Is College Worth It? by Alyana

Is College Worth It? by Alyana - April 2020 Scholarship Essay

College is known to be the groundwork for individuals who wish to further their education and earn a degree in order to pursue a stable career that is both financially and socially beneficial. There are no restrictions as to who can attend college since those who finish with a bachelor’s or master’s degree tend to be young adults, adults, and elders. However, the option of going to college is a major decision as there are many factors to be taken into account. A majority of people feel obligated to go to college because you are more likely to obtain a professional job that earns a bigger salary. Others feel the need to go due to the wide variety of academic, social, and occupational opportunities that can be explored. Attending college helps individuals earn opportunities that can not be obtained without a degree, however it is not an essential importance for determining one’s guaranteed success in society.
People feel obligated to attend college simply because they want to maintain their status quo. Those who tell people that they did not go to college are easily looked down upon and become judged by others, specifically those with higher authority like successful doctors or businessmen. Going to college acts like a precedent: attending “guarantees” your success due to a greater amount of job opportunities that you’ll earn, and not attending immediately allows people to assume that the only job you’re fit for is working in restaurants, stores, or groceries. Now I say that people who attend college are “guaranteed” success simply because it in fact is not always a guarantee. Many of my family members and others around the world have gone to college; however, they are now living on the streets or struggling to find a job. Not many individuals who attend and graduate from college grow up to be successful businessmen or earn money in the medical field; others are still trying to find a way to pay off their student loans and end up in financial debt. People even drop out of college because their financial requirements are too high to pay. Overall, attending college is not important because a majority of individuals drop out later on due to the inability to pay the amount, and those who end up graduating will suffer years of student debt that they will have to get rid of. Just because you desire to maintain your status quo to fit within society, or even just attending college to earn a degree and receive greater opportunities, it does not always guarantee that you will be successful in the long-run.
Another reason why attending college is not important is because most individuals nowadays can easily earn a substantial amount of money to sustain a living, while being happy with their way of earning it. For example, many of my peers who have experienced college, earned their degree, and pursued a job that earns a lot of money have claimed that they are not enjoying their job. Everyday they come home exhausted and unhappy with the occupation they are doing, yet they chose to put themselves in that situation because of the money. Many people lose out on the opportunity of pursuing an occupation that they are truly passionate about simply because it does not make as much money as other occupations that require a degree. But everything is about money. It is what you pay to attend college and it is what you desire to earn after. However, there are other substitutes for becoming financially successful that do not require the importance of college. With the rapid expansion of technology, people are now becoming a “social media influencer”. Individuals post content on the internet that is entertaining or important for people to see, specifically on popular apps such as Youtube, TikTok, Twitter, Snapchat, and Instagram. Today’s society has everyone constantly hooked onto their electronic devices, and many people can actually make a sufficient amount of money equivalent to those who are doctors or businessmen simply by posting material that people like to see. Other brands even reach out to these popular influencers and ask to be sponsored to promote their items. Many of these influencers tend to be those who either did not attend college or dropped out, yet they are still managing to be successful by pursuing a career that they enjoy. These social media influencers, and even those who choose to start their own business, are happy doing what they love without attending college. They are pursuing their dreams, growing their success, and earning money just like the people who attend college, but without the worries of being in debt.
All in all, going to college is not important if the overall goal is to become successful in the future and earn a bigger salary. There are a vast amount of substitutes that are presented to us that are equivalent to the goals that you would achieve if you went to college, such as starting your own business, having your own reality television show, or spreading your content on social media platforms. College is not important in determining one’s success because it often results in people sacrificing their passion or happiness for a job that earns a large amount of money. Essentially, there are other ways to promote success because attending college does not always guarantee that you will live a successful life.