Is College Worth It?

College in America has become what is expected from any student who wants to get a decent job. It is seen as the one-stop-shop for a good career. Is this true? Does a college degree truly guarantee a good job?

This view certainly seems to be the general consensus among aspiring adolescents, but with the price of a college education rising and the unemployment rate of college graduates abnormally high is this college education really what most adolescents need?

To truly understand how a student can benefit, and how they can suffer, from a college education you need to look at the student. Is college financially the right choice for them? Many college students graduate with a mountain of debt in student loans, which can take a large chunk out of their earnings when they enter the workforce... excuse me, if they enter the workforce.

This isn't to say that college is not the right option for a higher education, or that you shouldn't pursue more education following High School. What it does say is that adolescents should weigh their options before jumping straight into the college system.

Many adolescents have skills and abilities that can be utilized in vocational jobs. Students who pursue a vocational career can make the best use of skills they have or hobbies they enjoy. For example, a teen who enjoys working on cars could become a mechanic.  Not only would they be in a job that they enjoy, they would be able to make a good wage.

Vocational Schools provide opportunities to gain skills related to a specific job

Other adolescents don't know what they want to do. Entering the college system prematurely can damage their educational opportunities and can force them into a major that they don't necessarily like. For some teens the best route after High School may be some self-exploration. Whether that comes in the form of seeking work experience or through a mission.

One counterargument may be that college offers educational opportunities that would benefit any profession and students that miss these opportunities would be at a disadvantage.

Specifically, can students who choose not attend college get a liberal arts education that can help them throughout their lives? The answer currently is no, as liberal arts are a topic that is barely mentioned before one enters college. But if it is stressed earlier then students who forgo a traditional university education can still reap some of the benefits from such an education.

In short, college is still a very valid choice for adolescents, but it is not the only option. We must realize that college is not the right choice for everyone and that one can be successful without the “BA” that has been falsely placed as the guaranteed method to have a valuable and successful career.