Recently, there was a student, Billy Willson, at KSU who had a 4.0 GPA but decided to drop out of college after his first semester. His picture flipping off the Kansas State University sign, as well as the Facebook post which accompanied it, has been shared thousands of times. It has been a hot debate topic for days and has sparked a lot of arguments online. Here is what I think about the whole scenario.
I believe that college is not a scam. Yes, books and classes are extremely expensive; we all know that. A lot of the books that are required you might not even use that much, but it is often viewed that college is a "business." Tuition is outrageous (especially for out of state students), but I am still choosing to go to college. I want to get my degree and get the career I have always wanted. A lot of jobs now require some sort of degree, and it is hard to advance in the workforce without one. Now, I am not saying that you need a college degree to be successful, but it certainly cannot hurt!
Billy Willson stated that the gen. ed. classes are pointless and that a lot of the stuff we learn in those classes is not relevant and that we will never use it again. Am I ever going to use the Pythagorean theorem ever again? Probably not. On the other hand, I am glad I learned it. It made me really think about how things are and why we do things. College has expanded my mind, and I can definitely say that I can think more critically. College has taught me that you are never going to be perfect, and that is okay. Just because you get a bad grade on a test, or maybe even have to repeat a class, it's an obstacle you have to get over. I have learned that perseverance is key to success.
I can go on and on for hours on how college has made me into the adult I am today. I can study and get my degree in something I am genuinely interested in, but I am aware that college shapes you into in ways you can never imagine. I have become more mature, independent, professional, humble and grateful. I believe that college teaches you things that you cannot learn from anywhere else; that is exactly why I believe college is not a scam, and that is why I will continue my college career until I graduate.
