Monday, April 11, 2022

Students! Is college the right path for you?

        How many times have you heard the question, “What do you want to do when you graduate from high school?” If you are close to graduation, then you are hearing it more and more as the school year comes to a close. What reaction do you get if you dare to say that college is not the path for you? The pressure to attend college is enormous. It is why so many young people choose college even though statistics show it isn’t always the best option. 

One major reason is the debt required to get through college.


A second reason is it may not be the best fit and students drop out.

A third reason is that not all degrees are worth the time and effort required and do not readily lead to employment.

For many starting in kindergarten, the message has been to every student to work hard and get top grades which will lead to a good college. A great job will follow and then you will live happily ever after. This is not the case for many. One young woman shares her story. She took out loans to attend an expensive private college to earn an associate’s degree in occupational therapy. The coronavirus hit just as she reached graduation. After two unsuccessful years of searching for a job, she ended up going back to the group home where she was previously working earning $16 an hour. She explains: “I would give anything to go back and not go to college. It wasn’t worth it. My credit score plummeted from missing one payment. I am literally trapped by these loans” (Wolfson, 2022). Do not let this be your story. 

        A study was done almost ten years ago. Twenty thousand high school students participated. The students were asked to read a list of values and mark each item that they felt was important or essential. Being treated with respect was number one on the list at 99 percent. Fifty-six of the students marked being popular as essential. Being wealthy was at 70 percent. Having good moral character, helping others, and having trusted personal relationships were at 98 percent. Would it be surprising to learn that right under those was getting into college at 97 percent? (Josephson, 2013). As a society, we have become habitual in believing and reciting to students that college is the best and only path. 



        Recently, a very wise teacher mentioned the author, Bryan Caplan, who wrote a book, “The Case Against Education: Why the Education System is a Waste of Time and Money.” She explained that he writes that college is not a good investment. It used to be that having a bachelor’s degree made a person stand out but now that many people have them, they do not mean anything. As young people have begun to realize this, they have sought even higher education pursuing master’s and doctorate degrees. She poses a great question, “Is it a proving ground to grow and self-actualize or is it just torture that needs to be let go?” (R. Reed, personal communication, April 7, 2022). College is not a necessity for everyone. There are plenty of other options:   

Find a job

Look for a trade school

Do independent research and study
 
Take a gap year

      You’re smart. You can and do think for yourself. Ask yourself, “Why am I making the decision to go to college? Is there a better choice that will put me on a future path that I will enjoy more?” This might seem overwhelming. In some ways, it might just seem easier to comply with society. I would urge you to “think through possible outcomes, both positive and negative, and weigh their personal costs” to you (Ratts, DeKruyf, & Chen-Hayes, 2007, p. 94). As you think about your future, it is important to surround yourself with those who subscribe to the Abundance Mentality. Look for a mentor that “takes their personal joy, satisfaction, and fulfillment and turns it outward, appreciating the uniqueness, the inner direction, and the proactive nature of others” (Covey, 2020, p. 251). Those are the ones that can help you on your path. This could be your mom, dad, a teacher, or a counselor. The list could get very long. My call to action is to start the conversation about what you want your future path to look like. Start this week with a trusted adult. You will inspire other students by sharing this blog and by adding potential mentors to the list I have already started by clicking on the link below:

References

Covey, S. R. (2020). The 7 habits of highly effective people, Chapter about HABIT 4. 

Josephson, M. (2013). What do teens really value? What Will Matter. https://whatwillmatter.com/2013/11/what-do-teens-really-value-a-josephson-institute-survey-of-more-than-20000-high-school-students-reveals-surprising-information-about-their-values/#:~:text=Being%20treated%20with%20respect%20%E2%80%93%2099,Helping%20others%20%E2%80%93%2098%20percent.

Ratts, M. J., DeKruyf, L., Chen-Hayes, S. F., (2007). The ACA Advocacy Competencies: A social justice advocacy framework for professional school counselors. American School Counselor Association. Available at http://digitalcommons.georgefox.edu/gsc/9

Wolfson, A. (2022, April 6). 'Going to college ruined my life.' I have $85K in student loan debt for my 'useless degree' but only make $16 per hour. how can I cope? MarketWatch. https://www.marketwatch.com/picks/going-to-college-ruined-my-life-i-have-85k-in-student-loan-debt-for-my-useless-degree-but-only-make-16-per-hour-how-can-i-cope-01649182222

Image Sources

Caplan, B. D. (2019). The case against education: Why the education system is a waste of time and money. Princeton University Press.

Image of jobs with low employment. 52 statistics & reasons not to go to college: 2021/2022 Data & Analysis. Financesonline.com. https://financesonline.com/reasons-not-to-go-to-college-statistics/

Image of reasons why students drop out of college. 52 statistics & reasons not to go to college: 2021/2022 Data & Analysis. Financesonline.com. https://financesonline.com/reasons-not-to-go-to-college-statistics/

Image of student debt. 52 statistics & reasons not to go to college: 2021/2022 Data & Analysis. Financesonline.com. https://financesonline.com/reasons-not-to-go-to-college-statistics/

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