Is College Even Worth It?

We’ve heard it all our lives: Go to college, that is how you will get a good job and get good money. Adding onto that, I think that some people even believe that completing college is the key to a good and happy life. If we can get the job we want, we can have a happy life, right?

That’s not always the case. There is a certain accomplishment that comes with completing college and navigating through what you think/know you want to do with your life, but many false ideas have come with searching for what to study or where to go. College is very overpriced, and if you don’t get the scholarships you want or the FAFSA help you need, you will spend many years paying back the debt you owe. In some cases, even if you get the scholarships you want, they don’t always pay for you what you desire.

So, what’s my point? There are many successful people in their careers that never obtained a college diploma. Check out Ellen DeGeneres, Michael Dell, and Paul Allen. If some of the world’s most well-known people are millionaires or billionaires, who’s to say you can’t make good money pursuing your dreams without college? Now, this doesn’t necessarily apply to some professions such as therapies, medicine, education, etc. that require a doctorate degree or similar. But for others, such as the music industry, the digital arts, writing, certain businesses, etc., who’s to say you can’t be self-taught and be just as successful if you went to college and got a degree in it?

Well, that’s your choice to make. At the end of the day, it comes down to the education you want and the means you can put towards that. For me, I am majoring in English and Digital Media and have a Music minor at Greenville University. I realize that I love the area of the arts and want to learn more about them because I’m still not so sure what I want to do with them. In my case, I am aware of the cost of college and what my specific situation is, but I still want to make it work in order for me to receive my education. Besides, college can be great because you get to study abroad, build you resume, and experience first-hand what another side of life looks like. However, there are some people that know exactly want they want to do and even know how to do it without taking classes. Maybe you had the help of a friend, a high school class, or the internet, but it is possible to have a successful self-taught profession.

I received my friend Joey Unger’s opinion on the matter of the cost of college. He says, “Tuition raise is an easy way to increase profit because students are less likely to leave a school they are already attending and new students won’t see it as an increase because it’s their first year.” So, say you only have a year or two left at the college you’re currently attending and they suddenly make a raise in the tuition. Say you want to stay at this college because they offer something that no other school does. You will feel like you need to stay there, but it also puts additional financial stress on you.

I firmly believe that college does not need to be as expensive as it is. There are many people who want to go to college, but just cannot afford it. It should be affordable for all, and helpers such as FAFSA, the Map Grant, scholarships, etc. should continue to be considerate towards everyone who is considering or enrolled in college.

Alongside that, I want to add that while someone may come into college with the means to pay for it, they may hit an unexpected circumstance while they are enrolled in which they will need more help than they originally thought. This is yet another reason why colleges should be more considerate of financial situations.

So, do you think it’s all worth it for what you want to do?