It is recommended that when we graduate from high school we are supposed to go to college. We are told from a very young age that if we want a decent job then we must go to college and work towards it. Which, at a young age may seem intimidating since we have to figure out what we want to major in, how much will it cost us, would we have to relocate, and will there be scholarships or loans available. You have probably heard friends or family members ask the question ‘Why is a college education so important?’ many times throughout your life. Maybe you have even asked yourself this question. Although there are many people who do not go to school and are doing simply fine, college is something that has, and always will help a person be more effective in their life. College can help someone get better employer opportunities, help with self-improvement, prepare you to be a productive member of society, help a person live more comfortably, and it can teach discipline along with responsibility. Overall, college can be very accommodating to a happy and successful life.
When people go to college, they often are going so they can learn and prepare themselves for the job they would like to have in the future. Obtaining a degree can result in many employment opportunities because a lot of today’s employers consider it a necessity. Employers time and again do not hire people who do not have a degree regardless of their skill and experiences versus someone who does have a college degree. Those who have a degree tend to make more money and have more opportunities than those who do not. “According to averages calculated by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, people with a bachelor’s degree earn around sixty-four percent more per week than individuals with a high school diploma...” Therefore, college can give someone better employer openings.
For a lot of students, college is the first ‘free’ experience they will have. “College is an investment in the enrichment of your life.” Part of a college experience is self-improvement, and personal growth. “Students also report that their college courses have provided a place for them to become more knowledgeable about themselves.” They often learn skills from being on their own, away from parents and family support for the first time. No one is there to get them up every morning for class. There is no one cooking for them, doing their laundry, or cleaning their apartment or house. College teaches responsibility and discipline along the lines that students are, for the most part, on their own and they are learning on how to be an adult. Even at a young age, students have to make deadlines for homework assignments, teaching them responsibility and discipline. College also gives students better social skills and teaches them team working skills by working in groups. Self-improvement in a student’s life can not only help them when graduation comes around, but it may also help them achieve complete and happy lives.
Not only does college help a person improve themselves, but it also helps prepare a person to be a productive member of society. “Society as a whole benefit as a result of education.” When people go to college they get to learn so many new things. With this knowledge, students can be more productive in society and be able to make rational decisions based off of things they know. Education gives economic growth and stability, happier and healthier lives, and unity and trust for everyone in the community. “Gary Burtless argues that “The economic reward from attending and completing college has probably never been higher.” In many different ways, students learn new and productive skills, making them more fit to go out, work hard, and contribute to their employer or company therefore helping society as a whole.
With a college degree a person can build a life for themselves and live more comfortably. What I interrupted this to mean, is that with a college education will come more money and better jobs than someone who has no college education. This person would be able to provide for themselves and possibly a whole family if they wanted one, one day. Someone who has no college education may be able to live their life just fine but might struggle to pay bills from time to time and live paycheck to paycheck. Not going to college limits the kind of jobs a person could get. For example, a person with no college degree could not get a job as a doctor, lawyer, surgical technologist, etc. Some people could also argue that there are a lot of successful figures we know that didn’t have much of an education but are still enthusiastically successful. That may be true but today’s society is now becoming more knowledge-based. People could also argue that schooling costs way too much. Which may also be true, but again, with a degree comes more money. Therefore, being able to pay off student loans while still being able to live comfortably.
My Personal Experience
When I graduated high school I really did not want to go to college. I kept putting going to college off for four years because I was not ready. I did not know what I wanted to go to school for, and I lost all motivation in myself as a person. I worked at many jobs over the years from Kennywood, to Eat’n Park, to Giant Eagle, to Dollar General, to American Textile Co., and all of the places I have worked at, I never made enough money for me to live out on my own and support myself. So I finally found the motivation I needed to get back into school and start college. I know that when I graduate I will have more knowledge and will be more successful with my life when I live out my dream and goal as a surgical technologist.
To answer the question “Is College Really Necessary? Is it Worth it?”, I guess it just depends on the type of person you are. Studies have shown that yes, someone could live on their own without a college degree but personally, I would not be able to survive without a college education. A college education is going to benefit me in more ways than I could imagine. It is going to motivate me for life, give me more knowledge, help me expand as a person, help my self-improvement, help me be a more productive member of society, and teach me discipline and responsibilities. In my opinion, college is one hundred percent worth it due to all of the success I will have in the end.