Education has always been one of the most important things in this society, and college has always been the ultimate destination of almost all high school students. In today’s society, although there are some small differences between different countries’ education system, most people think that university is the key step to lead a person to a better future. A college can offer how many things for students? There is no doubt that universities can impart more knowledge to students. In addition, universities can also provide students with a variety of opportunities, such as internships, exchanges, experiments and so on. These things can pave the way for a student’s future. So, over time, lots of people even think that only after going to college can they earn a living, which means that they believe everyone should go to college. However, Owen and Sawhill, the authors of “Should Everyone Go to College”, stated that “while the average return to obtaining a college degree is clearly positive, we emphasize that it is not universally so.” (Owen and Sawhill 319) I fully agree that universities can benefit students, but it can’t restrict everyone’s choice, college is not everyone’s best option. I argue that student should keep on the area what they are good at instead of regarding college as the only goal.
From the article, Owen and Sawhill offered plenty of statistics which are related to the reward after going to college. They analyzed this problem by considering what we can get in college and do we give more or get more. According to their researches, Owen and Sawhill said that we put in far more than we get. To be specific, students need to pay a relatively high tuition for studying in university, but apart from that jobs and salaries after graduation may be different for different major, and some people may not even be able to complete their bachelor’s degree. Imagine that if a person spends a lot of money on his bachelor’s degree, but his income after graduating is very small, the investment is not worth it. In general, they think that college is not the best investment for every person.
I agree with the points Owen and Sawhill make. Universities should not be intuitively regarded as the best choice for everyone, just because they generally produce a large number of talents and provide good job opportunities. Although there is a formal and relatively complete education system in the University, like students’ behavior can be regulated and restrained while imparting knowledge, there are many people who are not suitable for this system. It can be divided into two main categories: some are not adapted to such teaching system in the university, and the other is poverty. I share a similar view with the author of another article which is also named “Should Everyone Go to College?”. He stated that “instead of accepting that reductionist approach, why not recognize individual talents, and find ways to enhance them?” (Carlson) Since everyone is different in what they are good at, there is no need to be like most people. University can be the best choice when you have enough financial resources but don’t find your field of expertise, because in the process of studying in university, you may also find something you are interested in, if not, at least learn useful knowledge. But it would be inappropriate for a person to be bound by the subjective consciousness of society (university is everyone’s best choice) when he clearly knows that he is better suited to do something in a certain field. One thing we can’t ignore is that there are many successful people in the world who don’t have a university degree.
Taking Ellen DeGeneres as an example, as we all know, she is a very famous American comedian, and the first time I know her name is because she invited Justin Bieber to the Ellen Show. My first impression of her is that her speech is very humorous and interesting, and she can talk freely in the program. Maybe some people unconsciously think she has a high degree. But then I learned that although she did go to college, she dropped out after only one semester, took many careers, and eventually became the host of a famous program. Therefore, it is not only college that can provide people with a stable source of income. After all, in my opinion, at least most people go to college in order to find a good job in the future and have a good salary. Then, the goal is to work. Can’t they find a job other than going to college? Of course, nowadays, with the increasing population, the competition between people is also growing. To have a decent degree is equal to more strength, but in my opinion, the more important thing is personal efforts.
In addition, if someone don’t work hard enough and don’t want to submit to university education, according to the article ‘Not Everyone Needs a Four-Year Degree’, there are many jobs in society that only need a high school diploma, although the salary may not be too high, but they are indeed indispensable positions. Or maybe some people are devoted to their studies, but they can not only learn in universities. There are thousands of ways to study.
Generally, I always firmly believe that if a person has his own goals and interests, why not try to do it? There may be unexpected gains like Ellen or Steve Jobs who also didn’t finish his college degree. Of course, I have never denied the importance of university. On the contrary, I think that university is a good choice for most, because it is a relatively fair platform, not biased towards one, but also because some people may only be good at one field, so it is not a good choice for everyone.
