Is college really worth it? A question many students start to ask as the college cost increases and jobs are tougher to get. When considering college you have to reflect more about what you want out of it rather than what you have to do to complete it. Although getting accepted into a good college is a great start, getting a college degree may appear intimidating in terms of the educational responsibility, tuition, fees, and time commitments involved. However, there are many other ways in which a college degree can be a useful investment; with enhancing the value of your life in several ways.
In the future, the education received from college will be very helpful to people in several ways. College is becoming a major decision with adults in America today because people are questioning whether or not if college is actually worth it. People are not doing their research on how a college degree is more beneficial than if you did not earn one. Numerous studies have revealed that a college education can lead to long-term financial returns and increase a student’s success in the future.
According to Deanna Mascle “Individuals with bachelor degrees earn about 60 percent more than those with just a high school diploma, who in turn earn about 40 percent more than high school dropouts”( 2012). Receiving a college degree and bringing what you learned to the real world will benefit you in your pursuit for financial success. If you do not have a mindset that you are going to put your full potential in college. Cooper, argues that there is no reason to waste your time and money.
In our society now a college education is no longer a choice or privilege, but rather a necessity or requirement. We are basically raised and accustomed to believe that one needs a higher education in order to succeed in life. The major reason why people go to college is not because they want to, but because they essentially have to. In the article “College is still worth it”, Anthony Carnevale states, that businesses pay more money to workers with degrees than to those without because employers believe that postsecondary educated workers are more valuable (Carnevale 8).
Even though society has began to change that it’s basically a necessity to have a college degree to get a good job its well worth the money in the end. There are a numerous amount of waiters/waitresses, bartenders, plumbers, and so on who have college degrees and are working in jobs that don’t require advanced degrees. A cashier, for example, earns $19,000 on average, but with a college degree, earns $29,000 on average. Similarly, plumbers without a degree earn $37,000 on average, but earn $52,000 with a college degree.
Nearly all high school seniors are pressured by their guidance counselors and parents to go to college because it is “the right thing to do. ” In Caroline Bird’s essay “College is a Waste of Time and Money”, she states that students go to college because “Their mothers wanted them to go. ” (481) The undergraduate may have different dreams about what he or she desires to do in life, but because they believe that these “mentors” make out what is best for them, they almost certainly end up doing something that they do not want to do, resulting in being unhappy with their life.
Bird makes some good points in her essay, but if children did not get pressured they would have no idea about college, and probably would not even think about going. Bird argues that college is a waste of money because youngsters do not know what they want. No one wants parents, teachers or counselors telling high school students to aim low and skip college. College is expensive we all have established that, but it doesn’t have to be. If you have to take out, or plan on taking out more than $50,000 to go to college, you should consider searching for other colleges that will be able to fit your budget.
According to Cooper, he has finished college and has a great job. He goes on to talk about how if he never decided to go to college and pay the high tuition that goes along with it. The Public Policy Institute of California concurs and predicts that “41 percent of jobs in 2025 will require a college degree. ” If these counselors and parents did not push these students into looking, and going to college, then the question is who would? Even when applying for a job that will not use your exact degree, just having that degree gives you an advantage over the other applicants who do not possess a degree.
The majority of the employers of the company are looking for students with a college degree since employers are looking for students who have the skill to learn new things which is essential in order to work in the corporate world. The degree reassures the employers that a student with a degree can be engaged since completing a degree, that means that he/she can handle the work environment, and also has the skill to settle in to constant change. A degree is said to be more significant than the degree type as such, so as long has one has the ability to learn, then they will have a more prone hance of getting employed. The majority of college students would feel that college is a waste of money because they do not learn what they want to. Instead they have to take classes that have nothing to do with what they are majoring in, and are only taking these classes to complete the educational requirement to start their actual major. With the increasing costs of college tuition, as well as essentials such as books a college education becomes a burden somewhat more than an investment.
Tuition costs continue to rise, and for a lot of struggling Americans, getting an education now means years and years of monthly debt payments. Alexander Thomas Public, two-year college tuition has gone up 7. 3 percent since last year and will no doubt continue to rise (2012). Thomas says “there are definitely ways to reduce the cost of college, and educating yourself on the federal student loan process in general is extremely useful in the long run”(2012).
Although college is expensive, if it is approached the right way, students can get the education they need and desire without getting buried in tons of debt. Americans just need to be smart and do their research when it comes to paying for college. The main reason for attending college is to get a well-paying career, while being happy with that career choice. College prepares you with educational understanding in order to accomplish something in the future. According to Dale Coye the “New American College”, higher education is necessary for you future.
He states that “In spatial terms, teaching and learning may begin in a classroom, but course work also spills over into the life of the campus and the community. Students engage in experiential learning and co-curricular activities that take abstract ideas and anchor them in real-life problems” (Coye 20). Time and commitment are very important in succeeding with getting a college degree. According to Cooper, if you are planning to have children you should wait until you finish college, as it is a big commitment and time consuming even without children.
Parenting students tend to complete four-year degrees at rates far slower than other college students. “More than half (59 percent) of parents attending college earn less than $10,000 a year” (Sorensen 30). Parents cannot afford to support their children without getting some sort of education. Copper, explains that he probably would not have finished school if he decided to have kids before he graduated. The opposition to get a decent job is increasing; it is near to impossible to achieve a high paying job without at least a bachelor’s degree.
Numerous amounts of jobs that only used to want their employees to have a high school diploma now need some type of college education. College is worth the money, nevertheless, is because it is one of the rare associations that frequently holds people of different cultural and racial backgrounds. This allows one to advance their social and communicative skills because they are exposed to unaccustomed cultures. College helps you to become a responsible adult because for the first time most people are nearly on their own.
College helps students get ready for major linked skills. Thus, college helps in achieving skills linked to the business one looks to get into. It helps a student in figuring out how to do their job. It is entirely different from high school; you have to manage your private time and financial state as well. Proceeding with college teaches individuals how to handle their lives. Most college students are managing their college life between studying for their exams and earning money through low paying jobs to maintain their college tuition.
In addition to this, they are enjoying the benefits of a good social life, parties and lots of friends. The experience one has in college really helps teenagers turn into adults. Going away to college you have to face situations like having to pay bills, time has to be managed well, and cutoff dates have to be met, just like the “real world. ” College is just not about obtaining a good job, but about gaining knowledge. Sometimes it is good to be an intelligent person instead of being someone who just makes a lot of money.
There are quite a few reasons why college is worth it in the end, the tuition and college costs are expensive in the beginning, but it pays off once you are earning the money in the future. Researching colleges and finding out the best option for you will only benefit yourself in the end, making wise choices and deciding if starting a family with your finances without a college education will be worth it in the long run, and doing research for yourself to see what will better benefit you and your family by getting some sort of college education.
An education gives people an understanding of what they can do for themselves and how they can make needed changes in their lives. Simply just giving away money would not teach the skills or values that come with receiving an education. This is the value of education: that it makes lasting changes in the lives of those who seek it.
Works Cited
Bird, Caroline. “College is a waste of time and money. ” The Case Against College (1975): n. pag. Print. Carnevale, Anthony. “College is Still Worth it. ” Inside Higher ED 14 Jan. 2011: 8-10. Print. Cooper, Edward, Veterinarian.
Personal Interview. 27 Oct, 2012. Coye, Dale. “Ernest Boyer and the New American College. ” Connecting with the Disconnects 29. 3 (1997): 20. Print. Mascle, Deanna. “A College Degree in nearly a necessity. ” Thinking about college? We can help! : n. pag. College Tidbits. Web. 29 Nov. 2012. <http://www. collegetidbits. com/prep4college/A-College-Degree-is-Nearly-a-Necessity. html>. Sorensen, Kia. “Unmarried Parents in College. ” Fragile Families 20. 2 (2010): 28-50. Print. Tutiion Breakdown: Is college worth it? HLNtv. com Turner Broadcasting System Inc, 16 Aug. 2012. Web. 19 Nov. 2012.
