As young adults graduate from high school, they wonder whether they should pursue a higher education or not. The debate on the cost of college and its worth has been a highly discussed topic for decades. Most kids most likely won’t attend college because they claim it’s too expensive and it’s not worth the cost. But college is more than just a building with an expensive price tag that people attend, it’s an experience, it’s a segue to personal and financial prosperity.
One of the most important decisions in any teenager’s life is what they decide to do after high school, the choice is usually between college and deciding to get a job and start making money. Although the cost of education in America continues to rise, the benefits of a higher education are substantial and can be seen in the success of anyone who has a college degree.
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.
Society today is often very pressuring towards young adults when it comes to attending college. Maybe it’s because it is the most appropriate idea for people. College provides the average human with a higher satisfaction of life due to the experience and the positives outcomes than that of someone who chooses not to go to college. Although college results in the possibility of debt afterwards, it is still worth the journey.
“In fall 2016, some 20.5 million students are expected to attend American colleges and universities, constituting an increase of about 5.2 million since fall 2000” (National Center for Education Statistics). That number seems to be rising each and ever year, and it almost seems as students feel like they have to go to college directly after high school. Maybe it is because they feel that they have to fit in, even if college is not for them. Although some students attend college for academics, sports, and other reasons, some students attend college for no apparent reason; with that in mind, students should take into consideration the time and money that is put into going to college.
College students across the nation suppress a shudder when the phrase is uttered. They try to push it to the back of their mind, to save the problem for another day. Sadly, it cannot be ignored forever. Student loans over the United States have been becoming more frequent and increasing in size for years. According to M. Swig, Hickey, and S. Swig, there are now 41 million Americans burdened with having to pay student loans back. While one may question if taking out a student loan in the thousands is worth it, one should consider today 's society. To most people, college is the only option. Parents, families, and neighbors almost force it upon the young adults because they believe it’s the only way for them to be successful. Much of the nation views a higher education as the key component in an individual 's future job, wealth, and therefore general happiness. It is almost to the point where not attending would be comparable to breaking a social norm.
In this unimaginable generation, we face many challenges to survive, but one challenge that is prevalent is student college debt intertwined with the expensive economy. The idea that a better and furthered education will bring you more success is why millions even make college loans an option. It is believed, that the two elements of education and employment coincide with one another. The idea of being employed is a necessity in modern day. There is a focus on getting an education to determine your success. Although attending school is appreciable, it also comes with its issues that make college appear as a trap; incognito in a sense. Dragging everyone down slowly like a leaf in quicksand. Young adults struggle with college debt, and financial barriers; by avoiding the economy’s false luxuries can prevent the occurrence of running into economic barricades.
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 you are, a teenage version of yourself. You’re most likely only seventeen or eighteen years old, but maybe you’re younger or maybe you’re older. Regardless of your age, you’ve clearly just had a serious discussion. The time has come for you to start making decisions about your life after high school. You know a lot about college. College is probably the only choice you’ve even considered. But do you really want to be in school for at least another two years? Is college even worth paying for? Why shouldn’t you just find a job and move on with your life? In this essay I will examine the valid opinions of other thinkers and attempt to provide a compelling argument about the importance of post-secondary education.
It is a well known fact but there are many people including counselors, parents, teachers, and friends who resist saying it out loud for fear it will sound like discouragement and negativity: college is definitely not for everyone. The pressure on high schools students, especially those that excel, to attend a college or university is enormous. And in the case of a bright, industrious and motivated high school student, attending a college or university is an obvious career choice. For those students, it's only a matter of what university to attend, whether one's SAT score is high enough, and the availability of the money. Then there are the millions of high school students who are not really personally motivated but are being pressured by their counselors, teachers and parents should they attend college if they really don't care? This paper examines those issues.
Nearly 80% of teens are currently working 20 plus hours a week just to try and make a minimal living. Most teenagers that go to college end college in $30,000 in student loan debt. No wonder the idea of going to college after high school is becoming an unpopular idea for teenagers who are faced with thousands of dollars of debt after college and their only 21, and trying to make a living while trying to go to college is nearly impossible. Let alone trying to start a life while a life of debt is looming in college student’s futures. Most young people end up not being able to start their life’s because it is simply too expensive. Many students after college end up putting off living on their own, starting a family and end up
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.
A college degree is the trajectory to the growing jobs in today’s economic and global society. The future competitive job market will require workers to have earned more than a high school diploma. A college education is the only path to preparing graduates to meet the future demands in the labor market. This outlook puts tremendous pressure on high school graduates to attend college. With the rising costs of tuition, lack of financial assistance, and the reduction in state and local support of institution, students and families will be left with the responsibility to fund their own college education. This dilemma will leave countless students wondering if they should attend college, and if college is worth the debt? Before making a decision, students should research the costs, institutions, potential majors, financial aid, and future labor earnings. These are some of the factors that should be considered when examining whether or not a college education is worth the time and debt. The more informed students are about the costs of college, the more apt they are to make the best decision. Oreopouls and Petronijevic (2013), conceded that students who are well informed about postsecondary education are able to make the right decision about their college education. The federal government finances 90% of student loans in the United States. Have you ever wondered why? Well, they back these loans because, the more educated a society, then the less crime and health
Two decades ago people rarely questioned the value of a college education, at that time, college education was a shortcut to the top class of the population. However, there are many and more young students who preparing to graduate from high school, question about whether or not they should pursue a higher education at a university or go to the job market. It’s easy to see why. Tuition costs of college education seems to always be on the rise. Attending college can be a very difficult financial struggle for students who live in a middle class family. Americans have started borrowing more money than ever for higher education. Many students have to bear the high amount of student loans after graduation. Based on those facts, many people are questioning
A typical student on average goes to school starting from kindergarten to high school. After, students decide whether to seek a higher education in college or start working. For most people, the key to education is to equip young adults with the ability to survive and to make a standard living in the future. In this essay, I will not only argue why it is unnecessary for young adults to pursue higher education, such as college and beyond, but also that obtaining a college degree is irrelevant. The first reason why I strongly believe in this, is that even though students earn a college degree, there isn’t a guaranteed position for a set job. Second, some jobs that students are employed at don’t require a