College is the time in a person's life when they figure out who they are, get a degree, and accumulate loads of debt! The cost of post-secondary education has skyrocketed over the past years. Some students say that their degree was worth what they paid, but others do not think it's actually worth it. When students leave college, many are thousands of dollars in debt and some of these students are unemployed. So you ask the big question: Is a college education worth it? Well let's settle the argument and look at the pros and cons of this debate!

Pro: You make a lot of new friends that are just like you

College is like an extension of high school. In both of these your friends are about the same age as you, enjoy most of the same stuff and maybe have some of the same classes. When you graduate your friends will vary in age, interest, and other things.

Con: College can be hard sometimes

From adjusting to not being under your parents roof and rules anymore to having your own freedom and responsibilities to major tests and finals week. Finals week can be one of the most stressful times of the school year.

Pro: Young adults learn interpersonal skills

While in college students have the opportunity to communicate with other students and faculty, join organizations and clubs and partake in discussions as well as debates.

Con: Student loan debt often forces college graduates to live with their parents and delay marriage, financial independence, and other adult milestones.

Graduating students come out of college broke and in debt. They probably do not have the greatest credit score which leads them to live with the people that raised them for 18 years -- their parents.

Pro: College allows students to explore career options

Colleges offer career services, internships, job shadowing, job fairs, and volunteer opportunities in addition to a wide variety of courses that may provide a career direction.

Con: Many people succeed without college degrees

There are plenty of people who have succeeded without even having gone to college or ever finishing college. Steve Jobs, co-founder of Apple, dropped out of college, Rachael Ray didn't go to college and she is still successful and Michael Dell, founder of Dell computers, dropped out of college as well.

Pro: College exposes students to diverse people and ideas

Students live, go to classes, and socialize with other students from around the world and learn from professors with a variety of expertise. The community of people on a college campus means students are likely to make diverse friends and business connections, and, potentially, find a spouse or mate. Access to a variety of people allows college students to learn about different cultures, religions, and personalities they may have not been exposed to in their home towns, which broadens their knowledge and perspective.

Con: Many students do not graduate and waste their money or the government's money.

Some students who finish their first year do not return their second year because of financial burdens. If students do not go back to school they learned information that is useless to them and paid a bunch of money just to drop out of school. They are giving away their money and wasting the government's money.

Pro: Earning a college degree is a major life achievement

College graduation can represent the accumulation of hard work over the years, the support from loved ones, and the payoff for sacrifices made. Walking across that stage after those college years is one of the greatest achievements that anyone can have in their lifetime knowing that the hard work they put in had a great outcome.

Con: College does not necessarily prepare you for the real world

You live four years in a dorm room with a roommate and with meal plans each week. You stay up most nights until 2 AM just to wake up for your 8 AM class at 7:30, you have no bathroom in your room, you can get away with skipping classes sometimes, and you get to spend hours play video games or watching Netflix. There is no way that is going to happen in the real world! If you miss a day of work you might get fired!