Why should I go to college?

Question

Is college really necessary to have a good life? Why is it pushed so hard on high schoolers that college is the only option? Can't we be sucessful without it?

Answer 1

A good life? NO, unless you mean earning lots of money. If you mean having a good life, you can do that without college; there are many ways to become educated, such as trade schools, appreticeships, on the job training. But making big bucks often does come from having a high education degree. WHY? Because the greater you knowledge in a given field, the higher the pay usually will be.

You can, with great effort be successful without college.

Consider though that college isn't just about what you learn in class. College usually offers experience in diveristy , a chance to learn a broader view of the people of the world, cultures of the world. It helps one become socially educated to a high degree, not just intellectually educated.

Many people who go on to create their own businesses, have not completed college. Most if asked would say that going to college was worth it even if they didn't get a degree. It taught them a lot about getting along in the world, accepting others; skills that didn't necessarily come from the classroom, but from the interactions with students and staff in the classroom as well as other school activities.

College also provides a place where much of the world comes together, so you can see a lot of things, get ideas and you may in the end drop out of college. But you'll most likely have gained skills nonetheless.

Try College for even a semester or quarter; you don't have to remain in college if it's not for you.

Understand though, that people who say things like, "I'll go to college when I'm older and in the mood. I want to party now and I'll do that latter." Sadly, most people who do not go to college while they are young, often don't get a chance to go later. WHY? They end up married, have children and the financial and social responsibilities that come with marriage and even more so with children, will not allow the time and most often not the financial means to attend school.

Good luck in whatever you chose to do--take time to make a wise choice.

Answer 2

Lately, I've asked myself that if I had to do it all over again would I have gone to college. Well, I made it through high school in the top 5% of my class. I struggled through college. Within a few months of graduating from collge I started working for one of the nations biggest banks. I worked my way up the corporate ladder pretty quick and made a bunch of money along the way. Last year I had to go on disability and soon will only be receiving Social Security Disability. Since I have only been out of college 10 years, my disability payments are 1/3 of last years salary. One might think that because of that I would think that I would say the college eduation wasn't worth it. However, if I had not gone to college and made the large salary that I did so quickly my SSI payments could be about half of what they actually are. So I am glad that I went to college. Can you make the money without going to college? Yes. I think it is less likely but still possible if you choose the right work or just work your butt off with more than one job. Is it all about money? No. In the end you need to decide what is important to you.

Answer 3

Having a complete and well rounded education is perhaps the surest way to get rich and be successful. Many may argue that education is unrelated to success but perhaps you'd want to first define what success means to you.

If it means achieving some sort of a status in the business world then I would guess an education is imperative.

However if success to you means being rich then obliviously there are many ways to attain that other than studying. Nonetheless, education equips one with the know-how to execute and make decisions faster. It is all about timeliness and accuracy in judgement when you begin to work and show your flare to display yr abilities.

Efficiency in thinking and decision making has to be trained and powered with experience. So a basic degree is still preferred though a Diploma may suffice in some instances.

Answer 4

First person to answer is correct, do you want a manual labor job the rest of your life? Or do you want a career in something that you would enjoy? If college is not your bag perhaps a trade school which teaches a specific skill would be the way to go. The bottom line, if you want to be successful you will need some kind of schooling.

Answer 5

You are more likely to have a career with better money if you go to college.

Any way you measure it, a college degree is the best investment of your life. In today's dollars, a bachelor's degree is worth more than $2.1 million over 40 years. "Having that post-secondary diploma can make such a difference in lifetime earnings," said Washington, D.C.-based Employment Policy Foundation President Ed Potter.

During a recession, obtaining a college degree becomes even more crucial. According to the U.S. Department of Labor, all seven of the job categories that are predicted to grow faster than average during the next decade require a college diploma. These careers, which include teaching, healthcare and technology, will account for 42 percent of the nation's projected job growth by 2013.

Conversely, men and women without a post-secondary degree are losing ground. The Department of Labor reports that employments for those with bachelor's degrees grew by 1.8 million during the past 10 years compared to a loss of nearly 700,000 jobs for those armed with a high school diploma.

But earnings are only part of the benefits. A college education enriches your life in ways that cannot be measured by dollars. "Education is power," Frederick Douglass observed nearly 150 years ago. Today, education remains the path out of poverty toward opportunity. It is also the route to achievement, enrichment, knowledge and success. Most important of all, education makes dreams come true.

Whether personal or practical, the college experience can be both life affirming and career enhancing. The classroom and the coursework expose you to diverse people and ideas. They open up a world that challenges and stimulates you in ways both big and small. You'll discover new interests or pursue familiar subjects with passion and depth. Business, history, literature, teaching, medicine, technology, the arts -- the list is endless. Along the way, your knowledge base expands, your critical-thinking skills become sharper and your confidence grows.

And once earned, a college degree is forever, as the payoff from higher education can never be erased, broken or laid off. Here are a few examples of that payoff:
A career that is professionally satisfying and intellectually stimulating; one that taps into your potential and challenges you to perform at your peak.
A profession that is in demand with upwardly mobile opportunities.
An arsenal of skills that empower you to control the pace and direction of your career.
A secure future that comes with a steady profession that can ride out any economic rollercoaster.
Even during a recession, the U.S. Bureau of Labor projects that 23 million jobs will be created in the next decade. Management-related occupations will account for nearly a third of the total, according to the Employment Policy Foundation, a non-profit, non-partisan research and educational foundation focusing on workplace trends and policies.

In addition, a just-completed survey conducted for the Chronicle of Higher Education shows that despite unease with the economy, Americans faith in higher education is unwavering. The nation continues to have confidence in the value of a college degree, with more than half of respondents saying it is "essential for success." Your future depends on it.

Answer 6

Recent college graduates make about $25,000 per year more than those without college degrees. The gap widens as you get older.

You can be successful without a college degree -- but it is much harder to do. There are a lot of jobs where you will not even be considered without a degree.

Answer 7

I know someone who dropped out of college after the first year. He thought it was a complete waste of time and he wasn't learning anything vital to success. So instead of college, he took a low level paying job on Wall Street, with his father's help. He stuck out the bad time. Today he's making over $100,000 a year as a Wall Street Trader. It worked for him, but his father worked on Wall Street. Moral of the story - It's not what you know, it's who you know. You don't have any connections, you should go to college.

Answer 8

Sure you can. As long as your dream jobs isn't one that requires a college degree (doctor, lawyer, scientist, teacher), you'll probably be fine. You can always go back to college later if you find you need the degree.

Answer 9

heres how it plays out, you get a job for a local contractor framing walls, at the end of the day you got just enough money to grab a 12 pack, your old lady catches you drinkin again, and begins just a whoopin dat *** next thing ya know her sister walks in and helps her out by callin da fuzz, then you call me to come bail ya out, cause ya spent your last 7 dollars on that beer that got ya in trouble in the first place so i come pick you up, and when you get back to the trailor park shes got a rollin pin waitin to smack you,so the bottom line is to get an education and that way you wont have to call me and damn that trailor and her sister!!

Answer 10

My daughter joined the army now she is a medical laboratory technician. There are also many different trade schools that may have something your interested in