All night study sessions, finishing papers at the crack of dawn, skipping class to make up work for other classes, and surviving solely on Starbucks to get through the day alive are all instances any college student can relate to. The stress and anxiety seem to build throughout the entire year until it’s absolutely certain everybody is clinically insane. So why do we students do this to ourselves? We actually pay thousands of dollars and practically sign the rest of our lives away to the bank so we can go to school for another four years. Do we feel like we need a degree to get a job? Are we trying to make our families proud? Are we doing all of this because we want to or because we’ve been constantly pressured to go to college, get good grades, graduate, become successful, have a family, and die happily ever after? We students need to reevaluate what it is that we’re doing and decide once and for all: Is college really worth it?

Those who say college is indeed worth it will report that college graduates have higher employment rates, more work benefits, better interpersonal skills, and better salaries than their high school diploma counterparts. They also say college graduates have been able to achieve a major milestone in their lives. All of these statements can be proven true. Research by the Federal Reserve Bank of New York in 2005 showed that the average earnings of college graduates were about $50,000 higher than high school graduates. Also, the unemployment rate for 22 to 27 year olds with bachelor’s degrees was two percent lower than that of all workers in 2013. As for interpersonal skills, going to college allows for more opportunities to interact with faculty and other students. One can accomplish this through sports, classes, organizations, and multiple clubs, and, of course, college parties. Vivek Wadhwa, a technology entrepreneur and MBA stated, “American children party [in college]. But you know something, by partying, they learn social skills. They learn how to interact with each other...They develop skills which make them more innovative. Americans are the most innovative people in the world because of the education system." On another note, it’s apparently been proven that college graduates live longer than high school graduates. Eighty-three percent of graduates reported being in excellent health, compared to only 73 percent. I find this statistic amusing because most college students stay in their dorms eating junk food while completing homework and the only exercise they receive is walking to and from class.

Many people believe this side of the story as true and believe this is the only way for a successful future. In fact, the President himself endorses this as the White House website states, “Earning a post-secondary degree or credential is no longer just a pathway to opportunity for a talented few. Rather, it is a prerequisite for growing jobs of the new economy." If the President of the United States says everybody has to go to college, it must be true...right?

Despite the President’s view, the other side of the argument is college isn’t worth the investment because the debt from loans is too high and therefore delays students from saving for retirement, buying a home, and getting married. They also point out that many successful people never graduated from college and many jobs don’t require any kind of degree. Again, all of these statements can be proven true. In 2012, a conducted study showed that 10 percent of 25-year-olds with student debt owed over $40,000, and 1 percent of those students owed $100,000! These numbers can certainly raise some eyebrows as to if this commitment is really worth the pay off. High student loans delayed the students from moving out of their parents’ homes (29 percent), buying cars (40 percent), saving for retirement (41 percent), and getting married (15 percent). There are many famous and successful people who never graduated college and are doing more than fine on their own. Steve Jobs co-founded Apple in a car garage, Bill Gates is a multimillionaire and the founder of Microsoft, Ellen Degeneres has her own talk show, and Walt Disney built a family empire on lovable cartoon characters. And who doesn’t love what these people have done for us?

So is college really worth it? I believe that’s up to the individual to decide. With or without a college degree, you could become a CEO of a brand new marketing firm, or an old toy collector, an inventor of a scientific gadget that will save humanity, or even a cat whisperer! Major in philosophy because you want to, or don’t major in anything; that’s your decision! Walt Disney didn’t go to college, but who knows what might have happened if he did? Steve Jobs didn’t invent Apple because he was told to, but because he truly felt a passion for what he was doing. That’s the passion I want to have in everything I do, whether that requires a college education or not. The key to being successful isn’t necessarily a degree or a job, it’s simply loving what you do.

Sources:

ProCon.org: http://college-education.procon.org/

College Calculus: http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/09/07/colle...

Is College Even Still Worth It?: http://www.forbes.com/sites/laurashin/2015/08/26/i...