessary for teachers to possess the following types of knowledge: knowledge of the content of the subject or course to be taught, general pedagogical-didactic knowledge, knowledge of the principles and strategies regarding the curriculum and classroom management, curricular knowledge, knowledge of the tools of the profession, theoretical knowledge of the teaching-learning process, knowledge of the characteristics and effects of groups, social classes, educational administration, communities and their cultures, and knowledge of educational aims, purposes, and values and their philosophical and historical foundations. As a context for all this knowledge, it is required that they have self-awareness in relation to how to explain their success or failure, their identity, their vocation, how they wish to be perceived, the values they represent, and their emotional impulses and needs (Arias Gómez, ML, Arias Gómez, E., Arias Gómez, J., Garza García, MG, 2018).

The self is considered an important means of working and is therefore important as part of personal integrity, an integration between what is done, what should be done, and the values one wants to live by. Undeniably, being a good teacher involves discovering one's own values, self-theories, thoughts, identities, and vocation, as well as acquiring other forms of knowledge necessary to stimulate valuable and complex learning that can engage the student as a whole person and future professional (Mercedes Cubero, MP, et al , 2013).

Regarding the profile a student should achieve in a bachelor's degree program, it's important to distinguish between a student and a pupil. These two terms are often used interchangeably, although in reality, there are clear and significant differences. The main difference lies in the level of independence and the degree of engagement with teaching and learning. First, before becoming a student, the adolescent is a pupil. This designation comes from undergoing an administrative process after being accepted into an educational institution to pursue a bachelor's degree. This process is known as enrollment, which is the formal registration or official accreditation process at the accepting institution. This procedure legalizes the student's status and entails rights and obligations, such as paying tuition and registering personal and academic data, thus granting access to the formal education system. Once enrolled, the adolescent begins receiving instruction from a teacher or the institution, assuming a passive and dependent role. Based on the above, he should initially be called a pupil. Over time, within the educational institution, and as his knowledge, culture, awareness, and interests develop, he will possibly begin to transition to the connotation of student because he begins to acquire greater initiative, autonomy, and proactivity towards self-study and self-learning.

The profile a student should possess prior to entering a bachelor's degree program consists of a solid foundation of general knowledge in basic areas (sciences and humanities) equivalent to their previous level of education, along with skills, attitudes, and values that will allow them to gradually adapt and thrive throughout their chosen degree program. Presumably, their previous education should have fostered critical thinking, academic discipline, responsibility, proactivity, intellectual curiosity, professional ethics, and social commitment, as well as the development of communication skills, basic computer skills, and proficiency in a second language, along with a vocation or interest in the chosen academic program.

On the other hand, the desired student profile—which may or may not already possess some of these qualities upon entering their chosen and accepted degree program—should be characterized by autonomy, critical thinking, and technological proficiency, adapting to blended learning methodologies. These individuals are creative, collaborative, and possess time management skills, oriented towards problem-solving and practical learning. Furthermore, they demonstrate commitment, curiosity, and a proactive attitude towards their academic development. They should be able to explore information, manage their learning, complete tasks, and actively participate, making intensive use of digital tools and artificial intelligence for learning. They should have the capacity to analyze, synthesize, and evaluate information and propose innovative solutions, demonstrate the ability to dialogue, cooperate, and collaborate with others, adapt to changes, including blended learning, be committed to achieving their academic goals (often seeking time efficiency), be motivated to investigate beyond what is covered in class, question themselves, and be able to respectfully and academically challenge their instructors.

Developing skills to search for, select, and organize information, as well as writing academic documents, the ability to organize study, work, and personal life, and the capacity to apply knowledge to face complex situations. This profile focuses on developing skills to meet the demands of today's society, seeking a comprehensive education (Bigi, E., García, M., Chacón, E., 2014).

Regarding educational authorities in general, they must work within a defined framework under a humanistic, democratic, and ethical leadership focused on in guaranteeing the right to education and the maximum learning achievement of each student with equity, inclusion, and interculturality. Their profile must be comprised of the dimensions that articulate Knowing, Doing, Being , and Learning. The philosophical, ethical, and legal principles within the realm of Knowing imply adherence to the internal and external regulations of the educational institution to guarantee education, the Constitution, and the General Law of Education; recognizing education as a fundamental human right, placing students at the center of their decisions; acting with social commitment reflected in honesty, integrity, and equity, seeking social transformation and the reduction of inequality gaps; possessing leadership in school management as a reflection of Doing ; and havinga strategic vision that allows the construction of a continuous improvement school program based on the real context of the school.

In addition, possess the capacity and skill to carry out efficient administrative organization regarding human, material, and financial resources with transparency and efficiency to improve teaching practice; interest in and attention to what is indicated in the school curriculum to deeply understand the current study plans and content, accompanying teachers in their implementation; possess interpersonal and community leadership within the context of Being that allows them to build harmonious interpersonal relationships based on human dignity and respectful treatment; be able to find solutions to conflicts in an assertive, honest, and peaceful manner; promote the co-responsibility of families and the community in the educational process, recognizing the cultural context; all this with the intention of reflecting professionalism in their functions as part of Learning , which leads them to analytical reflections on their own practice, seeking innovation and constant improvement; know their school community and the social, cultural, and linguistic context; be able to motivate teaching staff and strengthen their capacities by implementing creative actions to solve organizational and operational problems; In summary, to be a leading professional who facilitates educational service, creates favorable conditions for learning, and ensures intercultural and inclusive coexistence ( Pierella , MP, 2014). 

Finally, the role of a family member of a student should be based on that of a strategic companion and facilitator. At this stage, the family member should foster autonomy, provide emotional support, and facilitate the conditions for learning, recognizing that the student is an adult and does not need a controller. They should allow the student to choose their career based on personal conviction and not imposition or pressure. The family member should understand that the time dedicated to studying is not an academic necessity and therefore offer emotional support during those times or in situations of stress, crisis, or frustration. Providing a stable environment and maintaining a democratic home life, which motivates academic success, includes facilitating resources for study such as internet access, space, and adequate nutrition. Showing genuine interest in the student's learning improves their performance. Listening assertively without immediately judging academic results, acknowledging the student's effort and the difficulties of the university transition (Alarcón Montiel, E., Piña Osorio, JM, García Valcárcel, A. & Tejedor, FJ, 2019).

Be attentive to changes in attitude that may indicate stress, depression, or anxiety; get involved in the institution's operations; be familiar with the educational institution's consultation channels; and value all types of support as a high-value investment, not an expense. Help students understand that obstacles are part of the learning process, not reasons to give up. In short, facilitate, understand, listen, and trust, allowing the student to become the protagonist of their own professional development.

Reflection on the Genesis of what An Adolescent Believes, Knows, or is Aware About Undergraduate Studies

To understand, as an educator, and consequently act positively and empathetically with an adolescent student, one must, among many other things, consider and reflect on what they believe, know , or understand about what a bachelor's degree means and represents today. This will initially determine their behavior and attitudes at the beginning, during, and at the end of their studies. This is a difficult and complex task, primarily due to the individuality and idiosyncrasies of each student and the countless factors and variables present in their current socio-historical context. This initial perception and mental construct, which they possess once accepted into their chosen academic program and begin as a passive student simply waiting to receive information, or which transforms into a student profile characterized by a proactive, curious, and committed attitude toward their own learning, generally changes little, or only rarely.

Before continuing to develop this reflection and reach a conclusion on the thematic point of this work, we must clarify that the entire process of analysis, abstraction, and synthesis was based on the direct and indirect experience generated by the group of researchers who worked on this manuscript. For many years, we have interacted and communicated with them in classrooms, laboratories, clinics, auditoriums, cafeterias, and other institutional spaces as teachers and students, or as teachers and students. To begin this reflection and analysis, we consider it essential to establish, as an introduction to this section, how we understand the construction of the genesis of what young people believe, know, or understand about undergraduate degrees. From there, we will proceed to the development of the analysis and subsequently the synthesis as the composition of a whole through the gathering of the various reflections made, culminating in a final collective conclusion that condenses the diverse ideas, imaginaries, texts, and concepts constructed, highlighting the essential elements.

Within any society, teenagers (and practically everyone) use the concepts of Believing, Knowing, and Understanding interchangeably, confusingly, and without distinction, without considering that they are three levels of knowledge and correspond to different meanings and situations. For example, Believing is asserting something as true without being sure that it is; something is taken for granted as certain or a given, without having or requiring tangible or intangible evidence. For example: without needing proof, I believe that getting a degree will make me ric . On the other hand, Understanding is a conjecture that arises from an indirect experience in which another person or source of information provides accurate or inaccurate data about something or someone. For example: I know that Engineer X lives in a large, luxurious residence because he earns a lot of money; I know this because I have seen him and visited him at his home. Finally, knowledge is established when something is affirmed or denied as a result of direct experience, such as the knowledge of the process for performing a multiplication or the determination of the dimensions of a physical area because it has already been done successfully several times (Espindola Artola, A., Molina Castellanos, O., Basanta Vasnueva , Y., Garlobo Figueredo, M., García González, C., 2020). 

The construction of these meanings is called social representations, which are a form of shared knowledge that includes both affective and cognitive aspects. These representations guide adolescents' behavior and communication in the social world. In other words, a social representation is a mental construction of something by someone, constituting a basic and intrinsically social relationship with an object or something. From a rigorously scientific point of view, they are not a general reflection of social reality, but rather its meaningful construction, gradually becoming the person's own reality. These representations are, in some cases, the construction and, in others, the deconstruction and reconstruction of an object or something social, exhibiting features of creativity and individuality, and involving an interpretation of situations as an expression of thought (Jodelet, D., 2019). 

Essentially, social representations are a form of practical knowledge that connects adolescents to their thoughts in a threefold way. First, they arise from experiences of interaction and communicative exchange within institutions. Second, social practices result from these representations, driven by the need to assume new situations or activities that lead to their construction. Finally, they are used by individuals to influence other members of society or to adjust their behavior within a specific historical, ideological, educational, familial, and cultural context . In this sense, adolescents do not construct meaning individually but collectively, subsequently refining it personally. This process grants young people a unique sense of belonging to a group, and their participation in collective cultural interaction establishes a close relationship of social identity among all the young people in that group. That is, social representations, while constructing meaning, also challenge adolescents' existing and habitual ways of thinking, forcing them, in a way, to reconsider their worldview.

These common, colloquial, and factual knowledge significantly reorganizes the elements of their world, modifying their understanding and awareness, transforming their actions, and thus influencing their knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors. They give meaning to strange and confusing social and educational situations, creating a new reality, bridging gaps, disconnections, or discontinuities in their mental constructs, and familiarizing them with new situations. Consequently, each adolescent tends to use these constructs or images to cope with the estrangement they experience by describing, classifying, and even self-explaining the new events (Moñivas, A., 1994).

This entire situation that arises between old mental constructs or social representations and the symbiosis that occurs with new representations coexisting and debating between both during the course of the chosen academic program, is frequently the medium or context in which the passage or evolution of student to student in a degree program occurs, passing between the parameters of what he/she believes, knows and understands, the school, the academic and the research.

Differentiation of Contemporary Social Representation on Undergraduate Studies

The diverse global situations that have occurred in the last decades of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st centuries have produced substantial transformations in political, social, geographical, and economic organization. These alterations have directly or indirectly disrupted working conditions and demands, leading to instability, job insecurity, underemployment, and unemployment. In many cases, this has resulted in a crisis of representation and legitimacy for educational institutions, especially those of higher education (among others), in regions and countries. These changes have had a significant impact and serious consequences for undergraduate programs and the students who comprise them.

Historically, degrees had a defined function for the development and growth of society; they had been created to establish a simple and clear linear relationship between higher education, knowledge, and society. Each degree imposed its own definition and line of knowledge and transmitted it to its students. Currently, that line has broken down, or is breaking down more and more, and its impact and repercussions are not unidirectional; they occur in multiple directions. On the one hand, degree programs, through their authorities and communities, are required to consider and address the demands of society, and on the other hand, and emphatically, those of the labor market, attending to the competencies it requires. In response to these demands, there is a tendency to privilege certain forms of knowledge—more theoretical or technical, or a combination of both—depending on the value each has for its use in the job market. In many cases, operational, computational, communicative, and strategic approaches are emphasized. These situations, tensions, and fractures have been continuously and systematically influencing the deconstruction and subsequent reconstruction of degree programs, calling into question what students traditionally, socially, and particularly students believe, know, and understand about degree programs, their importance and function in the modern world, and how they determine the path of their education and the benefits they receive. to achieve. The complexity of the new social and institutional context of each degree is manifested daily through expressions inside and outside educational institutions that show concern for the future, for labor market integration, for the articulation between professional training, the labor market and the very function of the institution (González Lorente, C. & Martínez Clares, P., 2023).

Concluding with a descriptive hermeneutic analysis that gathered the diverse ideas, experiences, opinions, and comments expressed in the various group work meetings, we were able to identify that most adolescents, before deciding which undergraduate degree to pursue, are predetermined and conditioned primarily by what they believe, know, or understand regarding the meaning, purpose, objectives, and goals of an undergraduate degree. Adolescents have a socially significant representation of this within a context of ensuring professional, social, and economic success by pursuing an academic program. In this sense, it was considered that their assessments are based on common sense aspects, reproduced orally from generation to generation, essential, colloquial, and factual. This is in relation to the purpose they have as aspiring students, and because they do not yet have a structured representation based on adequate observation, analysis, reflection, determination, or more comprehensive guidance that would allow them to make more realistic assessments regarding its purpose. We believe that when at the moment of making the transcendental decision, due to their perspective and prospect of the why and for what purpose to pursue it, marking their path, function, profile and achievements as a pupil or student, the empirical bases of the mental construct and its continuous reproduction.

The empirical origin and continuity, lacking academic elements and explicit theoretical foundations, shaped their interpretive image of what pursuing a bachelor's degree entails, including its purposes and benefits. We believe it is important to mention that social representation, like all symbolic social constructions, is affected by the logic of the structural components of knowledge, culture, and consciousness. Therefore, the affective and sensory perception of the world, the meanings of what is perceived, and the personal understanding of those meanings shape adolescents' decisions, conduct, attitudes, and behaviors regarding pursuing a bachelor's degree (undergraduate studies), and specifically which one. These perceptions establish associative links between the profession and its potential financial compensation; between the profession and its social recognition; between the profession and the context of the work environment; and between the profession and the construction of their personal life project.

In addition, we believe that the meanings and associations established mentally and cognitively form part of their shared systems of meaning regarding the degree program. Because these meanings are shared, they become group meanings and generate diverse personal interpretations. This explains why, when comparing different degree programs, they establish an affective bond with an ambivalent tendency that diminishes the importance they themselves attribute to that profession in today's society. This largely justifies some of the factors that may be contributing to the low number of students who behave and act as true students in their university degree programs, and, on the other hand, to the high number of young people who simply act as students throughout their entire degree. In this sense, we all agree about the influence exerted by the constructs, prior ideas, or preconceptions of adolescents (students) when associating them with the concept of the social representation of their chosen degree program. This author argues that when these are deeply rooted in the structural components of consciousness, they are very resistant to change and consequently the transcendental step of simply completing undergraduate studies or becoming a competent professional is never achieved.

The preconceived idea is the comfort that comes with deciding on one's future professional career and strongly pushes one not to feel the need to seek more information regarding the professional or work profile that can be achieved by taking that academic program. By delving deeper into the analysis of affective-volitional bonds, we arrive at reflections and conclusions that are quite scattered but interesting and significant on a cognitive level. This reaffirms the importance of having clearer, truer, more timely, accessible, and current sources and means of information in a society that is increasingly striving to accelerate the development of computerization. However, this importance is associated with their future employment, which also becomes a sphere of personal self-evaluation. This lack of decisive, efficient, and effective action on the part of those responsible has led to a process of self-perception and self-knowledge that results in the construction of a system of categories and mental images about this content of reality. In this case, the choice and pursuit of a degree can end in disappointment, frustration, wasted time, underemployment, unemployment, and personal, professional, social, and economic failure.

This situation presents a challenge for teachers, administrators, and families, as well as for all personnel responsible for fostering students' career guidance from an early age, in order to establish the object of study and the field of work as a genuine symbolic representation. It is concluded that the structuring of the social representation of the significance of an undergraduate degree is expressed at a superficial level, reflecting a situational-contextual character tied to the social imaginary. The universe of opinions, values, and beliefs that constitute a mental representation of this is established through various associative channels between the profession and its potential economic remuneration, social recognition, the context of the work environment, and the construction of a personal life project.

We also concluded that the notion, present in both official and unofficial discourse, that pursuing a bachelor's degree guarantees greater job opportunities and higher salaries, greater economic stability, and solid professional and personal development thanks to the specific and specialized knowledge it provides, which simultaneously allows one to move within a professional field and strengthen personal development, critical thinking, and ensure social, professional, and economic success, is not entirely true, for three reasons: First, if the academic program is of high quality due to the relevance of its content, and if it has adequate infrastructure in terms of quantity, quality, accessibility, location, and usefulness, there will be a real possibility of achieving these benefits; otherwise, they will be difficult to attain. Second, if there is no suitable teaching staff to work and interact with students, it will be difficult for students to acquire the necessary skills. Third, if adolescents do not successfully transition from student to student, acquiring the appropriate profile for current professional and work demands, they will face significant difficulties simply finding employment, let alone achieving the benefits attributed to undergraduate studies. Fourth, if there is no political will or commitment from federal, state, municipal, and school authorities to support this level of education and create the necessary environments and conditions, these goals will not be met, and failures or limitations will be encountered. Fifth, university degrees awarded by these institutions, which are thought and said to facilitate or do facilitate access to jobs with higher incomes and a better quality of life compared to those who only have primary or secondary education, are currently devalued due to the educational, social and political crisis in the country (although we think that globally it is a recurring phenomenon), since companies, industry and almost all work contexts no longer take them as a reference of quality, professionalism and competitiveness, since they are no longer a guarantee of the development of skills required in the workplace.

So, what is the reality we have concluded? That our country (Mexico) requires a true educational rethinking. A genuine understanding (social representation) of undergraduate studies cannot be built if society is not properly educated from the basic levels, working to transform uncritical thinking, passive behaviors, attitudes of indifference and dependence, the disconnect between the educational, labor, and political spheres, and other aspects. When we truly work on this in the short, medium, and long term, then our adolescents will live and make decisions, such as choosing a degree program, with real knowledge, assuming the commitment to make the most of that opportunity and striving to be better people, students, professionals, and members of a proactive society.