The Importance Of College After High School

College has always been presented to those in the middle class and below as an equalizer, and the path to success. For those individuals making it to College is a big thing, unlike the people in the higher classes. Society pushes high school students into pursuing a higher education since they believe that is the only way to be successful, yet not everyone is granted that opportunity. Community colleges are a great opportunity for those students that can’t afford to attend private schools, education is the same, but some Community colleges don’t have that extended education some individuals are pursuing which lowers the chances of getting a job with a good salary. 

To begin with, not at all student’s thrive in academics, some students are superior in sports or arts, yet they still need to attend College to be triumphant. College is a competition for good jobs, and you need to be highly motivated and brilliant otherwise you might end up falling behind or dropping out and all that time and effort vanishes. Students in high school should be given more time to think about college and their future, since some students do not know what they want to study, or don’t have motivation yet. According to Owen Stephanie and Stephanie Sawhill on “Should Everyone Go to College”,” A bachelor's degree is not a smart investment for every student in every circumstance”. According to them there should be more alternatives to a standard academic path, including career and technical education. People of all financial backgrounds should have an opportunity to pursue a higher education and there needs to be more information provided for high school students so they can decide whether college is for them.

A good alternative for most high school graduates is to go to community college.  It is affordable and they get an opportunity to expand their knowledge. They’ll have little or no debt, which is good for low-income families. “Many graduates, however, are buried in debt with few job prospects” (The Price of Success). College is supposed to be about education, besides collecting the credentials. The opportunities to learn are extraordinary and everyone should be able to experience that. Professors are passionate about their topics, and if individuals want to learn about their topic, it’s an exceptional opportunity. However, some students are not able to afford it, so they invest their time in something else even though they deserve to go.

There are professions that require a college degree. Earning a college degree still opens doors to professions that are not available to non-degreed people, but students can get into a lot of debt, no one should owe money for their education. “Excessive student loan debt has been hypothesized to affect students’ career choice, diminish quality of life, negatively affect their ability to give back to society at large, and delay progress on achieving other financial goals such as saving for retirement. “(Amin, Kunal A. ∗Ulbricht, Timothy R.).  Even if college gives more opportunities, it should be affordable for everyone.

Overall, it may be said that secondary education it’s important, but that does not mean it’s well suited for everyone. Some students are not financially prepared for it or maybe they are not interested in the academic subjects. Additionally, some individuals excel in other areas that are not addressed by academic subjects, yet they still get the opportunity to attend College because of their financial status or the people that they know. Meanwhile there’s students who work hard and can barely afford it. Everyone should take advantage of the opportunities that are given to them, and everyone should have the right to expand their education. Students should not have to worry about loans, education should be free.