Ever since I was younger, attending college has always been a part of my plan. Why? There are many reasons one might want to leave her loving, supportive family to attend school more than seven hundred miles away. My reasons, are to receive an education, meet new people and to figure out what exactly I want to do with my life. My parents had never failed to mention at dinner the amount of fun they’ve had when they were away.
I think they are the only people in the whole universe that made school sound cool. Therefore, after some hesitation, I packed up my life and prepared to live on my own. Upon arriving at Purdue University, I don’t think I have ever been more terrified to start a new chapter in my life. Once I was all settled into my off-campus apartment, my parents could see the anxious look on my face and began to assure me of all the reasons why college is essential.
College helps students, like me, develop into independent adults while also preparing us for whatever obstacles adulthood may throw at us. It also gives you the opportunity to connect with hundreds of people worldwide without ever having to go anywhere while also providing various joinable clubs/organizations so that students can expand their network.
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According to John Rothwell, “workers with a college degree tend to earn significantly higher wages and are far more likely to be employed than those that have no post-secondary education,” (Rothwell, 2013). Based on data provided by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, “the median college worker can earn over 84% more than the worker with only a high-school education.” Having a post-secondary degree can also lead to better job security and a higher chance of pursuing a career that you enjoy.
However, not only can earning a college benefit you but it could also benefit your future family by providing healthcare/insurance benefits and other perks. Completing college also ensures a higher chance that the next generation will attend a university and be just as successful, if not more. According to Michael Greenstone and Adam Looney, “the total investment of a four-year college degree is about $102,000 dollars,” (Greenstone, Looney, 2011). As a result, many people seem to wonder if college is even worth it, but little do they know that a four-year education can provide a graduate with opportunities that could last them well into their sixties. Moreover, there are also many consequences to spending so much on education.
One of the biggest problems when it comes to college is being able to pay for it. With the number of loans that one takes out to pay for tuition, a college graduate can be up to his/her neck in debt for years. According to Mitch Daniels, president of Purdue University and the former Republican governor of Indiana, due to the high debt that college find themselves in people “are postponing marriage, childbearing and home purchases,” (Holland, 2015) to pay for college. Student debt can even worsen economic inequality, and many find it challenging to get by, let alone get ahead. However, I think that potential benefits of earning a degree are worth the potential social and economic cost of attending college because if I could have a chance at being successful in life than why would I turn that down?
