So, if you’re a product of this generation, it’s probably safe to say that you’ve been encouraged to attend college for a while. A hot topic is whether it’s always the best call to hit up a four-year university or maybe there’s some merit to taking alternate options. The way I see it, with a choice as instrumental in the determination the your future is this one, you shouldn’t trust any broad, sweeping statements regarding said choice. It’s important to complete copious quantities of research while getting as specific as you can to your specific situation in order to make a wise, educated decision.
Since we could listen, us young people have always been told by our parents and others that college is the goal, and if there is any way you can attain the opportunity to attend, you should jump on it. In perhaps the most accurate representation of our generation, “High School Musical 3: Senior Year,” every main character announces a plan to attend a four-year institute. The option of not attending a traditional four-year brick and mortar college is not even acknowledged.
College is sometimes viewed as being this savior of the youth that is a place where everything is improved and you’re able to grow into who you want to be and all that good stuff. Michelle Obama voices her agreement with this school of thought in her commencement address at Bowie State when she says “People who earn a bachelor’s degree or higher make nearly three times more money than high school dropouts, and they’re far less likely to be unemployed. A recent study even found that… people who are more educated actually live longer.” The narrative being written by Obama and countless others is that college improves all aspects of life and can’t be contested by any other option.
By most accounts, college is the only way to go. College graduates with four-year degrees can expect to earn about $1 million more than high school graduates over their lifetimes, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Get yourself a graduate degree and guess what? That’s another $400K right there.
This statistic is a bit general, and does not tell the whole story. As you might guess, the fine arts don’t have the best track record for favorable pay upon graduation. Casey Bond, a contributor to Forbes.com, speaks on this occurrence by writing, “Foolishly pursue the arts, and you might be disappointed. An arts graduate from Murray State University in Kentucky, for instance, can expect to make $147,000 less over 20 years than a high school graduate, once the cost of education is factored in.” Her argument in its entirety can be read here. This trend persists across the country, with the high school grad earning more than their counterparts with degrees in arts or education working in the service sector on average. This makes me think twice about the notion that college graduates always earn more than high school diploma-holders.
If you do end up going to college, it’s not even guaranteed that you obtain a degree. It takes at least a few years to complete the school curriculum requirements for the degree. During these years, money could get too tight, you could fail too many classes, your favorite show could get dropped from Netflix, or a multitude of other obstacles can arise, causing you drop out.
At that point, you’ve paid tuition for a few years but still have no degree. In other words, you’ve been made a sucker.
It is important to recognize this possibility that you might start but not finish college.
With that possibility in mind, it is important for prospective students, especially those that could really be negatively by the cost of school because of their lack of financial security. The reality of this is that families and individuals with smaller budgets feel the effects of college, good or bad, more than those who can drop greenbacks like this.
You might say, “Hey, with all this risk involved in the decision to go to college, what’s the point?” Well, not all the hype about college is unwarranted. College really is a sweet place, and not just because you get WAY MORE scheduling freedom.
In most cases, college plays a big role in helping you get hired, keep a job, and get paid more. You’re also forced to live independently and explore more of the world around you during your stint. You’re going to go through a boatload of new experiences over your time in school. Some of those can be read about here.
Both sides of this argument are legit and have decent points. For students who end up in jobs that are similar to the ones their high school graduate counterparts occupy, college may be a waste of time and money. The view that college is a completely necessary part of an adult’s development and that a degree should be pursued without a thought or bit of rational analysis can be detrimental to young people’s lives. It is EXTREMELY unwise to not consider every aspect of a decision as huge as this one. In most cases, college is probably a good choice, but diligent research is highly recommended by this blogger.