College? Whether or not to attend College after graduating High School is an important decision in a young person’s life. There are a number of factors to consider such as funds, grades, and other social issues that must be considered. The government offers different types of funding for students like Pell grants and student loans. Therefore, everyone is able to attend some college, even if it is just the local Community College in the area. Attending College is the supreme option for most High School graduates, which will enable them to earn their maximum potential income, while also preparing them to make well informed decisions throughout their lifespan. College can also help to improve a person’s social skills and provides a multitude …show more content…
I went to work right out of High School, making an hourly rate of $11.00 with full medical benefits, 401 K, and bonuses. Unfortunately, a good percentage of these companies have now relocated out of the country where the labor is cheaper or have gone bankrupt altogether. A variety of these jobs have now been replaced by robots or machines. For instance, at restaurants you order on a computer screen and a device is left on the table so you can run your credit card to pay the bill. Kevin Kelly’s essay, Better than Human, makes a rather shocking claim that, “before the end of this century, 70 percent of today’s occupations will likewise be replaced by automation,” (They say / I say: the moves that matter in academic writing, 2014, pp. 299-312). Receiving an Associate or Bachelor’s degree that specializes in a particular field seems to be the only way to ensure ones financial future in this economy. Occupation’s that can easily be replaced by robots or machines, will be, especially if it is more cost effective and efficient. Companies that can pay a lower wage in another country will move to save money and workers will be unemployed. Occupations such as teachers, police man, nurses, lawyers and doctors to name a few require degrees, but these are not going to be outsourced or ran by machines. People have all their …show more content…
College allows the student to choose their own path in life and not just take any job they can get. For instance, I have always wanted to teach and I like the added perk of having the summers off. Obtaining a degree will ensure that you earn your maximum earning potential. On average a person that has their Bachelor degree earns about $15,000 a year more than high school graduates, while associate degree holders make about $7,000 a year more (Graff, They say / I say: the moves that matter in academic writing, 2014, pp. 208-225). However, over time the gap significantly widens to almost $50,000 a year, in favor of the college degree holder. Some might would argue that not all degrees are equal with some paying significantly less. I agree that the type of degree one receives directly impacts their salary, but the benefits of obtaining a degree are still valuable. In an article written by Terry Caron, his researched showed that unemployment rates significantly decreased the more education an individual received (Caron, "College Graduates vs. Non - College Graduates: Unemployment Statistics.")As Freeman Hrabowski mentions, “College graduates are much more likely to be employed than those with only a high school diploma and earn substantially higher salaries” (Graff, They say / I say: the moves that matter in academic writing, 2014, pp. 259-263).
Although many tend to think going to college and getting a degree is the american dream, that varies, and in most circumstances that isn’t the truth at all. As college prices have soared over the past few decades, and student debt becoming evermore of a factor in the decision of going to college has been increasingly difficult.
One major decision one must make after exiting high school is whether to go to a university or go to community college. In the article “Two Year Are Better Than Four,” written by Liz Addison. She expressed her opinion on the significance of community colleges in comparison with the university. She stated that community college do not receive the acknowledgment and appreciation that they deserve. “what’s the matter with colleges?,” (Addison 255). although, there is a lot to agree with within the article there are some faulty statements that two year colleges don’t offer the best education possible and that community college are more engaging and individualized for a student and the price is also much less expensive than a university education.
In past years, when people were talking about higher education, they had no hesitation to mention university immediately. When others were mentioning that college, like two-years college and community college, also belonged to higher education, sometimes they reacted with a wry smile, and shook their heads. Yes, even if it is for today, university gets the higher appraisal than college, and even somebody think ‘‘college as America used to understand it is coming to an end.’’(Addison,255) As parents, they prefer their children to study in university instead of community college or two-years college, no matter how high of tuition the university it is. They ignore the value of these colleges. Although sometimes college such as community college
Many Americans today tend to believe that a college education is valuable financially, yet some others strongly oppose this, since they look at the college education as being both time and money consuming. A person who successfully completes a college education may obtain one or all of the following; an associate’s degree after two years, a bachelor’s degree, master’s degree or a PhD. The institutions that provide the college education can be public or private. Whereas a college education might be seen as being very expensive, it actually increases people’s chances of getting higher paying jobs, instills knowledge into them, and raises their enjoyment levels.
Most people know that having a college degree could get you a higher paycheck. However, what people do not know is how much of a difference that degree could get you. Through a study of more than 6 million employees, it was found that people with a four-year degree make about $215,000 more than people without a degree. In addition, people with a graduate degree can make about $440,000 more over a period of twenty years, according to The Ladders (2013, September 7 p. 1). Three quarters of the highest paying industries, eighty percent professionals hold at least a four-year degree. (The Ladders 2013, September 3 p. 2).
"College graduates earn more than one million dollars more than high school graduates over their lifetimes." Every teenager has been bombarded with this much-cited statistic in the hope that it will convince him or her to intend a university after high school. But, is it actually the university education that leads to the inequity in salaries between college and high school graduates? Superficial reasoning would suggest yes. It is obvious that the additional education increases the college graduate's human capital and maybe this does lead to greater productivity and higher wages. However, this only seems probable if you ignore what universities actually teach. The majority of what is taught at universities will be of no use to their graduates in their future careers. If the purpose of a college education was to increase relevant work-related skills they would look more like vocational schools where students would specialize in particular skills relevant for their future careers, rather than studying small amounts of every subject. Instead, to a large extent, the purpose of college is to act as a costly signaling mechanism to assist employers in screening employees. A college education is more about showing off than acquiring useful job skills. However, this showing off comes at an enormous price. We waste billions of dollars per year on this showing off, not to mention the four years of someone's life. These tremendous social costs require us to rethink hiring practices and how universities serve their students.
The idea of a college education is the standard path for a student after high school, but differences in opinion would question its value. Parents constantly remind their children about the importance of college, and how it can lead them to have a successful future. Millions of students attend college whether it be at a community or a university, with the goal of pursuing a degree that only college has to offer. The amount of successful graduates, affordable tuition fees, and long-term benefits help make college valuable.
A challenge that all seniors face at the end of their high school career is the decision that will shape the rest of their future. Will it be Harvard, Ivy Tech, or a job at the nearest fast food joint? Of course, there is nothing wrong with not going to college, but for the people of society who plan to marry and have at least three children, it is almost essential. After making this decision, the seniors who choose to attend college must then decide which one. Campus size, housing, nearby activities, and available degrees and study programs are all important traits to consider when searching for the perfect college.
College gives its graduates the greatest ability to achieve a higher paying job. Furthermore, adults who attend college earn higher wages over those who do not. As emphasized in “College Grads Find Big Degree of Debt, Difficulty; American Families Start to Wonder Whether Education Cost Is Worth It” by Patrice Hill, a staff writer for The Washington Times, employees who have a bachelors degree earn an average of 84% more than people with only a high school degree. In accordance with these numbers, the results of a study conducted by the Treasury and Education Departments in 2011 show that college graduates with full time jobs earned 64% more per week than high school graduates. A similar study conducted in 2013 showed that a full-time worker with a bachelors degree earns 79% more than one without a college degree (Hill). There are numerous studies that verify that people who attend college earn higher wages. Furthermore, college graduates earn more desirable jobs. As Justin Draeger, CEO of the National Association of Student Financial Aid Administrators, states in his article “College Is Still Worth the Expense”, the U.S. government classifies jobs in zones one through six. Lower work zones pay the least and are full of non-college graduates. The highest zones pay the most and are filled with college graduates. According to the US government, the median pay for job zone thre...
In “Should Everyone Go to College?” Isabel Sawhill and Stephanie Owen make a strong valid point on whether or not college is for everyone. For many students ready to leave high school, wondering whether they should attend college is an issue that may lay heavy on one teenagers mind. There are a few factors that could be a difficult decision depending on a person’s goal they are working towards. Some students jump right into the workforce after high school. Others may sign up for the military after graduation. While these are different options, research says higher education is very important. Higher education provides opportunity for students that attend college are giving a good shot of a better career later in life. Approaching graduation, a student might find themselves asking, “Why is it important to go to college?” The answer is that education is the most important growing factor in the growth of our country. Obtaining a college degree is a
“Workers with a bachelor’s degree...earned about $415 more a week than workers whose highest level of education is a high school diploma. (New School 63) Those who attend college still have student loans to pay off. The money that the college graduates bring in from their job that they use their degree at is spent to help pay off their loans. Many people who complete college end up with a quality job, and tend to stay committed to that job for longer. This is because when achieving a college degree you have to stay committed and focused.
Getting a college degree is one of the most important things someone will ever receive and accomplish in their whole entire lifetime(Lynn). With a college degree, there is a lot more to explore for a career(McCabe). On average, a college graduate with a bachelor’s degree earned $30,000 more per year than a high school graduate, or about $500,000 more over a lifetime. Since 2013, more and more jobs are requiring some kind of college degree to be accepted to work there(“ProCon”). Another advantage is; it will open a lot more doors. A lot more opportunities will become available(Pennell).
High school is stressful, especially senior year, cramming for tests, late nights researching and writing papers, applying to colleges, and much more. Going from the stress of trying to pass high school to the stress of trying to adjust to college never gives anyone the time and ability to just relax and learn about themselves. Other countries encourage high school graduates to take a ‘gap-year’, which is a year off between high school and college. In a gap-year one could do several things, such as: travel to a different country, volunteer overseas to help a developing country, learn about a different culture, maybe take a few internships to gain insight on different careers. In the process of those adventures one may even discover something
In today 's high-tech economy, Americans believe that higher education as a key to the American Dream. Over the years college education has completely replaced a high school diploma as the gateway to the middle class, high school diplomas just don 't cut it anymore. However in conjunction to this belief is a very high price tag in the form of tuition fees. College education is something that most people are expected to have yet it is still something that a significant portion of the population simply cannot afford without going into massive debt with student loans. It seems to have become more of a privilege to those with higher income considering everyone else can 't afford it. "College students who fail to find employment at the level needed to pay back their loans in a reasonable amount of time have even been compared to the debtors under sub-prime mortgages whose homes are worth less than what is owed to the bank"(Psychological Today).
It is proven in studies that people with a college education get paid ATLEAST $20,000 more than people with only a high school diploma. Not just that, but people with degrees tend to have less of a chance of being laid off at their jobs then people who work high school diploma jobs. The national rate of unemployment for people with high school diplomas is 6.3 percent, but the national unemployment rate of people