Is college a waste of time? Well, maybe. It all depends on why you are pursuing a higher education and what you intend to do with it. Assuredly, th collegiate landscape itself is changing, and society itself placing appears to be placing less emphasis on higher education, (at least bachelor’s degrees, as masters and doctorate degrees are more desirable), as more and more individuals attain their degrees. Now, these are merely observations I have made throughout the years, and with that said, I would like to go over my own personal experience and offer up my thoughts on why going to college may or may not be a good idea.
Don’t get me wrong, I love going to school. I have made great friends and have had many opportunities open up to me, yet I gave up an important part of myself in order to do so, and admittedly went to college for the wrong reasons. Here are those reasons, of which there are only two, but more importantly, do they relate to you?
1. Health insurance
In order to stay on my parent’s health insurance, I had to attend college. I started somewhat late – at the age of 20 – and ran the risk of losing my insurance if I did not enroll. So I did, and I had no idea what I was getting into. While insurance is indeed important, I feel somewhat foolish for making a life changing decision over it; this is not to say it was the only motivating factor in my decision – it wasn’t – I am merely suggesting that it played a role in my decision making process, even if only an iota.
2. I was expected to
As aforementioned, I enrolled into college at the age of 20. I spent two years working after high school, and my parents were beginning to think I wouldn’t amount to much. They constantly hounded me to go college. It didn’t matter where I went, they just wanted me to go. So I did, and this, at least to me, it one of my greatest mistakes in life. Not only did I not have the desire to go to school, I didn’t even know what I would go for, and even three years in, I still don’t. My point is, don’t do something simply because you are told to, even family or friends are the ones doing the telling. Your life belongs to you and nobody else, so don’t ever let anyone push you into a corner to do something you uncertain about. This isn’t to say that going to college is a mistake, but if you plan on going at least have some sort of plan or rudimentary understanding of what you are getting into. What school or university will you attend? What will you study? Will your degree help you acquire gainful employment? How much will everything cost, and how will you pay for it? Is this something you actually want to do? All of these are important questions you should ask yourself before going to college, and while it is impossible to know the answers to them in full detail, especially at such a young age, it is important to keep them at the forefront of your mind to ensure that you succeed in your collegiate endeavors.
Those are the reasons why I am in college. Now that I am nearly done (and too far in to give up), I can say that haven’t quite wasted my time, although there are days where I am just about ready to call it quits and wish I never started in the first place (but what worthwhile endeavor doesn't make you feel this way?) Nevertheless, I have mostly enjoyed my time thus far; I just wish that I had given it more thought so my experience would have been smoother. If I have learned anything, it’s that things don’t work themselves out; having a plan and thinking through your situation does. Don’t go to college telling yourself that everything will fall into place. Even if it does, there is always the possibility that you are setting yourself up to fail, so go in with a plan and do what is best for you. This is easier said than done, I know, but time put forth into bettering yourself is never time wasted.
