The Importance Of A College Education

One of the most important keys that I’ve been taught throughout my life was to go to college. My mother would always remind my brothers and I of how much college is important right after Sunday’s church service. She would always say, “Kids, me and your father work very hard so that you won’t have to live like us in the future. A life of making a few dollars an hour is a life you boys don’t deserve, trust me.” Attending college has always been my main goal, but will I live up to my own expectations?

Marty Nemko, in the article, “We Send Too Many Students To College,” acknowledges that colleges have become obscenely expensive and that it is possible to be successful without going to college. Arguing that too many students are sent to college without realizing that it is not imperative, Nemko targets parents in his claims that colleges focus on educating in the cheapest way possible and most importantly, that the advantage of past college graduates in the job market is declining. One of his main reasons is that even though the average college graduate makes more money, hundreds of thousands of students in the bottom half of their high school class do not succeed in higher education. Nemko’s article is the most persuasive article on whether college education still has value as he argues that college is not beneficial to everyone through demonstrations of hyperbole, and figurative language.

Becoming a successful individual in today’s society is difficult, and without a college education it becoming even harder. A college degree is necessary for a lot of important jobs; such as a lawyer, a doctor or any occupation in the medical field really, a teacher, and so many more that are imperative to everyone. Without doctors to treat us when we are sick and teachers to prepare the youth for the world, we would be a broken society. Well, with “education inflation [rising over] 5.2%” every year tuition for college is becoming ridiculously expensive, and there are changes that need to be made to accommodate the wide range of middle class students that are financially suffering to earn an adequate college education (Patton, 2015).

Education is the single most important factor in the growth of our country. Specifically, higher education paves a future and provides opportunity for students that attend college and gives them a shot at a career. 50 years ago, college was strictly for the elite, high class Americans. Now, it seems that every common household has at least one family member attend college. But with the increasing drop out rate today, students seem less interested in learning at college and their priorities change from their original goal of graduating. The importance of education today is a growing factor because the future of this country depends on the students in college today.

High school seniors have many choices to make. One important choice is whether or not to go to college. Harvard as the first college founded in 1636. At this point only 4% of young people attended college (Anderberg, Jeremy. “Is College for Everyone?). As of 2013 there are about 14 million students enrolled in a 4 year institutions, and that number is expected to jump to around 20 million in the next few years (Anderberg, Jeremy. “Is College for Everyone?). College is hard and is not for everybody, but is it worth it? A college education is worth it in many ways it will lead you to success, way easier than a high school diploma. A college education gets you better financial success, gives you a much healthier life and greater success, and college graduates have more and better employment opportunities.

One may argue that there are several ways that students can get money such as scholarships or grants to help pay for tuition. With this being said, this argument can quickly be deconstructed. Students must also worry about additional costs such as food, shelter, transportation, and books. While the money may help at first, nearly fifty percent of students end up dropping out due to financial struggles (“High Cost”). Seemingly, having a college education partially paid for is not enough to keep a student in college if they cannot afford additional costs. It is counterproductive to go to college only to have to drop out and still owe money. College is a bad investment for many Americans because they rush into college without adequate funds when in actuality, college is not for them.

Have you ever felt the need to just go to college? A highly debated topic in the United States is college. Some may argue that college is worth it other say it not. A college education is valuable for everyone, with a college degree you get more job offers and you receive a higher pay.

The higher education system  should be closing the gap between the rich and the poor. But the college economics are driving them further apart. In the United States, people like to view higher education as a great equalizer for social mobility of people. But selective colleges have long been accused of perpetuating race and class division, rather than blurring them. A study by Stanford’s Caroline Hoxby and Harvard’s Christopher Avery lent further practical evidence  to the accusation, finding out that high-achieving low-income students do not have access to selective school and most of the time do not apply to top tier colleges knowing they won’t get in.

College had always been the long-term goal for me, eventually. I think careers favor the educated in two capacities. I think it's used as a direct avenue to place one another in a social hiearchy; saying they we capable to do one thing or another. I also think that it is used to determine the level at which you can communicate with someone. It's fascinting to me that people are so enthralled with a person once they gain intel on their level of education. Frankly, people treat one another differently, based off what they feel is a person's level of intelligence. It's a prejudice that is commonly accepted, so we carry on. I have also realized that a college education makes you so much more reputable. I know the average person reading this would say, "That is common sense." Truth be told I knew this of course, but I never understood the weight it carried. Until you are out there foraging the job market and seeing what is available, you never quite understand why college is the direction to go. That old saying from generations of parents across the spectrum stating, "Stay in school" and "An education can take you places that your mind never dreamt it could." Well these phrases are speaking the truth on a multitude of levels. When you understand that going to college is a great way to change your life, there wil be no distactions. The thought of revamping yourself as an individual will get you motivated for life altering circumstances and adventurous journeys.

A college education in the twenty-first century is easily one of the most crucial things that can make life cruise by at a much more comfortable pace. College is worth the time, effort, and money due to its multiple “bridges” to a better job and life altogether. College prepares you for a “real world” job by connecting you to college related internships, forces you to gain organizational skills, creates a self-worth and independence, and finally the experience is simply worth it.

Ever since I was a young girl, I have loved learning. I used to read anything in front of me, even the Spanish labels on shampoo bottles. Naturally, I was set on not stopping my education at a high school diploma. Therefore, going to college has always been a goal of mine, and I’m finally able to fulfill that goal. I’m very thankful for the opportunity to expand my mind and discover new information. However, as I’m getting older, I realize that fulfilling my college goal is not the only reason I chose to pursue a college degree. New reasons have arisen. For instance, I need a higher education to work in a medical field, and going to college is something that feels obligatory. How apathetic are these reasons, though? Growing up so often steals curiosity and passion, which I find disheartening. So, I have decided to fight that, and I will fight by reflecting on not only the economic reasons I started college, but also on remembering my enthusiasm for learning, my desire for self-improvement, and the eternal implications of my decisions.

“Those of us who don’t want a prime job are called the lost generation” (Gordon) This lost generation consists of actors, artists, mechanics, and musicians. With these careers in mind, is college necessary for everyone? Because there are other options, like a trade school, artistry, or starting a business, college might not be the best option for everyone. Debt, uncertainty, and failure rates are high all reasons a college education is not necessary for everyone.

The importance of getting a college degree is centered around society's view on telling students that it is the right way to go. The biggest reason college is not an option for some people because of the student debt. In order to attend college, most students must take out student loans. “As of June 2016, about 42 million Americans owed $1.3 trillion in student debt,” (Is a College Education). Also, the debt can cause students to go out and waste their college degrees. For example, when students graduate they live with their parents and also delay relationships. Even though college can cause students to have debt, going to college is worth the cost because of the ability to learn new skills, have financial and career benefits, and the ability to self-improve.

school. Getting your college education would help with all the things that come with being an adult now. Responsibility, payments, and respect are things that college may be able to teach you, but along with teaching you those things your college education is going to prepare you to be able to

At age 22, I’ve already seen the true importance of a good college education in my own personal view. Right now, I am having trouble completing my degree in Graphic Design that I’m due to celebrate next spring. The fact that I’m behind is a disappointment. I believe this is because of my lack of wisdom through middle school and throughout high school. Also, the nonchalant naïve attitude I show towards everything I’ve come across has put me behind. Coming up through college, I have made minor mistakes that have also held me behind. By not achieving my full potential in class and playing it cool while being an average student, and downplaying the party scene, I thought I’d still get what I wanted soon enough, but things started going downhill. I have often questioned my choice in going to college and striving for a college degree. I even think ahead and daydream about what would happen if I took my opportunity for granted, completely. I’d fail myself, my teachers, my family, and society. Being a current college student and witnessing other opportunities outside of a degree I find that kind of funny. I find it funny because if someone wanted to play a video game, they’d have to spend almost six weeks inside a classroom learning about video games before touching a joystick. I was taught by my grandfather how to ride a bike. He told me to just start riding while he held the bike. Shortly after he let go, I fell flat on my face crying. After trying over and over again, I