Essay Example on Importance of College Education

In a society that yearns for safety and security regarding their future, the responsibility falls on high schools to encourage their students in every way possible to pursue some form of higher learning. The main purpose for this direction is to ensure that these young adults are going out into the grander world with an extensive, more unique perspective on life. As time has progressed, families have been increasingly more opposed to pursuing a college education as the fees increase. However, the economic strains are opposed by the strong values placed on achieving a sense of responsibility, innovation, and passion, which attests why college education is worth pursuing.

There are a large assortment of employment options, whether it be hand-heavy or mind-heavy. While both are equally important, a college leveled education can successfully develop a “capacity for innovation and for judgment. Those who can image [...] will be the shapers of our economy and culture,” (Source B). Even if someone goes into a hand-heavy profession such as construction or auto work, a focused education provides the skills needed to feel a true sense of passion and expression in any field of study, which would be difficult to obtain by jumping straight from high school into a career. A higher leveled education can lead to a grander, more extensive standard of life, which cannot be disregarded when weighing the values of pursuing another institution.

The aspect of college that leads most people not to apply are obviously the financial implications that come with it. However, it is commonly known that the possession of a college degree will lead to more positive financial situations later in life. According to a report done by New York Times in June of 2011, the amount of money that workers who hold a degree are making has risen highly in percentage over the last three decades, as they used to make “40 percent more than those with only a high school diploma. Last year, the gap reached 83 percent,” (Source D). The financial burdens are also not as dramatic as advertised, as the “average net tuition and fees at public four-year colleges [...] were only about $2000,” (Source D). The impact of simply owning a degree has the power to significantly decrease any potential problems when it comes to student loans or any sort of expenses owed after graduation and later in life.

The opportunity for financial and personal growth that a college education provides is evident in the fact that despite a majority of people who dodge attending college believing it was due to the finances, “74% say their college education was very useful in helping them grow intellectually; 69% [...] helping them grow and mature as a person; and 55% [...] helping them prepare for a job or career,” (Source F). In a lot of cases, extending a person’s education can be a big investment for the family. However, the commercial assistance is clearly there to ensure that the maximum number of students choose to commit to furthering their education, where they can also uncover their ambitions and further their self-discovery.