Everyone these days want to know if college is a waste of their time and money? Well, the answer to that question isn’t as simple as you may think. But, hopefully, by the time you’re done reading this, you’ll have a good idea if college is the right thing for you.
Every person must decide at some point in their lives if college is what they should pursue or if they should immediately enter the workforce. Many different factors go into that decision. If you’re currently deciding whether or not to go to college, then this may be the article for you.
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4 reasons you should want to go to college
Just because a person decides to go to college doesn’t necessarily mean they will be successful. Conversely, not going to college doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll be unsuccessful. But, it does seem like most of society feels if a person chooses to go to college, they’re going to be successful.
So, is college a waste of time and money? Here are 4 reasons that say it isn’t.
The first reason why you may want to go to college is because of your desired profession
Would you go to a surgeon who learned how to perform surgery by reading Wikipedia articles? That sounds absurd, but you do need a college education for some professions. In a similar fashion going to college can give you access to more advanced knowledge than you ever would have on your own.
The point is, college is not required for all professions. You don’t necessarily have to go to college if you want to be a plumber or a mechanic. But you may still want to go later on down the road to further your knowledge in that field.
The second reason why you may want to go to college is because of the social benefits
The saying, “It’s not what you know, but who you know,” is very accurate. Oftentimes having a college degree can open many doors that would otherwise be closed.
Going to college can help you make friends and possibly even meet your future spouse. Many super intelligent people have dated or married people they met in college. In many cases, the dating ones turned out very well in the long run.
The third reason why you may want to go to college is because of getting a high paying job
College graduates tend to make more money than those without a college degree. On average, college graduates earn $44,000/yr vs $30,000/yr for high school graduates from ages 22-27 (source). This is why so many college students are willing to go to great lengths for a good-paying job.
If you’re going to college to get a high-paying job, then there are some things you need to keep in mind.
First of all, you need to think long-term.
You don’t want to be one of those people who go to college and then drop out when they reach their goal.
Second, you’re going to have to make sacrifices.
Many college programs are very demanding on the students. If you’re going to college because you want to make a lot of money, you need to be willing to work longer hours than the average college student.
And finally, you’re going to need to get some training to get your job. You can’t just apply for the job and expect them to hire you. You’ll need to take classes that teach you how to perform the tasks associated with that position.
Going to college also gives you a chance to get out of your house
Yes, the adult world is scary and expensive. But, no, you don’t have to take life too seriously when you’re a college student. You’ll be able to live on your own but still receive help from your parents and financial aid when you’re in college.
Even if you don’t think that you’ll use the college education later on in life, going to college is a good stepping stone to transition yourself from being a child to an adult. In addition, the experience you’ll get in college will help you become better when dealing with the real world.
You’ll have a roof over your head, meals at the cafeteria, and friends you can hang out with. Of course, it’s not a perfect situation, but it’s going to help you a great deal. It sure beats flipping burgers while living in the ghetto because you can’t afford anything else.
So, if you listen to these 4 reasons, you would say that college is not a waste of time and money.
4 reasons you should NOT want to go to college
There are some downsides to going to college. It’s not all keg parties and fun times at college. There are some downsides to the entire experience as well. So let’s talk about those and don’t pretend that they don’t exist.
After you’re done reading these 4 reasons, you might think that college is a waste of time and money.
You might find out that your roommates are terrible people
It’s not unheard of that people discover that their roommates are anything but wonderful people. In fact, you might even find out that they’re criminals. But, regardless of what they do, it’s not going to be easy living with someone you can barely tolerate.
If you find out that you have bad roommates, you may end up moving out of your dorm room and living in a different place on campus. It’s best to nip it in the bud if you find out you’re in a situation like that. Talk to whoever you have to to get out of there as fast as possible.
It’s not easy being away from your friends and family
If you’re traveling out of town or even out of state to go to college, you might find it challenging to be away from the people you care about. Sure, you can call them on the phone or send them letters/emails. But that doesn’t change the fact that you’re far away from them.
This will be especially hard for younger people who are going to college and don’t have much experience living on their own. Make sure you talk to your parents about this before you go to college so that they can help you out when it comes time for you to move away from home.
You might have to work and go to school to pay the bills
Many young people take this route when going to college. They go to school and then work on the side to cover their expenses. This can be difficult, but it’s also an excellent way for you to have money coming in at all times.
The key to making it work is to find out the best way for you to use that time you’re not at school. And for some people, that means not doing something that will require a lot of time. The key is finding out what works best for you, and you’re going to have to tweak it until you get it just right.
College is expensive, and you’re going to go into serious debt
Unless you were born with a silver spoon in your mouth, you’re going to be in debt big time after graduating college. It’s not uncommon for people to end up paying over $100,000 by the time they graduate. If you’re going into severe debt, it will be a long time before you see any of your money back.
Some people never end up fully paying off their student loans. And some people never even make a dent in that debt. So you are going to have that monkey on your back for a very long time.
Student loan debt is real, and it is something you will have to deal with. Unfortunately, if you don’t take the time to learn how the student loan system works, you can end up being one of those people who will be in serious debt for a very long time.
So, is college worth all the time and money involved?
The answer is yes, for the average person reading this. Here’s why: you can get a better career.
Going to college is an excellent idea if you want to go into a respectable career and make money.
Many people say that college is overrated. Those people don’t want to spend thousands of dollars on a piece of paper that will help them get a job. They feel like all they need is experience in the real world to get ahead.
The problem is that college experience helps you get ahead in the real world. You’ll be able to make valuable connections with people in your classes, and you’ll learn about other things that will help you in the future.
If you don’t go to college, your future is a toss-up. That’s the truth. Will you succeed or fail? It’s a gamble…
College is a good idea because it reduces the risk of failure. Sure, your grades will still determine your future. But it will be easier for you to get into a promising career if you go to college because of the experience involved.
So, what’s the final definitive verdict? No, college is not a waste of time and money – you just have to make the most of your time to squeeze the most out of the experience.
