Is College Worth It Essay Example

The nagging question of “is college worth it?” continues to grow. Many are opening up their eyes to see that it may not be worth all the time and money. I am a Junior in high school and I am constantly getting the question, “where are you thinking of going to college?” People are quick to assume that everyone’s plan is to go to college and get a degree. My answer to this question is often the truth, my top choice schools. Nowhere in my mind have I ever seen myself not going to college because it’s constantly always been thrown at me as the purpose of my childhood. From preschool to high school, and from books to television, it’s the major assumption that civilization presumes to you until you’re an adult. College should not be considered “worth it” due to its clear social pressure and evidence of financial misvalue. 

Although liberal arts education forms future exemplary leaders furthering the importance of college, there is a major social pressure from society to go to college when really success can happen without the burden of it. There genuinely are only two options when you graduate from high school, you either go to some form of college or you don’t. One of the biggest norms in society is to go off to college otherwise you’re “different”. This for one is not the best option for many because of money, time, and interests. However, there are contradicting points towards how beneficial college is. Liberal arts education is a path that some take and is said to be, “practical because they become resources on which to draw for continual learning, for making decisions in one’s life, and for making a difference in the world” (Roth). Since liberal arts school is a path only for certain students, it’s a great time to find out what you love and to get better at it. Doing what you are passionate about while being practical will be the best route. With the students starting to make a difference in the world, it demonstrates how great leaders they are becoming to be. Furthermore, there is the pressure to actually attend college by society itself. A fellowship was put into place by Peter Thiel, who paid 24 winners $100,000 not to attend college for two years at their elite schools and to develop their business skills/ ideas instead (Wieder). The purpose of this fellowship is to broaden the questions on education value. In this fellowship, the money convinced the students to leave their college that they worked hard endless hours to get into, and just like that, they gave it all up for a perceived chance of success. 

Although some students come out of college to earn more money than those who don’t, the average minimum wage of college graduates continues to go down. Money is often the goal once you come out of college. The purpose of attending college is to get a degree and find a well-paying job. But there are some factors to take into consideration when discussing your life-long aspirations. According to Pew Social & Demographic Trends, “Adults who graduated from a four-year college believe that, on average, they are earning $20,000 more a year as a result of having gotten a degree.” This social trend illustrates that college will be worth your time and money because you will eventually make up for the investment you made. If it is worth your time then why not follow through with doing it? In contrast, there is evidence that shows the average new college graduate wage decreasing significantly. Peaking at $22.75 in 2000 and decreasing to date (Shierholz). So, even though some may say they are earning more because of their success from college, college has been showing a decline in other areas of future profit. 

College should not be brought upon society as adequate for everyone because of its evidence of financial misvalue and clear pressure from social surroundings. Maybe now, when I am about to ask a question to someone regarding college, I will instead take into mind that it isn’t for everyone. Asking a question about college continues to make sure that the pressure to actually go is still there. Altering this will change the true “worth” of different people’s paths towards their future.