High School Students : The Importance Of College Education

High school graduation marks the start of young adults’ lives, a time where they are expected to decide what they want to do for the rest of their lives. Many young adults are pressured into attending college, whether they have determined their goal or not, but is it necessary? “The Case Against College,” an article written by Linda Lee, a mother who has questioned the former belief that college equals success, claims that “not everyone needs a higher education.” College, though beneficial to many, is not for everyone and should not determine an individual’s life.

On the other hand, though high schools are lenient on the effort students put in, they are more strict on time and freedom. Students go from being “babysat” and told what to do and when to do it. Yet when they go off to college, they are met with more freedom than they know how to handle. Because of this big change responsibilities are not always being handled. All because students never had to manage their time they relied on the high school teachers to do it for them, so they are now crippled into a series of procrastination.

One question that comes to mind when graduating high school is, “should I attend college?” For many graduates this question have a very obvious answer. A high school graduate may state that, “college is the best option if one is trying to get a higher level of education, and will help one compete for a higher paying job.” However, in my opinion most graduates do not consider the fact that going to college is a very big decision to make and that the schoolwork will not be easy. Going to college is not the best choice for every high school graduate because many students cannot handle college, colleges’ lower standards, and not all jobs require a college degree.

Three out of four graduates are not fully prepared for college, because of this they are almost certain to take remedial classes in which they can prepare to be “freshman,” in their second semester of college. ACT’s have tested 50% of these graduates, and it was measured that only 25% of that was actually prepared in all three areas of testing. So what is wrong with this picture? The problem is American high schools are not preparing their students for a college environment, and college work. Students aren’t receiving the key work and lessons needed for college. With all the method that teachers have, which aren’t working to the extent they should be, they are honestly forced to help these students out when they should have been prepared to begin with. With that said, High School teachers are not preparing their students academically for college. Colleges are forced to do studies in consideration of improving the United States Academic reputation, and the overall education for America.

Another point Kirn seems to overlook is the premise that many high schools, especially in Canada, offer introductory courses to university level material; such as courses in law, psychology, calculus, and even some higher level sciences. For many students taking these courses can give them insight as to what exactly they are in for in the coming years of their post-secondary life. For example a student could leave grade 11 physics thinking that they love the material and have enough of a grip on the math that they might be able to pursue a career down that path. However, upon taking calculus and a higher level physics course coupled they suddenly realize that they in fact hate math and

College is not just a choice, it's the beginning of a lifelong journey, one that will shape and determine future choices, decisions and purposes. A high school graduate tends to have no background of job experience or any essential skills to work at a decent company. Throughout the years, America has always debated whether higher education helps people succeed or if needed, but with that come along many risk and benefits for state funding.

As you can see, there are many different opinions about the worth of college and the changes that could be made. Those on all sides of this debate aim to meet the same objective: finding the most beneficial path for students after high school graduation. The opinions in this debate range from believing that college couldn’t be worth the cost, to believing that it is always essential to finding a job and that it is always worth the cost in the long run. Though many debates have been made about the worth of the current college experience and the changes that could be made, little has been said about the changes that could be made at in the high school classroom in an effort to

Today's American workforce is made up of a clear cut thirty six-percent of people with a Bachelor's Degree, thirty-four percent of people with a High School Diploma and thirty percent of people with at least some exposure to college courses (Douglas-Gabriel 1). The desire for qualified job applicants goes unnoticed these days. Today's workforce lacks driven applicants with a college education. As students and families struggle to make ends meet in the midst of the transition from high school to college, one might question, is college worth it? A wide variety of statistics about where students most commonly succeed shows both positives and negatives about attending college.

Starting in high school, students are not given equal opportunities to excel because of family background. Furthermore, the admissions process itself has its flaws—legacies, minorities, and athletes are being chosen over exceptionally gifted valedictorians. Even after college, the problems do not end; possible joblessness and student debt are unavoidable. On top of these major problems, educators and parents continue to convince kids everywhere that college is the only option to become successful, and choosing another path is heavily looked down upon. The newest generation’s life is centered around the climax of college while at the same time, more and more students are unable to attend universities because of cost or rejection, but this is a paradox. The more high schoolers work hard, the more high schoolers will get turned down to their dream schools, and the more the college admissions process effectively become a lottery, leading to “many highly talented, brilliant, creative people thinking they’re not” (Robinson). The widespread college problem has no easy fix, nor does it have a single solution. Rather than working to fix the unfixable, adults must stop putting such emphasis on the college pathway, and instead stress that there are other options. The future of the job world is unknown; there is no way to know if an expensive college education is the right choice. College, with all of its flaws, is just one option in preparing for the future; it is not necessarily the best. Therefore, the single word, “college,” should stop dividing the academic from the non-academic or the successful from the unsuccessful, and instead be considered a single path in an array of worthy

There are the students who decide not to go to college and start a career instead. They enter true adult life right out of high school. Life for those students is not getting any better. From 1987 to 2007, average lifetime income for a high school graduate dropped by 20 percent while the average lifetime income for college graduates has raised by one percent (Davies). The value of a high school diploma is dropping. The knowledge gained in high school is not enough for a good paying job. For those looking to go on to a higher education are also unprepared. They are paying large amounts of money for college to learn what they should already know. This problem with young adults can be traced back to school before high school.

In today’s society, multitudes of our high school graduates are being pushed and excessively encouraged to attend college. Attending these colleges has negatively affected many college graduates, such as providing attendees debt and wasted resources on attaining a college degree. However, the pros considerably outweigh the cons on the worth of a college degree. College is worth the cost because it gives graduates' ample opportunity and success, larger wages than that of non-college graduates, and gives graduates life-skills that will stupendously bene/fit them not only in the work force, but also later in life.

Today, many students are settling for jobs immediately out of high school instead of furthering their education in college. Students should consider how necessary college actually is for their lives in the future. It provides one with a significant amount of opportunities, a greater knowledge about their career plan, and a better sense of responsibility.

The American standard in the US educational system has always been to attend a four-year university after high school. Students attend college after high school to further their education in their career of interest, and to obtain a degree to become successful adults in the real world. Schools in this age however, do not teach students about life after high school and college. They fail to introduce life lessons needed in the real world, like writing a resume, buying a house, or paying taxes. The current American educational system does not prepare students to be successful adults; it teaches students things they may never apply to real-world situations.

From age five to eighteen, school focuses on the common core of science, mathematics, history, English, and literature. Electives are offered, but usually still don't provide quite enough. This suit well for some students, but most definitely not all. What if student A has the dream of being a game developer for a living? It isn't just a phase and they are completely serious about learning the necessary skills. Unfortunately, they have to wait around 13 years to follow this path. Nine years possibly if they are lucky enough to attend a school with electives that cover that subject. People are often told school leads to financial success or a well-paying job, yet current education systems don’t allow focus directly on knowledge tailored towards specific careers. Some may argue that this is the purpose of college. Well this is true yes, but if the student knows their dream they should have the option to pursue that knowledge within their elementary or high school career. School is helpful for knowledge there is no doubt about that, however some of the priorities need more examination. Worded perfectly: “Though high school and college are excellent in teaching many valuable skills, our current academic curriculum doesn’t teach many aspects necessary to succeeding and thriving in life in general.” (Successful Student, 2016) How does someone prove to be a productive member of society when they have no idea how to mend a leaky pipe, or properly utilize credit? Students become adults entering the real world, yet still lacking many skills that are beneficial to

It can be seen strongly at my High School, Oologah High, that students have gotten lazier and parents still expect teachers to hand out better grades. When enrolling and selecting classes; students have the option to select easier, less demanding classes, yet are still rewarded with high grades. Now, instead of taking classes that reward hard work and prepare students for the future, they are able to pass easy classes and receive better scores. Those students who take more rigorous courses are slated with more work, tougher assignments, and