Is College Necessary For a Successful Life

Elijah E. Calma

Nevada State College

Is College Necessary For a Successful Life 2

Is College Necessary For a Successful Life

Why Do we need college. As high school seniors across America prepare to enter

college next school year, many are concerned about the skyrocketing costs of secondary

education in our country. People always believed that the pathway to a secure future is to have

a college education. With the rapid change in technology, some suggest that it is still possible

to earn a good living without setting foot in college campus. So, as the amount of student loans

soar to the maximum, many students are pondering if a college education is really worth the

time and money invested in it.

Discussion

With the rising costs of college tuition fees, You should go to college for a better life.

Cost of College. According to Paula Johanson (2018), the cost of attaining a college degree has

increased more than 1,000 percent in the last three decades.

A college student will graduate with an average loan of $25,000 for a four year undergraduate

course. The total student loan debt stands at an all time high of $1.5 trillion and counting.
There

are also other expenses to consider such as: books, transportation and cost of living.

Out-of-State college. If you are considering an out of state, highly selective university, the

sticker price of a year in the university can easily cost you about $70,000 a year. The urgency
of

the matter has caught the attention of some presidential candidates that some are proposing
that

college education in the country should be free. Whether or not that idea becomes a reality
still

remains to be seen. Until then, the reality to all of us is that college is looming and to most
Is College Necessary For a Successful Life 3

students, debt is inevitable.

Seeking full time employment after high school has its benefits. First, you will not owe

money on student loans, unlike your classmates who decided to pursue secondary education.

You can start earning money instead of waiting for another four years before embarking on a

career.

Jobs that don’t need degrees. There are some jobs out there that do not require a college

degree, so long as you have skills on the particular field that you are interested in. These

include jobs such as being an auto mechanic, plumber, a cosmetologist, a real estate agent and

many more. These are good paying jobs that you can apply right away as a high school
graduate.

Studies also show that with the advent of technology, skills is more important than having a
four

year college degree. People like Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, Oprah Winfrey, Mark Zuckerberg, and

many others dropped out of college, yet became enormously successful than most college

graduates.

Despite the staggering costs of higher education, college experts still agree that having

a college degree far outweighs the benefit of just having a high school diploma. Studies show

that high school graduates make an average income of $36,000 per year compared to $60,000
for

those having a bachelor’s degree. That is a difference of $25,000 per year and if you multiply
Is College Necessary For a Successful Life 4

that by forty years, that is $1,000,000 in difference. According to Horowitz, “Educational

attainment signals to employers that a job-seeker is desirable.”(Relative Education and the

Advantage of a College Degree). Also, having a higher education proves to have better benefits

at work such as improved medical, dental, retirement and such. There are also benefits in

having a college

degree not just financially but in other aspects as well. For example, people having a higher

education statistically are shown to have lower unemployment rate compared to their high
school

graduate counterparts. Studies also show that college graduates have a decreased use of the

welfare system. That can be attributed to them having more career choices as opposed to
those

who started working after high school.

Effects of College. In addition, they are said to be less likely to develop depression during their

lifetime due to improved job satisfaction. Another benefit is that college graduates apparently

possess higher self esteem than those who don’t have it. One more thing, college life provides

experiences that widens one’s perspective of society and makes a person appreciate cultural

diversity better.

What to do with a college diploma. So how can one make the most of their college education?

In the book, “Making College Worth It”, Oreopoulos, P. & Petronijevic report that students are

more likely to benefit from postsecondary education the more informed they are about the
Is College Necessary For a Successful Life 5

expenses associated with college and the potential options for financial aid. A student is likely

to be more responsible if they know they have to pay back their loans. There are alternative

ways on how to pay for college

which can make borrowing the last resort. For example, in the state of Nevada, you can avail of

the Millenium scholarship if you get at least a 3.0 on your core classes, so maintaining good

grades are a must to save money. There are also need and merit based programs if your
parents’

income qualify or grants from the government and private companies.

Scholarships.

If you are good in sports, there are several colleges and universities who will be interested in

offering you a scholarship. The cost difference between going to in state college versus out of

state college is significant so staying at home will not only save you money on tuition, but board

and lodging as well. In addition, the idea of online learning is not bad, considering the cost

effectiveness of it, compared to traditional classroom learning. For those who will have a
student

loan, the future does not seem to be grim. According to Douglas Weber, in his book” Are

College Costs Worth it”, he stated “ Assuming low to average college costs, most degrees pay
for

themselves by their early to mid thirties, regardless of degree”.

Conclusions and Future Study

Is College Necessary For a Successful Life 6

With these findings, one cannot deny the value of a college education. Yes, there are people

who made it without college degrees. Some of them like Kanye West, Lady Gaga, Ellen De
Generes and others are talented. Others worked really hard to be successful without college

education. To most of us though, while having a four year degree will not guarantee a

successful future, but it will definitely pave ways for us to achieve it.
Is College Necessary For a Successful Life 7

References

Heckman, J. J., Humphries, J. E., & Veramendi, G. (2017). The non-market benefits of
education and ability. Cambridge, MA.: National Bureau of Economic Research.

Horowitz, J. (2018). Relative Education and the Advantage of a College Degree. Relative
Education and the Advantage of a College Degree. doi: 10.31235/osf.io/fnqv7

Johanson, P. (2018). Student loans and the cost of college. New York: Greenhaven
Publishing.

Oreopoulos, P., & Petronijevic, U. (2013). Making College Worth It: A Review of
Research
the Returns to Higher Education. Making College Worth It: a Review of the Returns to
Higher
Education. doi: 10.3386/w19053